Thursday, March 25, 2021
 

By Victoria Brito Morales

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – UTRGV’s accelerated online graduate nursing programs have been recognized by The Princeton Review in its Best Online Nursing School Master’s Program listings. 

UTRGV has two accelerated online graduate nursing programs: nursing administration and nursing education, both 36 credit hour programs.  

Dr. Sharon Radzyminski, dean and professor of the UTRGV School of Nursing, said highly qualified and trained nurses are essential to the provision of healthcare in the United States.   

“This begins with the highly specialized education and training nurses require to be able to provide such care,” said Radzyminski. “The UTRGV School of Nursing is proud to be able to educate nurses in a manner that allows flexibility and affordability, while still maintaining high-quality standards. 

“Recognition of such standards by credible organizations, such as the Princeton Review, brings exceptional nurses into our programs and improves healthcare outcomes throughout the Valley, Texas and the nation,” she said. 

According to the Princeton Review website, online nursing school master's programs have become as rigorous as their on-campus counterparts and for many nursing graduate school candidates, an online degree might even be the smarter choice. 

“Each program is different and focused on different specialties,” said Dr. Juanita Acebedo, UTRGV assistant professor of nursing and MSN administration program coordinator.  

Nursing administration focuses on administrative duties in healthcare settings such as inpatient settings in hospitals, long-term care facilities or outpatient care settings, like clinics.  

“Students use the concepts and theories in nursing administration and apply them in their clinical practice to improve patient or population health outcomes,” Acebedo said. “These students usually want to advance in their position and make an impact in patient care in an administrative role.” 

Nursing education is focused on the different types of pedagogies involved in teaching and learning.  

“Nursing education students are seeking to work in teaching undergraduate nursing students or teach nurses in clinical sites,” she said. 

The online accelerated programs at UTRGV appeal to students from all over the country and provide flexibility for full-time working students to pursue a graduate degree while continuing their professional pursuits. 

“Most of our applicants and students enrolled are already working nurses from across the United States pursuing a higher nursing degree,” Acebedo said. “These online programs make it possible for them to achieve their goals.” 

Six UT System schools were ranked among 189 programs, including UTRGV, UT Tyler, UT Medical Branch-Galveston, UT Arlington and UT El Paso.



ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.