Why Become a Nurse in San Antonio, Texas
Why become a nurse? Nursing is a meaningful line of work with a strong outlook and competitive compensation. Becoming a nurse in Texas allows you to make a positive impact on people’s lives each day, while also joining a respected workforce in high demand.
Texas has the second-highest nursing employment rate in the country, with more than 260,000 nurses employed in the state as of 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Despite this, the demand for nurses in the Lone Star State is high. A national shortage of skilled nurses poses major challenges for healthcare providers and the health and well-being of Texans.
The BLS projects that the nursing workforce in Texas will grow 15% between 2022 and 2032, much faster than the national average. That translates to more than 16,000 projected new registered nurse positions each year.
Unsurprisingly, this makes registered nurses, especially those with a BSN degree, highly sought after in Texas and across the country. Not only is it possible to earn a comfortable living, but some hospitals are even turning to signing-on bonuses and other incentives to entice qualified nurses. In 2024, Texas’s registered nurses earned an annual mean wage of $91,690.
A Proud History of Nursing Excellence
Why become a nurse in San Antonio? The city is home to the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), which has a long, esteemed history in training future nurses. In 1931, UIW became the first school west of the Mississippi River to offer an accredited BSN education, but the school’s history with nursing dates back even further.
Before the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word founded the University in 1881, they opened the Santa Rosa Infirmary in 1869, providing desperately needed medical care to people of all faiths and nationalities.
To this day, UIW nursing students, faculty and staff remain devoted to the Sisters’ mission of serving the underserved through local clinics, food drives, health fairs or medical mission trips.
UIW is also committed to producing the nursing workforce of the future. Our Accelerated BSN track builds on this commitment by helping to graduate more skilled nurses and meet the rapidly growing demand.
Do You Have What It Takes to Make a Great Nurse?
Nursing is a calling — one that requires a special set of characteristics:
- Compassion: Compassionate care helps build trust between nurses, patients and families. It can also help promote better patient outcomes as you guide others towards healing.
- Empathy: As a nurse, you must be able to put yourself in your patient’s shoes while also preventing the tougher parts of the job from weighing on you.
- Advocacy: Not everyone is well-versed in medicine, which often leaves them in a vulnerable position. Nurses must listen to their patients and be their voice when needed.
- Patience: Nursing is extremely rewarding, but it can sometimes be frustrating. Not every patient, family member or hospital staff member is easy to deal with, making patience essential for one’s well-being.
- Strong Communication: Clear and effective communication skills are a must to ensure patients and their family members understand what is being done and why. It’s also needed to keep other medical staff apprised of a patient’s condition.
- Attention to Detail: Nurses must be meticulous in their attention to detail, whether recognizing subtle changes in a patient’s condition, keeping track of medications or charting.
- Calm Under Pressure: It’s no secret that nursing can be stressful at times, requiring you to think and act quickly and calmly.
- Curiosity: The best nurses are lifelong learners. They keep abreast of the latest practices and look for answers when their knowledge is lacking.
For More Information
If you think you have what it takes to become a nurse, contact us today to learn more about how to earn your degree in as few as 16 months through our second-degree Accelerated BSN track in San Antonio.