Nurses pursue higher education, higher pay, as Texas predicts shortages

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Rio Grande Valley is suffering a shortage of qualified registered nurses. Texas state government officials predict the problem will grow over the next decade.

In June of 2024, the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies and the Department of State Health Services released a report detailing the future of nursing in the state. The report predicted that by 2036, there would be a deficit of nearly 60,000 nurses in Texas. As part of its supply and demand projections, the report found the greatest unmet demand would be in Central Texas and the Valley.

In 2024, Governor Greg Abbott created the Texas Healthcare Workforce Task Force. The agency was formed to offer recommendations on increasing the healthcare employment numbers, while also providing updated statistical predictions.

Nursing educators have said one of the driving factors behind the nurse shortage is financial.

Adrienne Reyes, Team Leader at Texas State Technical College's LVN to RN transition program in Harlingen, said, “The overall wage, I believe, the RNs are getting about $82,000 on average, per year. LVNs are getting about $56,000 per year in Cameron County.”

Reyes said wages can range based on where a nurse is hired or their level of training.

“Typically, in the hospital, they might get a little bit of a higher wage because they can earn differentials if they work nights, weekends, or holidays. So, they’re able to earn a little bit more,” Reyes said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nationally, RNs average more than $98,000 a year, while the median salary for an LVN is $64,000. Using numbers from the BLS and Ziprecruiter salary data, nurse.com reports that RNs in Texas can earn anywhere between $14,000 and $139,000 a year. The website listed $83,000 as the average salary.

Reyes said she has seen many LVNs choosing to go back to school to earn more pay. She added that medical facilities had begun working to help make that transition easier.

“We have facilities now that are reaching out and starting nursing apprenticeship programs, which is where they would pay a student to be in clinical, as well as be a full-time employee for them," Reyes said, "They would work with their hours, and allow them to work so that they can continue to provide for their families.”

According to the state's DSHS report, the Valley is doing well when it comes to the ratio of LVNs to the population. However, the region had fewer RNs per 100,000 residents than any other area in the state.

Reyes said one hopeful sign she sees in addressing the nursing shortage is the lack of a brain drain. Students tend to get their education in the Valley before moving somewhere else.

“I think here in our community, the students who are coming to our program, they’re looking for something local, because they want to stay local. Our students have strong ties to family in our community, and they’re not looking to go anywhere else, which is a big plus for our community facilities,” Reyes said.

As for the future, Reyes said her program at TSTC has seen an increase in applications following the pandemic. She said a lot of nurses wanted to leave bedside care, and fewer students were applying. That feeling is borne out by the turnover numbers released by state agencies.

Now, Reyes said, she believes the school is back to pre-pandemic levels of applicants and students. She also believes that the trend will continue.