Northwest Texas Healthcare System Partners with WT Nursing to Offer ADN to BSN Program

CONTACT: Martha Del Toro, 806-354-1118, martha.deltoro@nwths.com

AMARILLO, Texas — Northwest Texas Healthcare System is proud to partner with West Texas A&M University to offer tuition reimbursement for Northwest employees interested in obtaining their BSN through the West Texas A&M's online "ADN to BSN" degree program.

The “ADN to BSN” degree is an 11-month online program offered by West Texas A&M University. Northwest’s full-time RN's with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing are qualified to enroll. The online program’s projected cost is $8,500. Currently NWTHS’s approved reimbursement policy reimburses employees up to $5,250 per calendar year (tax-free) for tuition reimbursement, but with this online program, NWTHS will pay up to $10,000*. Requirements for students to receive reimbursement include maintaining at least a “Meets Expectation” performance review and completing classes scoring a “B” or above.

“Northwest Texas Healthcare System is honored to have the opportunity to help our aspiring nurses who are interested in receiving their Bachelors of Science in Nursing through the West Texas A&M University online “ADN to BSN” degree program,” shared Patti Thompson, Chief Nursing Officer at NWTHS.

Established in 1974, WT’s Department of Nursing in its College of Nursing and Health Sciences currently provides about 70 percent of nurses employed throughout the Texas Panhandle.

WT nursing graduates, over the past five years, have averaged a 97 percent score on the National Council Licensure Examination, required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to test the competency of nursing school graduates in the United States and Canada. Nationally, the average is 85 percent; in Texas, it’s 87 percent.

“Learning is a lifelong process of discovery; thus healthcare education and research never end. WT’s Department of Nursing could not be more happy to partner with Northwest Texas Healthcare System and

provide their RNs an opportunity to continue to learn and grow professionally by earning a baccalaureate in nursing through our outstanding RN-BSN curriculum. We are proud of our programs and proud of this exciting, new partnership with Northwest Texas Healthcare System,” stated Dr. J. Dirk Nelson, dean, WT College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

To learn more, visit nwths.com/careers/nursing-opportunities.

Photo: Patti Thompson, chief nursing officer at NWTHS, and Dr. Holly Jeffreys, head of WT's Department of Nursing, announce a tuition reimbursement for Northwest employees expanding their education at WT.

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About Northwest Texas Healthcare System 

Northwest Texas Healthcare System, a 495-bed academic teaching facility based in Amarillo, Texas, recognized for as an Accredited Heart Hospital and Stroke Center, Children's Hospital as well as many other accredited clinical services. The Texas Department of State Health Services has designated Northwest Texas Healthcare as the Lead Trauma Facility for the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle and has two additional Free Standing Emergency Departments.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 40 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

*there may be tax implications if an employee receives more than $5,250 in a calendar year