Seton Medical Center Williamson gives $250,000 to support nursing education in Round Rock

Seton Medical Center Williamson presented $250,000 to the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Nursing to support the continued development of the college’s RN-to-B.S.N. and Second Degree programs in Round Rock. This gift brings Seton Medical Center Williamson’s contribution total to more than $1.5 million since 2009 and solidifies the goal of both entities to produce the best possible nursing care for Central Texas.

“We are pleased to present this check and continue to support the Texas A&M College of Nursing,” said Michelle Robertson, President and CEO of the Seton Healthcare Family North Group. “Together, we are collaborating to address the critical nursing shortage and to cultivate leaders in nursing care for this area and the state.”

The donation will allow the College of Nursing to continue the recruitment efforts of prospective nursing professionals, increase enrollment in programs offered in Round Rock and grow student recruitment efforts in Williamson and Bell counties.

It’s been five years since Seton Medical Center Williamson and the Texas A&M College of Nursing joined forces to bring the best in nursing education and care to Williamson County. During the past year, the Round Rock campus increased enrollment in the RN-B.S.N. program by 118 percent. The majority of this increased enrollment came from students who reside in Williamson and Bell counties.

“Seton Medical Center Williamson’s support has had a direct impact on our enrollment growth in Round Rock,” said Sharon A. Wilkerson, Ph.D., RN, CNE, ANEF, dean of the Texas A&M College of Nursing. “We are thankful for the continued support and the enduring relationship we have established with Seton and look forward to enhancing the quality of nursing education together, and providing the best care to area patients, families and friends.”

In fact, two graduates of the program who are now working within the Seton Medical Center received the prestigious DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in recognition of the care they give to patients and their families.

The Texas A&M Health Science Center opened the Round Rock campus in 2009 and the College of Nursing currently offers the online RN-to-B.S.N. and Second Degree programs at this location. The college also offers Traditional, Second Degree and RN-to-B.S.N. tracts to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) on its Bryan campus. A recent addition includes a new Master of Science in Nursing degree in nursing education. The online program prepares graduates to serve as educators in both the higher education and patient care settings.

Seton Medical Center Williamson, a member of the Seton Healthcare Family and part of Ascension, the nation’s largest nonprofit health system, opened on February 7, 2008, to serve Williamson County’s growing community and to meet the need for more convenient and advanced healthcare services in the area. Seton Williamson is the largest and only faith-based hospital in Williamson County. The Seton RN Residency offers newly licensed registered nurses a multistage transition into a workplace that emphasizes the best care possible, delivered with the dignity and respect every human deserves.