Texas Board of Nursing moves several education programs to conditional status, withdraws one vocational approval

The Texas Board of Nursing on April 30 acted on a series of nursing education approvals after hearing staff reports and presentations from program directors and school representatives. Board members voted to change approval statuses for several pre‑licensure programs, advanced several requirements for remediation and set conditions intended to protect patients by improving program quality.

The board’s actions ranged from moving Sol Ross State University’s baccalaureate program to “initial with warning,” to placing the Chamberlain University Pearland campus and the University of Texas Permian Basin baccalaureate programs on conditional approval, to approving a conditional order requiring Lamson Institute in San Antonio to stop admitting new students while it implements fixes. Separately the board voted to withdraw the vocational nursing approval for Belltech Career Institute in Houston and ordered a teach‑out for currently enrolled students.

Those votes followed staff site‑visits and earlier self‑studies, testimony by school leaders and questions from board members about admissions criteria, course sequencing, clinical placements and faculty stability. In its deliberations the board repeatedly emphasized its statutory duty to protect the public by ensuring licensees receive an education that prepares them for safe practice.

Votes at a glance - Sol Ross State University (Alpine, BSN): Changed approval from initial approval to initial with warning after two consecutive NCLEX pass rates below 80%. The board accepted staff’s recommendation and attached conditions and monitoring. Representatives from Sol Ross told the board they have tightened prerequisites, added a six‑week academic readiness course and moved most classes to face‑to‑face delivery to support rural, first‑generation students.

- Chamberlain University (Pearland, BSN): Board changed status from full approval with warning to conditional approval after three consecutive years with NCLEX pass rates under 80%. Chamberlain described multiple corrective measures — more student support (including a 16‑week 1:1 mentoring program), additional live review days, faculty onboarding and course‑level coordination — and said it expects improved outcomes from cohorts currently in progress. The board voted to impose conditions and require reporting tied to the attached letter and order.

- University of Texas Permian Basin (Odessa, BSN): Board moved status from full approval with warning to conditional approval after the program’s 2024 NCLEX RN pass rate fell below 80% and staff cited rule noncompliance. UTPB leaders described curriculum revisions, added med‑surg coursework and new admissions requirements (prerequisite completion, minimum ATI/TEAS thresholds), and said a summer semester will allow faster graduation and testing for students delayed by prior scheduling. The board approved conditional status and required specified follow‑up.

- Lamson Institute (San Antonio, VN): The board voted to change Lamson’s approval from initial to conditional and directed the school to stop admitting new vocational students until required corrections are implemented. The board’s March site visit found multiple concerns, including gaps in clinical learning and documentation. Lamson’s new regional director committed to implementing the originally proposed curriculum, hiring and faculty development, and the board’s order included an explicit requirement that the institution offer remediation at no cost to any current or former students identified as lacking required didactic or clinical instruction.

- Belltech Career Institute (Houston, VN): The board voted to withdraw approval, citing consecutive years of NCLEX PN pass rates below the board’s 80% benchmark and findings of noncompliance with Rule 214 (standards for vocational nursing education). The board required an orderly teach‑out for current students; the school’s director said turnover and staffing instability contributed to the program’s problems and that some recent graduates have already been re‑engaged with virtual NCLEX review offerings.

Other items of note - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda with a recusal noted for Ken Johnson and approved Howard College (San Angelo) vocational nursing program (consent item) after the recusal was entered to reflect Johnson’s affiliation with that program.

- Executive Director report and Operation Nightingale: Executive Director Kristen Benton briefed the board on agency priorities, including a surge of Operation Nightingale cases tied to fraudulent nursing programs that has increased enforcement workload and prompted a supplemental budget request. Benton said the board has been notified of several hundred additional cases through federal partners and is coordinating with the Office of the Attorney General and other state offices on prosecution and contested hearings.

Why it matters The board’s actions affect students, hospitals and the nursing workforce. Conditional status and withdrawals slow or stop new admissions at affected programs while imposing oversight and reporting to address educational gaps. Multiple board members and staff emphasized the balance between supporting schools and protecting patients by ensuring graduates have the knowledge and clinical experience required for safe practice.

What’s next Each school placed on conditional approval must meet the conditions and provide progress reports as spelled out in the board’s letters and orders. The board’s education staff will continue site visits and monitor NCLEX outcomes for the next cohorts; the board also signaled it will expect evidence of sustainable changes — in faculty stability, curriculum, clinical partnerships and student support — before restoring full approval.