Mega Doctor News
By Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News
EDINBURG, Texas — DHR Health and South Texas College celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of their Registered Nurse Apprenticeship Program, marking what speakers described as the nation’s first federally recognized traditional registered nursing apprenticeship program.
The ceremony honored 10 nurse apprentices who completed the program through a partnership between DHR Health, South Texas College, and the Texas Workforce Commission. Leaders from the organizations said the initiative was created to address the nursing shortage in the Rio Grande Valley while allowing students to gain paid clinical experience as they completed their education.
Carlos Cardenas, chairman of the board at DHR Health, said nursing plays a central role in patient care and community health.
“Everything that we do in healthcare begins at the bedside and ends at the bedside,” Cardenas told graduates. He said the profession requires compassion and human connection, adding that nurses help patients during critical moments in their lives.
Cardenas also said the program reflects efforts to improve access to healthcare in the region by training local residents to serve patients close to home.
“We’ve made a transformational change,” Cardenas said, referring to the growth of healthcare access in the Rio Grande Valley. “People no longer have to leave our community in order to be able to get care.”
Jayson Valerio, regional healthcare liaison at South Texas College, said the program required years of collaboration and policy changes to become a reality.
“Once it was seen as impossible, it is now a reality and yielding to its great fruition,” Valerio said. “This did not happen by accident. It happened because we chose vision over hesitation.”
Valerio said the apprenticeship model faced early obstacles because registered nursing was not initially recognized as an apprenticeship occupation through federal pathways. He credited collaboration among DHR Health, South Texas College, state agencies, and workforce leaders for helping establish the program.
“You are the first federally recognized traditional registered nursing apprenticeship in the nation,” Valerio told graduates. “Because of you, you will be paving the way for the next cohort.”
Speakers throughout the event highlighted the apprenticeship model’s ability to allow students to “earn while they learn,” combining classroom instruction with hands-on clinical experience. Officials said the approach prepares graduates for nursing careers while helping healthcare providers address workforce shortages.
Clarissa Cerda, assistant chief nursing officer at DHR Health, told graduates that nursing demands compassion, sacrifice, and resilience.
“Nursing is a calling,” Cerda said. “It is the ability to provide comfort during fear, hope during uncertainty, and healing during difficult moments.”
The ceremony concluded with a white-coat presentation for graduates and recognition of faculty members, preceptors, and family members who supported the students throughout the program.
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