Mega Doctor News
By Roberto Hugo González / Mega Doctor News
EDINBURG, Texas — Jayson Valerio described the graduation of the first cohort of the DHR Health and South Texas College Registered Nurse Apprenticeship Program as a historic milestone in healthcare education, crediting years of collaboration and persistence for turning an ambitious idea into reality.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony at DHR Health, Valerio, regional healthcare liaison at South Texas College, reflected on the challenges involved in creating what leaders said is the nation’s first federally recognized traditional registered nursing apprenticeship program. The initiative was developed through a partnership among DHR Health, South Texas College, and the Texas Workforce Commission to address nursing shortages in the Rio Grande Valley and to allow students to gain paid clinical experience.
“There was a time that this registered nursing apprenticeship program seemed very impossible,” Valerio said, recalling early discussions in 2022 about creating an apprenticeship model for nursing education.
Valerio said one of the program’s first obstacles came when registered nursing was not listed as an approved apprenticeship occupation through the U.S. Department of Labor. Additional challenges included navigating state nursing education guidelines and higher education requirements.
“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. It happened because we chose collaboration over comfort.”
Valerio credited leaders at DHR Health, South Texas College, workforce officials, educators, and healthcare partners for helping move the initiative forward. He also recognized faculty, preceptors, and families for supporting students throughout the program.
Addressing the graduates directly, Valerio emphasized the historic role of the inaugural class.
“You are the first federally recognized traditional registered nursing apprenticeship in the nation,” he said. “Because of you, you will be paving the way for the next cohort.”
The apprenticeship model allows students to “earn while they learn,” combining classroom instruction with paid clinical training designed to prepare graduates for nursing careers while strengthening the healthcare workforce in South Texas.
During the ceremony, Carlos Cardenas, chairman of the board at DHR Health, emphasized the central role nurses play in patient care.
“Everything that we do in healthcare begins at the bedside and ends at the bedside,” Cardenas said, telling graduates they are entering a profession rooted in service, compassion, and human connection.
The ceremony concluded with a white-coat presentation for the 10 graduates and recognition of preceptors, faculty members, and family supporters who helped guide students through the program.
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