(HARLINGEN) – PASS. This is what Summer 2017 Vocational Nursing graduate and class salutatorian Miranda Rodriguez saw on her computer screen nearly 48 hours after taking her National Council Licensure Examination, the state licensing exam for nurses. .

It was the same result for her 15 other peers contributing to a 100 percent pass rate for Texas State Technical College’s vocational nursing program once again.

“The results are finally in and we’re proud of our students for the work it took to make this pass rate a reality,” said TSTC Vocational Nursing Program Director Heather Sauceda. “It validates that the work we are doing and the lessons we are teaching every day is preparing our students for this test and for the workforce.”

Rodriguez is now an LVN at All About Kids Home Health and said the time she spent waiting to find out if she passed or failed was agonizing.

“It is the best feeling in the world when you finally see the word PASS,” said Rodriguez. “Naturally I had some doubts and when I left the testing center I was second guessing everything, but the outcome goes to show that TSTC taught me everything I needed to know.”

The San Benito native added that because of TSTC and the guidance from her instructors like Sauceda, she was able to make her dream come true and do the work she loves.

She will be applying to TSTC’s registered nursing program this spring with hope of returning to TSTC as a student in the fall.

“I can’t think of a better place than TSTC to do my LVN to RN transition,” said Rodriguez. “TSTC’s nursing programs and its students are held to a high standard and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

TSTC’s Vocational Nursing is a 16-month program that teaches students the foundation of nursing, patient care through hands-on training in state-of-the-art simulation labs and how to be compassionate, confident and skilled nurses.

“We strive for excellence from our students with every single class,” said Sauceda. “We have confidence that our students can excel from beginning to end and become great nurses.”

To ensure and encourage student success, the program will implement a new tutoring schedule for all current and future vocational nursing classes.

In addition, new technology such as workstations on wheels, similar to what is seen at doctor’s offices and hospitals, will be implemented to allow students hands-on practice administering medications and other medical practices.

“This is a challenging program and we want our students to know we are here for them,” said Sauceda. “We want to offer what we can, when we can to help them succeed and begin their careers.”

The next TSTC Vocational Nursing information session is February 5 at the TSTC Nursing Education Center, Room 113 and 115 at 4 p.m.

For more information, visit tstc.edu or call 956-364-4762.