Welcome to the Southwestern Adventist University Nursing Department

SWAU offers several ways to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BS). Whether this is your first nursing program, you are an LVN, or you are an associate degree RN looking to advance your education and earn your BS, we have a degree program for you! We can help you succeed through small class sizes, individualized support from qualified and compassionate professors, excellent clinical opportunities, a state-of-the-art facility, and a Christian perspective. Take a virtual tour, contact us, and get started today.

What sets us apart 

• Small classes taught by dedicated professors 
• Personalized mentoring from nursing professionals 
• Hands-on learning in top hospitals across the DFW Metroplex 

We lead in helping our students develop comprehensive patient assessment skills and clinical judgment. This means you will enter the profession prepared to engage with co-workers, embrace change, and optimize patient outcomes by addressing all aspects of health. 

Why Pursue Nursing?

A degree in nursing, particularly a bachelor’s degree, opens the door to one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand career fields. Flexible work scheduling, excellent salaries, job security, and career advancement opportunities are attractive within the nursing profession. Nurses have a powerful impact on the lives of their patients, with caring and compassion being at the very heart of nursing. Not surprisingly, nursing has been named the "best college major" (Universities.com).

Job Market

Nurses are employed in hospitals, outpatient centers, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, physician offices, and a variety of other community settings. Nurses participate in health promotion, they provide care to those coping with illness or experiencing life transitions, and they work collaboratively with members of the healthcare team. Registered nurses assess, diagnose, plan, treat, and evaluate changing patient conditions. They work in many specialty areas, nursing education, or management and leadership in a wide range of settings.

Job Outlook

Nurses are in demand! Projections show an increasing need for registered nurses in the foreseeable future. The Texas Department of State Health Services predicts a 39% increase in the demand for registered nurses by 2032 (www.DSHS.Texas.gov). Research supports the increase in quality outcomes when nurses have a bachelor’s degree (BSN) and many hospitals are hiring with a goal of all BSN nurses. BSN graduates have greater opportunities for career advancement and expanded access to over 100 specialty nursing roles. Excellent opportunities for nurses with master's and doctoral degrees include Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist, and Nurse Administrator.

Earnings

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median salary for hospital-employed Registered Nurses is $77,600 (www.bls.gov). RN salaries vary by location, ranging from $60,000 to over $125,000 per year.

Educational Qualifications

Certifications in many specialty areas are available to BSNs (such as Critical Care, Emergency, Maternal/Child nursing, etc.). A master’s degree in nursing is required (and a doctoral degree is preferred) to teach nursing. Advanced Practice nurses, including Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists, are required to have a master’s or doctoral degree.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Southwestern Adventist University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.  

The nursing program is fully approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 10-200 Austin, TX 78701, 512-305-7400.