TSTC Vocational Nursing student’s hands-on experience at school and the job prepares her for workforce

HARLINGEN — Arlene Vargas knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the dental field after her own personal experience.

“I visited Harlingen Family Dentistry for monthly follow ups because I used to wear braces,” Vargas said. “I really liked how the team of dental professionals interacted with me. I asked what their job entailed. I liked what they explained to me, and I felt that I could do that job.”

However, her career outlook changed when she did not get accepted in the Dental Hygiene program at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus.

“My stepfather, David Salas, is a Vocational Nursing instructor at TSTC, and he suggested that I try to study nursing at the college,” Vargas said.

Before enrolling, Vargas applied for a job at an area hospital to learn if she would enjoy a career in nursing.

After working at Harlingen Medical Center as a part-time nursing assistant in 2022, Vargas chose to enroll in TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program, where she will start her third semester in the fall.

“I give patients a bath, feed them and other duties,” she said of her hospital assignments.

Noemi Cortez-Duran is a clinical supervisor at Harlingen Medical Center.

“Arlene’s bedside manner is exemplified through the compassion she emulates by developing a rapport with her patients,” Duran said. “She’s impacted our team by being a role model through her perseverance.”

The San Benito resident said that her job has inspired her.

“It makes me happy to see a patient’s health improve when you do everything you can for them,” she said.

Tomas Perez is one of Vargas’ Vocational Nursing program instructors.

“When Arlene first started the program, she was shy,” Perez said. “Now she is a vocal and inquisitive nurse. She’s demonstrated confidence during clinicals. That’s a quality that we emphasize for our students to develop when working with patients.”

Vargas, who earned an Associate of Science degree in Biology from TSTC in 2022, said the Vocational Nursing program has prepared her for success

“Although the program is challenging, our instructors are great at motivating us,” she said. “Every student works together to make sure that we all succeed.”

In Texas, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn an average annual salary of $57,010, according to onetonline.org, which forecast the number of such positions to grow in the state by 17% from 2020 to 2030.

TSTC offers a Vocational Nursing certificate of completion at its Breckenridge, Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses. An Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing is offered at its Harlingen and Sweetwater campuses.

Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.