Austin, the capital of Texas, has grown into the 17th-largest city in the nation. Photo courtesy of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Austin city limits isn’t just a popular country-music television series - it’s also what nurses cross into on their way to challenging and exciting new careers.

As the capital of Texas, Austin is a living panorama of the Lone Star State’s remarkable history. Here you’ll find an intoxicating mix of the old and the new; Austin is a skyscraper-lined city that respects and cherishes its heritage while steadfastly marching toward the future.

Austin has grown tremendously since it’s founding in 1838. Today it is the nation’s 17th largest city with a population of 657,000 within the city limits and a whopping 1.25 million in the metropolitan area. That’s a lot of people - and a lot of opportunity for nurses looking for a change of scenery.

Views make Austin a great place for your eyes as well as your ears.
Photo courtesy of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau.

On Duty

Austin, like most cities and rural areas in Texas, is in the throes of a nursing shortage that fluctuates in severity at various times, says Clair Jordan, RN, MSN, executive director of the Austin-based Texas Nurses Association. “Vacancies in larger Texas cities range from 5% to 7%. In Austin’s Magnet hospitals, the vacancy rate runs around 4%,” Jordan says. “Medical/surgical, operating room, and perinatal are the nursing specialties most in demand in Austin.”

Texas is actively working to produce more nurses and retain those already employed. In 2001, the Texas Legislature passed SB 572, the Nursing Shortage Reduction Act, which secured nearly $26 million to increase enrollment in RN programs. “Texas chose to produce more registered nurses rather than recruit them from elsewhere because the shortage was nationwide,” Jordan explains. “The goal of the program was to increase the number of graduates by 20% each year for five years.”

Many of the larger health care facilities are addressing the shortage by seeking Magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Research indicates that Magnet facilities outperform those without the designation in recruiting and retaining nurses, Jordan says. Austin has four recognized Magnet hospitals, all of which are part of the SETON Healthcare Network: Brackenridge Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Austin, Seton Medical Center, and Seton Northwest Hospital.

“A growing number of smaller facilities in Texas are pursuing the Nurse-Friendly Hospital Designation of the Texas Nurses Association,” Jordan adds. “This designation tells registered nurses that essential elements of an ideal nursing practice environment are present in that facility and that it is a workplace that values a nurse’s contribution to the pursuit of safe, quality patient care. Many facilities are also reviewing the benefits they offer to attract nurses, such as signing bonuses.”

Nurses who want to go back to school or help a student nurse have a wide variety of institutions from which to choose. One of the best is the University of Texas School of Nursing, which offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, as well as an alternate entry master’s degree program and fast-track programs of RN-to-BS/BSN, MS/MSN, and PhD/DSN. “The University of Texas School of Nursing is one of the top 10 nursing schools in the nation, placing seventh in the National Institute of Health’s Funding Ranking,” Jordan says.

Outdoor activities are plentiful in Austin.
Photo courtesy of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Also within the capital city is Austin Community College, which offers an excellent associate degree nursing program.

Just down the road are the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor/Scott & White School of Nursing in Belton, the University of the Incarnate Word School of Nursing in San Antonio, the University of Texas Health Science Centers in San Antonio, Central Texas College in Killeen, San Antonio College in San Antonio, and Temple College in Temple.

“Another growing avenue for nursing programs is the distance education site,” Jordan says. “The Texas Tech University Health Science Center offers nursing programs via distance learning in Fredericksburg and Kerrville, as does the University of Texas at Arlington at McLennan Community College. Austin Community College has plans for providing online education this fall.

“Austin is a great community to pursue or further nursing education,” Jordan continues. “Not only is the city the live-music capital of the world but it also offers plenty of parks, lakes, and outdoor recreational opportunities.”

Off Duty

Jordan isn’t kidding. Austin is the place to live if you’re into music of any kind, although, not surprisingly, country music dominates. According to the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, on any given night, live music resonates from more than 100 venues throughout the city. Among the big-time artists who call Austin home are The Dixie Chicks, Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Don Walser.

Austin’s bustling music scene started out in a converted gas station on Lamar Boulevard, where up-and-comers like Janis Joplin dropped by to jam with yodeler Kenneth Threadgill. That converted gas station is now a restaurant where you can still hear the music stars of tomorrow while enjoying Threadgill’s ambience and outstanding Texas cuisine.

Austin is known for its live music, and you’ll find some of the best on Sixth Street. Photo courtesy of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Some of Austin’s best music can be found along Sixth Street, a historic avenue that is listed on the National Historic Register. It offers an enticing mix of dance clubs, jazz joints, and rock venues that help keep the city’s music legacy alive.

West of Austin’s central business area lies the Warehouse District, which offers more after-hours fun. Once a busy industrial area, the Warehouse District has been refurbished into a dining and entertainment mecca, where clubs such as Miguel’s La Bodega, Cedar Street Courtyard, Speakeasy, Red Fez, and the Lucky Lounge keep visitors coming back for more. If you’re into the blues, you won’t want to miss Atone’s, which USA Today ranked as America’s best blues club.

Looking to add a little history and culture to your fun? More than 80 museums or galleries are located in or near Austin, many of them just minutes from downtown. They include -

• The Capitol Complex Visitor’s Center. Located on the capitol grounds, the Visitor’s Center contains numerous exhibits related to the capitol, the city of Austin, and the state of Texas. Admission is free.
• The O. Henry Museum. Book-lovers will enjoy visiting the former residence of famed short-story author William Sidney Porter, who is better known as O. Henry. The structure remains relatively unchanged from when the author lived there more than 100 years ago. Admission is free.
• The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. This unique museum tells the “Story of Texas” with three floors of interactive exhibits; the special-effects show “The Star of Destiny”; and Austin’s only IMAX theater, which features the large-format film “Texas: The Big Picture.” A 35 foot-tall bronze Lone Star sculpture greets visitors in front of the museum, and a colorful terrazzo floor in the rotunda features a campfire scene with enduring themes from Texas’ past. Admission is $5 for adults and $4.25 for seniors.

The arts are also honored in Austin. In fact, the capital city is one of the few in the nation with professional ballet, symphony, opera, and theater companies. The Austin Symphony and Ballet Austin are two mainstays of the city’s vibrant arts scene, as is the Bass Concert Hall, a 3,000-seat venue that hosts a variety of music concerts and touring Broadway plays.

Austin is an exciting city with much to offer those who enjoy all kinds of activities. It’s also a city still on the grow, with plentiful opportunities for nurses and other health care professionals who are seeking new and exciting professional challenges.