The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is a great venue to catch a Broadway show or concert. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

Those chilling words, spoken by Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell, were seared into the public’s consciousness in the spring of 1970 when an explosion in the spacecraft nearly killed its moon-bound occupants. Thankfully, all three men made it back alive, but the incident focused attention on Houston like never before - or since.

Space Center Houston displays a whole galaxy of attractions dedicated to America’s space program. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center has made Houston an epicenter of technological research. Futuristic spinoffs from the space program have also benefited the health care industry and made Houston one of the country’s premiere bioscience and nanotechnology centers. NASA’s Technology Transfer and Commercialization Program has resulted in such inventions as a miniature ventricular-assist device that grew out of technology used on the Space Shuttle. All this innovation has made Houston an exciting destination for new residents - especially those who work in health care.

On Duty

The main problem in Houston’s health care system is the ever-present nursing shortage. The current shortfall runs between 5% and 7% in the metropolitan area and about 9% to 10% in the suburbs, says K. Lynn Wieck, RN, PhD, president of the Texas Nurses Association. To address the deficit, in 2001, the Texas state legislature adopted the Nursing Shortage Reduction Act, which aims to double the capacity of nursing schools over a five-year period.

The Texas Medical Center is a sprawling complex that covers 700 acres of Houston real estate and employs more than 61,000 people. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Wieck says the act is just one of the many initiatives the association has pursued and supported. “The Texas Nurses Association constantly works for legislation that is beneficial to nurses, the profession of nursing, and quality patient care for all Texans. Some of the highly anticipated issues to be addressed by the 2005 legislative session that will influence the development of future legislation include the nursing shortage in the areas of supply [continued funding to increase capacity in schools and adequate salaries for faculty] and continued improvements to the nursing practice environment.”
The largest environment for nurses to practice in Houston is the sprawling Texas Medical Center, which covers 700 acres. The center’s 61,000-plus employees care for about 5 million patients annually, and the facility is still growing: Plans are to add 50% more jobs in the next five years. In addition, Wieck points out that there are four Magnet hospitals in the Texas Medical Center: The Methodist Hospital, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Although the Texas Medical Center is the largest health care employer in the Houston area, it’s not the only one. The city has more than 85 acute- and general-care hospitals within its boundaries, and seven of the hospitals are on the 2004 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals in America” list, including Memorial Hermann Hospital, The Methodist Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, the Menninger Clinic, The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, and M. D. Anderson.
“Any field of specialization a nurse wants to get into is available in Houston,” says Russell Bevil, operations director at Manthra Healthcare Staffing. “Many of the hospitals are paying nurses’ tuition to go to school and update their degrees, and they’re also looking critically at leadership for nurse managers - paying for management training, as well. The educational system is really in tune with the community’s needs.”

Indeed, it’s not difficult to find nursing educational opportunities in Houston. The area is home to 47 colleges, universities, institutes, and technical schools, as well as three major community college systems. “Some two-year colleges have formed partnerships with four-year schools, offering classes that enable nurses to get their four-year degrees in a night setting and work during the day,” Bevil says.

Off Duty

Its location in the Sunbelt makes Houston a great place to be outdoors, and there are many attractions that let you do just that. Six Flags AstroWorld is a big draw for roller-coaster fans, with rides such as the Texas Cyclone. Folks from back East will recognize it as a dead ringer for the famous Coney Island Cyclone. Well, almost. Because it’s in Texas, it’s higher and faster than its namesake. Then there’s the Viper, which turns you upside down and shoots you through a tunnel during your 2,000-foot ride.

Before you hyperventilate, you might want to cool off a bit at WaterWorld, the wetter side of the theme park. You won’t need your wallet; the price of admission is included with your Six Flags ticket. New at the park is the tallest water rapids ride in the world, Diablo Falls. Climb into a boat and spin through multiple spirals, drops, twists, and turns, and get blasted by water geysers and cannons on your way down the cascading river.

The San Jacinto Monument is a towering structure that commemorates Sam Houston’s 1836 victory over Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Outdoors without the rides. In the book of Texas history, the name of General Sam Houston is in large print. In 1836, Houston and his force of just 820 soldiers defeated the 1,500-strong army of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna near the San Jacinto ferry crossing. Today the site is a park dominated by a 570-foot limestone monument memorializing the encounter. At its peak, a 220-ton star symbolizes the defeat of Mexico and the birth of the Lone Star Republic. The memorial’s observation level offers a breathtaking view of the park.

If you’re a jogger, biker, or skater, Houston’s Memorial Park will satisfy your ambulatory urges. At nearly 1,500 acres, it’s the largest urban park in Texas and a favorite place for locals to gather for outdoor fun on weekends. The park features tennis courts, playing fields, swimming areas, six miles of mountain and recreational bike trails, and is also home to a 600-acre golf course that’s rated among the top municipal courses in the nation. If that’s not enough, Memorial Park is also home to the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, where you can spend a relaxing day walking among the center’s horticultural wonders.

Museums for everyone. At Space Center Houston, the official visitor’s center of the Johnson Space Center, you’ll find a detailed history of America’s space program. At this working NASA facility, you can actually see history in the making as astronauts train for future space flights. The facility boasts a 580-seat, five-story IMAX theater that can whisk you away on a simulated space voyage or take you back to the early days of the space program. A tram tour of the center includes stops at the vacuum chamber and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where astronauts train for space shuttle missions in a 6.5 million-gallon pool.

Nurses will be especially impressed by the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, which is dedicated to promoting wellness and health information. If you’ve ever wanted to personally explore a 27-foot intestine, this is your chance. The 7,400-square foot exhibit also contains Texas-sized models of other organs, including a 10-foot brain, a 22-foot long backbone, a mouth large enough to double as a garage, and a huge eyeball that is 6 feet in diameter. The pavilion also includes dozens of hands-on exhibits, science stations, and interactive displays.

More than 2 million people visit the Houston Museum of Natural Science every year, making it one of the most visited museums in the country. Photo courtesy of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The McGovern Museum is just one of a number of museums in Houston’s downtown museum district, which also contains the Children’s Museum of Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Houston Zoo, and many others. It’s also home to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, the fourth most visited museum in the country and the most well-attended in Texas, attracting more than 2 million visitors a year.

Cultural connection. If the symphony is your passion, look no further than the museum district’s Jones Hall, home base for the Houston Symphony. Dominating an entire city block, Jones Hall is stunning with its travertine marble facade, eight-story columns, and brilliantly lit grand entrance. Its unique mobile ceiling expands and contracts to accommodate anywhere from 1,800 to 3,000 theater patrons.

The nearby Hobby Center for the Performing Arts features two venues: Sarofim Hall, a 2,600-seat theater, and the more intimate Zilkha Hall, which seats 500. The $88-million center opened in 2002 and has quickly become a favorite place for Houstonians to take in a concert or touring Broadway show.

Opera-lovers should note that the Houston Grand Opera is also located in the theater district. The HGO has become known for commissioning works by new composers and performers, and offers a child-centric traveling exhibition called Opera to Go!, which presents fully staged “portable” operas in English for children in grades kindergarten through 7.

The myriad employment opportunities in this space-age city and its multitude of recreational and educational options make it a tantalizing destination. If you’re a nurse looking to relocate or begin a career, Houston’s problem can be your solution.