Pearson VUE and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Bring Nursing Exams to Harlingen, Texas

HARLINGEN, Texas, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), Texas Board of Nursing and Pearson VUE today celebrated the opening of a Pearson Professional Center in Harlingen, Texas. The test center, located in the Bank of America building at 222 East Van Buren, will serve nursing candidates from the surrounding communities as well as other individuals taking high-stakes exams. State and local public officials, faculty from local nursing programs, board members and staff of the Texas Board of Nursing, as well as staff from NCSBN attended the dedication ceremony held June 19th.

"South Texas is an important location in the preparation of future nurses, but many nursing candidates have had to drive from as far away as Corpus Christi or San Antonio to take their nursing exam," said Kathy Thomas, MN, RN, Executive Director, Texas Board of Nursing. "We're thrilled that Pearson VUE is opening a center here, because it not only underscores the importance of this region to the nursing profession, it also brings greater convenience to the residents of Rio Grande Valley."

The new center represents several years of work in the making. The initiative started when NCSBN, in an effort to better serve U.S. nursing communities, surveyed its member boards of nursing to determine where there was need for a Pearson Professional Center to administer the National Council Licensure Examinations (NCLEX). The valley area of South Texas was identified as one of the most underserved areas. Over the last five years, this area has seen a steady increase in students graduating from the local nursing programs. So, in conjunction with Pearson VUE and the Texas Board of Nursing, NCSBN chose Harlingen, Texas, as the site for a new test center designed to serve the local community of nursing programs and students.

"This was an important decision," said Casey Marks, Chief Operating Officer, NCSBN. "Both NCSBN and Pearson VUE wanted to ensure that the location chosen would maximize our ability to test nursing candidates. The demand for licensed nurses continues to increase—not just in South Texas, but everywhere. We're confident that the growing number of nursing students in and around Harlingen should keep this test center busy for years to come."

"An important tenet of our test delivery model is having test centers in the right locations," said Bob Whelan, president and CEO of Pearson VUE. "With more than 260 Pearson Professional Centers globally, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional coverage for NCLEX candidates. So, as we learned of the need for nursing students in South Texas to have more convenient access to testing, we agreed that adding a Pearson Professional Center in Harlingen would not only benefit those aspiring nurses but also the general population."

About NCSBN

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit organization whose members include the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also seven associate members. NCSBN's mission is to provide leadership to advance regulatory excellence for public protection.  

About the Texas Board of Nursing

Formed in 1909, the mission of the Texas Board of Nursing is to protect and promote the welfare of the people of Texas by ensuring that each person holding a license as a nurse in the State of Texas is competent to practice safely. The Board fulfills its mission through the regulation of the practice of nursing and the approval of nursing education programs.

About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in computer-based testing for information technology, academic, government and professional testing programs around the world. Pearson VUE provides a full suite of services from test development to data management, and delivers exams through the world's most comprehensive and secure network of test centers in 165 countries. Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (NYSE: PSO; LSE: PSON), the international education and information company, whose businesses include the Financial Times Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group.

SOURCE Pearson VUE