About the College
Mission Statement
The mission of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CONHS) is to prepare health careproviders to improve the well-being of complex and multicultural populations.
History
The Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing was founded through the Laredo community's commitment to addressing the unmet health needs of the city and the surrounding border region. Its curriculum is grounded in theories of transcultural nursing and human caring and is specifically designed to serve a multicultural population. This innovative, community-based approach combines mastery of acute clinical nursing competencies with effective community development strategies.
In September 1994, the school received approval for a baccalaureate completion program (RN/BSN) for associate degree Registered Nurses, and the first students were admitted in January 1995. The RN/BSN program earned full accreditation from the Texas Board of Nursing in May 1996. Following the graduation of its first cohort, the program received five years of initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission in October 1997.
The success of the RN/BSN program, combined with a growing demand for Registered Nurses in Laredo and the surrounding community, led to approval of the Basic Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program that launched in Fall 1998. In 2004, the BSN programs earned reaccreditation, and the college also received its initial accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for its Master of Science in nursing (MSN) degree program.
In Summer 2019, the Kinesiology and Communication Disorders programs, previously housed under the College of Education, joined the College of Nursing to form the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. As the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the college continued to expand its health-related programs by launching the Bachelor of Science in Public Health in Fall 2020, followed by the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science in Fall 2026.
Community Partnerships
The growth and development of the Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing has been made possible by the outstanding support received from the Laredo community. The Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust and Mercy Health Systems of Texas provided funding for program development, faculty and student support. Spacious, state-of-the-art facilities in the Dr. F. M. Canseco Hall and an endowed scholarship fund serve as a family memorial to a noted Laredo physician and his wife, Dr. F. M. and Consuelo Canseco.Other endowed scholarships honor Laredo families; Hurd, Epstein and Hachar. Local philanthropic organizations also offer scholarships to our nursing students including; Laredo Medical Center Auxiliary and Women's City Club.