This information is only for students who have received a conditional acceptance email/letter directly from the UTRGV School of Nursing.

***This information does not pertain to pre-nursing students or those who have not completed their application to the UTRGV School of Nursing and have not received a letter of conditional admission from the UTRGV School of Nursing.

• You received a conditional acceptance because you have requirements listed below that must be completed before admission to the program and School of Nursing.   
• Your admission to the program is conditional and contingent upon you completing your requirements, including, but not limited to
  • completing any conditions of acceptance listed in your conditional letter of acceptance within the stated deadline (if applicable); and
  • providing the School of Nursing via your CastleBranch tracker with the required information and documentation, listed below 30 calendar days before the first-class day.
• Read and complete the requirements below and any communications you receive from the School of Nursing, paying close attention to deadlines.
• If you do not complete all the conditional acceptance requirements, which are due 30 calendar days before the first class day, including, but not limited to, completing all CastleBranch requirements (Negative 10-Panel Drug Test, Vaccinations, CPR Certification, TBON BlueCard, etc.) your conditional acceptance may be withdrawn, and you may not be granted admission to the program.  
• See the Academic Calendar for first class day.

Step 1:  Read your conditional letter of acceptance and complete any requirements that may be included at the bottom of your letter that must be completed by the stated deadline (course substitutions, course completion(s), etc.).  If none are listed, go to Step 2 below.

Step 2:  Read and follow the instructions in your Welcome Letter from UTRGV School of Nursing that you will receive via your UTRGV email within approximately three to five business days of your conditional acceptance letter. It will contain, in part,   

• Instruction for ordering your CastleBranch Tracker; please ensure you order the correct tracker by the code provided in your Welcome Letter;
• Instructions regarding ordering your required 10-panel Drug Test in your CastleBranch account; and
• Course registration information and instructions.

Step 3:  Place an order for a CastleBranch Compliance Tracker on the following website. https://utrgv.castlebranch.com. Complete this step within 7-10 calendar days of receiving your Welcome letter. 

• There is a one-time $30 package cost for your document tracker and a $1.99 service fee. 
• The required documentation listed below will need to be submitted via CastleBranch 30 calendar days before your date of admission (first class day). 
• Check your CastleBranch TO DO List regularly and review any email reminders and notices you receive from CastleBranch and UTRGV School of Nursing.
• Any rejected vaccinations or other items in CastleBranch will need to be reviewed by the appropriate BSN Program Coordinator.

If you have questions regarding CastleBranch requirements, contact Lourdes Sanchez, Program Coordinator-Student Services, lourdes.sanchez@utrgv.edu.

NOTE: The CB Bridges™ platform is a hub for managing important requirements throughout your clinical experience. Some students may be required to pay approximately $40 for CB-Bridges annually (the cost may vary depending on the modules the hospital utilizes).  If you are required to sign up for CB-Bridges in addition to CastleBranch, you will be notified by and provided instructions by your UTRGV clinical faculty.  Please wait to hear from your clinical faculty if you are required to register for CB-Bridges.

Step 4:  Order your Drug Test with CastleBranch as per the instructions on the Drug Screen Registration Form you receive from them (Package Cost $32.00 + Service Fee $2.99 ).  Complete this step within 7-10 calendar days of receiving your Welcome letter.

Step 5:  Make your Drug Test appointment and take your required 10-Panel Drug Test at the facility and location designated by CastleBranch on the above form.  Do not forget to take the form with the barcode to the facility along with a government-issued photo ID to your appointment.

Complete this step after receiving your instructions from CastleBranch as it takes approximately 5 business days for the results to be received and reviewed by CastleBranch and you want to allow enough time in case there are any issues with the Drug Test before the deadline.

Results are sent from the Drug Testing facility to CastleBranch via the barcode on your CastleBranch Drug Screen Registration form.

Conditionally accepted students are required to have negative Drug Test results confirmed by CastleBranch 30 calendar days before the first-class day or your conditional acceptance may be withdrawn.

Step 6:  Read the email you will receive in 2 to 3 weeks from Identogo.  The email will go to the email address you provided on the notice about background checks and Declaratory Orders in your School of Nursing application or your acceptance acknowledgment.

• Check your email regularly, as it includes instructions to schedule your fingerprint appointment as required for the Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) to run your background checks.
• If you have not received the email after three weeks of receiving your conditional acceptance letter, contact the Texas Board of Nursing at 512-305-7400 to check the status.
• Once you receive a background clearance, TBON will mail your Blue Card, which looks like a blue postcard. 
• If you are not officially cleared by TBON 30 calendar days or sooner prior to the first-class day, you cannot be admitted into the BSN program and your conditional acceptance offer may be withdrawn.

Step 7:  Review the Newly Admitted FAQS.

CastleBranch required immunization and other uploads, in addition to the negative 10-panel Drug Test results:

1. Absence of active pulmonary disease (negative PPD skin test or negative chest x-ray results).   Tuberculosis (TB)  
2. Hepatitis B vaccine (a series of 3 injections at 0, 1, & 6 months)
3. Diphtheria-Tetanus (DT) booster every 10 years
4. Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (TDaP) vaccine; recommended for people 19+ years of age.
5. Varicella status – either a signed statement from a health professional verifying immunity status (via serologic test) or immunization(s) (x 2; 4-8 weeks apart)
6. Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccination. MMR x 2 if born after January 1, 1957.
7. The annual flu/influenza vaccine, including lot number is required August thru July. New seasonal flu vaccinations must be taken before classes start in August.

If the new seasonal flu vaccination is not available at the time you are completing the CastleBranch upload requirements, you will need to receive your flu/influenza vaccine before you start your classes and upload it to CastleBranch at that time.

8. Covid Vaccine:   No Covid vaccination information needs to be uploaded at this time.  Although it is not a UTRGV requirement to have a Covid Vaccine, you may need to have the vaccine to meet the requirements of the healthcare facility where you will be conducting your clinicals.  Your clinical site may require the COVID vaccine and boosters to participate in clinical activities.
9. Proof of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), health care provider adult & child, through American Heart Association. NOTE: Online Certification is not acceptable.
10. Copy (front & back) of the Texas Board of Nursing’s (TBON) blue postcard, Completed Criminal Background Clearance Check. Wait for the information from Texas Board of Nursing regarding this requirement.

Other Information and Conditional Acceptance Requirements before Admission : 

1. Maintain at least $1 million in professional liability insurance (you will automatically be billed for “blanket” malpractice student insurance coverage through student fees.).
2. Attend Mandatory BSN Program Orientation: Date to be announced later.
3. Complete online mandatory School of Nursing Clinical Orientation. You will receive notification of the availability of the requirement and how and when to access it.
4. Pass the mandatory Math Quiz with a score of 100%. You will receive a notification about the availability of Math Quiz and how to access it.
5. Your Welcome Letter (email)  will have an attached course list for each semester.  The course list will provide the designated sections you need to register for.  Unless otherwise instructed, the 2nd-degree and Generic BSN students register for different sections.  The first semester courses are as follows:

        Nursing 3101 Essentials of Nursing Profession
        Nursing 3202 Wellness & Health Promotion Across the Lifespan
        Nursing 3303 Fundamentals of Nursing
        Nursing 3304 Fundamentals of Nursing Clinicals/Lab
        Nursing 3305 Client Assessment
        Nursing 3105 Client Assessment Lab/Skills

For scheduling questions, please contact Karina Guitierrez, Program Specialist, karina.gutierrez@utrgv.edu 

Please check your UTRGV email and announcements frequently for further information and instructions. If you have questions, please call at 956-665-3491 or email schoolofnursing@utrgv.edu. 

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Deferment Request:

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Nursing accepts limited admissions to a specific term and year. Accepted applicants will enroll for the accepted term.

Complete and submit the Deferment Form only if you are unable to accept admission for the selected term.  If a deferment request is not received within 30 days of the acceptance letter, the applicant must reapply for open future terms.  Deferrals are not guaranteed or automatically granted.    For more information, please see the Deferment Policy and form below.  Please note that if a deferment request is granted, a student may only defer for the term following the term they were accepted for.

Deferment Policy

Deferment Form

Dates and information are subject to change and any changes will be made on this webpage.