Kristin Benton

Governor Perry has named Austin Community College District professor Kristin Benton chair of the Texas Board of Nursing.

The board ensures Texas nurses meet the requirements to practice in the profession and oversees accreditation of nursing schools. Benton, an associate professor in ACC’s Vocational Nursing Program, will serve as chair for a term to expire at the pleasure of the governor.

“We are very proud of Kristin, and her appointment as chair of the Board of Nursing is a wonderful honor for ACC,” says Eileen Klein, executive dean of health sciences. “Kristin’s service on the board is beneficial to our program and students, as she helps keep the college aware of new regulations and innovations in nursing practice and education.”

Benton began teaching at ACC in 2000 and was appointed to the Board of Nursing in 2008 as a representative of vocational nursing education. She will continue her full-time teaching responsibilities during her term as board chair.

Benton works with vocational nursing student Angelina Vasquez.

“One of the greatest rewards of serving on the board has been what I can bring back to students. I enjoy incorporating current nursing issues into the courses I teach,” says Benton. “I am deeply honored Governor Perry has given me this opportunity, and I want to thank all of my colleagues at ACC for their support. I am fully committed to fulfilling the board’s mission of public protection.”

ACC offers an associate degree nursing (RN) program and a certificate in vocational nursing. In the 2009-10 academic year, ACC graduated 271 associate degree nursing students and 62 vocational nursing students.

ACC’s nursing students consistently excel at national licensure exams. In the most recent testing year, 98 percent of ACC associate degree nursing graduates passed the licensure exam (October 2009-September 2010). Among vocational nursing graduates, the pass rate was 97 percent (January-December 2010).