Accelerated BSN Programs – Utah Nursing Schools
With nurses taking on more diverse responsibilities in patient care, education is becoming vitally important to the quality of healthcare in Utah and the nation. As a non nursing degree holder already, you bring a wealth of knowledge, and possibly work experience to the table, an advantage that should not be overlooked.
Accelerated nursing students in Utah can tap into schools that offer high NCLEX pass rates, flexible programs, and a combination of both online and campus based programs. You can complete this degree in as little as 12 months, depending upon the school you choose, and the rate at which you take courses.
At BestNursingDegree.com, we value the fact that nursing education can lead to improved patient outcomes, and commend you for exploring options for earning your Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. We want to save you time and effort while you begin your search for schools, so we have compiled a list of all the Fast Track BSN programs in Utah for your use.
Accelerated BSN Curriculum in Utah
When you start an accelerated BSN program in Utah, you’ll have to choose a start term. Between all of the schools in Utah and online, there are start terms roughly every three months. If you don’t have the required prerequisites—anatomy, human biology, and chemistry at most schools—this gives you a little bit of time to finish your prerequisite courses before starting your nursing degree program.
Most of your time in an accelerated BSN program will be spent learning nursing skills. If you attend classes on campus, you may practice or work with other students. If you take your courses online, you will have to learn from videos and other demonstrations. Courses included in an accelerated BSN include disease prevention, leadership, epidemiology, and community health. You’ll also be expected to take classes in specialty fields like pediatrics and obstetrics.
Once you have completed your nursing coursework, you have to put what you’ve learned into practice. Your advisor may assign you to a clinical site near you or allow you to choose your own clinical site. Through practicing your skills on patients, you can refine your nursing techniques and translate the theoretical knowledge you’ve gained into the clinical skills needed to get a nursing job. The final weeks of a nursing program are spent preparing for the NCLEX exam.
Nursing Career Outlook in Utah
While there is an increasing need for nurses in the entire country, the need is growing faster than average in Utah. Between 2010 and 2020, O*Net expects there to be a 33% growth in nursing jobs, at an average of 1,010 new jobs per year. The median salary in Utah for nurses is $58,700 (O*Net, 2012).
As a BSN graduate, there may be more jobs available to you than there are to ADN graduates, as Baccalaureate trained RNs are becoming the preferred entry level to practice. Some of the major nursing employers in Utah include Kolob Care and Rehabilitation of Saint George, Jordan Valley Medical Center, CHRISTUS Health, Promise Hospital of Salt Lake, and Octapharma Plasma.
Nursing Licensing Considerations in Utah
Once you’ve completed your accelerated BSN program in Utah, you should have been given an education with leads to the development of the skills and knowledge you need to work as a nurse. However, your knowledge and experience will only really begin to expand once you begin to practice nursing.
In order to practice as a Registered Nurse in Utah, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, which tests your knowledge and practical skills in nursing. Once you pass the NCLEX-RN exam, you can receive your license from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. You must renew your license every two years.
You have to meet one of three requirements to renew:
- 400 or more hours of licensed nursing practice
- 200 hours of licensed nursing practice plus 15 hours of continuing education
- 30 hours of continuing education
Joining the Utah Nurses Association (UNA) is a good way to stay on top of the nursing field in Utah. Nurses can keep on top of legislative issues, like the recent legislative move to expand Medicaid in Utah. Nurses can also apply for jobs, look for scholarships to go back to school, and get support while working as a nurse by joining the UNA.
Regardless of where your education leads you, we are here to help you get started. Please take the time to request information today, so you can begin to amass the program specifics you will need to make a decision about the best nursing program to meet your needs.
