Arizona RN-BSN Bridge Programs
As an RN in Arizona, you provide your patients with effective client-centered care, improve their positive recovery outcomes and play an integral role in the transformation of healthcare. The Phoenix Business Journal writes that approximately 800,000 more people in Arizona will have access to healthcare in 2014. The physician shortage in Arizona may expand the role of primary nursing practice, create dramatic shifts of health care reform and intensify the current scrutiny of patient healthcare dollars. A BSN prepares and empowers professional nurses to practice with additional confidence and invaluable knowledge to meet the current challenges of a nursing career.
Use BestNursingDegree.com to contact some of the most requested RN to BSN nursing programs in Arizona. Contacting multiple schools about Arizona BSN programs will allow you to decide on the school that best suits you. Online nursing programs in AZ provide a similar learning experience with added schedule flexibility, so be sure to consider these programs as well.
According to the Arizona State Board of Nursing, approximately 70,540 RNs are licensed in the state as of December, 2011. Will that be enough to meet the state’s future needs? The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHAA) says that 49,000 new RNs will be needed in the state by 2017 to keep pace with the state’s rapidly growing population, nurse retirements and normal attrition.
Yet about one-third of qualified applicants to nursing programs in Arizona are turned away each year, largely due to a shortage of faculty and clinical sites, the AzHAA says. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the demand for RNs will continue to grow, with over half a million new RNs needed by 2018. Having a BSN degree can prepare you for the increasingly complex health care system. Because many of the programs are available online, RN to BSN programs are not as heavily impacted by faculty shortages as campus-based programs.
If you are looking for colleges in Arizona for nursing, specifically RN to BSN programs, you can contact the schools below to start looking into the best way to expand your nursing education now!
Curriculum of RN to BSN Programs in Arizona
Arizona RN to BSN programs build on your current knowledge of research, diagnostic reasoning and patient assessment. Nursing schools in AZ offer classes that extend your current practice and experience, and may include the following:
- Research theories provide the supportive evidence for nursing care actions, treatments and costs
- Leadership and professionalism prepare you for the management of support staff, introduce you to the industrial realm of health care and policy making
- Healthcare technology provides information on current medical technologies, patient databases and electronic processing legalities
- Clinical studies extend your experience in patient assessment, diagnostic reasoning and evaluation and referrals
- Community nursing moves you outside of the facility and provides information on preventative care, cultural sensitivity for diverse populations and treatment options for your local community
- Humanities present a well-rounded education that refines critical thinking skills and a deep understanding of the human condition
As an RN, you can expect to complete most RN to BSN nursing programs in Arizona within two years of full-time study. Courses are also available for part time students that provide a flexible schedule for busy nurses.
Careers for RN to BSN Graduates in Arizona
Nurses who have completed RN to BSN nursing programs in Arizona possess a broader knowledge of patient care and understand the complexities of the healthcare process in fine detail. If you desire to remain at the bedside in nursing, you may experience the additional educational value of a BSN degree in advanced primary care, effective strategies in the management of support staff and the advantages of a comprehensive view of the healthcare process.
Conversely, you may elect to move to the administrative realm of nursing or desire to enter a specialty practice in Arizona that requires a BSN for certification or licensure. A BSN is a step to career mobility, business acumen and numerous opportunities such as:
- Oncology nursing is a certification specialty that requires a BSN, extended education and specialized training
- Nurse educators are needed to teach novice nurses in Arizona hospitals, universities, colleges and vocational schools
- Directors of nursing are expected to have health-related business familiarity, an understanding of complex organizational management and professional leadership qualities
- Magnate hospitals in Arizona prefer nurses to hold BSNs and encourage their movement up the career ladder to reach the rewards of nursing excellence
- Occupational nursing is performed at a corporation or business setting that is designed to treat employees with a high potential for industrial accidents, provide healthcare education and assist with emergency care
RN to BSN Job Outlook in Arizona
While the downturn of the economy did have an effect on the nursing industry, “It is getting better in different ways and for different reasons,” says the Director of the Arizona Nurses Association in an article done by Nursezone.com. The Arizona State Board of Nursing conducted a survey in 2011 stated that “newly licensed nurses in 2011 had a slightly increased chance of finding a job if they held a BSN degree.” O*Net OnLine also reports the job outlook for RNs as bright with an anticipated 31% growth in the industry through 2020, faster than the national average. The median average salary for Arizona registered nurses is $71,430, according to BLS 2013 data, and this could be higher after completing your RN to BSN. Arizona remains a good place to both work and if you are already living in the state, it only makes sense to attend nursing school in Arizona.
For more information, request materials from the schools on this page.
Nursing Schools in Arizona to Consider
- Arizona State University (Phoenix): ASU offers its RN to BSN program entirely online. It can be completed in 14 to 18 months. Courses vary from seven to eight weeks in length. Applicants are accepted year-round. No clinical or practicum time is required. Courses include writing for health care management, evidence-based practice, and public/global health.
- Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff): Courses are largely online and required clinical time can be arranged in the student’s local community. Acceptable sites include the student’s employer in some instances, other acute hospitals, home health/hospice, or public health departments. Classes include family nursing, nursing rese
