Overview of Oregon Nursing Schools
Becoming a nurse can be one of the best ways to start a rewarding career, establish yourself in a growing industry, and really improve the quality of people’s lives. If you’re considering becoming a registered nurse or a licensed practice nurse in Oregon, learn more about what it takes to become a nurse and how you can affect the health care field as a whole through your profession.
You can contact nursing schools in Oregon directly from those listed below.
Health care quality is a major priority in Oregon. A health report from 2014 showed that Oregon facilities had 624 mistakes last year. By becoming a nurse, you can help strengthen the quality of Oregon’s health care system and minimize errors.
Oregon employers and advocates are striving to make nursing environments better for nurses and safer for patients. A local union recently moved to lower patient-to-nurse ratios, allowing nurses to give better care and pay more attention to each patient’s medical needs.
As far as the economy goes, Oregon is booming. In April of 2015, Oregon added over 7,600 new jobs. The fastest-growing sector is health care, with many of those jobs coming from nursing.
Nursing Education in Oregon
If you’re ready to get involved in the nursing field of Oregon, you can look into LPN and RN programs. LPN programs typically lead to a certificate or diploma and require one year of full-time study. RN programs may lead to an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree; these programs last two and four years, respectively. If you eventually want to become an advanced practice nurse or if you want to work in certain specialties, a Bachelor’s degree may be required.
As a nursing student, you may tackle many in-depth learning goals. By the time you graduate, you may need to know how to use clinical tools and equipment to best care for patients, communicate effectively with patients and their families, take directions and guidance from other health care professionals, and work quickly in a health care environment. To master these goals, you may take courses like Foundations of Nursing, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Nursing Care of Adults, and Nursing Care of Children.
Once you have been accepted to a nursing program, you may begin the process of applying for financial aid. Scholarships and grants can have many benefits when it comes to avoiding student debt. Joining the Oregon Student Nurses Association may help you qualify for statewide scholarships. Grants are also funded by the Oregon Nurses Foundation.
Each year, the Oregon Nurses Association awards scholarships to promising students.
After completing your education, you can get your nursing license through the Oregon State Board of Nursing.
Nursing Education & Career Information in your City
Nursing Degree Programs in Oregon
If you want more information on specific nursing options available to you below, check out the links for programs listed below.
Transition programs for nurses:
Graduate programs for nurses:
- All Masters in Nursing Programs in OR
- All DNP and PhD in Nursing Programs in OR
- All Nurse Practitioner Programs in OR
Entry level nursing programs:
- All LPN/LVN Programs in OR
- All Associate Degree Nursing Programs in OR
- All Four-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs in OR
- All Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs in OR
- Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing Programs in OR
Career Outlook for Nursing in Oregon
Licensed practical nurses may find a great work environment in Oregon. Through 2022, job openings in this field are expected to increase by 20% (O*Net, 2012). The average salary for an Oregon LPN is $50,160 per year (BLS, 2016).
The job outlook is similar for registered nurses. Per O*Net, job openings for registered nurses may jump by 16% in this time frame. They report that Oregon RNs earn an average salary of $87,000 per year (BLS, 2016).
A career in nursing can have many benefits, from a strong sense of job satisfaction to the ability to grow professionally and personally. Get started today by looking at our school listings and contacting nursing programs in Oregon. If you have additional questions, or would like to know more about nursing as a profession, please check out Oregon Board of Nursing, or email us at [email protected].
