Study to Become a Nurse in Washington State

Why Study Nursing Online ?

With many baby boomers retiring, there is a large nurse shortage growing by the day. The demand for nurses will create over a million new jobs, and is already lifting nursing wages. Studying nursing online allows you to improve your career and salary with flexible hours that work around your current schedule.

TOP ONLINE COLLEGES

 

Degree Programs for Nursing Students

Washington State faces a diverse set of challenges when it comes to nursing education. First there’s the ever present irony: too many prospective students to too few nurse educators, and contemporary economic fluctuations that threaten to throw off real nursing shortage projections.

When you look at the list of accredited schools of campus-based nursing below one thing stands out: there are diverse schools from which to choose. By far schools offering the Associates in Nursing degree are plentiful. Why? These have been the most popular pathways to a nursing career. Many are community colleges, located regionally—which affords access for rural students—and much more affordable than the schools offering BSN programs. Many community colleges have traditionally been career-driven and therefore offer flexible evening and weekend schedules not available elsewhere. But these are now the most glutted with waiting lists of nursing students.

What are the possible alternatives for WA nursing students?

• Search for schools with online nursing programs or blended programs. You could have the option to complete academic learning online and then schedule clinical training on campus or through another partner facility
• If you’re a career changer with a previous degree in a non-nursing field, consider looking for an Accelerated BSN program.
• Consider taking a Practical Nursing program, then pursuing your LPN-to-BSN degree.

Rural Nursing vs. Urban

By far most states report the highest concentration of RNs practice in nurses and of course large metropolitan areas suck up the RN resources. Seattle and Tacoma are two of the major cities in WA with immense nurse demand. The hospitals offer eager new nurses dynamic and challenging practice opportunities, learning paradigms and career mobility and stellar job benefits.

However, often overlooked are the unique and challenging practice opportunities in rural nursing. Rural healthcare is a major challenge in Washington.

Advanced Practice RNs, ie Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Anesthetists, and Clinical Nurse Specialists, all are in high demand in rural community healthcare. But you’ll find ultra-specialized nursing needs in remote areas as well, including trauma nursing, surgical nursing, psychiatric and mental health nursing and more.

Board of Nursing

The Washington State board of nursing, is known as the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission. Use this agency when you need information related to your nursing practice such as licensure, continuing education, list of approved Washington nursing school programs, scope of practice and much more.

List of Accredited Campus-Based Nursing Schools in Washington

• Bellevue Community College
• Big Bend Community College
• Clark College
• Columbia Basin College
• Eastern Washington University
• Everett Community College
• Gonzaga University
• Grays Harbor College
• Highline Community College
• Lower Columbia College
• Northwest University
• Olympia College
• Pacific Lutheran University
• Peninsula College
• Pierce College Puyallup
• Seattle Central Community College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Seattle University
• Shoreline Community College
• Skagit Valley College
• South Puget Sound Community College
• Tacoma Community College
• University of Washington
• Walla Walla Community College
• Washington State University
• Wenatchee Valley College
• Whitworth College
• Yakima Valley Community College

 

Explore Your Nursing Degree Options Today!