Arizona Nursing Colleges

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Nursing Schools in Arizona
University of Phoenix* (Phoenix, Southern Arizona - Ft. Huachuca) - Health Administration, Nursing, Counseling, Family Nurse Practitioner, Counseling: Family and Child Therapy, Human Services, LPN to BSN, Nursing Informatics, School Nurse, Counseling: Family and Child Therapy

There are three major educational paths to registered nursing: a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in Nursing (ADN), and a diploma. BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete. In 2002, 678 nursing programs offered degrees at the bachelor’s level. ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 to 3 years to complete. About 700 RN programs in 2002 were at the ADN level. Diploma programs, administered in hospitals, last about 3 years. Only a small and declining number of programs offer diplomas. Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of educational programs qualify for entry-level positions as staff nurses. We have a list of nursing schools with programs available to you in Arizona below. Also please use the Nursing Career Guide as a resource if you are looking for additional information on nursing careers, training, job outlook etc.

University of Phoenix Campus - Campuses Nationwide
Since 1976, University of Phoenix has been a recognized leader in adult education. Their commitment to high educational standards and exceptional student service has made them the largest private accredited university in the United States. With campuses in over 140 locations, University of Phoenix has helped thousands of working professionals achieve their academic and career goals every year. Programs Browse all Programs. Campus Locations: Find a campus near you.

International Institute of the Americas
Earn a diploma in less than 30 weeks in Medical Assisting, Patient Care, Detention and Security, Computer Technology, Business Technology, or Automated Accounting. Earn an Associate’s Degree in as little as 15 months in Business Operations, Health Technology Management, Justice Administration, or Microcomputer Networking. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in as little as 30 months in Business Management. All of these options, plus enrollment in Online Education programs that are available for various courses, are open to you when you become a student at the International Institute of the Americas. Contact International Institute for information regarding their 5 campus locations in Arizona and New Mexico and information regarding application & financial aid. Programs: Accounting - Accounting - Accounting or Business Technology - Automated Accounting - Business Technology - Business Technology Specialist - Certified Nursing Assistant - Computer Technology Specialist - Detention & Security Specialist - Detention and Security Specialist - Health Technology Management: Medical Assistant - Health Technology Management: Patient Care Technician - Health Technology MGT: Medical Assistant - Justice Administration - Management - Medical Assistant - Medical Transcription: Medical Assistant - Medical Transcription: Patient Care Technician - Microcomputer Network Systems - Patient Care Technician. Locations: , Mesa AZ, Phoenix AZ, Albuquerque NM, Mesa AZ, Phoenix West Valley AZ.

Online Nursing Colleges

Jacksonville University
RNs with an accredited AA degree may be well on their way towards their BSN degree. Jacksonville University will award up to 32 credit hours for students with an RN license and a maximum of 64 transfer credits from other regionally accredited universities and institutions of higher learning. JU also accepts up to 32 hours through CLEP exams. Programs: RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Location: Online.

University of Phoenix Campus - Campuses Nationwide
Since 1976, University of Phoenix has been a recognized leader in adult education. Their commitment to high educational standards and exceptional student service has made them the largest private accredited university in the United States. With campuses in over 140 locations, University of Phoenix has helped thousands of working professionals achieve their academic and career goals every year. Programs Browse all Programs. Campus Locations: Find a campus near you.

Liberty University
Programs: - Arts in Religion (M.A.R.) - Business - Business (MBA) - Counseling - Divinity (M.Div.) - Doctor of Education - Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) - Ed.D – Doctor of Education - Ed.S – Education Specialist - Education (M.Ed.) - General Studies - Nursing Degree Completion Program - Ph.D. Counseling - Psychology (BS) - Religion - Theology Degree (T h.M.)
Locations: New York NY.

Kaplan University (Online)
Kaplan University helps students looking to either change or advance their careers by offering online flexibility, reduced costs, financial aid assistance, and a fast path to a degree. The instructors at Kaplan have the academic background and professional experience that allows them to pass on real-world knowledge to their students. The degree programs have a curriculum that is focused on career goals, and they feature various areas of emphasis. Programs: Accounting - Alternative Dispute Resolution - Branding and Visual Communications - Business - Business Administration/Accounting - Business Administration/Management - Business and Communications Entrepreneur - Computer Information Systems - Corrections - Criminal Justice - Database - E-Business - Elementary - Finance - Health Care Management - Information Technology - Law Enforcement - Management - Management of Information Systems - Management/Health Care Management - Multimedia and Animation - Networking - Paralegal Studies - Private Security - Programming - Sales and Marketing - Secondary - Teaching and Learning - Teaching Literacy and Language - Teaching Students With Special Needs - Teaching With Technology - Web Development - Web Optimization and Integration.

CAREER SPOTLIGHT : NEONATAL NURSE

Background:

Neonatal nursing is a relatively new specialty by comparison to adult health, midwifery, or other areas of nursing. Because it is new, there are great opportunities for nurses to devote their skills to newborns who need specialized care.

Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. Neonatal care, as known in specialized nurseries or intensive care, has been around since the 1960's.

Roles:

A neonatal staff nurse works in either a Level I, II, or III nursery [Note: These levels of care are set forth by the Perinatal Regionalization Model and are also described in the Guidelines for Perinatal Care, 4th ed., published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1997, Elk Grove Village.].

A Level I is usually a healthy newborn nursery—largely nonexistent now because mothers and babies have a very short hospital stay these days and often share the same room.

Level II is an intermediate care or special care nursery where the baby may be born prematurely or may be suffering from an illness; these babies may need supplemental oxygen, intravenous therapy, specialized feedings, or more time to mature before discharge.

The Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admits all neonates (during the first 28 days of life) who cannot be treated in either of the other two nursery levels. These babies may be small for their age, premature, or sick term infants who require high technology care, such as ventilators, special equipment or incubators, or surgery. The Level III units may be in a large general hospital or part of a children’s hospital. Neonatal nurses provide the direct patient care to these infants.

Requirements for neonatal nurses are established by the institution which uses a list of practice skills to assess nurses’ abilities in using medications, math calculations, intravenous lines, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and other knowledge needed for direct patient care.

Continuing education requirements are mandated by the state or a certifying body. The state board of nursing sets the number of hours, if any, required during a 2-to-3 year period (depending on the time of renewal) to maintain the registered nurse (RN) license. As a staff or an advanced practice nurse, you may also hold national certification —an additional exam that demonstrates specialized knowledge in neonatal nursing.

Practice Settings:

As a neonatal nurse, you may work in neonatal intensive care units taking care of acutely ill neonates and premature infants or you may choose to work in mother-baby or newborn nurseries taking care of healthy newborns.

Qualifications:

Entry level requirements for neonatal nurses vary from institution to institution. Some hospital or medical centers may require one year of adult health or medical surgical nursing while other units hire RNs after graduation from an accredited school or college of nursing who have passed a state board of nursing (NCLEX) exam for licensure. The type and length of nursing experience also varies from one institution to another, but many require no previous experience. It depends on whether positions are plentiful and if a scarcity of qualified nurses exists in that particular area of the country.

Education:

A college or university education to prepare as an RN takes 2 or 4 years, depending on whether students attend a bachelor’s- or associate-degree program. After graduating, students take the state licensing exam to become an RN. There is no special program for neonatal nursing in basic RN education. Some nursing programs have an elective course in neonatal nursing.

Once you graduate and have obtained some experience as an RN in a neonatal intensive care unit (the National Association of Neonatal Nurses recommends two years), you might want to consider going to graduate school to become a neonatal nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.

Salary Range:

The salary depends on the cost of living in your area. In the Midwest, nurses with no experience may start in the upper 30s to mid-40s for an annual salary. On either coast, the salaries are usually higher. In Southern areas, beginning nurses start at about $30,000 per year. The upper range for someone with no experience is around $48,000. Salary ranges may be higher for experienced nurses.

Associations:

National Association of Neonatal Nurses
4700 W. Lake Avenue
Glenview, IL 60025-1485
(800) 451-3795 or (847) 375-3660
FAX: (888) 477-6266
e-mail: info@nann.org
Web site: www.nann.org

Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal
Nurses
2000 L St., NW, Suite 740
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 261-2413
FAX: (202) 728-0575
Web site: www.awhonn.org