With over 2600 NPs, an active Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council, a moderate climate and a burgeoning elderly population (especially in the winter months), Arizona is a great place to live and work as a nurse practitioner.
The state currently boasts a larger proportion of NPs than most other states; the national average is 33.7 NPs per 100,000 residents, while Arizona's ratio is 48 per 100,000. Demand, though, is expected to remain strong. According to the Health Workforce Information Center, demand for all healthcare workers is expected to outpace demand for all other industries.
Nurse practitioners in Arizona do not need a collaborative agreement with a physician to diagnose and treat patients or to prescribe medication. Average salaries vary, but hover around $89,000 per year.
Top NP programs in Arizona include:
- Arizona State University. In 2004, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners published a position paper recommending a doctoral degree, not a master's degree, as the minimum for entry to NP practice, and established a timeline of 2015 for the transition. ASU is ahead of the curve. Students who complete their neonatal nurse practitioner, geriatric nurse practitioner, adult nurse practitioner, women's health nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, psychiatric nurse practitioner or family nurse practitioner programs will graduate with a DNP (doctor of nursing practice).
- Grand Canyon University. Grand Canyon University is a private, Christian university located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona's largest city. The College of Nursing offers two MSN-based nurse practitioner programs (Family Nurse Practitioner and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) and two post-master's certificate programs for NPs (Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate).
- Northern Arizona University. Located amidst mountains and pine trees in Flagstaff, AZ, Northern Arizona University offers a master's programs that includes a Family Nurse Practitioner track and a Post-Masters Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate. The GRE is not required for admission into either program.
Accredited schools with NP programs in Arizona:
