Located on the border of the United States and Mexico, New Mexico has a tremendous need for primary healthcare providers, especially along the border. Thirty-six percent of the state's residents live in a primary care healthcare provider shortage area; almost one-third of the state's residents live below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. There is a great need for cost-effective, compassionate, quality care.
Residents of New Mexico enjoy natural beauty, cultural diversity and a creative, independent atmosphere. That combination, perhaps, explains New Mexico's recent population growth: between 2000 and 2010, New Mexico's population increased 13.2 percent.
New Mexico's nurse practitioners benefit from the state's independent, creative vibe. A collaborative agreement with a physician is not required to practice or to prescribe meds as an NP; nurse practitioners are free to provide primary healthcare services without physician oversight. The average annual salary for a nurse practitioner in New Mexico ranges from $78,000 in the rural areas to more than $87,000 in urban centers.
NP programs for New Mexico nurses include:
- New Mexico State University. New Mexico State recently dropped their Master's level NP programs in favor of a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program - a forward thinking move, since the DNP will become the minimal degree required for entry for all advanced practice nurses by 2015. Students can select either the BSN-to-DNP program, or the post-MSN-to-DNP program. The Pysch/Mental Health NP program is offered every other year; the Public/Community Health and Adult Health programs are offered annually, but currently only accept full-time students. Coursework is available online.
- University of New Mexico. UNM offers a Master's-level Family Nurse Practitioner program with a strong emphasis on primary care for rural and under-served areas. The program strongly encourages nurses from those areas to apply for admission. Some coursework is offered online, but onsite attendance is required for other classes.
- Georgetown University. Georgetown University in Washington D.C. offers two online NP programs that are accessible to nurses in New Mexico: a Family Nurse Practitioner program and a Nurse Midwifery/Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program. Classes are web-based, and clinical experiences can be arranged close to home.
Accredited schools with NP programs in New Mexico:
