The Bureau of Labor Statistics found Alaska had about 5,150 RNs in 2010. Yet according to a nursing workforce survey conducted by the Alaska Board of Nursing, more than 21 percent of Alaska RNs work outside of the state; 43 percent work in the Anchorage area, and 14 percent work in the south central region outside of Anchorage. Among nurses who responded to the survey, about half worked in hospitals, with 11 percent in ambulatory care. Public/community health organizations and schools ranked as the next most frequent employment sites.
Alaskan nurses are among the best educated in the nation, according to the ABN report. Over 85 percent of Alaska nurses are certified in their specialty or planning to become certified. And nationally, 37 percent of new RNs graduate with BSN degrees, while 42 percent of new RNs in Alaska graduate with BSN degrees.
Schools to Consider
- University of Alaska (Anchorage). Courses are available online and on campus. Nurses may take one course at a time or may complete their BSN in four semesters by attending full-time. Some clinical study is required. Two semesters of community health can be completed locally, and one semester of complex care can be completed in a practice area of your choice (with faculty approval).
- University of Texas (Arlington). This fully online program is presented in five-week classes with a one-week break. Application-based assignments and projects complete clinical requirements. Prerequisites may also be taken online concurrently with nursing courses. Students may log in any time to access their assignments. Out-of-state students are welcomed.
- Walden University (Minneapolis). This is a flexible evidence-based online RN to BSN program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Nursing classes may be completed in as little as eighteen months. Courses include public and global health; information management; and leadership competencies in nursing and health care.
