According to the Arizona State Board of Nursing, approximately 70,540 RNs are licensed in the state as of December, 2011. Will that be enough to meet the state's future needs? The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHAA) says that 49,000 new RNs will be needed in the state by 2017 to keep pace with the state's rapidly growing population, nurse retirements and normal attrition.
Yet about one-third of qualified applicants to Arizona RN programs are turned away each year, largely due to a shortage of faculty and clinical sites, the AzHAA says. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the demand for RNs will continue to grow, with over half a million new RNs needed by 2018. Having a BSN degree can prepare you for the increasingly complex health care system. Because many of the programs are available online, RN to BSN programs are not as heavily impacted by faculty shortages as campus-based programs.
Schools to consider
Arizona State University (Phoenix). ASU offers its RN to BSN program entirely online. It can be completed in 14 to 18 months. Courses vary from seven to eight weeks in length. Applicants are accepted year-round. No clinical or practicum time is required. Courses include writing for health care management, evidence-based practice, and public/global health.
Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff). Courses are largely online and required clinical time can be arranged in the student's local community. Acceptable sites include the student's employer in some instances, other acute hospitals, home health/hospice, or public health departments. Classes include family nursing, nursing research and nursing leadership.
Chamberlain College of Nursing (Phoenix). The online RN to BSN option allows the student to complete the degree in three semesters. No practicum is required. Instead students engage in special learning projects in lieu of clinical time. Classes include evidence-based practice, cultural diversity in the profession, and information systems in health care.
