You’ve thought a lot about pursuing a career in healthcare. You want to help people on a daily basis, have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and enjoy a stable career in an in-demand field. Now it’s time to decide on how to go about choosing among the best nursing programs in Arizona.In this post, we’ll highlight some of the things you’ll want to explore in order to find the best school for you.
Degrees Offered
Do you want your Associate Degree in Nursing, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Masters of Science in Nursing, what about your Doctorate? The programs you explore may not have all of these options available, and some will only have one. Know the degree you want to obtain and narrow down the list of programs to those offering that degree.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Though the field of nursing is expected to grow 19 percent from 2012-2022 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t concern yourself with scholarships or financial aid. Work with the schools financial aid department to come up with a plan that works for you.
Curriculum Offered
Once you’ve figured out the degree you want and explored financial aid options, check out the nursing program’s curriculum. How many hours of clinical rotation will you experience throughout the program? Is the curriculum more hands-on, lecture-based, or a bit of both? Are there open lab hours? What’s the equipment like that you’ll be using? The more questions you can get answered the more you’ll find certain programs starting to look better than others. Look for nursing programs in Arizona offering a well-rounded curriculum. For example, Arizona College provides a blend of ethics, theory, leadership, critical thinking skills and technology, all in a comprehensive classroom and high-fidelity lab environment.
Desired Work Settings
A big thing to figure out, as you look into nursing programs, is the type of environment you’d like to work in. Schools may offer a curriculum catered to certain specialties, so it’s important to have at least a broad vision of where you’d like to end up — whether it be a full-fledged hospital, senior living home, physician’s office, school, clinic, or even the military. Knowing your desired work settling may help determine the curriculum you need, and the program that offers it.
After Graduation Support
Nursing jobs are available. There’s no question. However, you should still learn about the career services or after graduation support each nursing program offers. A solid career services department will not only try to find you a job, but they’ll try to find you the job that’s right for you. Larger schools will have bigger career service departments, but also more alumni to serve. Smaller nursing programs will have smaller career service teams but much more personalized, one-on-one attention.
Keeping the above things in mind when researching nursing programs will help you to make the best possible decision for your future.
