RN Nursing Programs in Washington - WA

Demand is high Registered Nurses in Washington and it is only expected to grow higher over the next ten years. RNs are the largest group of health care professionals in the state and earn a little over $70,000 per year on average (according to BLS.gov), not including extensive benefits in most cases—not bad for a license that can be obtained after two years of study. But this is not to say that working as a Registered Nurse is easy. RNs in Washington may have to work irregular hours, such as weekends, nights, and holidays, and have great responsibility when it comes to the health of individuals under their care. From management of Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nurse Assistants, to complicated decision making procedures and critical patient care, the decisions they make can affect dozens of people’s lives on a daily basis. For those looking for a challenging and rewarding career in health care, working as a Registered Nurse in Washington is certainly an attractive option.

One way to become a licensed Registered Nurse in Washington is via a two-year Associate Degree, Nursing program, or ADN. ADNs are widely available and, although they take two years, typically involve general admission to a college or university and subsequent application to a nursing department, meaning the total time to completion can be closer to three years. Around ten courses, spread out over two semesters, in math, English, psychology, biology and chemistry, with a minimum of a C average, are generally necessary to apply for a nursing program. However, acceptance into a nursing program is competitive and it is important to give your best effort when taking prerequisites to ensure a successful application. Volunteer work in a health care setting can also be an asset, showing you are committed to becoming a nurse.

Emotional, social and psychological understanding are a large part of an everyday health care setting Therefore, Courses in arts as well as the sciences are required in an ADN program, from communication to psychology, math, physiology and microbiology. Still, the main focus is targeted nursing courses that cover everything from emotional support and theory to clinical practice. In a nutshell, an ADN provides the knowledge and skills required to successfully take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). To take the examination, students must first apply to the Washington Department of Health’s Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission Board with proof of successful completion of a state approved RN program or equivalent, and submit to a criminal background check. They then pay a non-refundable application fee of $90 and sit the exam. It takes about a month to get results back, and, if successful, one receives their license within a week and a half, at which point they are eligible to work as a Registered Nurse in Washington State.

Once licensed as an RN, AND-equipped nurses usually find a job as an entry-level nurse in everything from hospitals, which employ more than half of RNs nationwide, to clinics, long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, and even health education programs. Regardless of the setting, Registered Nurses must be able to think critically when devising patient care plans and managing LPNs and CNAs. Indeed, the skill set possessed by a Registered Nurse in Washington is diverse and can be applied to many different settings, in which RNs typically are given a large amount of responsibility in decision making and patient care processes. However, there is one more path to an RN that affords even greater specialization and opportunity: a Bachelor of Science, Nursing (BSN), which is held by around half the Registered Nurses in Washington.

A BSN can be undertaken at the beginning of a student’s nursing training, following an ADN, or after completing training as an LPN. A four year bachelor’s degree, the first two years are pretty much the same as an ADN. However, in the final two years, courses go beyond the skills and theories learned during the first two years to focus on such specialized topics as pathophysiology, child care, caring for older adults, populations and communities, leadership, advanced theory, nursing research and more. During a BSN, students also gain work experience as part of a built-in practicum in a supervised environment. Not only does this make sure they leave the program as experienced nurses, but can also expose students to a variety of nursing settings and help them decide on an area of specialization.

BSNs in Washington take the focus beyond the baseline knowledge required to practice as a nurse and require students to take their critical thinking skills to the next level, preparing them for a leadership role in a health care setting. With a BSN, a prospective nurse gains experience, makes professional connections, and gains a wide variety of in-depth knowledge in areas of their own choosing, which can help to open doors towards a more dynamic career than what is available to ADN equipped Registered Nurses—something worth thinking about when deciding whether to pursue an ADN or a BSN.

RN Nursing Programs in Washington State