RN Nursing Programs in Wyoming - WY

How to Become an RN in Wyoming

Becoming a Wyoming Registered Nurse takes a minimum of two years. Hospitals and other private facilities provide what is perhaps the fastest route to licensure, through accelerated programs dedicated to preparing for the NCLEX-RN. In a more traditional educational setting, an Associate Degree, Nursing program or ADN takes two years and can be found throughout the state. Prerequisites and applications can easily take a year, making an ADN, realistically, a three year route to becoming an RN. The four to five year option, a Bachelor of Science, Nursing, or BSN, is chosen by around half of RN students in the state. It provides more advanced training and can lead to more diverse and rewarding careers, as well as the opportunity for higher wages.

Regardless of whether one choose the ADN or BSN route to a Wyoming RN, admission is based largely upon performance in roughly 30 credit hours of study focusing upon topics like biology, physiology, English, math and psychology. Then course work mostly focuses on patient care and diagnosis, and some study in the liberal arts and hard sciences—knowledge of both nursing procedures and good communication and interpersonal skills are vital in a dynamic health care environment. In a BSN, the opportunity for specialization can lead to studies in advanced theory and practice, nursing research, family health, pediatrics, maternity, and much more based on student interest, which is the main attraction of a BSN. BSNs also include an extensive practicum component in a workplace to ensure students gain hands on experience in a variety of settings.

Both ADN and BSN student take the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) at the end of their studies. Application for the exam is done through the Wyoming State Board of Nursing and costs $130 to apply, plus a $60 fee for criminal background check and fingerprinting. The test itself costs $200 through the national exam body Pearson Vue. And once the exam is successfully passed—more than 85 percent of new applicants get through the first time around—new nurses may enter the work force. While ADN-equipped RNs are well prepared to work in a health care setting, BSN students hold an advanced level of critical thinking skills that prepares students for a leadership role in a health care setting and beyond. This allows RNs equipped with a BSN to pursue a more diverse array of career options than those with an ADN, which is worth considering when deciding what educational path to choose.

RN Jobs in Wyoming: Hours, Salaries and Duties

Registered Nurses in Wyoming typically work 40 hour weeks, but not always regular hours. Their work may include split shift, nights, and swing shifts. They are rewarded for their work through high salaries, though, which average around $58,000 (according to BLS.gov)plus benefits in the state. Typical duties cover a broad range, but they do have a lot of responsibility, managing lesser qualified nurses in patient care, devising care plans, and more. Whether working in a hospital—as do more than 60 percent of Wyoming RNs—or in nursing homes, physician’s offices, private clinics, public health departments or elsewhere, becoming a Registered Nurse in Wyoming is an interesting and rewarding career.