Nursing Schools in New Mexico

Guide to New Mexico Nursing Degree Programs

If you want to become a nurse, then New Mexico nursing schools can provide you with high quality education and training. The state is also home to a sizeable aging population that needs top notch healthcare services, so nurses will always be in demand here. On top of that, there are many renowned hospitals in the state. The University of New Mexico Hospital, for example, is one of the 300 specialized academic medical centers in the US that provide the most sophisticated medical training and technology. It is also one of the 37 medical facilities in the country that are labeled as Level 1 Regional Trauma facilities.

In addition to top quality New Mexico nursing schools, people who plan to pursue a career in nursing can rely on the support given by organizations like the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence, a non-profit group that aims to promote the welfare of the nursing profession to meet the health service requirements in the state. Some organizations also provide resources and other programs that help nurses find job opportunities and obtain continuing professional education. The community of nurses in New Mexico is very active and it helps raise the bar in the nursing profession.

New Mexico Nursing Job Outlook and Salary

But even if there are many New Mexico nursing schools, the nurse shortage in the state remains unsolved. The number of nurses that graduate from local schools every year is around 500 and these are not enough. To make things worse, many of the new registered nurses would rather find work in other states, further bringing down the number of nurses in New Mexico. On top of that, the average age of nurses in the state is 54 years, which is older compared to other places in the US. With an aging nurse population and few nursing graduates every year, the state will face a huge nurse shortage in the years to come.

To help reverse this downward trend, residents of New Mexico can now avail of special scholarship grants if they are accepted in nursing programs offered by public New Mexico nursing schools. Some scholarships require that the beneficiary nurse will work in places that are designated as nurse shortage areas.

Overall, the opportunities that are laid down for nurses in New Mexico are very rewarding. Apart from scholarship grants, registered nurses also enjoy higher base salaries compared to other professionals. The current salary range is around $58,000 annually, plus bonuses and other perks for experienced nurses.