Nursing Schools in Tennessee

Guide to Tennessee Nursing Degree Programs

One of the fist things that you should do if you want to become a registered nurse is to submit your application to as many Tennessee nursing schools as possible. This will ensure that you will have a higher chance of getting into a good nursing school in the state. It is not really surprising that many people want to practice nursing in Tennessee because there are a lot of good teaching and community hospitals in this state. In Nashville, there is St. Thomas Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. If you want to work in a small community hospital, you can consider applying at St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County.

Apart from the numerous high quality hospitals and medical centers in the state, another good reason why you should consider working in Tennessee is the strong and supportive nursing community in the state. The Tennessee Nurses Association was created to promote the welfare of registered nurses in the state. Meanwhile, students of Tennessee nursing schools can also rely upon Tennessee Association of Student Nurses to help them prepare for their licensure exams as well assist them in plotting their nursing careers.

Tennessee Nursing Job Outlook and Salary

Aging clinical and classroom instructors in Tennessee nursing schools and the rise in the number of seniors and children in the state are some of the major reasons behind the shortage of registered nurses in Tennessee. In fact, experts estimate that in the next ten years, the shortfall of nurses could increase to 35,000. To make matters worse, Tennessee may be unable to reach its goal to increase the number of nursing degree graduates by 50% in 2010.

In order to encourage more people to enroll in nursing degrees in Tennessee nursing schools, private and government institutions have provided scholarships and other forms of financial help. Undergraduates who are majoring in nursing can benefit from the Promise of Nursing Scholarship. Meanwhile, registered nurses who are interested in taking up graduate studies, which is important in becoming an instructor or an administrator of nursing schools in Tennessee, can avail themselves of the Graduate Nursing Loan-Forgiveness Program.

It is also worth noting that the average salary of nurses in key areas in Tennessee is slightly higher than in other places in the US. The median salary of a nurse in Memphis is around $60,488, while in Nashville it is $59,763. Aside from this, nurses also enjoy various benefits and bonuses depending on the years of experience.