The best Alaska nursing schools offer programs for new nurses and also degrees for working nurses to advance their careers. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area and the fourth-least populous. At least half of its residents live in Anchorage’s metropolitan area. It was once considered part of the Russian empire until March 30, 1867, when the United States purchased it for $7.2 million dollars.
Nurses can find a variety of opportunities and very competitive average salaries (reported at $82,000 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) if they do not mind the peculiarities of the state. Finding a job in Alaska could require prospective employees to consider taking jobs serving the underserved rural population of the state. Employers are very motivated to pay top dollar to compensate for the higher cost of living and trouble incurred by working in those areas.
1. University of Alaska Anchorage
Featured Programs
The University of Alaska Anchorage is a public, four-year research university residing in Anchorage, Alaska. The university is the largest institution of higher learning in Alaska. It traces its history to 1950 when Dr. Terris Moore, who was the president of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, sought to bring higher education opportunities to other areas in the state. The University of Alaska began offering courses in Anchorage in 1961.
The university encompasses eight academic divisions including the colleges of Education, Arts and Sciences, Health, Business and Public Policy; School of Engineering; Nursing; School of Social Work; and Graduate School. The divisions offer associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs and vocational and professional certificates in over 150 major fields, such as arts, business, science, human services, and education. While specific faculty to student ratios vary by division and program, the general ratio is 20 students per one faculty member.
Nursing
For aspiring nursing professionals, the University of Alaska Anchorage’s School of Nursing strives to prepare students for current and future health care professionals in Alaska. It strives to meet the exceptional health care needs of the state. It offers Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Science degrees in nursing. The associate degree program prepares students to provide direct nursing care to a variety of patients in both inpatient and outpatient facilities. The program takes about two years of full-time enrollment and students to learn about nursing theory and complete clinical experiences in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.
The bachelor’s degree program provides a more in-depth study of nursing to pursue more advanced nursing roles in health care. Students can select from two options: the basic student option or registered nurse option. The master’s degree option provides instruction on advanced professional nursing practice, research, and theory and students can select from three specialty concentrations: nursing education, family nurse practitioner, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner for family.
Accreditation
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities fully accredits the University of Alaska Anchorage. Also, various colleges and programs receive individual accreditation from professional organizations in their respective fields. For example, the National League accredits the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing for Nursing Accreditation Commission.
Programs
- Certificate – <1 year
- Certificate – 1+ year
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- Master’s degree
- Post-Master’s Certificate
2. University of Alaska Southeast
The University of Alaska Southeast rose from the merging of Islands Community College, Ketchikan Community College, and the University of Alaska Juneau on July 1, 1987. Today, it is a public four-year education institution and part of the University of Alaska System. Its campuses are at the sites where the former institutions were located; the main campus is in Juneau, while the extended campuses are in Ketchikan and Sitka. The University of Alaska Southeast is also known as Alaska Southeast, UA Southeast, or UAS.
Nursing
UAS is made up of four Schools, which are named Arts and Sciences, Career Education, Education, and Management. These are where the school offers its assortment of undergraduate and Master’s degrees, as well as graduate certificates. Although it has a variety of degree programs, UAS is mainly dedicated to providing a solid liberal arts education.
Alaska offers an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing through its School of Career Education through its partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage’s School of Nursing. Students take classes at the three campuses and fulfill their clinical requirements at hospitals in the area. They go to Anchorage during their third and fourth semester of the AAS program to get more clinical experience, particularly in pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, and surgical nursing.
AAS students are required to complete a minimum of 70 credit hours. General education requirements comprise a substantial number of those credits, with subject areas that include public speaking, human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, written communication and lifespan development.
Admission and Accreditation
As of 2013, the University of Alaska Southeast has more than 3,700 students. The school has a gender ratio of 36 percent male and 64 percent female, and 30 percent of the students are full-timers. Classes are relatively small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1. UAS is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Programs
- Certificate – <1 year
- Certificate – 1+ year
- Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
- Master’s degree
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