Nursing Program Requirements In New York
The New York State Education Department handles licensure of RNs, LPNs, and NPs. Nursing licenses and registration in New York permit nurses to practice under professional titles. Licensure applicants must graduate from an approved nurse training program and pass the applicable National Council Licensure Examination . CNAs obtain their credentials from the New York State Department of Health, which requires a passing score on the New York Nurse Aide Exam.
Details for each type of nurse licensing available in New York can be found in the tables below, including job descriptions, educational requirements, and licensure steps.
Prospective nursing professionals should know that New York state law requires graduates of nursing diploma or associate degree in nursing programs to earn a bachelor of science in nursing within 10 years of their initial licensure date. A BSN can lead to better patient outcomes and more professional opportunities.
CNAs work under the supervision of licensed nurses to provide basic patient care, such as monitoring vital signs, bathing and grooming, feeding, and ambulation, and to support nursing staff. CNAs can find employment mainly in nursing care facilities and retirement and assisted living communities in addition to hospitals and home healthcare services.
CNA Program Requirements:
New York Licensure Requirements:
- Continued Education: None
LPN Program Requirements:
- Exams: National Council Licensure Exam for LPNs
- Renewal Frequency: Three years
Nursing Education Programs In New York
There are dozens of ADN and BSN programs in New York. Some BSN programs offer bachelor completion tracks for RNs with diplomas or ADNs who wish to obtain a BSN. Many of these programs are offered on a part-time basis and are geared for people who work. Some employers will offer tuition assistance to RNs on their staff who wish to enroll in these programs.
Also, please see this list of education programs from the New York Department of Education: www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs.htm
Compact Nursing License States
You may live in one of many compact nursing license states making the process easier. These states are often referred to as nurse licensure compact or NLC states, and they require that you hold a single compact license for nursing and it transfers between states.
The NLC streamlines the process significantly. This means you can work in a number of states without having to go through the process of obtaining a new license each time.
The following states are compact nursing license states as of 2018:
- Arizona
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
If you plan to work in one of these states, you will certainly want to get a compact nursing license. If you were wondering how to get a compact nursing license, we have great news doing that is as easy as getting a single-state license!
According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, If you are eligible and a resident of a compact state, use the state board of nursing application for licensure by exam or endorsement, as found on your BONs website.
In short, that means all you need to do is obtain a license in any compact state, at any time, and you will have a nursing compact license that is valid in every state listed above.
Keep in mind that if you are permanently moving from one compact state to another, you will still need to transfer your license. This is required as you must show your new home as your primary residence. If you are simply traveling to the state for an assignment, this is not necessary.
Also Check: How Much In Tolls From Baltimore To Nyc
Rns In Skilled Nursing And Home Health Settings
While home health and skilled nursing facilities employ many nursing staff with education below the RN level, they need RNs. There are tasks an individual with lower credentialing cant legally do, at least without RN supervision. One example: IVs. An LPN who has had appropriate training can take on many IV-related duties in long-term settings, but the RN bears responsibility . The LPN, moreover, would not be expected to perform the duties in a setting where there was no on-site supervision .
Sometimes RNs take on very high level positions in these settings. Mount Sinai, for example, advertised in early 2018 for an RN Care Coordinator who could be an on-site liaison for an initiative designed to prevent avoidable hospitalizations among long-stay nursing home residents. The care coordinator would educate and coach other staff in using evidence-based strategies to identify and treat issues before they reach the stage where hospitalization would be required. Duties could include identifying resources, doing case reviews of transfers, maintaining various types of documentation, and spending some time on-call.
Home health is an arena that has seen increased demand in recent years. This reflects the trend toward managing health conditions in the least restrictive setting.
Becoming A New York Rn
RNs must complete diploma or degree programs , then pass a licensing exam. One can enter the field with an associates degree or diploma in professional nursing. However, New York has passed BSN in Ten legislation that will go into effect in 2019. New York RNs will ultimately need to complete four-year degrees in order to stay licensed.
The BSN will become the norm there will also be a need for nurses beyond this level. New York issues Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner Credentials. These are higher than the RN but build on RN credentialing.
Also Check: Registering A Vehicle In New York
Which States Need Nurses The Most
According to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, seven states anticipated continued shortages of RNs from 2014-2030. Among the states with projected unmet demand, California will face the biggest deficit of 44,500, followed by Texas, New Jersey, South Carolina, Alaska, Georgia, and South Dakota.
How Did This Legislation Come About
Over 52 years ago, the American Nurses Association published its first position paper on educational requirements for entry into practice, advocating that the baccalaureate degree be the minimum degree for entry into registered nurse practice.
Over the years, numerous regulatory and accrediting bodies have recommended this change to nursing education minimum requirements as a means to address increasingly complex patient care resulting from shorter lengths of stay, higher acuity and more sophisticated interventions. This proposal is the result of a growing body of research evidence that additional education results in better patient outcomes.
You May Like: How Much Is Car Registration In Ny
How To Transfer Rn License To Another State
In some cases, you can transfer your license instead of obtaining an entirely new one.
As mentioned, you dont need to retake the NCLEX every time you transfer to a new state. You may need to renew your license within the same window youre transferring the license and thats often accomplished with CEUs.
SEE ALSO:3 Quick and Easy Ways to Earn Your Nursing CEUs
Of course, if you let your license lapse at any time, you wont be able to transfer it without retaking the exam, or possibly a refresher course, depending on how long it has been inactive.
You already know the quickest way to determine your licensing needs by contacting the board in the new state in which you plan to work. One of the best tips we can provide you is starting the process early. Each state varies in processing time so that affects how long it takes to get your new license issued.
Because of this, the sooner you start, the less likely you are to run into issues. It is possible to expedite the process if you are in a true hurry, but of course, that comes with an added cost.
Another valuable tip for getting a nursing license in another state is to seek guidance from your recruitment agency they are here to help! Travel nurses are most often the ones applying for a nursing license in another state. If you have a dedicated recruiter helping you obtain nursing assignments, that person is ready and willing to assist you with licensing requirements to ensure you can transition into your new role seamlessly.
Rn Careers In New York: Becoming An Rn
There are more Registered Professional Nurses in New York than any other type of healthcare worker, and they are integral to healthcare in many settings. They assess patient condition and carry out procedures bedside and in the operating room. They also act as care managers, case finders, and patient educators.
Hospitals are, nationwide, the most common workplace. However, many RNs work in sub-acute settings such as nursing homes. Others work in ambulatory care settings or community settings. As healthcare evolves, the distribution of jobs changes. It is likely that it will continue to change in the coming years. However, the increasing complexity of healthcare means plenty of very specialized roles and this translates to plenty of choices.
Read Also: Change Llc Name Ny
Why Attend A Nursing Program In New York
New York offers nurses high employment levels and paychecks. The state ranks second for employment levels for APRNs, third for certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses , and fourth for registered nurses . New York-Newark-Jersey City tops the list of metropolitan areas in the U.S. for employment levels of RNs, nurse practitioners , nurse midwives, CNAs, and LPNs.
New York comes in second among top paying states for CNAs, and New York NPs and nurse midwives earn the fourth highest salaries in the country. Nurse anesthetists pay in the Capital/Northern New York region tops the list of nonmetropolitan areas.
Columbia University School Of Nursing New York
All Nursing programs offered at the Columbia University School of Nursing are accredited by the Collegiate Commission of Nursing Education and the New York State Education Department.
Programs Offered: BSN, Accelerated BS/MS, MSN , University Statutory Certificate for Nurses with an NP and a Masters who want additional specialization, MS Completion, MSN/MBA, MSN/MPH, DNP, PhD
You May Like: Starting Llc In Ny
New York Nursing Schools And Programs
Nursing programs in New York lead to an abundance of job opportunities, strong job growth, and high salaries. Explore this page for more information.
Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?
Nurses at all levels, from nurse assistants to advanced practice registered nurses , can expect high salaries and employment opportunities in New York, particularly in the New York City metropolitan area.
Registered Nursing Career Outlook In New York
A 2010 report by the Health Care Association of New York State was titled Short-term Relief, Ongoing Shortage. The report noted that a substantial percentage of hospitals had frozen wages or even eliminated some positions. Moreover, some experienced nurses were choosing to return to the workforce. Turnover rates were down, and many graduates were having a hard time landing that first position. However, even in this challenging economic environment, more than half of hospitals still reported recruitment difficulties.
Of more concern to health care organizations is the potential shortfall down the line. An analysis of RN demographics leads to an inevitable conclusion: Many will be retiring in the near future. At the same time, the general population is also aging. The report expressed concern that if students were deterred from entering nursing school, either because it was a financial hardship or because they thought there were no jobs, there could be a nursing crisis in the works. The Health Care Associations to the powers-that-be in New York was to continue encouraging nursing school enrollments. A message to individual students: Do not give up on your dreams of becoming a nurse.
Read Also: 800-698-4637
Get Your Np Education
To work toward your NP certificate in New York State, you must provide evidence of having earned a masters, postgraduate, or doctorate degree through a program registered with the New York State Education Department, or a program determined by the Department to be equivalent.
Your program should include:
- A classroom and supervised clinical designed to prepare NPs to diagnose illness and physical conditions and perform therapeutic and corrective measures within a specialty area of practice
- Pharmacotherapeutics
- A preceptorship experience that is at least one semester in length supervised by an NP or a physician
Core course requirements that are part of all advanced practice nursing programs include:
- Advanced pathophysiology/physiology
- Advanced health assessment
- Advanced pharmacology
National Certification
The New York State Board of Nursing also defers to certification agencies to qualify candidates for NP certification in the state. National certification is not required in New York, but by meeting educational requirements required to become nationally certified, the New York State Board of Nursing will consider you to be an eligible candidate.
The New York State Board of Nursing will consider you as having met the educational requirements for state-issued NP certification if you have earned national certification through one of the agencies named here:
Pharmacotherapeutics Requirements
Pass A Licensure Exam
In order to practice nursing in the United States, you will need to have a professional license from the state where you plan to work. Registered Nurse licenses are regulated by State Boards of Nursing with varying requirements.
You will likely need to pass a licensure exam to be registered as a nurse by your state board. Before taking the licensure exam, first-level, general nurses educated outside the U.S. may choose to apply to the CGFNS Certification Program®, which consists of:
- a credentials evaluation
- the CGFNS Qualifying Exam®, and
- an English language proficiency component.
The CGFNS Qualifying Exam® is a requirement by some state boards before you can sit for the NCLEX-RN, but it serves as an excellent predictor for how any nurse will do on that exam. Taking the Qualifying Exam may help gauge your readiness before committing to the licensure exam.
The Qualifying Exam also fulfills the U.S. federal governments screening requirement for an occupational visa.
Don’t Miss: How Much Does The New York Pass Cost
Specialties For Nurses In New York
Graduates of New York nursing programs work in a variety of specialties. Nursing students should consider their career goals before beginning their studies. Many programs — especially master’s programs — prepare students for work in a particular specialty.
A professional’s specialty impacts their salary and responsibilities. Students who want a higher-paying nursing career should consider becoming advanced practice registered nurses. For example, nurse anesthetists and nurse practitioners earn average salaries of more than $100,000 a year in New York. Additionally, certified nurse midwives earn about $85,000 per year. In addition to above-average salaries, advanced practice registered nurses can look forward to significant growth in the field. The BLS projects employment for nurse anesthetists in New York to increase by 25.7% from 2016 to 2026, and jobs for nurse midwives in the state are projected to grow by 24.1% over the same timeframe.
Students should also consider their ideal working environment and patient population. Psychiatric nurses and neonatal nurses in New York earn average salaries of more than $70,000. Students can also pursue positions working in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and oncology wards.
Master’s programs in nursing prepare students for positions as nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners share many responsibilities with physicians. For example, they can prescribe medications, order tests, and diagnose conditions.
Employment Options And Career Advancement
Having a baccalaureate degree expands employment opportunities. Depending on the workplace and/or state where one is licensed, many nursing specialties require a minimum of a baccalaureate degree. For example, nurse educators, nurse managers, informatics nurses, nurse advocates, oncology nurses and perioperative nurses are generally required to have or obtain a baccalaureate degree. Additionally, many health care facilities require nurses in administrative or leadership roles to possess a baccalaureate degree. This leads to both an opportunity for professional growth and increased earning potential over the span of their career.
Don’t Miss: Register Car In Ny Online
Other Rn Salary Considerations
As a nurse, your salary shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when deciding what field to go into or what job to take.
How far that salary will go will greatly depend on the cost of living in the area. Some of the highest paying states also cost a lot to live in, meaning that 6 figure salary isn’t going to go nearly as far as it would in a less expensive area.
You’ll also want to look at things like the job benefits, the hours, what the work-life balance will be like, and what their training and education policies are like. Don’t overlook your quality of life!
Premier New York Facilities
New York has 26 magnet hospitals. Among them are the following:
- Cohen Childrens Medical Center
- Hospital for Special Surgery
- Rochester General Hospital
The state has one Pathway Designated facility: Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.
Perusing job ads for premier facilities in 2018, one will find that many positions favor those with experience. Even magnets, though, do hire new graduates. Sometimes graduates are hired to begin work in structured residency programs. Programs typically include mentoring as well as educational programming some note simulation.
Residencies provide early experience in specialty areas. South Nassau Communities Hospital, for example, has listed the following programs
- Emergency Department
- Telemetry
- Perioperative
Candidates would include among their application materials essays describing their passion for one of the programs offered.
The Northwell Health Nursing Fellowship Program lists Emergency Care, Critical Care, and Perioperative additionally it includes pediatrics.
Also Check: Cheapest Way To Go To New York
Financial Support For Rn Students
Grants, scholarships, and awards for students who wish to become RNs are available at local, state, and federal levels. Such funding comes from private foundations, institutions and colleges of higher education with nursing programs, the New York State Education Department, and from the U.S. government. For more information, go to: .For additional information about federal and state financial aid, visit the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation website at: .
Johnson & Johnsons Campaign for Nursings Future offers current information on financial assistance opportunities for nursing students. The website organizes information by general degrees, specialties, and for returning students. For more information, visit the Johnson and Johnson campaign for nursings future here.