Registered Nursing (RN) | Northland Pioneer College, Arizona

Area of Study

Registered Nursing (RN)

NPC's RN program boasts a nearly 100-percent employment success rate! Best of all, your nursing education costs a fraction of what you would pay for comparable nursing programs available elsewhere in Arizona.

NPC’s high quality, two-year, accredited Registered Nursed (RN) program prepares you to take the Arizona RN examination and excel in the exciting field of professional nursing. Through hands-on experiences working in the classroom, clinicals and the community, you will receive the education you need to achieve your career goals in the healing profession.

Our holistically-oriented faculty members are careful to provide you with planned experiences and individualized, up-to-date evidence-based instruction. Best of all, your nursing education costs a fraction of what you would pay for comparable nursing programs available elsewhere in Arizona. At NPC you will:

Be a part of nursing classes small enough that you can take advantage of personal tutoring and help from our highly experienced instructors.
Choose a nursing program that has nearly all nursing graduates finding employment within six months of graduation!
Pursue a nursing degree that provides both hands-on labs and clinical experience every semester so you gain the practical real-world skills you need to succeed as a nurse.

Students must apply to be admitted into the NPC Nursing program. BEFORE you can be accepted, you must complete certain prerequisite courses (see entry requirements below). Admission to NPC does NOT guarantee admission to the Nursing program.

NPC also offers an RN Refresher course for those with expired or RN licensure from another state. See course syllabus for details. To enroll, complete an application packet (FA19 PDF) and then contact the Nursing Department for more information.
For more information about this program, please contact an NPC Academic Adviser. Also see the current NPC College Catalog and class schedule.

Complete an Application Form

Labs and Classrooms

Required general education courses are offered at all NPC locations. Nursing classes are only offered at the Show Low and Winslow campuses.

Entry Requirements

1. Applicants must hold a current Arizona Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) license in good standing.

2. The following prerequisite courses are required BEFORE Nursing program admission and must be completed with a “C” grade or better before July 1 of the admission application year. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 is recommended.

BIO 181 - General Biology I
BIO 201 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIO 202 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIO 205 - Microbiology
CHM 130 - Fundamental Chemistry
ENL 101 - College Composition I
MATH: Next Gen. ACCUPLACER QAS score of 250+; Classic ACCUPLACER Elem. Algebra score of 57+; ASSET Elem. Algebra score 41+; COMPASS Algebra score 46+; or ACT Math score of 21; OR completion of MAT 142 or higher with a “C” or better within one year prior to application to the nursing program.

College credits more than eight years old may be accepted with appropriate documentation and approval. See an NPC academic adviser for details.

3. NPC strongly recommends that you also complete the following general education requirements BEFORE applying to the Nursing program:

ENL 102 - College Composition II
PSY 240 - Developmental Psychology
PLUS, one of the following: ANT 102 - Cultural Anthropology –OR– SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology

4. Applications and Information: (PDFs)

Already have your LPN Certification?

If you have already earned your LPN, either from NPC or from another institution and you wish to return to college to gain your RN credential, you first need to complete an LPN-RN Transition Application. Additional details are available by contacting the NPC Nursing Department.

Work Environment

Registered Nurse is the largest healthcare occupation. They work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services and nursing care facilities. Others work in schools, outpatient clinics or serve in the military. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients’ homes, schools, community centers and other sites.

Job Outlook

Employment of Registered Nurses is projected to grow 16 percent through 2024. Job opportunities for Registered Nurses are expected to be good. However, the supply of new nurses entering the labor market has increased in recent years. This increase has resulted in competition for jobs in some areas of the country.

Generally, Registered Nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) will have better job prospects than those without it. Employers also may prefer candidates who have some related work experience.

Job opportunities should be good because of the need to replace workers who retire over the coming decade and because of the growing number of people with access to healthcare services.

Salary

The median annual wage in Arizona for Registered Nurses was $77,000 and for Licensed Practical Nurses, $54,090 in May 2018. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) SOC 29-1141, 29-2061

Accreditation/Affiliations

The NPC Nursing program is accredited by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850
Atlanta, Georgia 30326
Phone: (404) 975-5000 | Fax: (404) 975-5020

Articulations

Bachelor's of Science in Nursing
After you complete your AAS degree in nursing at NPC you can easily transfer to Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University or Grand Canyon University to finish a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree (BSN), if desired. We work with you every step of the way to make transferring easy.

Student Outcomes

NCLEX Assessment Data:

NCLEX-RN Pass Rate

January 2019 – December 2019: 93%
January 2018 – December 2018: 88%
January 2017 – December 2017: 89%

On-Time Graduation Rate

80% – 2019 Graduates
75% – 2018 Graduates
70% – 2017 Graduates

Job Placement Rate

95% – May 2019 Graduates*
(94% response rate)
86% – May 2018 Graduates*
(84% response rate)
100% – May 2017 Graduates
(85% response rate)

*Some student respondents chose temporary unemployment for personal reasons.

Gainful Employment:

The U.S. Department of Education requires all colleges to disclose a variety of information for any financial aid eligible program that "prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation." See the Letter from the U.S. Department of Education (PDF).