BSN Programs in Georgia

Georgia nursing programs, just like the rest of the programs in other states, have been severely impacted by the shortage of nurses. The good news is that the State of Georgia is doing all in its power to close the growing gap on nursing scarcity; however, thousands of applicants are still being turned down each year - also because of the shortage of nursing faculty. In the process, wait lists are created where not a lot of applicants are that willing to go on standby.

Georgia Nurses Salary and Job Outlook

The National Labor Council has reported that a million registered nurses will be needed annually starting 2010. This number just proves that the job outlook for RNs in Georgia is very promising. Also, health care agencies and hospitals are now willing to pay the most competitive sign-on bonuses, high wages, tuition reimbursement, even flexible work schedules. Now is the time to become a registered nurse.

Here are some of the salaries that are being offered in top Georgia cities according to salary.com –

• Albany - $56,162
• Augusta - $58,655
• Atlanta - $66,245
• Savannah -  $60,130
• Columbus and Macon - $62,265

To get started, try to look into the BSN programs that are offered in these public nursing schools –

Armstrong Atlantic State University

Their Baccalaureate nursing program is known for preparing the most successful graduates in the country. It is a program that is Georgia Board of Nursing approved as well as nationally accredited. This is a highly competitive program which accepts only the students with the best academic standing.

AASU offers a regional medical hub because it provides top clinical opportunities for their students. These are all faculty-supervised under various clinical settings such as clinics, hospitals, industries and community agencies. Students are seen practicing at the Memorial Health University Medical Center as well as at St. Joseph's/Candler Health System.

BSN is a 127-semester hour program which includes core and professional courses. The upper level curriculum is meant to be studied in two years after 2 years of pre-professional courses.

Columbus State University

If you want to join a campus that produces graduates with a 90% pass rate at the NCLEX, then this is where you should inquire. This public university’s BSN program is a four-semester curriculum which begins during junior year where the first four semesters are mainly pre-nursing coursework.

Students are taught the most applicable clinical experience where there is a low instructor-to-student ratio. CSU’s curriculum is nationally accredited by CCNE.