Selecting a career path is an important decision. Your planned career determines your required postsecondary education and impacts your income and schedule. Some careers offer stable weekday hours, while shift work is common with other jobs.
The origins of the nursing profession date back to the 1700s; although many think nursing jobs involve working in hospitals, they’ve evolved over the last 300+ years. Career nurses work in many medical venues, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), medical offices, schools, and hospitals.
Those considering a career as a skilled nursing facility nurse may wonder how SNF nurse jobs compare to hospital nursing jobs. Let’s explore the nursing profession and why pursuing an SNF nursing job in Arizona might be right for you.
Is nursing a good career?
Nursing is a long-standing career option, and it remains a popular profession. There are many reasons nursing is a great career option, including the following:
- Demand: Registered nursing jobs are expected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032, double the national average job growth rate for all occupations. The demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) is almost as high, with an expected job growth rate of 5% during the same period.
- Income: U.S. registered nurses (RNs) earned a median income of $81,220 in 2022. The median annual income for LPNs and LVSs in the same year was $54,620.
- Location flexibility: There are nursing opportunities in every state in the U.S., and you can pursue jobs in small towns, small cities, or large metropolitan areas
- Reasonable education requirements: RNs must earn a diploma, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass a licensing exam to work as an RN. Earning a nursing diploma in two years is possible while completing a bachelor’s degree takes four years. LPNs and LVNs can complete their academic requirements in one year.
- Access to nursing education programs: There are community colleges, universities, state colleges, and private postsecondary institutions in every state that offer nursing programs. You won’t have to make a big move to complete your education unless you want to relocate for your studies. There are also online programs that make it possible to learn at home.
- Nurses make a difference: Nurses provide expert care to people with medical needs. As a nurse, you can help people with injuries and illnesses and be a vital part of their recovery process.
- Specializations: Nurses can choose a specialty and spend their careers focusing on specific patients or medical needs. Specializations include pediatrics, public health, midwifery, and cardiac nursing.
- Room for advancement: SNF nurses can begin their careers as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and continue their education to advance to a licensed or registered nurse position
Are skilled nursing facilities good places to work?
When exploring nursing jobs in Arizona, you’ll discover opportunities in medical offices, hospitals, and SNFs. Most people are familiar with the work nurses perform in medical offices and hospitals. Still, SNFs offer distinct opportunities for nurses who want to work with patients long-term.
Nurses at SNFs are a vital part of a medical team providing care for nursing facility residents. These nurses provide follow-up care for patients who’ve had medical procedures. SNF nurses work with doctors to ensure patients receive appropriate care and implement treatment plans for patients with illnesses and injuries. SNFs are safe, comfortable environments where patients receive the care they need until they’re ready to return home.
Which states have the best nursing home care?
USA Today ranks Hawaii as the top state for nursing home quality. Utah, Delaware, Alaska, and Arizona round out the top five. Factors such as staffing ratios, quality of staff, and patient hospitalization rates determined which states rose to the top in their rankings.
Why Haven Health?
When looking for senior care facility jobs in Arizona, Haven Health should be on top of your list. Providing exceptional care begins with exceptional staff. Haven Health invests in outstanding nurses who make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.
Free training
We provide free CNA training programs, enabling anyone with the aptitude for a career as an SNF nurse to get the education they need to start their career.
Multiple locations
Haven Health has 23 Arizona facilities, including facilities in Sedona, Tucson, Yuma, Prescott, and Phoenix. You can take an opportunity to relocate, or you can pursue opportunities at one of our facilities near your current location.
Other opportunities
Many start as CNAs and continue their education to become registered or licensed nurses. Others begin their career in the medical field as CNAs and work while earning the credentials needed to be occupational therapists, speech pathologists, or physical therapists. There are many opportunities for medical professionals with Haven Health, and we support professionals pursuing their education to advance in their careers.
Sources:
History of Nursing Timeline: How Nursing Education Has Evolved. (2023).
Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses. (2023).
Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses: How to become one. (2023).
Nursing Home Quality. (2023).
Registered Nurses. (2023).