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West Virginia RN Certification and Schools - WV
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 19th, 2010
West Virginia Registered Nurse Schools
By 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the nation to employ more than 3 million registered nurses. West Virginia can boast employing the fifth highest concentration of nurses in the nation. The BLS counted almost 17,000 RNs in the Mountain State (that’s 2.356% of all people employed in West Virginia) earning an average annual salary of $52,340 in 2008.
In December 2009, the West Virginia University Hospital earned its second Magnet Award from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. That’s great news and speaks to the quality of the state’s nursing staff. But a Register-Herald report out of Charleston noted that the Center for Nursing has not yet managed to ease the state’s critical shortage of qualified RNs. Fortunately, though, the report cited in the article said that there are enough registered and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in the state.
From a strictly economic perspective, demand for RNs still outweighs supply. This is certainly good news if you’d like to be an RN in West Virginia. As you’ll see below, the salaries being offered are indicative of a state that has a severe shortage of qualified RNs.
Education Required to Become a Registered Nurse in West Virginia
You may pursue your education in three ways:
- BSN (a bachelor of science degree in nursing)
- ADN (an associate’s degree in nursing)
- A nursing diploma (available through hospital education programs)
Accelerated nursing degrees are also available through West Virginia RN schools if you already have a bachelor’s degree in another subject and have the pre-requisite math and science courses required by the program.
ADNs are offered by junior colleges or community colleges and can take half as long to complete as a BSN from a university. However, a BSN will give you a more rounded education, including some humanities and other liberal arts courses. The ADN focuses almost completely on the skills needed to become a nurse.
Should you choose to pursue a master’s or a doctorate degree, holding a BSN will become a necessary requirement.
Through campus or online programs, aspiring Registered Nurses in Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg and Wheeling, West Virginia may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital, Wheeling Hospital, Saint Mary's Medical Center and Ruby Memorial Hospital.