Getting Started as an Aspiring RN in Arizona
Choosing an RN school is a decision with a lot riding on it, and our three-year BSN program is designed to be your pathway to becoming a registered nurse in Arizona. The answers below cover what our Phoenix admissions team hears most, grouped by topic from career outlook to program requirements.
Contact our Phoenix campus directly for personalized guidance.
Nursing Career Frequently Asked Questions
After earning a BSN in Phoenix, Arizona and passing the NCLEX-RN for licensure, you can pursue a wide range of nursing careers, from hospital units to specialized care, leadership, and community health roles. As of 2024, registered nurses nationwide held about 3.4 million nursing jobs, and most worked for these employers:
Hospitals (59%)
Ambulatory healthcare services (19%)
Nursing and residential care facilities (6%)
Government (5%)
Educational services; state, local, and private (3%)
Many nurses begin in settings like medical-surgical or emergency department nursing, then move into other specialties or advance into management positions as they gain experience. See a detailed breakdown of nursing career paths and what each role involves.
Updated 2026. Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-3
Arizona counted 68,470 RNs in its workforce as of 2024, and the state projects that number will climb 19% between 2024 and 2034. Nationally, RN employment is expected to rise 5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 189,100 openings for registered nurses projected each year.
Updated October 2026: Data Source: https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/29-1141.00?st=AZ
A nurse manager is a registered nurse who steps into a leadership role after building clinical experience on the job. Nurse managers work across many settings, from hospitals and outpatient care centers to long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care services. For registered nurses drawn to leadership, it’s a meaningful way to advance a career.
A nurse manager position typically calls for a BSN degree at minimum. You’ll also need to be a licensed registered nurse, which means passing the NCLEX-RN examination and earning your state license in Arizona.
Experience matters just as much as the degree. You’ll need time working as a registered nurse to build your clinical background before you apply. Many healthcare employers look for at least five years of experience.
Nursing Program Questions at Arizona College of Nursing – Phoenix
AZCN’s RN school curriculum moves through the areas that shape a well-rounded nurse, including clinical thinking, community health, critical care, gerontology, leadership, surgical care, obstetrics, pediatrics, and psychiatric care. Together, these subjects give you the clinical foundation you’ll carry into your career.
Yes. AZCN’s BSN program is open to you whether or not you’ve worked as a nursing assistant, and plenty of students begin with no prior healthcare experience. Our RN program is built to take you from the fundamentals through the clinical training that prepares you to become a registered nurse.
If you have worked as a nursing assistant, that experience can be an asset, but it’s never required for admission. What carries the most weight is your commitment to learning and your desire to care for others.
Our Phoenix RN school doesn’t offer an LPN to BSN or LPN to RN bridge. The good news is you can still join our program and earn your BSN degree in as few as three years.
Your experience as an LPN will serve you well as you work through the coursework, and it proves especially valuable once you reach the clinical training, where your hands-on patient care gives you a strong footing. When you reach out to our admissions team, mention your LPN background, and they can share how it may support you throughout our program.
With qualifying general education transfer credits, you can move through AZCN’s BSN program in three years or less, often graduating sooner and at a lower cost than you might expect.
Have questions about transfer credits, including those tied to college-level credit-by-exam scores? Check our Campus Locations page to reach your local campus directly. Our transfer of credit team will go over your transcripts and tell you specifically how your previous education may count toward a BSN degree.
Read more about Arizona College of Nursing’s credit transfer requirements.
Yes, at Arizona College of Nursing – Phoenix, you’ll typically begin your BSN with general education courses held in the evening. Your exact schedule will depend on your prior academic experience. A number of those general education courses also come in a convenient format that blends on-campus and online learning.
Evening scheduling exists for a practical reason: most students have work and life commitments they can’t drop the day they enroll, so starting with night courses makes the transition manageable. Once you advance to your Core Nursing courses, those move to daytime hours.
Qualifying students of every age and background may have access to a range of financial aid programs and payment options, such as:
- Federal student loans
- Federal PELL and SEOG grants
- Eligible State-based grant programs
- Private educational loans
- Military veteran educational benefits (ex: Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®)
Scholarships are available through Arizona College of Nursing as well. You can find more on both financial aid and scholarships at https://www.arizonacollege.edu/admissions/financial-aid/.
General Nursing College FAQs
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is an undergraduate degree built to prepare you for a strong start in the nursing profession. The coursework pairs a foundation of general education with advanced nursing study, so you graduate ready for the demands of the job. Holding a BSN can also broaden where you’re able to work, opening up positions in more states and cities.
At Arizona College of Nursing – Phoenix, you can earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in as few as three years, rather than the four years a bachelor’s degree often takes. After graduation, you’ll also need to pass the NCLEX-RN to become a licensed registered nurse.
Your exact timeline depends on your prior education. If you’ve earned college credit or hold a degree in another field, qualifying transfer credits may shorten how long you’re in school. Reach out to an admissions representative at our Phoenix campus to map out what becoming an RN in Arizona looks like for you.
For more info see: How Long Does It Take to Become a Registered Nurse?
An accelerated BSN, often called an ABSN or second-degree BSN, is built for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, these fast-track programs usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, including prerequisites. Most ABSN programs require you to finish prerequisite science courses and meet a minimum GPA before you enroll.
Arizona College of Nursing offers a three-year BSN program that doesn’t require a previous college degree. You don’t need any prerequisite coursework to start, and qualifying transfer credits may help you finish sooner. Both programs award the same Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and graduates can pursue RN licensure, which requires passing the NCLEX-RN exam. Learn more about choosing between an accelerated BSN and a 3-year BSN.
In Arizona, a nursing assistant provides basic patient care and support under the supervision of a licensed nurse, while a registered nurse (RN) takes on a broader clinical role. Nursing assistants focus on tasks such as helping with daily activities and monitoring vital signs. Registered nurses develop and implement patient care plans, administer medications, perform complex nursing procedures, and oversee the work of nursing assistants and other healthcare staff.
A nursing assistant role can be an early way to gain healthcare experience in Arizona hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and similar settings. That experience can become a launching point to earning a BSN, which positions you for an RN’s expanded scope of practice. AZCN’s BSN program gives you the comprehensive education and clinical experience you need to move your career forward.
In Phoenix, an LPN program leads to becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), while a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program leads to becoming a registered nurse (RN). Some states call the LPN role a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).
An LPN program usually takes one to two years to complete and readies you for entry-level nursing roles, providing basic nursing care under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. A BSN program takes about three to four years to complete, and RNs work with a wider scope of practice that includes patient care planning and diagnostic testing. Although it asks for more time, a BSN rewards that investment with a fuller nursing education, a wider range of practice areas, and stronger potential for advancement as an RN.
Arizona College of Nursing – Phoenix offers a three-year BSN program. See a more detailed comparison between an LPN and a BSN.
Both an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can put you on the path to becoming a registered nurse once you pass the NCLEX, but they differ in depth and where they can take your career. An ADN is a two-year degree that covers the core clinical skills needed to enter nursing. A BSN builds on that same clinical core with a broader education and more extensive hands-on training, which is what tends to set it apart for employers.
This added preparation opens doors an ADN may not. Among the most sought-after are Magnet-designated hospitals, recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for their excellence in nursing, patient care, and professional development. These prestigious institutions typically hire nurses who hold a BSN or higher, part of how they uphold the highest standards of care and better patient outcomes.
To learn more about the difference between these nursing degrees visit our page “What’s the Difference Between an ADN and a BSN?“
Both are national licensing exams developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), but they apply to different nursing credentials and career paths. You’ll take the NCLEX-RN after completing a BSN or ADN nursing program, and passing it qualifies you for registered nurse licensure. Graduates of LPN or LVN programs take the NCLEX-PN, which leads to practical or vocational nurse licensure.
Regardless of which credential you pursue, passing the corresponding exam is required for nursing licensure in the United States. In Arizona, RN licensure gives you greater clinical autonomy, access to higher-level responsibilities, and more room for career advancement than LPN licensure, where practice is typically supervised by registered nurses or physicians.
Becoming a nurse in Arizona involves a few different costs, from your education to your licensing. It starts with completing an accredited nursing program, which lays the foundation for everything that follows.
The Arizona State Board of Nursing also requires the following fees: an RN Endorsement Fee ($150), an RN Exam Fee and Licensure Fee ($300), an RN Re-Exam Fee ($100), and a fingerprint fee ($50).
Source: https://azbn.gov/licenses-and-certifications/agency-fees
Arizona doesn’t cap the number of attempts, so you can take the NCLEX-RN as many times as you need to pass. One condition applies, though. If more than two years have passed between finishing the clinical portion of your nursing program and the time you seek licensure, you’ll need to take and pass a nurse refresher course first.