Colorado entertains a dramatic change of geography across the state, from plains to forested hills and snow-topped mountains to red-rock desert views. And, this state also offers plentiful nursing jobs that cover an ever-widening spectrum of health care needs. Big cities like Denver and neighboring Boulder offer sophisticated urban living within minutes of gorgeous mountain countryside, while smaller towns like Durango, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs offer the chance to work in a more intimate environment. Traveling nurse jobs and work in rural areas also is available.

Becoming a Nurse in Colorado

Colorado nursing students can find many educational opportunities throughout this state, from the larger university to smaller community colleges. For instance, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center’s school of nursing, for instance, offers nursing specialties in administration, family care, geriatrics, informatics and pediatrics, with the chance to earn a BSN, MSN or doctoral degree. Other courses prepare nurses to earn their NP (Nurse Practitioner) or RN license. Pueblo Community College offers nursing programs in adult care, anatomy, family care and physiology, with the chance to earn an LPN/LVN, an associate’s degree and classes to earn an RN. Pikes Peak Community College also provides educational opportunities in anatomy, pharmacology and physiology. Students who attend this college in Pikes Peak can earn certification or an associate’s degree.

Nursing Jobs in Colorado

If the nursing graduate wants to work in Colorado, he or she might want to understand the salary base in this state. The RN in Colorado earns, on average, $64,000 per year, but this salary is affected by the nurse specialty. For instance, the telemetry RN in Colorado can earn as much as $100,000 per year. A travel LPN in Colorado can earn up to $100,000 per year as well. Major employers in this state include Exempla Healthcare, which includes Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver; Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs; and, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, a facility with several locations and with focuses on cancer care, maternal-child health, and outpatient surgery.