Nevada is a dichotomy, with mega-resorts surrounded by serene desert and red-rock canyons. Lake Tahoe is a popular tourist resort, as is Las Vegas, but many visitors – and residents – prefer to live in smaller towns dotted throughout this state. This state seeks nurses with emergency and triage skills as well as nurses who can cater to the family with pediatric and women’s health issues. Nurses who seek education and employment in this state can find a plethora of opportunities in Nevada.

Becoming a Nurse in Nevada

Nurses who seek a master’s degree in nursing can find opportunities at the University of Nevada in Reno or in Las Vegas. Both schools differ in specialties, as the Reno location provides programs in adult care, anatomy, family care and physiology. Nurses who want to study case management, education, family care and informatics might look to the Las Vegas location. Other schools in Nevada include Nevada State College, where nurses can earn a BSN; Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, which offers an associate’s degree in nursing; and, Community College of Southern Nevada, with programs in LPN/LVN certification, pharmacology, gerontology and family care.

Nursing Jobs in Nevada

Some of the top health care employers in Nevada include St. Rose Domincan Hospital in Henderson, with 930 affiliated physicians and 1,924 employees who handle more than 20,000 inpatient visits and 96,000 outpatient visits each year; Northern Nevada Medical Center, located in Sparks, is licensed for 100 beds within 151,500 square feet on seven floors; Nevada Cancer Institute in Summerlin is committed to attracting, hiring, and training enthusiastic employees who will partner together to fulfill the organization’s mission to fight cancer. Nursing salaries range depending upon the nurse’s experience, expertise and degree earned, as well as job description and location. For instance, an LPN in Reno can average $37,000 per year, whereas that same LPN could earn an average of $39,000 per year in Elko. An RN in Las Vegas can earn, on average, $66,000 per year, and that same nurse can earn an average of $60,000 per year in Carson City.