Nursing Careers and Schools in South Carolina
From this state’s Blue Ridge Mountains in the west to its eastern Atlantic coast, South Carolina offers historical monuments and scenic vistas. Charleston, a place of old-world charm and modern technology, Columbia and Greenville/Spartanburg offer many opportunities for nursing students and career health care workers. Rural opportunities abound as well, and smaller towns such as Cheraw and tourist meccas such as Myrtle Beach all require nurses to help fill varied jobs.
Becoming a Nurse in South Carolina
Nurses who seek an education in South Carolina have many opportunities to earn various degrees and certifications. Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston offers the BSN, MSN and doctoral degrees in nursing. The nurse who wishes to attend this school in Columbia has opportunities to earn the BSN and MSN as well as study for various certifications. Programs focus on acute care, administration, adult care, community health, family care, gerontology and more. Smaller schools within this state include York Technical College in Rock Hil, with programs in adult care, anatomy, family care and physiology; Florence-Darlington Technical College, with an associate degree in nursing and programs in anatomy and physiology; and, CareAlliance Health Services in Charleston, with programs in adult care, anatomy, neonatal and newborn care, with an associate degree in nursing.
Nursing Jobs in South Carolina
Some of the largest health care employers in South Carolina include the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, Palmetto Health in Richland, Columbia and Easley, and Moncrief Army Community Hospital in Fort Jackson. These medical centers represent a handful of large top-tier medical centers throughout the state. Nursing salaries vary statewide depending upon the nurse’s experience and degree earned, the job description and location of the employment opportunity. For instance, an LPN emergency nurse in Charleston can earn, on average, $29,000 per year, and that same nurse can earn approximately $25,000 per year in Greenville. An RN can earn between $41,000 and $91,000 per year statewide.