For students at Idaho nursing schools, the future seems bright. The Idaho Alliance of Leaders in Nursing projects a shortage of 5,906 nurses by 2025 indicating a severe shortage of nurses in Idaho. This means graduate nursing roles at Idaho’s hospitals, clinics, ambulatory care centers, nursing homes and hospices may become plentiful.
According to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- 2,480 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) employed in Idaho, with a mean annual salary of $44,280
- RNs in Idaho can earn a mean yearly income of $67,110, with 13,790 RNs working in the state
- Idaho has 750 NPs earning a mean annual income of $102,600 per year
Read on for more information on working as a professional nurse in Idaho, as well as the education and qualifications required to successfully follow this career path in the state.
Featured Nursing Schools in Idaho
As of September 2019, there are 11 schools offering nursing degree programs such as BSNs in Idaho. With all these options available, choosing the right school and degree program can prove to be a challenge for prospective students. Whether starting out in nursing or aiming to move up the career ladder, it’s essential that students pick the Idaho nursing program that can assist them to achieve their goals.
That is why we’ve collected data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to display about each of these schools. Prospective nurses can use our data listings to get an idea of the differences between nursing schools in Idaho.
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $5,645 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 33% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 63% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 92% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $4,118 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 57% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 73% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 64% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $5,259 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 46% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 79% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 84% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $6,618 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 40% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 63% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 96% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $29,300 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 59% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 76% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 100% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $4,096 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 54% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 73% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 73% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $3,400 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 21% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 52% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 78% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $4,560 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 27% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 59% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 81% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $3,916 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 27% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 53% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 86% |
Number of undergraduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Undergraduate tuition | $29,400 |
Undergraduate graduation rate | 70% |
Undergraduate retention rate | 79% |
Percent of undergrad students awarded financial aid | 100% |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $4,950 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $7,601 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered | 0 |
Graduate Tuition | $10,035 |
Number of graduate-level nursing programs offered through distance education | 0 |
Nursing Accreditation in Idaho
A nursing degree program accredited by either a national or local accreditation agency is an essential step for pursuing a nursing career. Accreditation provides the certainty that students are following a high-quality degree program at an Idaho nursing school with high academic standards. It ensures that degree programs across the US are being held to the same standards of quality.
Both national and local accreditation is available, but local accreditation can be useful if students go on to apply for a further nursing degree in the same state. All schools featured on NursingDegrees are accredited by official organizations.
Accreditation agencies that apply in Idaho include:
- The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Idaho Nursing Licensure
Students pursuing careers as LPNs in Idaho must complete an approved nursing program, as well as the NCLEX-PN. This state-required test ensures the applicant is ready to work in the field of nursing.
Registered nurses (RNs) can gain their license in Idaho simply by completing a state-approved registered nurse program and passing the NCLEX-PN exam before applying.
In Idaho, those wishing to gain their license as nurse practitioners (NPs) must successfully complete an approved advanced practice nursing program. While a master’s degree is not explicitly required, many national certifications can require this graduate qualification. NPs also require a national certification in their specialty area.
More up-to-date information on nursing licensure can be found at the Idaho Board of Nursing. This is an in-state resource where graduates can apply for their nursing license through the Idaho nursing portal.
Idaho Nursing organizations
Professional nursing associations and organizations can provide assistance with many aspects of the nursing profession, from ongoing education and networking to career development. A variety of organizations are well-equipped to support Idaho nurses who are ready to take the next step in their career or require assistance with a challenge. Here are a few of Idaho’s professional nursing organizations.
- ANA-Idaho:
The state constituent organization of the American Nurses Association, ANA-Idaho represents RNs throughout Idaho. Its aims include promoting professional development, fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the safety and well-being of nurses in the workplace, and advocating on health care issues. RNs can become members to benefit from this support.
- Nurse Leaders of Idaho (NLI):
This membership organization is the Idaho affiliate of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. It collaborates with other professional organizations to advance nursing leadership, practice and education, and frequently advocates on health policy. It also holds events geared towards inspiring leaders in Idaho nursing.
- Nurse Practitioners of Idaho (NPI):
An independent membership group, NPI is a professional organization for NPs in Idaho. The organization is the primary resource for the continuing education of NPs. Among other events, it holds an annual educational conference with the aim of ongoing pharmacology education for NPs.
- The Idaho Alliance of Leaders in Nursing (IALN):
The IALN is a non-member philanthropic and educational organization. It focuses on collecting and analyzing Idaho nursing workforce data and engaging in activities that help Idaho nurses to meet the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine for the future of nursing.
Idaho-Specific Continuing Education
Both RNs and LPNs must complete 30 hours of continuing education within each renewal cycle to maintain their license.
Meanwhile, NPs must be able to show proof of 200 hours of advanced practice nursing plus 30 hours of continuing education in the previous two years to qualify for license-renewal. National certifications must also be renewed, and NPs with prescriptive authority must complete 10 hours of advanced pharmacology as part of their continuing education.
Find out up-to-date information on nursing licensure, or renew your license with the Idaho Board of Nursing.
Hospitals in Idaho
According to the Idaho Department of Labor, 60% of graduates of Idaho nursing schools go on to work within the state. Idaho nursing students should ensure they are aware of the hospitals in the state, as these institutions can offer valuable learning opportunities and experience — whether they’re just starting out or have been working in the profession for years. Furthermore, each hospital is able to employ large numbers of nurses.
- St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center (Boise): Established in 1902, St Luke’s Boise is Idaho’s larger healthcare provider, and is known for its clinical excellence. The hospital employs highly skilled specialists, with its campus containing a chest pain center and a children’s hospital, as well as a wide range of primary and specialty physician clinics.
- Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center (Boise):Saint Alphonsus’ faith-based mission puts reverence, commitment to those who are poor, justice, stewardship and integrity at the heart of its work. Nurses at the hospital have an opportunity to work with advanced technology. Saint Alphonsus is home to the region’s most advanced trauma center.
- Kootenai Health (Coeur d’Alene):A member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Kootenai Health offers robotic surgery, and excels in hip and knee replacement, as well as a Level III NICU with specially trained staff. It holds a Magnet Designation for nursing excellence. The hospital also hosts educational health events for the community.
Methodology
Using the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we gathered data for 6,758 United States institutions. We then filtered that list of schools by state and analyzed the data for each state with two different methodologies, in order to create two different lists: our undergraduate list, based on 11 ranking criteria, and our graduate list, based on 9 ranking criteria.
Final data for the 2016-17 school year was used for these rankings. Schools that did not provide data for all of the required ranking criteria were disqualified from that ranking.
The 11 criteria for the undergraduate school ranking were as follows:
- Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
- Number of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
- Variety of associate- and bachelor’s-level nursing-related degree programs offered
- Tuition
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Average amount of federal grant aid awarded to full-time first-time undergraduates
- Percent of full-time first-time undergraduates awarded any financial aid
- Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
- Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
- Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)
The graduate school ranking scored schools based on 9 criteria, different from the undergraduate list. These 9 criteria were as follows:
- Number of master’s- and doctoral-level degree programs offered to nursing-related majors
- Number of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered via distance education
- Variety of master’s- and doctoral-level nursing-related degree programs offered
- Tuition
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Credit offerings (Military, Dual, Life Experience, AP)
- Services (Career Counseling, Placement Services)
- Availability of tuition plans (Guaranteed, Prepaid, Payment, Other)
All schools were scored on a 10-point scale for each of the points listed above. Individual data point scores were then multiplied by their respective weights, and the scores were added together, for a maximum possible score of 10 points.
NOTE: Schools’ tuition amounts are based on 2016-17 undergraduate and graduate data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics. The actual cost of tuition may vary.
Sources
- Accreditation in the United States, U.S. Department of Education, Accessed September 2019, https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation.html#Overview
- American hospital directory, Accessed September 2019, https://www.ahd.com/
- ANA Idaho, nursingnetwork, Accessed September 2019, https://idahonurses.nursingnetwork.com/
- Careers, Saint Alphonsus, Accessed September 2019, https://www.saintalphonsus.org/careers/
- Idaho Nursing License, Nursing License Map, Accessed September 2019, https://nursinglicensemap.com/advanced-practice-nursing/idaho-nursing-license/
- Kootnai Health, Accessed September 2019, https://www.kh.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzozsBRCNARIsAEM9kBOdGcGrD-wCjXS3t0yzij4ewn-zaTnEJBEheFo7d127sAOUGbjX-5kaApxFEALw_wcB
- Licensing information, State of Idaho Board of Nursing, Accessed September 2019, https://ibn.idaho.gov/IBNPortal/AgencyAdditional.aspx?Agency=426&AgencyLinkID=110
- May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Idaho, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed September 2019, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_id.htm
- Nurse leaders of Idaho, nursingnetwork, Accessed September 2019, https://nurseleadersidaho.nursingnetwork.com/
- Nurse Practitioners of Idaho, enpnetwork, Accessed September 2019, https://npidaho.enpnetwork.com/
- St Luke’s Boise Medical Center, St Luke’s, Accessed September 2019, https://www.stlukesonline.org/communities-and-locations/facilities/hospitals-and-medical-centers/st-lukes-boise-medical-center
- The Idaho Nursing Workforce 2018 report, The Idaho Nursing Workforce Center, Accessed September 2019, https://s3.amazonaws.com/nursing-network/production/files/32341/original/The_Idaho_Nursing_Workforce_2018_report.pdf?1541307222