ADN Programs in Alaska

What is an ADN and why do I want one?
ADN stands for an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. With an ADN (the nursing schools physically located in Alaska refer to such a degree as an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing) from a school accredited either directly by the Alaska Nursing Board or by the National League for Nursing, a candidate is eligible to apply for a nursing license in Alaska as well as to take the national licensing exam for Registered Nurses.

Why build a career in nursing in Alaska?

Alaska is a majestically beautiful state, with sights and scenery that cannot be found anywhere else. While the interior of Alaska does get quite cold, most people aren’t aware that there are parts of Alaska, especially along the coastline and in the southeast part of the state, that are much less extreme than the weather in the interior. Living in Alaska is a unique experience; Alaskans tend to be independent and engaging. In addition, nurses are in chronically short supply in the state, which means that the chances of obtaining a job are excellent. Salaries for nurses in Alaska are some of the highest in the United States, high enough to more than offset the higher cost of living in Alaska. The annual mean wage in Alaska is just under $75,000, while the hourly mean wage is just a few cents over $36.00. Traveling nurses, who travel a circuit between some of the small towns in Alaska in areas where there otherwise would be little or no healthcare at all, are especially needed. Such nurses can make up to 20 % more than a nurse at a clinic or hospital in the cities in the state. Alaska also has one of the strongest, most influential, nursing associations in the fifty states. The Alaska Nursing Association lobbies for laws that help nurses in general, works to benefit nurses in all ways possible, and runs an online career posting site that helps nurse members find jobs.

How can I find an approved ADN program if I live in Alaska?

Finding an approved Associates’s Degree Nursing program in Alaska can be challenging; most people in the lower 48 fail to realize the vast distances in the state. For example, Anchorage and Juneau are about 837 miles apart, while Anchorage and Fairbanks are a little less than 360 miles apart. The distances involved mean that a nursing student either must live in a city where a nursing school exists, or consider attending nursing school through an online college or university. Fortunately, the Alaska legislature took that difficulty into account; the Alaska nursing license statute has a provision that allows a student in Alaska who is not within reach of a school accredited by the Alaska Nursing Board to still be licensed as a registered nurse and take the RN examination if he or she obtains an ADN from an online school, as long as the online school possesses the National League for Nursing accreditation.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Training Schools: 2 Year Nursing Programs in Alaska

University of Alaska School of Nursing
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508-8030
Telephone: (907) 786-4550

The University of Alaska School of Nursing offers a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree that qualifies its graduates to take the NCLEX and become licensed as registered nurses in Alaska. The UAA School of Nursing is the only nursing school approved by the Alaska Nursing Board. It offers distance learning classes for Associate of Applied Science students at 13 cities across Alaska: Bethel, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Mat-Su, Nome, Sitka, and Valdez/Cordova.