Being a Registered Nurse (RN) is a great career for the right person. It is challenging and exciting, and it is rewarding as well. Registered Nurses are the backbone of health care because they take care of most patients in the United States.
They administer medication, help patients in emergency situations, and deliver babies. More RNs will be needed in the future since the population of the U.S. is aging, so now is a good time to go into nursing school.
There are two paths that students can choose to take to train and begin a career as an RN. They may either complete a two-year Associate Degree program or a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Both of these educational routes qualify graduates to take the national exam that is necessary for licensure.
RN Licensure in Washington
Graduates of accredited RN programs in Washington must apply for their license. When they have passed the NCLEX-RN, their license will be issued.
Washington RN Registry
Washington State Department of Health
Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
310 Israel Rd. SE, P.O. Box 47864
Olympia, Washington 98504-7864
RN Jobs and Salary in Washington
Registered Nurses work in many different industries in Washington including hospitals, schools and in education settings. Here are a few of the available RN positions that are currently available in the state:
Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Seattle
Deaconess Medical Center, Spokane
Puget Sound Blood Center, Olympia
Valley Medical Center, Renton
Lincoln Avenue Medical-Dental Center, Yakima
Stevens Hospital, Edmonds
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Yakima
Yakima Medical-Dental Clinic, Yakima
Registered Nurses in Washington earn an average annual salary of $73,270.
RN Programs in Washington
Each of the RN programs in Washington has their own requirements for admission to their programs. Some community colleges accept high school graduates or those who have earned their GED without any other requirements. They then work with the student to take pre-nursing courses at their university or college. When the student has completed these and maintained a Grade Point Average of around 2.5, then it is possible to apply to the RN program. Beginning at the college does not guarantee acceptance into the RN program. Applicants should plan to submit their application around one year in advance.
The following list shows some of the RN programs that lead to an Associate’s Degree:
Bellevue Community College
Department of Nursing
Main Campus, Rm. R140-A
3000 Landerholm Circle SE
Bellevue, WA 98007-6484
Bellingham Technical College
Department of Nursing
3028 Lindburgh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225-1559
Big Bend Community College
Nursing Department
7662 Chanute Street
Moses Lake, WA 98837
Centralia Community College
Department of Nursing
600 West Locust
Centralia, WA 98531
Clark College
Department of Nursing
1800 E. McLoughlin Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98663
Clover Park Technical College
Nursing Department
4500 Steilacoom Blvd. SW
Lakewood, WA 98499-4098
Columbia Basin College
Department of Nursing
2600 N. 20th Avenue
Pasco, WA 99301
Everett Community College
Nursing Department
2000 Tower Street
Everett, WA 98201-1327
Grays Harbor Community College
Department of Nursing
1620 Edward P. Smith Drive
Aberdeen, WA 98520
Highline Community College
Department of Nursing
P.O. Box 98000
Des Moines, WA 98198-9800
Lake Washington Technical College
Nursing Program
11605 132nd Avenue NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
Lower Columbia College
School of Nursing
1600 Maple Street
Longview, WA 98632
North Seattle Community College
Nursing Program
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
Olympic College
Department of Nursing
1600 Chester Avenue
Bremerton, WA 98377-1699
Peninsula College
Department of Nursing
1502 East Lauridsen Blvd.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Pierce College-Puyallup
Nursing Program
1601 39th Avenue SE
Puyallup, WA 98374-2222
Renton Technical College
Department of Nursing
3000 NE 4th Street
Renton, WA 98056
Seattle Central Community College
Nursing Program
1701 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122
Shoreline Community College
Department of Nursing
16101 Greenwood Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98133
Skagit Valley College-Mt Vernon
Department of Nursing
2405 E. College Way
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
South Puget Sound Community College
Department of Nursing
2011 Mottman Rd. SE
Olympia, WA 98512
South Seattle Community College
Department of Nursing
6000 16th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98106
Spokane Community College
Department of Nursing
1810 N. Greene St. MS 2090
Spokane, WA 99217
Tacoma Community College
Nursing Program
6501 S. 19th St.
Tacoma, WA 98466
Walla Walla Community College
Department of Nursing
500 Tausick Way
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Wenatchee Valley College
Department of Nursing
1300 5th Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Whatcom Community College
Department of Nursing
237 West Kellogg Road
Bellingham, WA 98237
Yakima Valley Community College
Department of Nursing
N. 16th & Nob Hill Blvd.
Yakima, WA 98907-2520
The following list is of RN programs in Washington leading to a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree. Most of these Registered Nursing programs require that applicants have completed college preparatory classes in high school and that they have a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0. They almost all require either the ACT or SAT exam with satisfactory scores of at least 20 for the ACT or 1,000 for the SAT. Some RN programs at the Bachelor’s Degree level are very selective and only take about 30 applicants from hundreds that apply. Other programs are much more lenient. For this reason, it is best to contact the admissions counselors at the college or university to discuss your academic background with them.
Gonzaga University
Department of Nursing
502 E. Boone Avenue
Spokane, WA 99258-0038
Northwest University
Buntain School of Nursing
5520 108th Avenue, NE
Kirkland, WA 98033
Pacific Lutheran University
School of Nursing-Ramstad 214
Tacoma, WA 98447
Seattle Pacific University
Lydia Green Nursing Program
3307 3rd Avenue West
Seattle,, WA 98119
Seattle University
College of Nursing
901-12 Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-1090
Walla Walla University
School of Nursing
10345 SE Market St.
Portland, OR 97216
Washington State University
Intercollegiate College of Nursing
2917 W. Ft. George Wright Dr.
Spokane, WA 99204
University of Washington
School of Nursing
Box 357260
Seattle, WA 98195
For reviews and a full list of RN programs in the state, please visit Nursing Schools in Washington.
