Becoming an RN in New York
You can become a registered nurse in New York by completing an approved nursing education program and also completing a short training in child abuse identification and reporting.
There are many baccalaureate and associate’s programs throughout the state that prepare a candidate to take the NCLEX-RN exam and earn nursing licensure in New York. In addition, there is one RN diploma program, at Arnot-Ogden Medical Center in the Genesee Valley region. Programs at any of these levels can qualify you to work in clinical settings under the scope of practice outlined by the New York State Board of Nursing. There is not a separate licensing exam to distinguish all the different degree levels. A BSN degree, however, is preferred by the military and by many elite hospitals. It can help you advance to management or education positions later on in your career.
There are more baccalaureate programs in the New York City area than in the more rural upstate regions. More than 50% of the nurses in New York City have a BSN.
Education Pathways for Registered Nursing
Second career professionals can enter the nursing field relatively quickly. An accelerated bachelors of science in nursing may be earned in as little as twelve months of intensive study. This assumes that all prerequisites have been completed. Prerequisites typically include anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, so science majors are often in a very good position. A second degree professional in New York may also choose to enroll in an accelerated master’s program, earning status as a registered nurse after one year, and advanced practice certification in another two years.
Practical nurses can also enroll in shorter clinical programs. Since programs build on past experience and learning, they can be completed in as little as year.
Registered Nursing Career Outlook in New York
A 2010 report by the Health Care Association of New York State was titled “Short-term Relief, Ongoing Shortage”. The report noted that a substantial percentage of hospitals had frozen wages or even eliminated some positions. Moreover, some experienced nurses were choosing to return to the workforce. Turnover rates were down, and many graduates were having a hard time landing that first position. However, even in this challenging economic environment, more than half of hospitals (54%) still reported recruitment difficulties.
Of more concern to health care organizations is the potential shortfall down the line. An analysis of RN demographics leads to an inevitable conclusion: Many will be retiring in the near future. At the same time, the general population is also aging. The report expressed concern that if students were deterred from entering nursing school, either because it was a financial hardship or because they thought there were no jobs, there could be a nursing crisis in the works. The Health Care Association’s to the powers-that-be in New York was to continue encouraging nursing school enrollments. A message to individual students: Do not give up on your dreams of becoming a nurse.
National organizations have stated that while it is more difficult to find a job in a recession –even for a nurse — nurses are having an easier time than people in many other professions. The AACN notes that during the economic downturn, many magnet hospitals, and some other facilities have given preference to new graduates with BSN degrees. North Shore Long Island Jewish Health system is among the hospitals that the AACN specifically references.
The Nursing Program Application Process
The 2010 workforce report also noted that, in the very recent past, more than 2,000 applicants had been turned away due to a lack of qualified faculty to teach them.
There are some schools that admit qualified students on a first come, first serve basis. In order to gain admission, though, candidates must often go beyond the stated requirements. At the ADN level this frequently come down to academic performance.
Requirements are often higher in university-based programs. Accelerated second bachelor’s programs are known for being competitive as well as rigorous. Some programs, like the one at the State University of New York, have added an interview to the process to make sure that they have students who are up for an intense clinical experience.
ADN Programs Approved by the New York State Board of Nursing
| Broome Community College Upper Front Street P.O. Box 1017 Binghamton, NY 13902 607.778.5060 | Onondaga Community College Onondaga Hill Syracuse, NY 13215 315.469.7741, ext. 2360 | Crouse Hospital School of Nursing 736 Irving Avenue Syracuse, NY 13210 315.470.7481 | St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center School of Nursing 206 Prospect Avenue Syracuse, NY 13203 315.448.5046 |
| Cayuga County Community College Franklin Street Auburn, NY 13021 315.255.1743, ext. 351 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Main Street Delhi, NY 13753 607.746.4125 | SUNY College of Technology at Morrisville Bailey Annex Morrisville, NY 13408 315.684.6000 | Tompkins-Cortland Community College 170 North Street P.O. Box 139 Dryden, NY 13053 607.844.8211, ext. 4333 |
| Finger Lakes Community College 4355 Lake Shore Drive Canandaigua, NY 14424 716.394.3500, ext. 278 | Corning Community College 1 Academic Drive Corning, NY 14830-3297 607.962.9241 | Genesee Community College 1 College Road Batavia, NY 14020 585.343.0055, ext. 6355 | Monroe Community College 1000 E. Henrietta Road Rochester, NY 14623 585.292.4260 |
| Nassau Community College 1 Education Drive, Rm. V210 Garden City, NY 11530 516.572.9630 | SUNY at Farmingdale | Suffolk County Community College – Western Campus Crooked Hill Road Brentwood, NY 11717 631.451.4265 | Suffolk County Community College 533 College Road Selden, NY 11784-2899 631.451.4265 |
| Phillips Beth Israel 310 East 22nd Street New York, NY 10010 212.614.6107 | St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center of New York – Staten Island 75 Vanderbilt Ave., 5th Fl. Staten Island, NY 10304 718.354-6470 | St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center of New York – Brooklyn & Queens 175-05 Horace Harding Expressway Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 718.357.0500 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College 199 Chambers St., So. 785 New York, NY 10019 212.346.8700 |
| Bronx Community College University Avenue & W. 181st St. Bronx, NY 10453 718.289.5425 | Hostos Community College 475 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10451 718.518.4121 | Kingsborough Community College 2001 Oriental Boulevard Manhattan Beach Brooklyn, NY 11235 718.368.5522 | LaGuardia Community College 31-10 Thomson Ave., E-300 Long Island City, NY 11101 718.482.5774 |
| Medgar Evers College 1150 Carroll Street Brooklyn, NY 11225 718.270.6222 | New York City Technical College 300 Jay Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 718.260.5660 | Queensborough Community College 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY 11364 718.631.6205 | The College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 718.982.3810 |
| Helene Fuld College of Nursing of North General Hospital 24 East 120th Street New York, NY 10035 212.616.7200 | Long Island College Hospital School of Nursing 339 Hicks Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 718.780.1560 | Touro College 5323 18th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11204 718.236.2661 | Cochran School of Nursing (St. John’s Riverside Hospital) 967 North Broadway Yonkers, NY 10701 914.964.4283 |
| Dutchess Community College 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1595 845.431.8570 | The Dorothea Hopfer School of Nursing – Mount Vernon Hospital 53 Valentine Street Mount Vernon, NY 10550 845.664.8000 | Orange County Community College 115 South Street Middletown, NY 10940 845.341.4108 | Rockland Community College 145 College Road Suffern, NY 10901 845.574.4222 |
| Sullivan County Community College 122 College Road, P.O. Box 4002 Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759 845.434.5750 | Ulster County Community College Stone Ridge, NY 12484 1.800.724.0833 | Westchester Community College 75 Grasslands Road Valhalla, NY 10595 914.785.7909 | Adirondack Community College Bay Road Queensbury, NY 12804 518.743.2265 |
| Clinton Community College 136 Clinton Point Drive Plattsburgh, NY 12901-6002 518.562.4165 | Columbia-Greene Community College Box 4400, Rt. 23 Hudson, NY 12534-0327 518.828.4181 | Ellis Hospital 1101 Nott Street Schenectady, NY 12308 518.243.4471 | Excelsior College 7 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-5159 518.464.8500 |
| Fulton-Montgomery Community College 2805 State Hwy. 67 Johnstown, NY 12095-3790 518.762.4651 | Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vandenburg Avenue Troy, NY 12180 518.629.7469 | Maria College 700 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 518.489.7436 | Memorial Hospital School of Nursing 600 Northern Boulevard Albany, NY 12204 518.471.3260 |
| Mohawk Valley Community College 1101 Sherman Drive Utica, NY 13501 315.792.5375 | North Country Community College 20 Winona Avenue Saranac Lake, NY 12983 518.891.2915 | St. Elizabeth College of Nursing 2215 Genesee Street Utica, NY 13501 315.798.8125 | Samaritan Hospital 2215 Burdett Avenue Troy, NY 12180 518.271.3285 |
| Erie Community College-North Campus 6205 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221-7095 716.851.1357 | Erie Community College, City Campus 121 Ellicott Street Buffalo, NY 14203 716.851.1066 | Jamestown Community College 525 Falconer Street Jamestown, NY 14702-0020 716.665.5220 | Niagara County Community College Nursing Education 3111 Saunders Settlement Rd. Sanborn, NY 14132 716.614.5940 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Allied Health Bldg., 3rd Fl., Alfred, NY 14802 607.587.3695 | Trocaire College 360 Choate Avenue Buffalo, NY 14220 716.826.1200, ext. 262 | Jefferson Community College Outer Coffeen Street Watertown, NY 13601 315.786.2200 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton Cornell Drive Canton, NY 13617 315.386.7401 |
BSN Programs Approved by the New York State Board of Nursing
Binghamton University – SUNY Decker School of Nursing
Located in Binghamton, NY, the Binghamton University – SUNY Decker School of Nursing undergraduate and graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Programs Offered: BSN, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, RN to BSN, MSN – (Tracks: Nurse Educator, Nurse Administrator, Nurse Practitioner – Community Health Nursing, Family Nursing, Gerontological Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Programs , Clinical Nurse Specialist – Same specialization options as the NP), Post-Master’s Certificate, PhD
College of Mount Saint Vincent Department of Nursing
The Baccalaureate nursing programs and the Master’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Programs Offered: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Second Degree Nursing, RN to MSN for RNs with a non-nursing BA or BS, MSN – (Concentrations: Nurse Administrator, Nursing Educator, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner), Post-Master’s Certificate – (Concentrations: Nursing Education, Family Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner)
College of Mount Saint Vincent Department of Nursing, 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10471-1093
Columbia University School of Nursing – New York
All Nursing programs offered at the Columbia University School of Nursing are accredited by the Collegiate Commission of Nursing Education (CCNE) and the New York State Education Department.
Programs Offered: BSN, Accelerated BS/MS, MSN – (Specializations: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthesia, Nurse Midwifery, Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner), University Statutory Certificate for Nurses with an NP and a Master’s who want additional specialization, MS Completion, MSN/MBA, MSN/MPH, DNP, PhD
D’Youville College – Buffalo
All Nursing programs offered by D’Youville College are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and registered by the New York State Education Department.
Programs Offered: BSN, BSN/MS, RN to BSN, RN to BSN/MS, MSN, MS – Family Nurse Practitioner, MS – Community Health, Post-Master’s Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner, Post-Graduate Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner & Nursing and Health Related Professions
D’Youville College, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201-1084
New York University College of Nursing
The Baccalaureate nursing programs and the Master’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The baccalaureate nursing programs are also NLNAC accredited.
Programs Offered: BS, Accelerated BS, RN to BS, Dual BS/MS, Post-Master’s and MSN – (Advanced Practice Nursing Tracks: Adult Acute Care, Adult Primary Care, Adult Primary Care/Geriatrics, Adult Nurse Practitioner/Holistic Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner/Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Geriatrics, Mental Health, Midwifery, Pediatrics), (Non-Clinical MS Tracks: M.S. – Nursing Administration, M.S. – Nursing Education, M.S. – Nursing Informatics, Dual M.P.A./M.S. – Nursing Administration/Management), PhD
New York University College of Nursing, 246 Greene Street, New York, NY 10003
University at Buffalo School of Nursing
The Baccalaureate nursing programs and the Master’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Programs Offered: Bachelor of Science in Nursing – BS, Second Degree Accelerated BS, MS – (MSN Tracks: Adult/Medical-Surgical CNS, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Maternal and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Anesthetist), Post-Master’s Certificates – (Tracks: Adult Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Maternal and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner), Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
University at Buffalo School of Nursing, 1040 Kimball Tower, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214-3079
University of Rochester School of Nursing
The Baccalaureate nursing programs and the Master’s nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
Programs Offered: Part-Time BSN, Accelerated BSN (for Second Degree Students), Part-Time MSN, Accelerated MSN (for Second Degree students), RN to MSN, MSN – (Tracks: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Adult Nurse Practitioner/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Care of Children and Families (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner), Care of Children and Families (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with Pediatric Behavioral Health Specialization), Care of Children and Families (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner/Neonatal Nurse Practitioner), Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Adult/Family), PhD, DNP
University of Rochester School of Nursing, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box SON, Rochester, NY 14642
| Hartwick College Miller Science Building, Rm. 421 Oneonta, NY 13820 607.431.4780 | SUNY Delhi Main Street Delhi, NY 13753 607.746.4125 | Le Moyne College 1419 Salt Springs Road Syracuse, NY 13214 315.445.4602 | SUNY Morrisville State College Bailey Annex Morrisville, NY 13408 315.684.6695 |
| SUNY Binghamton P.O. Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902-6000 607.777.2311 | Syracuse University 426 Ostrom Avenue Syracuse, NY 13210 315.443.2141 | Utica College 1600 Burrstone Road Utica, NY 13502 315.792.3006 | SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome P.O. Box 3050 Utica, NY 13504 315.792.7295 |
| Elmira College Park Place Elmira, NY 14901 607.735.1800 | Keuka College Nursing Division One Keuka Business Park Penn Yan, NY 14527 315.536.4411 | SUNY College at Brockport 350 New Campus Drive Brockport, NY 14420 585.395.2355 | New York Institute of Technology – Old Westbury Campus P.O. Box 170 Old Westbury, NY 11568 516.686.3788 |
| Herbert H. Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Boulevard Bronx, NY 10468 718.960.8213 | Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing 425 East 25th Street New York, NY 10010 212.481.7598 | Medgar Evers College 1150 Carroll Street Brooklyn, NY 11225 718.270.6221 | The College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 718.982.3810 |
| New York Institute of Technology Manhattan Campus 1855 Broadway @ 61st Street New York, NY 10023-7692 212.261.1700 | New York University 246 Greene Street, 8th Fl. New York, NY 10003 212.998.5303 | Wagner College One Campus Road Campus Hall Staten Island, NY 10301 718.390.3436 | College of New Rochelle 29 Castle Place New Rochelle, NY 10805 914.654.5440 |
| Mount Saint Mary College 330 Powell Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550 845.569.3248 | SUNY College at Plattsburgh 101 Broad Street Plattsburgh, NY 12901-2681 518.564.4240 | Nazareth College 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 PH: 585-389-2525 | Niagara University P.O. Box 2026 Niagara University, NY 14109 716.286.8155 |