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Let us help you land on your dream job here in Alaska! Read on this article to know more about the licensing process in Alaska, and more!
Through this article, you will be able to know the following:
Fees for the licensing
Licensing renewal process (step-by-step)
Requirements for Continuing Education in Nursing
Licensing and certification
Job and Salary Expectations of Nurses in Alaska
Popular hospitals in Alaska
Nursing associations in Alaska
Contact details
Fees for the Licensing
The table below shows the required payments for the licensing, whether you are a first-time nurse, applying by endorsement, or renewing your license. For more information, visit the Alaska licensing page.
*Fees may change without any notice.
Licensing Renewal Process
Check when your license expires by visiting the Alaska Board of Nursing website. Alaska has a Verification page for you to verify your license.
Complete all your continuing education requirements BEFORE your license expires.
Apply for your renewal process by going to the Alaska Board of Nursing. You may check on the Renewal Information page for more specific information.
Requirements for Continuing Education in Nursing
The following are the Continuing Education Requirements for nurses in Alaska.
For RN/LPN/APRN, you are required to have two of the following every two years:
30 contact hours;
320 hours documents nursing employment;
30 hours in professional activities or volunteer work
For APRN with respective authority, the amounts of 12 contact hours in advanced pharmacology and 12 contact hours in the clinical management of patients are required. These may be included as part of the 30 contact hours.
Moreover, for the renewal of a valid federal DEA registration number, you are required to render 2 hours in pain management and opioid use and addiction.
The Alaska Board of Nursing accepts courses that are ANCC accredited.
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Licensing and Certification
Step 1: Education
To earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), you must attend an accredited institution that offers ADN for 18-24 months. You can also take a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree in an accredited institution. These programs typically take 4 to 5 years to complete. If you have an ADN but you wanna pursue your bachelor’s, there are certain programs that let you earn your BSN in 12 to 18 months. There is also an RN to BSN program that will take one year for you to earn the degree. Said programs let you save on time and money as you work towards advancing your career.
Step 2: Licensing
Six weeks before your graduation, you can start the process of your application for the NCLEX-RN exam. This exam is composed of 75-265 items and you will be given a limit of 5 hours to finish all of it. Failing the exam does not necessarily mean that you do not have the chance anymore. After your first try, you just have to wait for 45 days and you can apply again.
The scope of NCLEX includes questions about: (1) health promotion and maintenance; (2) safe and effective care environment; (3) physiology and integrity; and (4) psychology and integrity.
Step 3: Experience
This time, you must learn how to take the opportunities in gaining first-hand experiences in dealing with patients, with colleagues and superiors, and with the different situations that you might face. These invaluable experiences will make you more attractive to bigger employers in the future.
Step 4: Certification
Your last step is to obtain certifications for your chosen career. There are different requirements for earning a certification, depending on your preferences so it is important to check with the governing provider for information. You can attend several trainings, seminars or workshops in varied institutions for this purpose.
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Job and Salary Expectations of Nurses in Alaska
Shortage of healthcare professionals, specifically nurses, has been a perennial issue in the country. This makes nurses highly in demand during this period of time. This profession will increase by about 9% from 2020 to 2030. The average annual salary is currently $97,230.
Let us help you check out average wages of nurses to help determine if Idaho is the right place for you.
Popular Hospitals in Alaska
Still not decided on whether to work as a nurse in Alaska or not? This list of the best hospitals in the state will surely help you make that decision to go in the right direction. U.S. News and World Report made a list of the best and popular hospitals in Alaska. Here are some of them:
Providence Alaska Medical Center – (Anchorage, AK):
#1 in Alaska
Nationally ranked in 1 adult specialty
Rated high performing in 4 adult specialties and 6 procedures and conditions
A general medical and surgical facility
A member of the Magnet Recognition Program®
The state’s largest hospital
Specialties include Trauma center, Heart failure, Heart attack, Kidney failure, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Alaska Native Medical Center – (Anchorage, AK)
Rated high performing in 3 adult procedures and conditions
A general medical and surgical facility
A member of the Magnet Recognition Program®
Specialties include Heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Pneumonia
Alaska Regional Hospital – (Anchorage, AK):
Rated high performing in 1 adult procedure or condition
A general medical and surgical facility
Specialties include Heart attack, Colon cancer surgery, Kidney failure, and Procedures and conditions related to orthopedics
Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation - (Dillingham, AK):
Rated high performing in 1 adult procedure or condition
A general medical and surgical facility
Specialties include Pneumonia, and Cardiology and Heart Surgery
Central Peninsula Hospital - (Soldotna, AK):
✔rated high performing in 1 adult procedure or condition
✔a general medical and surgical facility
✔The hospital specializes in Pneumonia, Orthopedics, Nephrology, and Cardiology and Heart Surgery
*The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awards Magnet Status to Hospitals that apply and meet certain criteria. This award is also considered as the “gold standard” for excellence in nursing practice and care.
Nursing Associations in Alaska
Becoming a member of a nursing association opens a lot of opportunities to your career growth. It gives you the advantages of varied job offers and networking, and a bunch of information and experiences shared between you and your fellow nurses. Through these organizations, learning and professional growth never stop. Listed below are just a few of the nursing organizations that you can find and join once you are in Alaska.
Alaska Nurses Association: “One of its advocacies is to advance and support the nursing profession in Alaska.”
American Association of Nurse Practitioners: “This institution has been working on strengthening all Nurse Practitioners to advance accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care for varied communities through practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership.”
Alaska School Nurses Association: “This organization is dedicated to optimizing student health and academic success by providing help to professional nursing schools in Alaska. It also promotes students’ health and safety while learning.
You may also visit the comprehensive list of national organizations.
Contact Details
Alaska Board of Nursing
Office Assistant
Shirley DeBose
shirley.debose@alaska.gov
Phone: (907) 269-8161
Fax: (907) 269-8156
Robert B. Atwood Building
550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1500
Anchorage, AK 99501-3567