To become a nurse in NYC, you’ll first need to choose the right nursing program and check your eligibility. Then, earn your BSN, pass the NCLEX and obtain your nursing license in NY. The NYC area offers great opportunities for nurses, with plenty of world-class healthcare facilities.
The “City That Never Sleeps” is an exciting place to live and work, with countless options for recreation, entertainment and professional development. New York City has countless job opportunities for registered nurses, especially those with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or higher.
Yet, nursing schools located right in the city can be highly competitive. Plus, it can be pricey to live in the city as a nursing student. If you still have your heart set on becoming a nurse in NYC, there’s another option available to you.
Many working professionals live outside the city and commute daily for work. Similarly, you might consider applying to earn a BSN degree near NYC and then heading into the city for your first nursing job after graduation. Through Felician University’s Hybrid Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 college credits can earn a BSN in as few as 16 months. Although located in New Jersey, Felician University is within driving distance of NYC and is a top choice for those who plan to work in the city after graduation.
When considering how to become a registered nurse in NY, you’ll first want to carefully weigh your nursing school options and verify your eligibility. Then, you’ll need to plan on taking the licensure exam in the same state where you plan to work, regardless of where you actually attend nursing school.
1. Choose a Nursing Program
Nursing schools nationwide are turning away thousands of qualified applicants every year due to a lack of sufficient nursing faculty and limited space. Not willing to wait, many applicants are applying to schools in other states.
Some students are even willing to move across the country for their education. If you’re sitting on a nursing school waitlist in New York City, however, you might not have to go very far to earn a BSN.
Finding the right nursing school for you is key to success in school as well as your career. A few of the top qualities to look for when choosing a program include:
- Accreditation and state approval
- BSN degree program instead of an associate degree
- Accelerated timeframe
- Well-rounded clinical and lab experiences
- Flexibility to choose between hybrid and in-person coursework
- Highly qualified faculty and instructors
Rest assured that Felician University’s ABSN program meets all these criteria, plus it’s located less than 30 miles from NYC in Parsippany, New Jersey. Our ABSN program can enroll a large number of students, thanks in part to our three start dates each year, which form three annual cohorts. In addition, our hybrid program offers an online learning component that expands the bandwidth of our faculty.
We also have an On-Ground ABSN program at our main campus in Rutherford, New Jersey, which is located about 15 miles from NYC. This program, however, has one start date per year in September, making applicant competition higher than the hybrid option.
No matter which option you choose, our ABSN programs near NYC can be a great way to launch your nursing career when registered nurse programs in NY are out of reach.
2. Verify Your Eligibility
Before you can work on how to become an RN in NY, you’ll need to verify your eligibility. To be eligible for our Hybrid or On-Ground ABSN programs, you need a confirmed bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or a minimum of 60 credits with a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all undergraduate coursework.
The best way to know if you qualify for our accelerated path to nursing is by speaking with one of our admissions counselors. They can explain the program and its specific requirements.
Your admissions counselor can also determine if you’ll need to complete any prerequisite courses. Prerequisites may be required to ensure you’ll start nursing school with the right academic foundation.
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3. Earn Your BSN
Hybrid ABSN students complete a rigorous blend of online coursework, hands-on skills and simulation labs at our ABSN site and clinical rotations inside area healthcare facilities, including Atlantic Health System and other leading healthcare providers.
Students in our On-Ground ABSN program complete the same rigorous, full-time curriculum, but they learn the fundamentals of the profession in the classroom and complete their nursing labs on campus. Clinical rotations take place at the same local healthcare facilities.
No matter which program option you choose, you’ll receive the same accredited education that prepares you to become a nurse in NYC.
4. Obtain Your Nursing License
Every nursing school graduate must pass the NCLEX to become an RN. You must take the NCLEX in the same state where you plan to work; however, you do not need to earn your nursing degree in that state.
New York state participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which establishes an education standard for institutions to allow distance education. Distance education refers to students who earn their degree outside of the state they will practice.
Felician University participates in SARA and, therefore, qualifies students who completed their degree program outside of New York to take the NCLEX and earn their license in New York. After you graduate from our ABSN program in New Jersey, you can register to take the NCLEX in New York.
At Felician, we focus on preparing our students for the exam throughout the curriculum, which is why our students achieve high NCLEX pass rates. In 2023, Felician students achieved a 93.75% first-time NCLEX pass rate.
To practice nursing in New York State, you must be licensed and registered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Here’s what you need to do:
- Graduate from a program accepted by the NYSED, such as Felician’s ABSN.
- Complete coursework on infection control and child abuse reporting.
- Pass the NCLEX.
- Apply for an RN license with NYSED.
After you qualify for an RN license, NYSED will issue you a license parchment and a registration certificate.
BSN in 10: Why Getting Your BSN Matters in NY
While you can apply for an RN license with an Associate Degree in Nursing, New York State passed a “BSN in 10” law in 2017 that requires newly licensed registered nurses to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing within 10 years of initial licensure. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to earn your bachelor’s degree in nursing right from the start so you won’t have to go back to school later.
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Job Outlook for NYC Nurses
Your decision to become a nurse in NYC is a good one because the Big Apple is rife with opportunity. In fact, there are 62 hospitals within the five boroughs, including 11 public hospitals. Some of the area’s best hospitals include New York-Presbyterian, NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. In addition, the area offers nursing opportunities within urgent care centers, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, home health agencies, schools and other environments.
The most current data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area as having the highest level of RN employment of any other metro in the nation, with an annual mean wage of $111,210.
The BLS also projects the number of registered nurse jobs in the United States to increase by 6% from 2023 to 2033. Currently, the state ranks fourth in the country for having some of the highest employment levels for this occupation, according to the BLS.
Ready to Make Your Mark?
If you’re ready to make your mark in nursing, our 16-month Hybrid ABSN program in Parsippany or On-Ground ABSN program in Rutherford can help you become a nurse in NYC. You’ll benefit from well-qualified nursing instructors, dedicated admissions counselors and leading clinical partners, not to mention the proximity to world-class healthcare facilities in the city. Contact the Felician University admissions team for more details.