Compact States for Career Advancement
By Tyler Faust, M.S.N., R.N., PHN, Contributor
Traveling across the country to different compact states will afford you a variety of nursing opportunities. It will also allow you to diversify your nursing skill set and set yourself apart for other nurses. Working in different nursing compact states can be a great way to advance your career in a short amount of time. After all, how else can you easily get experience in multiple different nursing specialties and settings?
LEARN MORE about these states and the others in the compact!
Top 5 Compact States For Nursing
1. Texas. They say that everything is bigger in Texas. That would have to include career advancement opportunities as well. Texas is one of the original 25 nursing compact states for nursing and ranks as one of the top states for nursing according to WalletHub. The state also has multiple large cities that contain many top-of-the-line healthcare facilities to work at, including Houston Methodist Hospital, which is ranked nationally in eight different adult specialties.
2. Wisconsin. Ranked number one overall as the best state for nurses, Wisconsin is one of the nursing compact states that will be sure to meet all your career needs. Ranked high in opportunity and competition, Wisconsin holds lots of opportunities for career advancement with the best-ranked work environment of any compact state.
Amongst nursing compact states Wisconsin enjoys the benefit of having the third best place to live in the country (Madison), according to Livability.com. Additionally, Epic, one of the world's largest medical software companies, is based out of Wisconsin, providing more opportunities.
3. Iowa. Those who are not from the midwest might be surprised that Iowa ranks as third best of the nursing compact states. Scoring high in opportunity, competition, and work environment, this compact state will have plenty of career opportunities for you to explore.
Iowa is consistently ranked amongst the most livable states to reside. This nursing compact state boasts minimal commute times, a low cost of living, and a world-famous state fair. They are also right across the border from the world-renowned Mayo Clinic.
4. New Mexico. New Mexico is ranked number two of the nursing compact states that received the highest ranking for opportunity and competition. There is a lot of freedom to gain valuable experience to bolster your resume by working in this nursing compact state.
Get out of the cold weather and head to this compact state. New Mexico is recognized as an affordable city to live in, a top-ranked place to live, and a great place to retire. This state also has unique architecture and a beautiful landscape.
5. Florida. If you are looking for a challenging environment to develop your skills in, Florida stands out amongst compact states for nursing. Florida ranks second in average annual job openings only to California and has a high need for staff and travel nurses due to an increase in travelers in the winter months. Thus there are many opportunities for nurses who travel to this compact state.
Feeling stuck in your current work situation? Your RN skills are highly valuable and are needed in multiple places across the country. Advance your career through great opportunities in nursing compact states.