sundevil

I believe Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ is the only school in Arizona that has a CRNA program. I think it is fairly new as well, so I can't say anything about the quality of the program. It is a private university-- tuition is around 23,000/yr.

ASU is now offering an accelerated BSN through ASU East. It has all the same pre-reqs as the generic BSN, but it is in a compacted format. They are going to be accepting students for this program every January.

Benson is a VERY small, rural town. It's only about a 30min drive from Tucson, which is nice. That area of Arizona is very beautiful (relatively speaking of course!). I did not go to UofA but, as I understand it, their nursing program is great. If you are not yet a nurse but have a bachelor's degree, they have a new accelerated program that will get you your BSN in a mere 14 months. Your tuition would be paid for in exchange for working for University hospital for 2 years after grad. Hope that helps somewhat...

Tiffany, I'm not sure where in Arizona you live or if you're aware of this already, but UofA has a program specifically designed for second-degree students. It's accelerated (14 months ?) and has a decreased amount of pre-requisites. The highlight of the program, of course, is that your tuition is paid for via a partner hospital. In exchange you have to work for 2 years for that hospital after you graduate (I think). NAU has a program similar to this. Many hospitals in the Phoenix area have tuition reimbursement programs where they'll either pay your tuition in advance in exchange for future work or give you money to repay your nursing loans (while you are employed). Hope this info helps and good luck!

Rocknurse- I just heard a few weeks ago that Tempe won the bid for a new Ikea store. It won't be open for another year or so, but we're getting one at last! Yippiee!!! If you check out Southwest Airlines regularly you can find really great deals to fly to the east coast (and sometimes AmericaWest too). I am flying to Buffalo in a few weeks-- $99 each way (so around $215 RT with taxes) and non-stop. The flight is only around 4 hours with no layovers.

Arizona is a very unique, one-of-a-kind place. If you can endure the horribly hot summers, then it proves to be a great place to live. I cannot comment on nurse pay or good hospitals to work at since I am only a student, but from what I've heard Scottsdale Healthcare and the Banner hospitals are good. The economy here in Phoenix is great-- why do you think Californians are flocking to Arizona in droves? Unlike much of the country (particularly the east coast), the job market has been virtually unaffected by the recession and depressed stock market. The cost of living is VERY reasonable. Heck, I just bought a house this year and I am only 24! There is plenty to do in Phoenix. It's kind of like a smaller version of LA-- minus the ocean of course! As Emperess said, mountain-biking and golf are probably the biggest outdoor sports here, along with hiking. Since the Phoenix area has been growing so fast, mostly everything is new. Lots and lots of shopping! Scottsdale, Ahwatukee and Chandler are great places to live. Studios/1bedrooms run from $500 and up-- depending on how nice you want! A lot of the apartment communities are really nice and have lots of ammenities like pools, spas, aerobics centers, computer/internet access, tennis, golf, etc. Oh, and I would most definitely recommend that you have a car. You want to stay away from the bus system if possible! Hope this helps and good luck!