How to Get a Nursing License in New Mexico

New Mexico, also known as the ‘Land of Enchantment’ offers some great career opportunities for Nurses. According to the income stats shared by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses working in New Mexico earned a lucrative yearly mean income of $73,300 in 2019. If you want to enter this challenging profession, then here’s all you need to know about how to become a Nurse in New Mexico.o.

Are you interested in improving patient care? If yes, then becoming a Nurse would be a great idea.

To establish a career in Nursing, one has to meet a specific education and skillset criteria. Go through the table below to understand these requirements better. This information has been taken from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Forecasted data by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the employment prospects in the nursing profession will increase by 12% through 2028.

Read the guidelines mentioned below to learn how to become a Nurse in New Mexico.

1. 1. Select a Nursing Program

Deciding which Nursing school to attend can be a difficult decision. It is recommended that you consider several factors while shortlisting Nursing schools and programs. You should try to look at educational institutions that support students to get licensure. The best Nursing schools normally have a high NCLEX-RN pass rate – you should aim to get into such schools. Please note that most Nursing programs usually have pre-requisite coursework requirements which you will have to meet before being able to enroll in the program.

2. 2. Complete a Board-Approved Nursing Program

Since most employers prefer BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) graduates, therefore you should also pursue a 4-year long BSN program. To complete this degree, you will have to study many topics, such as Physiology of Humans, General Microbiology, Human Pathophysiology Foundation for Nursing, Assessment and Health Promotion, Nursing Pharmacology, Care of Patients with Chronic Conditions, and Health & Illness Concepts.

3. 3. Meet Board Requirements

Nurses are required to be licensed by the New Mexico Board of Nursing; therefore you will also have to obtain a license. To do so, you will have to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Moreover, you will also have to pass a thorough background check. If you are successful in clearing these stages, the State Board will give you the license.

The process of becoming a Registered Nurse in the ‘Land of Enchantment’ can be quite overwhelming and lengthy. Individuals are expected to complete a board-approved nursing program and then are required to pass the licensing exam (NCLEX). After passing these stages and clearing the background investigation stage, candidates are allowed to work in the Nursing field.

The licensure requirements are mentioned below.

The candidate must:

BLS has reported that Registered Nurses working in New Mexico made a yearly mean income of $73,300 in 2019. This figure is pretty close to that year’s national average of $77,460.