Like many states, Nebraska has seen a nursing shortage. Several nursing schools are providing training opportunities, whether through distance learning or traditional programs.

Examples of Nebraska nursing schools online and on-campus

Creighton University has campuses in Omaha and Hastings. The Hastings program is located adjacent to the Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, a non-profit acute care facility offering numerous medical specialties and a range of hospital services. Creighton offers several nursing degrees:

• BSN: four- and five-year options, including ROTC paths
• Accelerated BSN
• RN-to-BSN: online option
• Master's in Nursing
• Doctor of Nursing Practice

Union College has a Christian mission statement. Its Frontier Nursing program sends students and faculty to Central America each year to provide medical services to those in need. Students can earn undergraduate and graduate degrees, including LPN-to-RN and RN-to-BSN programs.

One of several online nursing schools in Nebraska, the University of Phoenix also enrolls students in courses that require clinical work. Interested students should be able to make arrangements for clinical experience locally. The University of Phoenix has various levels of degrees, including an RN-to-BSN program and Master of Science in Nursing options.

In 2011, Kiplinger magazine included Omaha in its list of 10 great cities for college grads. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses in Nebraska earned a mean annual salary of $56,480 in 2010, compared to the mean wage of $38,300 for all occupations in the state. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the state had a mean yearly salary of $36,520 as of May 2010. The livability of the area combined with the educational opportunities bode well for Nebraska's nursing profession.