The Nursing Student's Guide to Albuquerque Education and Careers
...for students of nursing, registered nursing (RN), midwifery, hospice, and other health care fields
by C.J. Gustafson
Nursing Schools.com Contributing Writer
July 18th, 2005
When Albuquerque, New Mexico was founded in 1706, the town consisted of 18 families and agriculture was the main economic influence. Farming and ranching continued to drive the Albuquerque economy throughout the mid 1850s as sheep-raising became an important industry for the town. Albuquerque continued to grow slowly but steadily, and there were about 5,000 residents when the railroad arrived in 1880. The railroad brought a boom to the town's economy and a focus on transportation as an economic contributor. New residents were drawn to the area by the dry, sunny climate and the city was incorporated in 1891.
An Ideal Health Care Climate
Albuquerque's climate became known as beneficial for those with health problems, especially people suffering from tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. At the beginning of the 1900s, people from across the country began moving to Albuquerque for "health reasons" and eventually over a dozen sanitariums were created to offer medical care and services. It is estimated that at one point, a third of the city's population consisted of people with respiratory diseases and those who cared for them.
With the discovery of a treatment for tuberculosis, many of these sanitariums disappeared, but Southwest Presbyterian Sanitarium and St. Joseph Sanitarium survived to become Presbyterian Healthcare Services and St. Joseph Healthcare. St. Joseph was eventually purchased by Ardent Healthcare, and the name was changed to Sandi Healthcare.
A Wealth of Medical Facilities
Today, Albuquerque has more than 550,000 residents in the metro area alone and is home to nine general hospitals with nearly 3,000 beds. There are also a large number of public and private clinics, urgent care centers, convalescent centers, nursing homes, hospice care providers and other health care facilities.
The University of New Mexico
hospital system and Health Sciences Center was created in 1994 when the
UNM Board of Regents decided to combine the health-related academic and clinical
components of the university. It includes a wide variety of patient services
and research activities including:
- UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center
- UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital
- UNM Children's Hospital
- UNM Children's Psychiatric Hospital
- UNM College of Nursing
- UNM College of Pharmacy
- UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center
- UNM Hospital
- UNM Psychiatric Center
- UNM School of Medicine
According to information from the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, "Albuquerque is the center for advanced medical treatment for the state of New Mexico, as well as portions of eastern Arizona, southern Colorado, and west Texas. Because the city's area of influence is so wide, the number of facilities and the extent of care available to the local resident is much greater than that of most cities its size."
It is no surprise that the hospitals and health care facilities are some of the largest employers in the city. University of New Mexico Hospital employs over 4,000 people. Lovelace Health Systems has approximately 3,300 staff. St. Joseph (Sandi) employs around 2,300 people and Veterans Affairs Medical Center provides jobs for another 1,755.
A Variety of Schools and Programs
Drawing on its long history as a medical community, Albuquerque has many schools to help students prepare to become an RN, a nurse practitioner, or to pursue other careers related to nursing. As previously noted, the University of New Mexico operates a hospital, providing many opportunities for students in that school's College of Nursing.
Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute has several programs in the nursing field.
Students in these schools can train to become a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or legal nurse. They can study Critical Care Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Hospice Care Nursing, Nursing Informatics, Midwifery and other related fields including health care administrator.
Albuquerque is so serious about providing training opportunities for those interested in healthcare and nursing positions that they offer coursework while students are still in high school via the Albuquerque Public Schools Practical Nursing Program.
A Diverse Population and Environment
Students who choose to study in Albuquerque experience a diverse community. In addition to encompassing a large Hispanic/Latino population, New Mexico is home to over 20 different Native American pueblos and tribes, many of which can be found in the Albuquerque area.
Although Albuquerque is located in a metropolitan setting, it takes only minutes to drive out to the desert or surrounding mountain areas. This provides the best of both worlds for those who enjoy nature and the outdoors but also like to have all the services and accommodations that a larger city provides.
For those who are looking for a warm, dry climate, a city with a long history of health care services and facilities, and a wide range of opportunities for those interested in careers in nursing and related fields, Albuquerque is an ideal choice.
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