The Nursing Student's Guide to Atlanta 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
Originally, the area around Atlanta was primarily quiet farmland. But in 1836 the Western & Atlantic Railroad selected the area as the site for the final stop on its railroad line, and an economic boom began. The city, which was first called Marthasville in honor of the governor's daughter, was founded a year later. Nicknamed Terminus in reference to its location on the rail line, the city's name was eventually changed to Atlanta, the feminine of "Atlantic" taken from the Railroad's name.
New York of the South
Today, Atlanta is sometimes referred to as the "New York of the South" because of its high concentration of people, large businesses, culture, entertainment and other attractions that make it a premier city of the South. The City of Atlanta is located within DeKalb and Fulton Counties and covers just over 130 square miles. The city proper has a population of over 430,000 residents with a total of 4.5 million people spread over the metropolitan area, which includes over 100 suburbs. It is the 10th largest metro are in the United States.
Home to Dr. Martin Luther King for several years, Atlanta has a long history of people who worked to advance the rights of minorities. This has resulted in a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds, especially in the business realm. In 2004, Atlanta was rated #1 by Black Enterprise magazine in their ranking of "Top Cities for Black Americans." And on a more general level, in the same year, the city was ranked 1st by the editors of Inc. magazine in its "Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America."
World Class Medical Facilities
These positive marks help bring more business and residents to Atlanta, which in turn creates the need for additional health services and employees. The city is home to several large hospitals including DeKalb Medical Center, a facility with over 500 beds and half a million patients each year. DeKalb Medical Center has a Level III trauma center and is known for specialization in treating stroke and chest pain.
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is another notable medical facility in the city. It was recently ranked #6 among America's top pediatric hospitals by Child magazine. It is one of only nine hospitals in the country to perform an ABO-incompatible pediatric heart transplant.
A Spirit of Collaboration
The numerous health care facilities, colleges, and research centers work together to create a cooperative community. As described on the Atlanta Development Authority's Web site, "The open and collegial atmosphere of the health institutions in Atlanta has spurred numerous partnerships that benefit both the researchers themselves and, eventually, the health of the nation and the world."
Some of the organizations involved in partnerships in Atlanta's health science
industry include:
- CARE USA
- The Carter Center
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health
- Global Health Action
- Morehouse School of Medicine
- Task Force for Child Survival and Development
The large number of major medical facilities and organizations, along with
hundreds of clinics and other health care facilities, creates a multitude of
job openings for people interested in becoming an RN or other type of nurse.
There are also many opportunities for related careers in the field of nursing,
health care administration, education, and social services. In fact, educational,
health, and social services is the city's second largest employment sector,
providing over 31,000 jobs.
Schools and Programs
Helping to staff this large medical community are the 45 area accredited colleges and universities in Atlanta. At the forefront of these efforts is Emory University's School of Nursing, which celebrated its centennial in 2005, and Rollins School of Public Health for graduate studies at Emory. Both of these schools at Emory University are extensively involved in research and community partnerships.
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University and Georgia State University, Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing are two other excellent schools providing nursing education in Atlanta.
Students at colleges and universities in Atlanta can study a wide variety of different nursing specialties including Critical Care Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Hospice Care Nursing, Midwifery, and Nursing Informatics. They can train to become a Legal Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse (RN), or even a hospital administrator. While in school, they can participate in hands-on learning and research through the partnerships listed above as well as numerous internship and employment opportunities.
Across the country, there is a demand for trained nurses and people with similar health care backgrounds. With a large metropolitan area, a growing population, and an expanding business base, Atlanta has a particularly strong need for health care workers. This demand (along with a wide variety of schools, a high quality of life, and a welcoming attitude toward people of diverse backgrounds) makes Atlanta a top choice for those interested in careers in nursing and related health care fields.
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