Living & Nursing in Phoenix, Arizona

Welcome to Phoenix, Arizona! Phoenix is America’s fifth largest city and one of the top three fastest growing areas in the country. It has a southwest flavor that’s distinctly its own. You won’t find another American city quite like Phoenix. With a population of over one and a half-million, the city is located in the “Valley of the Sun.” It’s also known by the less colorful, but more descriptive name “the Salt River valley.” Phoenix lies in central Arizona in the northern portion of the Sonoran Desert. Surrounded by the McDowell Mountains, White Tank Mountains, Superstition Mountains, and the Sierra Estrella, the valley has become an oasis in more ways than one.

The valley was home to the Hohokam peoples for over a thousand years. They had developed an intricate system of canals for irrigation of the arid valley they called home. Around 1450, they abandoned the land after suffering severe droughts. At the end of the Mexican-American war, the New Mexico territory (including present day Phoenix) was passed to U.S. control. In 1867, Jack Swilling built a series of canals that followed the old Hohokam canal paths and began cultivating the land, eventually building a settlement known as Pumpkinville. It was later known as Swilling’s Mill, Helling Mill, Mill City and East Phoenix. The name Phoenix was finally settled upon because it described a city born from the ruins of a former civilization. That’s your quick, condensed and over simplified Phoenix history lesson!

Today, the Phoenix metro area has a population of over four million and includes the cities of Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Peoria. Several smaller communities with names that aren’t as recognizable are also included, but suffice it to say, there are a lot of people who find the area very appealing, and we’re betting you will also. The Phoenix population has a very young median age of 31 years-- just in case you thought you would be moving into a retirement home community! That’s younger than the national average.

In the metro area, Scottsdale has always been an entertainment and shopping mecca with a focus on art and all things “trendy.” Now, Downtown Phoenix and the Biltmore area are offering an ever-increasing roster of great theatres, restaurants, museums, shops and sporting events. Phoenix has attracted all of the major professional sports with teams from each now providing hometown entertainment for Phoenix fans as well as fans nationwide.

You’ll love the warm, dry climate with only eight inches of rain per year. Phoenix averages 300 sunny days a year and a temperature of 72.6 degrees. The weather is excellent for year-round golf, tennis, swimming and outdoor endeavors of most any kind, as well as outdoor dining. The area is known as a golfer’s dream with over 200 golf courses dotting the landscape. The rugged, beautiful terrain offers trails for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. The Salt River and Verde River reservoir system offer scenic mountain lakes popular for boating, skiing and fishing. In the spring, the wildflowers bloom, bringing an influx of photographers and artists drawn by the color, delicacy and beauty of the flowers contrasting the rugged desert background.

Culturally, Phoenix offers museums, art galleries, theatres, and historic sites and neighborhoods as well as wildlife parks and zoos. Nightlife in the area is continuing to grow. Scottsdale is one of the top tourist destinations in America. Tempe is home to Arizona State University, the third largest university in the country, and has become the Valley’s home for high tech industry. Phoenix is a major center for the manufacture of semiconductors, electronics and aerospace parts with more and more new business start-ups everyday due to the lower cost of living in comparison to other major metropolitan areas. Companies like Intel, Avnet, Motorola, AlliedSignal, Honeywell and Boeing have chosen Phoenix for their corporate and regional headquarters.

Industry leaders like American Express, Phelps Dodge, Prudential, Charles Schwab and Mayo Clinic have major operations in Phoenix.

Why does that matter to you as a nurse? Actually, when you think about it, it is very simple. Where there is a stable and growing source of employment and a large work force, there is a proportionately large need for healthcare. That should be a factor in your choice of cities in which you wish to practice, and Phoenix is an excellent choice.

The metro area is a mix of cultures and backgrounds with a multitude of various industries appealing to people of all ages and walks of life. The huge 515 square mile land area of the metro area allows for less population density, while the still-growing freeway system allows rapid access to any portion of the metro area. Phoenix is building a light rail system that should be complete by the end of this year that will mean even more accessibility.

Phoenix is home to a number of hospitals that you would be proud to be associated with. Some of the names you may have heard include: Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Kindred Hospital Phoenix, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center, Phoenix Memorial Hospital, Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Concentra Medical Center, John C. Lincoln Hospital, Baptist Hospitals and Health, and there are more!

Phoenix and the entire “Valley of the Sun” would be an exciting and rewarding place to live and nurse. We encourage you to visit and research the area as your new home.