Mesa mixes desert and forest, The Old West, and new culture. It’s Arizona’s third-largest city and part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metro area. It’s a great place to be if you love outdoor adventure. Rivers to kayak and mountain trails to hike abound. If you’re a baseball fan, Mesa is the premier city to watch spring training. The city hosts 15 professional baseball teams.
If you’re looking for nursing jobs in Mesa, read on to see what else you can find here.
Quick Facts About Nursing Jobs in Mesa
- Is Arizona a compact state? Yes
- What do RNs earn in Mesa? The average annual salary for RN jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area is $87,410 compared to the national average RN salary of $89,010.
- Where can I find information about RN license requirements in Arizona? You can visit the Arizona State Board of Nursing website for up-to-date information.
What to Know When Pursuing Nursing Jobs in Mesa
Mesa is east of Phoenix and west of Tempe. The city has its share of “snowbirds” escaping the cold at home from October to May yearly. It also attracts retirees who enjoy being close to Phoenix while living in Mesa’s quieter suburban atmosphere. Healthcare for seniors in Mesa is ideal due in part to the comprehensive facilities of Banner Desert Medical Center, known for its dedicated heart facility with 111 beds.
You’ll find nursing jobs in Mesa at hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes, and skilled nursing facilities. Whether you’re a qualified RN, CNA or LPN, you’ll find opportunities to work full time, part time, on contract, temporarily, or even per diem. Let’s take a look at what working as a nursing professional in Mesa entails.
Your patient base in Mesa starts with a population of nearly 500,000, with an average age of 35.9. More than 16% of Mesa’s residents are 65 years or older, and 8.4% are younger than 65 with a disability.
One way you can stand apart from others seeking nursing jobs in Mesa is to be fluent in Spanish and to make sure your skill set includes cultural competency before you apply to nurse jobs, since Mesa has a diverse population: 27.5% of residents are Hispanic, 4.4% are Black, 2.2% are Native American, 2.3% are Asian.
Working in Mesa
The Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area employs 229,800 in healthcare. The largest group within healthcare is Home Health and Personal Care Aids, which number 48,420. Close behind are RNs at 40,240. In Mesa alone, there are 2,200 hospital beds. The top five facilities, by number of beds, are:
- Banner Desert Medical Center (549 beds)
- Banner Baywood Medical Center (342 beds)
- Banner Children’s at Desert (206 beds)
- Mountain Vista Medical Center (178 beds)
- Banner Gateway Medical Center (177 beds)
However, these hospitals are not the only sources for Mesa nursing jobs. Mesa is in the Maricopa County Public Health District, the third-largest health jurisdiction in the country. It hosts Phoenix clinics, plus a Mesa Children’s Immunization Clinic.
The Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers (AACH) manages the larger share of health clinics located in Mesa. These include:
- Valleywise Community Health Center
- Valle del Sol: East Valley Health Center
- Native Health Mesa Health Center
- Adelante Healthcare
- Terros Health: Stapley Health Center
- Valle del Sol: Southeast Valley Health Center
The area has 18 skilled nursing facilities, five in Mesa and others nearby.
What will your trip to and from work be like in Mesa? The average commute time is a little shorter at 24.8 minutes compared to the average U.S. time of 26.5 minutes. Single drivers travel to work alone make up 76.2% of commuters. Another 11.5% carpool, 2.2% take mass transit, and 5.6% work from home.
If you need childcare, Mesa County Public Health manages a Universal Preschool funded by the state of Arizona. You can find a list of certified childcare centers and individual providers on the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Do you need pet care for Fido and Mittens? Rover is a good source of available pet caretakers.
Living in Mesa
While you’re applying for nursing jobs in Mesa, you can start looking for housing. You’ll find 181 registered neighborhoods in Mesa. Red Mountain Ranch, Dobson Ranch, and Eastmark are often included in lists of top Mesa neighborhoods. In addition to neighborhoods, Mesa has six districts worth discovering. They are:
- Asian District – 70 Asian-themed restaurants, grocery stores, and shops
- Downtown Mesa – Vintage and modern-day murals line both sides of Main St. and serve as a backdrop for museums, shops, restaurants, and a cidery
- Town of Queen Creek – A hometown atmosphere with family farms (many are open for tours)
- Fort McDowell – Home of the Yavapai Nation and its 950-member tribe
- Salt River Pima – The sovereign territory of the Maricopa Indian Community
- Apache Trail – An unincorporated village in Gold Canyon with golf, upscale spas, and the best restaurants
Regarding matters of taste, Mesa has a buffet of offerings. The Mesa Fresh Foodie Trail is devoted to whole foods, farmers’ markets, and farm-to-table restaurants. A local treat in Mesa is fry bread — a fluffy bread topped with beans, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. And, of course, you can expect Mexican fare in Mesa. The Chimichanga was purportedly born in nearby Tucson when a restaurant owner accidentally dropped a burrito into a deep fryer.
If you’re looking for history and culture, Mesa has a host of museums with both traditional and specialty topics on display. The I.D.E.A. Museum is fun for little ones. You'll find local art and traveling exhibits in MCC Art Gallery and Mesa Arts Center. The Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum gives you 55,000 square feet of Air Force history.
Traveling to interview for nursing jobs in Mesa is easy when you fly to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Getting to Mesa from there will take about 16 to 19 minutes, depending on your route. You can also travel by tram, taxi, shuttle, or private town car service.
You have many choices when planning a road trip from Mesa. You can see beautiful historic sites like the Apache Trail in less than an hour. Or take a 396-mile (round-trip) excursion to see the Grand Canyon.
The weather in Mesa is predictably hot most of the year. But as you’ve probably heard, it’s a dry heat. Winters are cool and clear. The best time for visitors to get the flavor of Mesa without the sweltering heat is late May to early July and late August to late September.
Compared to the U.S. average, the cost of living in Mesa is 8.4% higher. The average home price is $425,900, with two-bedroom rentals at $1,750 per month, which is lower than the national average of $1,870. About one-third of Mesa residents rent rather than own.
Searching for Great Nursing Jobs in Mesa?
If you’re looking for your next RN, LPN, or CNA job, but appreciate both a healthy work-life balance and the stability of W2 employment, we may be the right solution for you. Get started today and apply with IntelyCare, and realize how a flexible schedule can improve your entire life.