The nursing profession is an extremely rewarding field to go in to. But just like with any other profession, there are pros and cons to being a registered nurse too. Here are some of the positive and negative aspects of the RN profession. First, here are the pros to being an RN.

Income (Pro)

Registered nurses earn a high wage compared to other professions that don’t require a bachelors degree. Nurses also get to enjoy benefits like health insurance and retirement plans.

Schedule (Pro)

Most people work a 40 hour work week, Monday through Friday, from 9AM to 5PM. Registered nurses have the flexibility to work 12 hour shifts, three days a week. By doing so, nurses can use their time off to spend time with their family or on their favorite hobby.

Patients (Pro)

In the nursing profession, nurses will come across patients that can brighten up their day. By meeting an interacting with new people, nurses feel like they are making a difference in peoples’ lives.

But being a nurse isn’t so rosy, there are also some negative aspects of the nursing field. Let me go through a few of the cons.

Stress (Con)

Being a nurse is a stressful job. Sometimes the very lives of patients is in your hands. As a nurse you have to deal with having patients passing away. Nurses have a lot of responsibility which can also be taxing on the heart and mind.

Workload (Con)

By working a 12 hour shift, nurses are completely tired. Often times their workload consists of going to sleep early the night before in order to wake up very early in the morning. Then they stay at work, on their feet all day, to finally go home. Nurses are often times in charge of many patients when things get busy, so there is little time to rest during their shift.

Patients (Con)

Some patients can be a little cranky while others can be downright rude. As a nurse, you can’t let their personal comments get to you. But that’s easier said than done. Sometimes a patient can brighten up your day but they can also ruin your day by their rude remarks.

With the increasing cost of college tuition, going to nursing school is becoming far too expensive for many. But don’t let that discourage you because there are ways you can afford going to nursing school even if you don’t earn a lot (or any) money. Let me go through a few of the methods you can use to help pay for your nursing education.

Scholarships

Many nursing schools offer scholarships to new students. As you can expect, many apply but only a few are given. But that shouldn’t discourage you from trying. There might be various scholarship opportunities with some being granted to those with good grades and others given to those with low income.

Financial Aid

The government offers financial aid to students who can’t afford to go to college. Many times, they are in the form of grants that do not need to be paid back. While financial aid might not be enough to cover all of your tuition and other related expenses, it’s a good place to start if you come from a low income household. You can sign up at fafsa.ed.gov.

Tuition Reimbursement

There are many hospitals that offer tuition reimbursement programs. Here is how it works. You can work part time at a hospital as a CNA or another position while you are going to nursing school. Your job will then help with your tuition costs as long as you continue working for them. This way, the hospital is both helping you and helping themselves as well.

Student Loans

If you’ve tried the other methods and you still need more money to help with your nursing school fees, you can get a student loans. Like with other loans these will need to be paid back. The good thing about these types of loans is that most of the time they carry a lower interest rate than other types of loans (like a personal loan or a credit card). With a student loan, you often times do not need to pay it back as long as you’re still in school.

Patients want to be cared for at home because it gives them a higher level of independence and dignity compared to being in a hospital environment. Patients also prefer to be cared for at home because it provides a greater level of comfort. When patients are treated at home, the family is more involved and can spend more time with their ill relative. This would not be the case if the patient stayed in a hospital room.

But you can’t have patients being cared for at home unless you have a home health nurse. Among the different fields of nursing, the home health nurse field is one of the fastest growing ones.

Who They Treat

People who require the services of a home health nurse are those who have suffered a permanent disability or have another long term health issue. Home health nurses don’t just work with the elderly though, they can work with any age group as long as the patient requires to be treated at home for a long term illness.

What They Do

Home health nurses provide more than just treatment to their patient, they also provide emotional support and education to both the patient and their family. You see, at a hospital, the nurse is part of a larger team. But the home health nurse works with the family of the patient as a team. This is why communication and education with the family is crucial in this type of environment.

Certification

To become a home health nurse you’ll first need to be a registered nurse. After that, you can obtain certification from the American Nurses Association (ANA) or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). To increase their marketability, some home health nurses get multiple certifications from various agencies. Nurses can obtain certification in specific things like geriatric care or life care planning for example.

Salary

The average income of a home health nurse is $49,000 however this number can vary depending on several factors. You see, you can work with a hospital or you can work independently. As an independent home health nurse you can choose your own hours and your own fees for your services, as you will be working directly with patients with no middle-man. Some nurses also work as an RN at the hospital and do home health nursing on the side.

Few professions are as messy and damaging to clothing as the nursing profession; this is why it is so important that people who work in this field know where to find cheap nurse uniforms. Believe it or not, that task is as easy as turning on your laptop or desktop. If you have access to the Internet, you can find affordable nurse apparel without leaving the comfort of your own home. For those who are opposed to online shopping, inexpensive nurse uniforms are also sold in many superstores.

Once upon a time, nurses had to wear the traditional white skirts and pants and the unattractive shoes and stockings. Their only shopping option was a trip to a specialty store where they were forced to pay exorbitant prices for clothing items which could only be used a few times. To make the value even less, in order to get these uniforms work-ready, the nurses usually had to make a trip to the dry cleaners first.

Thank goodness those days are long gone. The idea of what constitutes nurse uniforms has changed greatly over the years. Now comfortable scrubs in an assortment of colors and styles are the norm for nursing professionals. This attire is less expensive than its predecessors, and a simple wash and dry have scrubs ready to wear.

By performing a simple Internet search for affordable nurse uniforms, one can find online retailers who often sell scrubs for less than $6.00 each. In addition, most sellers provide ever deeper discounts to customers who buy in quantity. Of course, the variety of scrubs found at these online stores is massive as well. Even if you walked in your local uniform store, you would not find an assortment as large as the one which is available on the web.

Still, not everyone is a fan of online shopping. If you fall in this category, do not assume your only option for nurse uniforms is your local specialty store. In most cases, you do not have to look any further than your neighborhood superstore. Retailers like Target and Wal-Mart usually sell scrubs at prices which are generally lower than those offered by uniform dealers.

Bear in mind that as a working nurse, and even as a nurse trainee, you will go through a large number of uniforms. In order to keep a portion of your salary in the bank, you will need to find quality nurse uniforms at discounted prices. Before you pay too much, check out the uniform deals online and at the superstores in your area. It is much easier than you think to find cheap nurse uniforms.

In the United States, baby boomers are now reaching their retirement age. This decline in the labor force is affecting many industries, but perhaps none more than the nursing field. Not only are we seeing  a large number of highly-skilled nurses leaving the profession, but there is also a decrease in the number of students who are currently enrolling in nursing programs.

For years there has been a nursing shortage crisis in the United States. The future isn’t looking any brighter either. In February 2012, the United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed its latest information on the country’s demand for nurses. In 2010, over 2.7 million individuals worked as nurses. By 2020, it is expected that the United States will need an estimated 3.5 million nurses to care for its’ citizens. As trained caregivers continue to leave the profession when more and more nurses are needed to maintain the quality of healthcare, the issue of the nursing shortage in American has become a grave concern.

But while some see a problem, others see opportunity. This nursing shortage crisis can only mean one thing, for those who have been contemplating a career in nursing, now is a great time to become a nurse.

While many things in this country can be outsourced (such as tech support, writing and construction), healthcare is definitely not one of them. If you are a nursing professional who is well-trained and has great people skills, you will have no problem finding and keeping a position for the rest of your life. The demand for nurses is so great that many hospitals and medical treatment practices are offering huge signing perks and lucrative salaries to recruit any available candidates to come work at their hospital.

By enrolling in a nursing program today, not only will you help alleviate the nursing shortage in America, but you will also become a member of a profession which offers unbeatable job security. And that’s something that’s hard to find in a rough economy.

Legal nurse consultants (LNCs) are registered nurses who offer medical consulting to legal professionals. Think of LNC’s as the bridge between legal professionals and health care. You would usually find nurses in a hospital, rather than a courtroom. And while these two are different fields, they often times mix in a court of law.

What An LNC Does

LNC’s don’t just provide their services during a trial in open court though, they can sometimes help educate prosecutors so they can determine whether to press charges. An LNC can also aid a defense attorney by familiarizing him with medical terminology to help defend their client.

Legal nurse consultants can help not only in criminal cases, but civil ones as well. Examples of civil cases where LNC’s would be useful would be in workers compensation claims, where a legal nurse consultant would examine medical documents. An example of a criminal case would be a medical malpractice case where an LNC would help lawyers determine whether malpractice has occurred.

Becoming An LNC

The way to become an LNC is to first become an RN. You can do this by enrolling in a nursing school and passing the NCLEX-RN exam. Afterward, you will need to be certified by the American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board (ALNCCB).

Salary

Most LNC’s do not work a regular 9 to 5 job. The reason is that their services are not required the whole time. Since it’s a job as a consultant, you would charge your clients by the hour. The amounts charged range from $70 to $250 per hour. Many legal nurses continue to work their regular full time job at a hospital while doing their consultant gigs on the side.

Job Prospects

Nurses and attorneys are always going to be in need, so you can see how a legal nurse consultant would be a job that will always be in need too. There is a big demand for these types of nurses not only because of their skills and expertise, but because LNC’s have experience and firsthand knowledge that nobody other than a doctor has. Lawyers will always need the help of LNC’s to help them win their medical related cases, so LNC’s can expect a steady flow of work.

Once you have made the decision to become a nurse you need to be certain that the nursing school you choose will provide you with all the skills and training necessary to become an effective nurse. A simple online search will provide you with numerous options of both local and online nursing schools. While there are many things you should keep in mind while rating nursing schools, listed below are four items which should be at the top of your judging scale.

Accreditation

In order to choose the ideal nursing school for you, you need to do your research. It will be impossible for you to obtain a nursing license if your nursing school does not have the proper accreditation for your state. Before you enroll, you should be aware of whether or not the program holds all of the endorsements which will allow you to successfully obtain employment as a nurse. Google is your friend. Do your research before you hand over a dime.

Cost

Once you select the perfect program you need to review your finances and decide if you can afford the training. Of course, the odds are that you will be able to receive some type of financial assistance, but even so, you will still be responsible for any nursing school expenses not covered by your student aid package. If the school you chose is really expensive and your second choice is much cheaper, this is something you need to take into consideration.

If you think you can’t afford to go to nursing school, don’t give up just yet. Don’t let anything get in the way of getting the career you want and the education you deserve. Do research and apply for any scholarships you may qualify for. Your last resort should be student loans. The benefit of student loans is that the interest rate is typically low and you won’t need to pay it back until you’re done with your studies.

Convenience

When it comes to taking classes, it is imperative that the courses are convenient for your schedule and lifestyle. Ideally, all your face-to-face classes should be a short distance from your home or workplace. College is already expensive and time consuming. Now imagine if your school is an hour away? You’ll be spending a lot on gas and wasting a couple of hours of your day.

But if you really want convenience you’ll choose an online nursing school. There are some nursing schools that let you take the majority of the classes online. Talk about convenient. Online classes should be easy to manage and provide you with support that will allow you to be successful during and after your training.

Student Success

Last but not least, you want to know how others have performed after attending the nursing school. Be sure that the school you are planning to attend has good reviews from past students. It’s important to know whether past students have been able to find employment with a degree from that nursing school.

But don’t stop there with your research. You want to find out exact numbers and compare them with other schools. Find out what percent of students complete the nursing program. Find out what percentage of students pass the NCLEX exam. Schools with a strong curriculum and top-notch educators will have a high rate of student success.This will be a good barometer to determine how well the school prepares its’ students.

Before becoming a registered nurse, many nursing students are apprehensive about the rigors of a 12 hour workday. Many in America are accustomed to working a regular Mon-Fri 9 to 5 schedule. There are pros and cons to working 12 hour shifts, but the good outweighs the bad. Let me give you a few reasons why.

3 Days vs 5 Days

When you work a 12 hour shift you will only be going to work three days a week rather than five days a week. This allows you to spend three days at work and four days at home. Sure you’re going to be exhausted those three days, but it’s worth it knowing that you have four days at home. A benefit of the three day workweek is that you can take short vacations without needing to call in to work.

Saving Money

By only going to work three days instead of five you can actually save quite a bit of money. First there is the cost of gas and vehicle maintenance. You will drive considerably less miles by only going to work three times per week. You can also save money because you will need to pack or buy lunch less. You can even save money on nursing scrubs. You can have three of them ready to use for the entire week. By working five days you will have to use, wash then reuse and eventually replace your nursing scrubs more frequently.

Patients

Patients may get better care when nurses work a three day 12 hour shift. The reason is that a patient will only see two nurses (12 x 2 = 24) rather than seeing three (8 x 3 = 24). This leads to more consistency in care. Nurses also will spend more time caring for their patients since they won’t have to spend time charting and reporting to get things ready for the next shift.

A career as a nurse is very rewarding, but it can also be extremely challenging. Your working days and times are very variable and you never know when the next emergency is going to walk, crawl or roll in through the hospital door. It’s definitely not a career for everyone. Hundreds of students drop out of nursing school every year, and others just decide the job’s not for them. But for those who make it, nursing can be a great opportunity to help people and enjoy a personally fulfilling career.

A lot of people regard nursing as a tough job with horrible working hours, but it can actually be just the opposite. Especially for those who have the skills to work as an agency nurse – you can avoid “getting into a rut” and doing the same thing every day. Agency nurses also have the ability to pick and choose which jobs they take, and if one will interfere with an important family event or they are feeling under the weather, they can simply decline the job. When their diary is clear or a job becomes available that they really want, then they can agree to work.

Agency nurses sometimes work in private residences rather than hospitals or nursing homes. As a private nurse you meet new people all the time, and many nurses report that they stay in close contact with their “favorite” clients, keeping tabs on their health and well being. Clients often reciprocate and it’s not at all uncommon for a client to request a specific nurse for a day, a week, or longer.

One thing that is necessary if you choose to work as an agency nurse is efficient paperwork. Since you’re working for an agency rather than a hospital or nursing home, you are technically a contractor. You are responsible for invoicing, making tax payments, setting up a work pension for yourself and determining your holiday time. Since most nurses enjoy the nursing but not the paperwork, many of them are turning to Umbrella companies to furnish those services.

An Umbrella Company takes care of the administrative work for self-employed contractors of many kinds, including nurses. From ensuring that the correct national insurance contributions are made on time, to dealing with tax forms and calculations for you, an Umbrella Company can allow a nurse to focus on the patients and treatments, rather than expenses forms, mileage vouchers and time consuming calculations.

With the new Agency Workers Regulations looming, agency nurses and other contractor-type employees must either determine how the new legislation affects them and prepare all necessary reports and paperwork, or find someone to help them with it. That “someone”, very often, is an Umbrella Company. The company will have someone on staff dealing with such things as identifying new procedures and regulations contained in the legislation. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d like to spend your time on, using a good Umbrella Company is probably a very good idea for you.

If you thought that the only place where you could find a nurse is at a hospital, you’d be mistaken. Nurses can work in a variety of different health care facilities. Right now there is a big demand for nurses to work both in and out of hospitals.

The need for more nurses is due to numerous factors. Due to technological advances we are finding that nurses can treat a wider variety of medical problems. There is also an increased emphasis on the need for more preventative care services. When you couple this with the fact that people are living longer, thus increasing the number of older people, you can see why there is a need for more nurses.

People are increasingly needing nursing care in locations other than hospitals. Let me go through a list of some of the most common settings where you’d find a registered nurse.

Hospitals

The most common place to find a registered nurse is at a hospital. Most of the nurses at the hospital are employed full or part time and are assigned to one area. These areas include ICU, ER or the pediatrics unit to name a few. The number of nurses in hospitals is not expected to rise much, as more procedures are being done at locations other than hospitals and patients are being discharged earlier as well.

Medical Centers

Nurses at medical centers such as clinics or a physicians office care for patients who undergo sophisticated procedures that were once only done in hospitals. The need for nurses at these locations will increase as more surgeries and procedures can be performed there. Nurses at these outpatient facilities do a variety of things such as administering medications and preparing patients for surgery.

Nursing Homes

At nursing homes, you will find nurses caring for patients with a wide variety of conditions. Nurses can work helping long term rehabilitation patients recover from a stroke or a head injury. They can also work with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. RN’s at nursing homes also perform administrative tasks here as well as supervisory tasks.

Home Health

Home health nurses care for patients in the patients own home periodically. Home health nurses care for people who are recovering from an accident, an illness, childbirth and cancer to name a few. These nurses can also supervise home health aides as well as instruct patients and their families. This field is expected to grow due to technological advances that allows patients to stay at home with supervision.

Public Health

Public health nurses work at facilities such as schools or other agencies such as a retirement community or a clinic. These types of nurses are interested in improving the health of the community they work for. These nursers work with members of the community to educate them on preventing diseases and help arrange health screenings for members of the community.

Schools

You can also find nurses at colleges and universities. Any school that has a nursing program will also need to have nurse educators as well. But you can also find nurses who teach at the hospital itself. These nurse educators provide orientation to current nurses and they can confirm nurse competency too.