A Nurses Guide To Nursing

People are living longer, mainly due to changes in lifestyles but also because of incredible advances in health care. One of the results is the need for more healthcare professionals, including nurses. One way the industry is changing is by offering career choices in the form of more educational opportunities and options.

The Associate’s Degree in Nursing has only recently become an option, though it’s quickly gaining favor in the health care industry. While there are naturally some differences in the training for an associate’s degree as opposed to a bachelor’s degree, many health care agencies - including hospitals and doctor’s offices - are recognizing the fact that those graduating with associate’s degrees can perform many of the same duties and handle many of the same responsibilities as those with bachelor’s degree. But is there really a difference?

Read the rest of this entry »

Many who work in the healthcare or nursing industry know without question that free time (time within which to relax and call your own) is at a premium. In this regard, they work in extremely demanding jobs: both in terms of the jobs they do and the hours on the job they spend.

Notwithstanding this, many would like to advance their careers. To do this, nurses nearly always need to spend time studying. But, as we have said, nurses’ free time is a premium - so how can a nurse combine study with work, when there is (a) so little time available; and (b) unfixed shift-hours to work? Luckily, with the advent of the Internet, one of the best answers available for nurses is to undertake an online nursing degree program.
Read the rest of this entry »

The health care profession has certainly grown throughout recent years from pharmacists to doctors and especially nurses wherein the demand in the United States has been steadily increasing. Various nursing schools, which can be found in the country, will be able to provide nursing aspirants with the proper training as well as nursing degrees which will play a critical role in the country’s health care system.
Read the rest of this entry »

Online nursing degrees are college degrees in the field of healthcare and nursing that are obtained via the Internet. Online nursing degrees are great ways for registered nurses to further their careers without having to take a leave of absence from their jobs.

There are two main types of online nursing degrees.

The first is a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing. This type of degree is for individuals who are already a registered nurse but who wish to further their nursing career. These degrees also require that the student participate in on-site lab rotations and clinicals. The rest of the course work can be completed entirely online.
Read the rest of this entry »

So, you want to go to one of the top nursing schools, take up nursing and be a well paid and steady employed nurse years from now? To achieve this and more, you have to scout for the top nursing schools that could give you the best level of education. You go here and there to look for top nursing degree programs such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Registered Nurse (RN), Bachelor Nursing programs, Masters Nursing degree programs, Nursing License and other specialty nursing areas like that of the certified nurse midwife programs.

Put an end to that search… all over the world, University of Phoenix, Walden University, Sanford-Brown College, and Bethel University are the most well known and top nursing schools.
Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to the growing medical needs of aging baby boomers, virtually any career having to do with healthcare is expected to experience explosive job growth through 2010 and beyond. Topping the list are nurses - but countless other healthcare professionals are going to be in short supply as well.

Still, interested recruits in healthcare can face a daunting challenge. Since state budget cuts have reduced class offerings at both community and four-year public colleges, where can you find an affordable training program that isn’t already overcrowded? Maybe right in your own backyard.
Read the rest of this entry »

There are many resources which provide information on getting into nursing school, studying for and passing boards, getting into new graduate employment programs, summer exploratory programs, etc. But for traditional nursing work (bedside nursing) in a hospital or long term care facility (traditionally known as a nursing home), it really would do some good if you had a reality TV type experience. Reading books and articles exclusively, won’t prepare you for what the profession is like.

During my first nursing clinical rotation, I knew instantly that I didn’t like hospital nursing. However, I loved research, collecting data, writing papers, and so forth. Since I had a science background and had worked in various laboratory settings (e.g., a dairy plant testing milk to biotechnology company testing, human sera, a county environmental health lab testing water sample on a mass spectrophotometer, a food plant testing spaghetti sauce), going into nursing research seemed like a natural progression. The rude awakening: No one ever told me about the 5-6 years of med-surg hospital experience needed, before an employer would even look at me. It was not anyone else’s responsibility to tell me this. Clearly, the lesson is to do all of your homework.

After graduating from nursing school, I combed the Internet, help wanted ads, journals, and even enlisted a network of friends to be on the lookout for any nurse research employment opportunities. Positions in nursing research were scarce. My diverse science background, along with my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rochester, weren’t a powerful enough combination to hurry me into the interviewing seat. Hence, I never landed an interviewing spot for any nursing research positions.

Contact your local hospitals and other employers that hire nurses, and ask to speak with the human resources or personnel manager. The manager will be able to provide you with information on nursing and may be able to connect you with one of their employees who would speak with you about the profession.

The last task you need to complete is to try to volunteer at a hospital or nursing home. You don’t have to commit to a lifetime of volunteering; many organizations need volunteers to sit with patients or residents as companions. Volunteering in the mail department of any facility won’t help, so concentrate your efforts on volunteering in a patient care setting, and then you can have a direct visual of the nurse-patient interaction. This experience will be invaluable for you.

Most people assume that once a nurse has completed her education and has become registered, that is the “end” and that no more learning or education is required. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s more to nursing then just tending and looking after patients.It is highly critical that a nurse maintain and continue her ongoing education and is kept current on her profession. This is an integral part of maintaining her registration.

A nurse�s life in the 21st century is extremely fast paced. There are medical advances in precedures almost on a daily basis and it is essential that a nurse is kept abreast and is at the forefront of these improvements. This requires a high level of time management and dedication to improve oneself in addition to spending long hours in clinics and hospitals. Of course this is much easier said than done.

It is in the best interests of a good hospital to provide everything needed for nurses to continue their education. A good hospital will also more than likely pay for the education of their nurses. A lack of funds should not be a deterrent to a nurse continuing her education.

Of course let’s not forget that just as important to success is the keeping of portfolios and timely documentation detailing all the training and education received throughout the nursing carreer. This written journal also serves as a method of organizing in an orderly manner, all the continuing education undertaken.

Admittedly, there exists a challenge with regards to access to this education for nurses, namely the expense, since nursing is still not considered to be among the better paid professions. This challenge to accessibility can perhaps be met by employers coming forward and funding the continuing education of registered nurses.

A preliminary report from the National League for Nursing (NLN) shows an increase in the number of RN nursing program admissions, enrollments, and graduations during academic year 2002-2003, according to a Dec 13, 2003, news release from NLN. Graduations increased 6% over the previous year, which means that 73,000 new RNs potentially could enter the workforce if they all passed their licensure examinations.

The report’s projections are based on data analyzed by December 2003–about 30% of data potentially available–from the 3,017 nursing programs in the United States and its territories. The preliminary results compare the 2002-2003 growth rates to those of the previous year in number of admissions, enrollments, and graduations in diploma and associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs. Admission for all three types of programs increased approximately 6%. Enrollments in diploma and associate’s degree programs increased by 5%, white enrollments in bachelor’s degree programs increased by 21%.
Read the rest of this entry »