Category: Nursing

Nursing Career Education

Going to School To Become A Nurse

If you are looking for a career that will provide you with a financially secure future, a career in the medical field is almost guaranteed to provide one. The medical field is projected to grow exponentially in the next few years as more and more technological developments and sophisticated treatments are developed for curing all that ails us. So what if you become a nurse?

A nursing career is a great option for individuals who want to be a part of the medical field but don’t feel like going to school for years and years. Nursing is challenging and rewarding. Nurses often complete various tasks, so your job will never be boring.

A nursing career is an exciting, challenging, and often moving career that will provide a lifetime’s worth of fulfillment for many individuals. Nurses are the individuals that provide a great deal of care and nurturing to patients. Doctors are quite busy. They often pop in and out to give a diagnosis and to perform surgical procedures.

The nurses, on the other hand, are the individuals who stick around to provide residual care and attempt to comfort patients and their families. A career in nursing can be a life-changing experience.

Because nurses are relied on so heavily in the medical field, the education requirements for a career in nursing are fairly substantial. Attendance at medical school is not required, but nursing courses at an accredited college or university are a necessity.

You can become a licensed nurse in about six years, much less than the time it takes to become a practicing physician or surgeon. A practical nursing degree is challenging and fun.

Individuals will take RN classes that deal with patient bedside manners and other tasks that nurses must complete accurately and successfully. Accredited practical nursing school is a type of school specifically built around the subjects and tasks that nurses need to learn. This type of school might be perfect for the dedicated and determined nursing student who hopes to begin practicing immediately after graduation.

LPN Classes

The medical field is a career field that is expanding more rapidly than it can be filled with qualified, educated individuals. If you are searching for a career that won’t fizzle out in a few short years, one in the medical field is guaranteed to provide you with a life’s worth of opportunities.

Nursing is a field with room for advancement, but one that does not require you to spend years of your life training and educating yourself. You can even go to nursing school online if you choose to.

Choosing a nursing career is a great way to both create a financially secure future for yourself and ensure that you will never be bored at your job. A career in nursing will provide new challenges every single day. You will never know what you are going to encounter when you walk in the doors of the hospital or another medical facility where you work.

As a nurse, you are responsible for many different tasks. From talking to the patient’s family and comforting them to changing bed sheets and bedpans, a nurse’s day is always busy.

Nursing is a very important career decision. Doctors and hospital staff rely heavily on nurses to manage most of the day-to-day operations that take place in a hospital or other medical facility.

Without nurses, a hospital would fall flat on its face. Nurses, therefore, must undergo extensive training before they are allowed to begin working. They must know all about the anatomy and physiology of the body, but they must also be capable of communicating effectively with families and patients.

A nurse must know how to answer phones, organize files, fill out paperwork, handle insurance needs, and perform a variety of other tasks. A nurse is essentially a catch-all position.

Therefore, LPN schools online and LPN nursing programs online represent extensive education. LPN nursing schools will require students to take many different courses on many different subjects before they can become licensed practical nurses.

Find A CNA School

Finding a job in the medical field is a great way to guarantee yourself a financially secure future. As the economic situation in the United States continues to be quite shaky, many citizens are looking for jobs in fields that will provide them with job security. The medical field is a rapidly expanding field. There is no downsizing happening among nurses and doctors.

A certified nursing assistant is an individual who is licensed to assist a practical nurse but is not a nurse herself. However, many students are opting to become nursing assistants because they get to do some of the very same tasks as actual nurses but aren’t required to take years of school in order to get a job.

If you want to get into the medical field as fast as you can, becoming a certified nursing assistant may be the pathway that will suit you the best. Once you get a job as a nursing assistant, you can gain valuable experience in the medical field that will help you decide whether you want to continue your nursing education or not.

Many students decide to get their college education or career certification through an online program rather than attend a physical university. There are many benefits to attending online schools, such as online CNA schools.

Online education allows you to maintain a job while simultaneously furthering your education. Individuals who are not able to drop everything in order to go to school may have to take online courses at night or at any free moment while they continue to work.

Online education is also becoming a highly respected form of education because employers know that it requires diligence and responsibility to obtain an education online.

If you are interested in becoming a certified nursing assistant, you will need to take accredited CNA classes through an accredited online CNA program. It is important to be sure that your online program is accredited so that you know your education is valid in the United States.

Online Nursing Education

Nurses are in high demand in our economy. With online nursing degree programs, you can get a fully accredited degree in a short period of time. Online Nursing Education has really come a long way!

Want to advance your nursing career or start a new career in nursing but don’t have the time to go to class? Through a vast network of American online schools, you can get all the help you need to get a nursing degree or take classes to continue your education. Study at top schools and kick-start your nursing career at your own pace!

Online Education is Booming! More people are taking classes online, and schools are responding by offering more online programs.

What’s New in Online Schools

Today’s Internet has literally changed the face of public and private education forever, as online schools continue to meet the student needs that campus-based programs could never meet.

Students are now able to enjoy the flexibility of choosing their own schedule, interact in lively online class discussions, and even engage with professors all from the comforts of home, and let’s be honest, cheating on school tests is out of the question with online programs. With the continuing advances in e-learning technology, web access speeds, online video, and teachers who specialize in distance learning programs… Online schools have become the fastest-growing sector in the continuing education sector.

For example, the evolution of online chat tools like Skype, Microsoft, and MSN has made it possible for students to have virtual, real-time conversations with their professors and fellow classmates. Now that everything takes place online, the physical location of the student or their teacher is not even a consideration.

Distance learners have the added benefit of attending classes and making friends with students from around the globe. They also have the advantage of gaining insights, sharing research, and collaboratively writing papers with peers from one of the most culturally diverse background educational settings possible. No wonder the online schools and their training programs are growing so quickly.

Completing your training online can also save time and money and lead to financial success. Why spend hours searching through books at a huge campus library when you can use the Internet to find what you need in a matter of minutes or even seconds? And how often are those books updated anyway? The Internet is an ideal source of up-to-date information.

As for financial benefits, in some cases, you can complete your degree program more quickly with online education. From college and university to community certificate and degree programs, when you eliminate the cost of commuting between campus, dormitory apartment, and home each day, you’ll save in a very big way. In addition, because you can complete the coursework, write papers, and attend class on your own time, it’s likely you can continue working as you complete your degree online.

OK, so the advantages of e-learning are clear. But what do employers have to say about it? Do online students understand what it’s like in the nursing world? Do recruiters value a degree from online schools as much as those from campus-based programs?

While some employers were once skeptical of the quality of Internet education, with government regulation, aggressive marketplace competition, and advances in technology, many now actually expect that some or all of a student’s education will take place online. The medical world offers huge opportunities for a rewarding career and building up a decent pension plan, which, of course, is crucial for later when you’re retiring.

In addition, as the majority of distance learners hold down jobs while they study, they graduate with both a degree and experience.

A Letter From A Nurse

“Come walk in our shoes for a 12-hour shift. Come see the joy, the tragedy, the comedy, the 100 ways we are pulled and pushed, then rate my “pleasant greeting”, “answers call light in a timely fashion”, “states name of patients.”

Use the bathroom now, because you might not get the chance again until your shift ends. Wear comfortable shoes. Don’t worry if they’re clean. They’ll end up with blood and vomit on them.

We are the patient’s advocate, the doctors’ eyes and ears, and everyone’s scapegoat. We can page your doctor but we can’t make that doctor magically appear. We check your stitches, wipe your blood, drain your pus and empty your bedpan.

Nursing is a tough job, but we’re tougher. We’ve been yelled at by administrators, supervisors, and doctors. We’ve been kicked, slapped, punched, spat on, and sexually harassed by patients in various states of delirium, mental illness, arrogance, and intoxication.

Continue reading A Letter From A Nurse

CNA Classes

Have you been thinking about becoming a CNA but just do not have enough extra personal time in your life to attend one of the many classes available. If so, you’ll be pleased to know that there are several online CNA courses which can help you attain your career goals at your own pace and convenience.

See also this interesting video about Certified Nursing Assistant Skills. This video is from CNA and CPR classes in Jacksonville, Florida, but your state might require slightly different skills so get well informed:

Please note that the video only shows a small segment of required Florida CNA Clinical Skills. If you want to see the entire Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam prep video or think about completing the online CNA Study program from Florida Training Academy, please go to www.FLtraining.com. The course costs just $49 and you’ll have access to their website for a full 90 days.

CNAs provide care for many kinds of patients in the health field. They work under the supervision of a qualified registered nurse who devises a plan of care which you’ll follow for each patient.

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Working in Today’s Nursing World

Nursing may not come to mind when you think of professions that have endured forever, but when you sit down to think about it a bit, it definitely is one of the world’s oldest careers.

Uniforms may have changed, regulations have gotten tighter, and license requirements have become stricter. Even so, the basis of nursing throughout modern history has remained the same: caring for the sick.

Even if there is a miracle vaccine that prevents every type of illness or injury imaginable, there will still be a demand for nurses. After all, someone needs to dispense the vaccine itself, right?

When you think of a nurse today, chances are you’re picturing someone in hospital scrubs, and this person could be a man or a woman. Going back 50 years ago, this was not the case.

During the 1960s, the nursing profession was predominantly a female field, and the women wore long dresses, stockings, and the ever-present nurse’s cap. A decade later, the dresses became shorter, and the caps began to slowly disappear. Finding a nurse wearing a cap in the 1990s would have been a very tall order, and you’d also notice that the cloth aprons had been replaced by disposable ones.

Since the mid-1990s, the quintessential nurse’s uniform has been the scrubs that you see today. These scrubs are sometimes color-coordinated for use in distinguishing departmental staff from each other. If you look hard you can even find free shipping on scrub uniforms too and being a nurse allows you to get some financial success as well.

A few decades ago, nurses were thought of as nothing more than an assistant to a doctor. Now, nurses are working in tandem with physicians to determine and administer the best possible treatment for every patient.

There are nurses publishing scientific research, something nearly unheard of even a decade or two ago. You will also find nurses collaborating with doctors to determine the best health care policies, as well as developing mobile applications for monitoring patients.

American Nurse Today has a great blog piece discussing why nursing is not just a job, it’s a profession. The author has been a nurse for 35 years and has seen the transformation of the nursing profession from inside the scrubs.

The argument for nursing being a job fails to hold water, as the author details the many ways that nursing has eclipsed other healthcare fields with the advanced levels of education, licensure, and experience that many nurses have achieved. Obtaining a career in nursing is not as cut and dried as it used to be.

You can find many different avenues for a degree in nursing. A licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a licensed vocation nurse (LVN) will only require one year of education after completing high school. A registered nurse (RN) has completed a bachelor’s or associate’s degree at an accredited school, as well as passed the exam to obtain a nursing license.

An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) will have obtained certification as a registered nurse, and then continued to complete education at the master’s level. Jacksonville University has more specific information about the types of nursing degrees available. One thing is sure: when you have a fulfilling career as a nurse, you’ll also be in the position to plan for a comfortable retirement over the years and your employer will definitely pay his share as well!

If you feel that a career in nursing is the right path for you, first decide what level of certification you want to attain. Do you want to jump in at the LPN or LVN level to begin helping patients and advocating for their best interests as soon as possible? Or do you want to spend more time obtaining a specialized education to become an RN, after you pass the exam?

Perhaps you would even like to remain in school long enough to receive a master’s degree, or higher and become a specialized APRN? Well, even if you start as an LPN, you can still return to school for higher-level training, but you will also have the experience of being a nurse.

Nurse-Staffing Ratio: Patient’s Perspective

The patient’s condition itself is a major piece of the nurse-staffing ratio. For instance, a patient that is fresh out of surgery and arousing from anesthesia is considered to need a nurse-staffing ratio of 1 nurse to 1 patient (1:1) for the first hour of recovery. This usually takes place in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) with nurses that are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

When deemed “stable”, the patient can be transferred either to an Intensive Care Unit or to a Medical-Surgical Unit depending on the patient’s diagnosis and/or condition. For example, an uncomplicated appendectomy would go to Med-Surg but an open-heart patient would go to Cardiac ICU.

The OR, PACU, Pediatric ICU, Cardiac ICU, Medical ICU, Surgical ICU, Neonatal ICU, Labor & Delivery, and the ED – are all considered to be Intensive Care Units of a hospital. Patients that are admitted or evaluated in these units are (or are about to become) high-risk patients. The nurses working in these units of a hospital are highly specialized and the best of them are certified in that specific type of care.

Continue reading Nurse-Staffing Ratio: Patient’s Perspective

Nursing Specialization – Case Management

Case Management Nursing

There are three main responsibilities that individuals in the case management nursing field are charged with. They review the way hospital services are utilized, they plan patient discharges and they even ensure high-quality service throughout the facility. They also work to come up with long-term care plans for individuals with chronic or terminal illnesses.

Utilization of Hospital Services

An individual in this specialized nursing field will stay in close contact with patients, physicians, hospital administration and insurance companies to review the ways in which services are delivered.

These individuals may spend countless hours poring over patient charts and comparing information to ensure that these patients are getting the best care available to them.

They may also work with insurance companies to provide information about treatments that are deemed ‘medically necessary’ for the patient; this is sometimes necessary before health insurance companies to pay for certain treatments, surgeries or medications.

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How To Be A Great CNA

Take pride in your job if you are a CNA. Your type of work needs you to be prompt on duty, sincerity, and stability. CNAs are the healthcare employees that spend the most time with patients in a medical facility, long-term care centers or various other healthcare institutions; because of this, they are usually the first ones to be informed of an emergency. Many CNA staff have actually conserved patients lives because of their keen assessment skills and quick responses.

Constantly show up on time at work

One of the first things employers notice is how often you show up at work. Lots of institutions won’t tolerate constant time off or continually being late and may offer a number of warnings prior to termination of work. Ensure you always get a good night sleep the evening before work and set your alarm early enough to make sure you have enough time to get prepared in the early morning. Present yourself to work 15 minutes before your shift starts, so you can relax, have a cup of coffee before its time to start.

Keep your uniforms clean, orderly and ironed

Always try to remember to dress for success, it’s not just true in the business world, it’s also real in healthcare. Patients, visitors, and your supervisor will all observe how you dress. Always take a little additional time to look clean, nice and professional. This will always reflect a positive outcome and even give you a step ahead with promotions.

Keep your mindset in check

Nobody really likes working with a negative moaning worker and it certainly is not good for your poor patients. If you are having a bad day because of individual reasons, talk it over with your supervisor prior to your shift change so they can understand what is going on. She or he might be able to readjust your assignment to make the day simpler for you. Simply talking about your trouble is will help you to feel better. Patients need their CNA to have an excellent, upbeat positive attitude for their recovery process; and never inform patients of your issues. You are there to look after them, not the other way around.

Be a wonderful team member and worker and discover all you can

Part of climbing the ladder of success at work is being a fantastic group worker as well as an inspired individual. Employees are always stronger when collaborating and can finish the job faster and smoother. Take every possibility to find out your strengths, weaknesses, and brand-new abilities and you will get possibilities to advance your position. Contact your institution’s educational division or ask your manager about educational courses that could be a significant aid to you in your job.

Nursing Interventions – What You Should Know

Nursing Interventions are actions by nurses that will enhance their patients’ health and/or comfort. Nursing Interventions form the backbone of all nursing activities. For nurses who think about advancing their profession, mastering Nursing Interventions is absolutely critical.

What are Nursing Interventions?

The Journal of Nursing Education describes Nursing Interventions as all tasks nurses do for or to their patients and/or all tasks nurses do that will lead directly to their patients’ outcomes.

Nursing Interventions can be specific or general and indirect or direct. The areas of Nursing Interventions include Mobility Therapy; Sleep Pattern Control; Diet Compliance; Infection Control; Positioning Therapy; Alcohol and/or Drugs Abuse Control; Bedbound Care; Postpartum Care; and Energy Conservation. But there are more fields where Nursing Intervention plays a crucial role.

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The Good Nurse …but Good Person?

I’ll be the first to admit I love working with a good nurse. Give me a good nurse any day! and we can work short-staffed, under pressure and come out smelling like roses with cheerful and sunny attitudes. Alternatively, give me a fully-staffed shift of slackers and complainers, and we come out overworked, underpaid, grouchy, tired and beaten. Yes, a good nurse is worth their weight in gold.

The good nurse can handle his/her patient care assignment with minimal or no unnecessary emotional drama. I enjoy both the novice and the expert nurse when their work is efficient, comprehensive and professional.  And, thankfully, most nurses are sincerely good.

Continue reading The Good Nurse …but Good Person?