Saturday, July 25, 2009
Nursing Jobs Continue Huge Boom In Demand
Today nursing jobs are trying many tactics to attract more applicants. Some of these tactics include a variety of scheduling options including flex time, 4-6 hour shifts, and week end options and on call positions. There is no longer any need to look at nursing as a 40 hour per week job. Now a new nurse can ask for a schedule which suits her needs best. Nurses with experience are almost guaranteed any type of schedule that they want.
Some of the nurses today are able to take nursing jobs and share the hours between tow or more people effectively. Hospitals have nursing pools and part time job opportunities that require only a few hours a month of actual commitment. Overtime opportunities mean more money for nurses and they are taking advantage of these big buck offerings.
Some full time nurses are routinely making 80-100 thousand dollars a year and this opportunity can be yours if you make the move to nursing.
There are nursing jobs available in every state and you can work full time as a regular employee or choose to work as a contract nurse or a travel nurse. With these nursing positions you are not an employee of any one hospital and you are free to work the hours that you want at a number of different hospitals. As a travel nurse you will bring home a good salary and benefits but you will also have free housing while on assignment. With travel nursing jobs you also have your travel expenses paid for or reimbursed.
With the increase in demand for qualified nurses comes increasing demand on schools and programs. More and more people are turning to nursing programs at community colleges and online courses in order to get their degree or certification. This trend will only continue.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Nursing Programs and CNA Training
Nursing school program accreditation is a self-regulatory voluntary process where schools and/or programs that have been found to conform to or surpass certain standards and criteria for educational quality.
For nursing school programs, there are two national organizations that provide accreditation: NLNAC (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission) and CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education).
Even though not every nursing school and nursing program is CCNE or NLNAC accredited, and it's certainly possible to obtain a quality nursing education without going to an accredited nursing school, a degree from an institution accredited by one of these organizations virtually guarantees you to be qualified to attend another accredited school of nursing, should you be interested in an advanced degree, for example an RN-to-BSN or Master’s degree.
It's also worth noting that some some scholarships are available only to students attending accredited nursing programs.
If you feel unprepared for nursing courses, you can find plenty of courses you to help you get ready to tackle the nursing school program curriculum, as well as a host of online resources offering you advice about various nursing career choices. Some of these resources will even direct you to specific programs for nursing that are in your local area.
You might also want to consider becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). There are plenty of free CNA classes online that can help you get your certification.
No matter where you live, what your position is, you can find nursing school programs that you can enter now, either by visiting the local campus or school directly, or enrolling online.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Is an Accelerated Nursing Program the Right Choice for You
Students are subject to intense instruction and must attend full time courses without the traditional breaks between semesters in order to ensure the same amount of clinical hours as if they had enrolled in a traditional, entry-level nursing program. Because of the rigorous curriculum and extensive coursework, accelerated programs have high admission standards that generally require a GPA minimum of 3.0. Prospective students are subject to a meticulous prescreening process in an attempt to recognize individuals who will thrive in such a vigorous training environment. In order to keep up with the heavy workload and successfully complete the requirements of the program, administrators encourage accelerated program students to refrain from working.
Accelerated nursing programs and all prerequisites are generally completed in 11-18 months for baccalaureate degrees and 3 years for master’s degrees. There are 43 states nationwide that offer accelerated nursing programs, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Colombia. Programs provide classroom and laboratory instruction as well as training in a clinical setting, providing valuable skills and preparing the student to become a beneficial member of a healthcare team. As a graduate of an accelerated nursing program with state licensure, nurses frequently pursue careers in settings that include nursing homes and hospitals, physician’s offices, public school systems and corporate occupational health.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Expand your career with nursing degrees
Nursing degrees today can give you the most lucrative career options. The health care sector has registered nurses as its largest occupant providing as many as 2.4 million jobs.
Duties of Nurses
The duties one has to abide by after pursuing nursing degrees include treatment of patients, providing emotional support and advice, educating patients and their families. RN with nursing degrees are supposed to keep track of the patients’ symptoms and medical history, operate medical equipment, ensure correct treatment and medication that follows, aiding doctors in diagnostic tests, and helping the patient to recover and rehabilitate.
As a registered nurse one even has to educate the patient and his family, about managing an injury or a particular disease. How to check whether patients are maintaining the right diet, exercise programs and medication administration, are all duties carried out by a nurse. All the follow up that takes place post treatment has to be looked after by a nurse.
Specializations for Registered Nurses
The best part about a nursing degree is that you can specialize on one and at times even two patient care specialties. According to the type of treatment or the setting you work in, the specialization can be divided into four categories:
- Disease
- Condition
- Organ type
- Population
No matter which specialization a nurse goes for, one has to work in hospitals, physician’s clinic, outpatient rehabilitation center, home care center or in a long term care facility.
Nursing Career Advancement
By completing RN-to-BSN program, individuals can really accelerate their career in nursing. Bachelor’s nursing degrees take almost 12-18 months for completion, and those who want to further expand their career even more, may even opt for a master’s degree. For offering services to a broader spectrum, a degree is a must and that is the reason why many RNs holding a diploma or ADN later on opt for nursing degrees.
Interested in becoming a nurse? Get tons of useful information at: Nursing School Programs!