If nursing is your passion, why not go back to school? It seems every other nurse is doing just that, and it’s no surprise. An advanced education offers many benefits. For instance, here are five ways that going back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner can take your career to the next level. 1. Open doors to new opportunities: An advanced education ...

There is a new breed of students preparing to enter the healthcare field. Armed with laptops, graduates of nursing degrees are changing the landscape of nursing education and the expectations of the next generation of nursing students. The current nursing shortage may be a supporting factor in the growth of online nursing programs; however, students seeking online nursing degrees may also ...

So you’re sitting in the classroom chatting with friends before class starts, when the door swings open. At first glance, you think it’s your professor, she has the same body shape, same height, same stature. You turn away and then something makes you look back. You realize this person has on a horrible black shaggy wig, and so many layers of ...

We’ve all got those teachers we love, the ones that make us look at nursing in a different light. And then there are those instructors that we just don’t get. When you just don’t understand each other, and the more you have to work together, the worse it gets. What do you do? This instructor is plays an integral part of ...

If you find your way into oncology nursing, you may never leave. Jobs are plentiful, diverse and challenging, oncology nurses say. And once you've gotten a taste of caring for cancer patients, other nursing jobs pale in comparison. "It's ‘once an oncology nurse, always an oncology nurse,'" says Mary Murphy, MS, director of clinical systems at the Hospice of Dayton in ...

I had never heard of a private patient advocate. But I always knew I had more to offer than just carrying out written doctor’s orders, filling out the paperwork and going home. I started brainstorming and searching around online for answers. What I found was exciting: Private patient advocacy is an emerging field that brings together nursing and medicine with social ...

Here are just a few reasons to consider becoming a travel nurse. 1. Expand your skills and knowledge base. Travel nursing makes nurses better nurses. No matter where you work you'll be exposed to different ways of looking at nursing practice and you'll acquire new skills and knowledge. As a travel nurse, you'll have access to a variety of assignments around ...

When it's time to trade mannequins and simulations for real patients, even the most confident student nurse can get a case of the jitters. Many RNs-to-be worry not only about acing their clinical skills but also about getting along with patients and hospital personnel. "I tell students who are [starting their clinical education] that they really know more than they think ...

You are one of the most powerful sources of information. You have gone to school for at lease a dozen years, you may have worked at various jobs after school during the summers, you may have gone to places and met people who taught you many lessons in living. You may have married, returned to school after a personal experience with ...

If you're an adrenaline junkie seeking a lifetime of adventure, look no further than emergency nursing, where you could work to save lives in high-pressure situations. Here's a look at some of the aspects that set this niche apart. The Thrill According to Carol Howat, RN, BSN, a nurse in the emergency room of Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois, ...

I’m not sure if it’s a requirement for all nursing schools, but it seems that all of the schools I have heard of have some type of standardized testing system to test our knowledge. Our school uses ATI testing, others use HESI or other testing companies. Part of me understands the importance: we’re going to be responsible for all the information ...

Everyone knows the difficulty in getting into nursing educational programs. The problems with overcrowding in nursing programs have given rise to the use of lotteries and waiting lists. What prospective student has not experienced the problems inherent in waiting and waiting to enter an institution? And we all know the reason. The lack of nursing faculty has diminished the numbers of ...

Looking to sidestep the gloomy job market? Consider getting an MBA in health management. Recent findings from Moody's Investors Service indicate that President-elect Barack Obama's health-care proposals, if enacted, could galvanize the industry. The plans, which call for expanding the availability of health insurance and reducing health-care costs, could also increase demand for health-care management jobs. "If more people have health ...

With continuous cut-backs in education budgets, many school nurse positions are being eliminated, putting our nation’s children at serious risk. Part of the problem is the considerable misunderstanding of what school nurses do and the value they bring to the community, the educational system, and the healthcare system. There is considerable evidence to support the fact that fewer school nurses has ...

Now that you have had your license for a couple of years, you may be thinking about attending continuing education courses. Here are some thoughts about how to decide what kind of conference to attend and whether or not to do your learning virtually or in-person. Continuing Education requirements for registered nurses vary from State to State. Some states mandate as ...

Picking a nursing specialty is easy for some–harder for others! New nurses need to ultimately decide what area of nursing fits them intellectually and emotionally, and sometimes that takes real work as well as changing jobs. It is miserable to find oneself in an area of nursing that doesn’t fit–for me that would have been med/surg or ortho. Yet I know ...

Nurses often ask how they can find out what is happening in LTC and how can they get current and reputable information about nursing practice in LTC settings. We suggest that you use a “one-stop” shopping approach and look to the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations (CGNO) for the information you may need. The CGNO encompasses 8 organizations representing over 28,700 ...

Is a career in home healthcare right for you? The independence, one-on-one patient contact and flexibility appeal to many healthcare job seekers, but home health work isn't for everyone. If you're considering a job in home care, ask yourself the following questions -- courtesy of home health veterans -- to determine whether you'd be happy and successful in the field. Can ...

Now that school is out for the summer, it’s time for some much needed R&R. My guess is that although you’re loving your time off, you may be trying to fill the void in your life that was once consumed by mounds of books and endless study sessions. Here are a few ways to make this summer the best one yet! ...

Online Learning From a Renowned University Located in Jacksonville, Florida, JU is a regionally accredited university with one of the largest online RN to BSN programs in the country. But you don’t have to live in Florida or even the U.S. to learn from the best. With Jacksonville University’s online learning program you never have to visit campus or follow someone ...