Do you want to become a nurse but don’t know where to start out? This 10-step guide will help you find your way. You'll learn about the nursing profession, find out about the educational requirements and certifications, and get tips on how to survive your first year as a nurse. This guide is meant for prospective, current, and second career nurses ...

After nurses finish nursing school, choosing the right nursing specialty becomes their chief focus. With so many specialties to choose from, many prospective nurses find it difficult to just pick one, but with nearly every specialty requiring candidates to pass a series of exams and fulfill a period of on-the-job training, time is of the essence! Pay should not be your ...

Erin Downing is a 23 year old University of California, Santa Barbara graduate who will begin an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in September 2008 at Samuel Merritt College. Before pursuing nursing school, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In this interview, she shares her experiences, in her own words, with NursingLink. h4. How did you decide ...

What happens after you get hired? How do you make a success of yourself? The first year on the job is often the toughest for new nursing graduates, especially those who work in hospitals. In fact, new nurse graduates account for more than half of the turnover rate in some hospitals, according to a study published in 2007 by Johns Hopkins ...

When someone thinks about what they gain from their job, invariably salary rises to the surface. For nurses, it's no different. However, quality of life isn't solely about money. There's how much one enjoys their work, and of course perks and benefits. Many of the perks and benefits of being a nurse are monetary, either directly or indirectly helping nurses ...

Is it possible for a profession to have an identity crisis? If so, then nursing does. Nurses frequently fight among themselves about who should be called a nurse, and they fight with the outside world about whether nursing is a profession or a trade. So which one is it? Is nursing a profession? Or a trade? The world needs tradesmen. Even ...

There are many choices in the health care professions now. It used to be primarily doctors, nurses and dentists. Nursing is in competition with so many other health care professions. How can we help people choose nursing? One way you can see for yourself first hand is to become a patient, but that is not the recommended route. Many young people ...

Have you considered a career in nursing? It’s a very rewarding career, both monetarily and emotionally. Making a difference in people’s lives and bringing them hope and cheer is not something that you can achieve in just about any career. Read on to know why the nursing career is so rewarding. 1. There is great demand for nurses at present and ...

Ever wonder what it's like to step into someone else's shoes for a day? Maybe you are considering nurses and want to get an insider's view of the industry. Or maybe you are already a nurse and want to understand what a different specialty is like. Here's your chance. Our Day in the Life... series will virtually take you into the ...

It's been said that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. That's kind of what it's like for people who decide to become nurses after they've already gone to college. Perhaps you loved books so much you became a Literature major, happily earned a bachelor's degree but something didn't feel right. Sure, you could get a job ...

Considering Nursing? Nursing is the largest health care profession in the US, with over 2.9 million RNs nationwide. Because nurses are involved in every type of health care need from basic health to acute care, every nurse has followed a specific path of education to become an RN and develop an expertise. Not sure where you fit? This guide was designed ...

Yes. It can and does happen. Contrary to popular belief and myth, there really are male nurses out there! And yes, we do encounter discrimination every so often – some greater than others, and some more severe. I can remember when I first made the decision to be a nurse… “You want to be a Murse?” “I guess you didn’t want ...

It takes many great qualities to be a good nurse. Nursing as a specialty requires people to be as smart as doctors, as patient as a mother does, and as compassionate as a friend. A nursing career allows you to experience a level of personal gratification that does not come with any other job. What are the qualities that a great ...

Nursing is a noble career option. It’s a career that allows you to help save people’s lives, bring cheer, and comfort to those in need. The nursing career is very gratifying and rewarding in terms of the joys it brings. A few reasons why you should opt for a nursing career are listed below. You Will Find Great Job Security Being ...

1. You wash your hands before you use the bathroom. Isn’t microbiology a wonderful thing? My microbiology class scared the be-jeezus outta me. After that class I never looked at another public bathroom, restaurant, or salad bar the same. Things I notice about the ‘cleanliness’ of society leaves me speechless sometimes. If they only knew what they were really touching. 2. ...

In a very basic sense, nursing is a profession of love. Love means giving of yourself, without asking anything in return, and this is what nurses do every day. You never know what you’re going to get at the beginning of a shift. You might get a patient that is an absolute joy to work with and save lives. You ...

Any health care environment, be it a traditional hospital setting, a home health facility or even hospice care, have a hierarchy of health care professionals. Nurses are ranked by their level of education and licensure, as well as years of experience. Advanced and experienced nurses hold leadership positions, while entry-level nurses starting out their career as an LPN or aide, work ...

In a recent poll, nurses were once again at the top of 21 professions for honesty and ethics. We’ve held that spot for seven years now. That’s according to a Gallup Poll, 84% percent of Americans rate nurses’ honesty and ethics as “very high” or “high.” Understandably, we beat bankers, congressmen, journalists and lawyers, but we also out-perform physicians, pharmacists, teachers ...

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 ...

Although people considering careers in nursing come from all walks of life, many potential nurses share a surprisingly common set of questions and concerns, such as “Can I get into nursing school?” and “Am I crazy to become a nurse at my age?” Two nurses and a nursing professor address wannabe nurses’ frequently asked questions. How difficult is it to get ...