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 ...

Anyone who has completed nursing school can tell you where they have floundered in their education. These could be big mistakes, the school they chose, or small mistakes, “boy, I didn’t read that instructor very well.” But, here are five possible pit-falls that, in my experience, might be worth side-stepping… • *Gain some first hand knowledge of the field before choosing ...

There are nursing programs in the largest universities as well as the smallest community colleges. There are even online programs! So there's bound to be something for you. Here are the questions to ask yourself when selecting a school. Should I get an ADN or BSN? Deciding whether you want to go for an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree is ...

Nursing Clinicals clinicals to be stressful at first. You worry about whether you will make a mistake that could actually harm a patient. Nursing students joke about this (“I made it through clinicals today with out killing anyone!”) but the truth of the matter is that you can find yourself in some very stressful situations. Mental Preparation Be prepared for an ...

1. Be Prepared In your first semester of nursing school, the only way to be successful is to hit the ground running. The only way to hit the ground running is to be prepared. Make sure you've bought all the required books ahead of time. Make sure you have a plans in place to manage your time. Have kids? You better ...

A profession facing a predicted personnel shortage of 1 million by 2012 tends to get creative about helping career changers break into the field. That's exactly why diverse educational options are available to mid-career workers who want to switch gears and pursue a new career in nursing. "The variety is needed to avoid duplicative education efforts on the part of second-career ...

By now you know that there is a nursing shortage. What people don’t think about is the shortage of nursing instructors that goes along with this. What does this mean for you? It means that you may be facing waiting lists and steep competition among prospective nursing students. You will need to do everything possible to make sure you get to ...

If you elect to go the BSN or ADN route, here is a list of the prerequisites you most likely will be required to take: * General Biology * General Chemistry * Organic Chemistry * Microbiology * Anatomy & Physiology * Mathematics * Statistics * Nutrition * Developmental Psychology * English Composition * Multicultural Studies * General Education This list is ...

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 ...

Given the nursing shortage, it's unfortunate that nursing schools reject many eager prospective nurses each year. In 2007, nearly 31,000 qualified applicants were turned away due to a shortage of faculty and resources, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. In Maryland, nursing schools are "bursting at the seams," says Tracy Jamison, director of admissions at the University of ...

So what can you do to make your transition from nursing student to working nurse easier and your first years on the job more satisfying? Here are some issues to ask about and consider before and after taking the job. Ask About First-Year Nurse Turnover Rates High turnovers indicate how the employer treats first-year nurses, Benner says. Turnovers higher than 20 ...

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 ...

It's that time of the year again. Summer is coming to a close, the leaves are turning, and you are beginning to spend your money on books instead of bathing suits. Whether you can't wait to get back to the daily grind of studying and late nights, or you wish summer would last another three months, you need to be ready ...

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 ...

It is so great that you have decided to follow your dream and become a nurse. Now what? How do you start? There are many things to consider when deciding to enter the nursing field. Do you want to specialize? Is there an area of nursing that particularly “calls” to you? How will you support yourself and your family while you ...

[photo:180621]So you've decided to become a nurse, and it's the best decision you've ever made. Your life now has purpose, and you can't wait to have a job where you help people, handle new and challenging situations every day, and make a respectable living to boot. However, there's a problem. You can't get into nursing school. That's the biggest stumbling block ...

The Internet is overflowing with nursing school rankings, but just how are these lists composed? Many of them are ranked according to statistical averages of class size, number of teachers with Ph.D. status, tuition and program costs, outside funding provided to the school, ethnic breakdown, etc. When looking at rankings, keep in mind that many of them focus on different aspects ...

As an RN with several years’ experience in acute care nursing and supervision, along with more than two decades of experience in community health and education, my best advice to current nurses considering a leave from the field—for whatever reason— is to stay current with their license and skills. Even if that simply means working per diem one weekend per month, ...

What makes us student nurses stand out from the crowd? The good, the bad and everything in between, you know you’re a student nurse when: 1. You’re walking around looking like a marshmallow in your stiff, unstructured, stark-white scrubs. 2. You are more excited about drawing blood than all the vampires in Twilight put together. 3. Prepping an IV piggyback is ...

You will be happy to find out that getting hired is truly “the easy step.” In nursing school, the employers come to you. as you will find yourself at many career fairs, with nurse recruiters from local hospitals trying to entice you with their cool pens and magnets. Do not be dazzled! Decide what you are looking for before the recruiters ...