NursingLink

Nursing Students: Write Your Ticket to Madrid, Spain!

PR Newswire via Yellowbrix — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:39:00 -0700

GREEN BAY, Wis., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Undergraduate nursing students have an opportunity of a lifetime: write an article about nursing care for a chance to win a $2,000 scholarship to an international nursing conference in Madrid.

The article writing contest is sponsored by Gail Ladwig MSN, CHTP, RN and Betty Ackley MSN, EdS, RN, members of NANDA International (NANDA-I). "We believe this is a great way to encourage nursing students to learn more about NANDA-I and standardized nursing language (SNL)," said Ladwig. "Plus, it provides the winning essayist the opportunity to attend an international conference, where they can network with nursing leaders."

The student winner receives a $2,000 scholarship to the 2010 NANDA-I/AENTDE Joint International Nursing Diagnosis Congress. The theme of the conference is: Towards a Global Future for Nursing - Developing Language, Sharing Knowledge. The student will present his/her winning article in poster format at the Madrid conference. Following the conference, the winning article will be submitted to the International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications for possible publication. The winning student will also receive a one-year paid membership in NANDA-I.

Details of the article writing contest include:

-- Open worldwide, to students enrolled in an undergraduate nursing degree / first entry into practice program.

-- Topic is "Promoting safety and evidence-based nursing care for patients in the clinical setting, by using NANDA-I SNL."

-- Entries will be judged on originality of thought and the clarity with which the importance of SNL is addressed.

-- Submissions due by November 20, 2009.

-- Nine one-year paid memberships in NANDA-I will be awarded to the first nine articles submitted.

-- Judging will occur in December 2009 with the winner notified by January 2010.

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-- A complete listing of the contest rules and entry information at:

www.nanda.org

"We are excited about this opportunity," said Professor Dickon Weir-Hughes, President of NANDA-I. "It is outstanding that two of our members have taken the initiative to fund this effort. It shows their commitment to NANDA-I and to the next generation of nurses."

NANDA International is an organization of nursing professionals from more than 20 countries, that develops, refines and promotes terminology that accurately reflects nurses' clinical judgments. To learn more, go to: www.nanda.org

House Passes Overhaul of College Aid Program

Associated Press/AP Online — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:15:00 -0700

WASHINGTON - The House has voted in favor of the biggest overhaul of college aid programs since their creation in the 1960s - a bill to oust private lenders from the student loan business and put the government in charge.

Thursday's vote was 253-171 in favor of a bill that fulfills an array of President Barack Obama's campaign promises, ending subsidies for private lenders, boosting Pell Grants for needy students and paying for community college reforms, among other things.

The measure goes next to the Senate, where its fate is a little less certain.

Putting the government in charge of all federal loans would save taxpayers an estimated $87 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO says the figure could be much lower, $47 billion, when administrative costs and market conditions are considered.

The money would boost Pell Grants for needy students, increasing the maximum grant by $1,400 to $6,900 over the next decade. It also would pay for a new college completion fund, community college reforms and more college aid for veterans.

"No student in this great country of ours should have to mortgage their future to pursue their dreams," said the bill's sponsor, California Democratic Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

Yet the money also would be spent on things that don't help pay for college, such as construction at K-12 schools and new preschool programs.

As consumers, college students probably wouldn't notice much difference in their loans, which they would get through their schools. Broadly speaking, the bill doesn't do much to make loans cheaper or help pay them off.

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It does keep interest rates for need-based federal loans from jumping from 3.4 percent currently to 6.8 percent as scheduled in 2012. Rates for most other loans would remain at 6.8 percent.

Still, the bill's changes to federal college aid programs would be the most sweeping since their creation in the 1960s and would fulfill a campaign promise by President Barack Obama.

The measure would end the subsidized loan program under which private lenders made $56 billion in government-backed loans to more than 6 million students last year, compared with $14 billion in direct loans from the government.

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The bill would also shorten the labyrinthine college aid form, which Obama proposed to eliminate altogether when he ran for president.

Republican critics argue it is wrong to put the government in near-total control of student lending.

"Ask yourselves whether another government takeover is what we need right now," said Minnesota Rep. John Kline, senior Republican on the Education Committee.

Many also worry about job losses in their districts. Private lenders employ more than 30,000 people whose jobs depend on the subsidized loan program, and the industry says many would be laid off.

Employees of Sallie Mae, the biggest student lender, have been trying to involve local leaders in the issue and recently held a series of town hall meetings and petition drives in Pennsylvania, Florida, Delaware, New York and Indiana.

The Reston, Va.-based lender has about 8,500 employees in the program and probably would lay off about 30 percent of those workers. It still will have contracts to service federal loans.

Democratic Rep. David Wu of Oregon said lenders still could make all the loans they want. "What will not happen anymore is making those student loans with taxpayer subsidies," he said.

Under the measure, Pell Grants would rise slightly more than inflation over the next decade, increasing on average by about 2.6 percent yearly, according to the bill's sponsors.

However, the grants would still depend on annual spending bills and could rise less than promised, as has happened in the past.

Obama originally proposed to take Pell Grants out of lawmakers' hands entirely, making the program an entitlement like Social Security and Medicare, which would have cost an estimated $117 billion - more than lawmakers have to spend.

Paramedic Bridge to RN Programs

Hollis Forster — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:23:00 -0700

Another innovation in nursing education and maybe another way to get more RNs onto the hospital floors sooner!

If you are a paramedic but have been frustrated by the inability to advance in the medical field, this maybe the way for you to achieve some higher career goals with an abbreviated course of study. You still are expected to fulfill the pre-requisites of a nursing program (anatomy and physiology, chemistry, math, and general education classes) but the first year of the nursing classes seems to be shortened in most of these programs.

For instance, you complete your pre-requisites, then take a “bridge course,” over a span of several weeks, and then you can enter the third semester of the nursing program classes, thereby reducing the nursing curriculum part of your training to one year instead of two.

The reason for this is the intense learning you have already mastered by becoming a paramedic and working in the field. Here are some requirements of some of the programs that offer this opportunity:

1. Licensure as a paramedic.

2. Two years experience in the field as a paramedic (it is unclear that every program demands this).

3. Completion of pre-requisites for nursing including anatomy and physiology, chemistry, math, and other general education courses.

4. GPA of 2.5 or greater

Many of the bridge program courses and the pre-requisites can be done as on-line courses. This is always great for working adults trying to advance their education. It means you do not need to give up your job to go back to school.
What about the differences between paramedic and nursing practice. What kinds of adjustments or changes will a seasoned paramedic need to make in their practice and mind set in order to be a successful nurse?

1. Targeted, emergency care: although many newly educated paramedics will go into emergency care, general nursing care is aimed at care of the patient with a longer view of their disease or life issues in mind. That is, although emergent care is essential to know, nursing also involves the patient’s nutritional needs, support systems, on-going care of chronic problems and preventive care.

2. Ability to advance your career: Maybe this does not mean too much of a mind-set change, but you will have greater flexibility with your career with a nursing degree. You can do emergency nursing, where there will be less emphasis on continuity of care and preventive medicine, but you can also move into administrative roles, community nursing, even teaching, if you decide to complete an MS degree.

Where paramedics can make $30-50,000 a year, even Associate degree nurses can make twice that amount depending on the state where you are practicing and the field of nursing you enter.

3. Practice environment: My son, who was a paramedic and is working on entering a nursing program just told me he thinks that the adjustment to working in a hospital setting will involve a little challenge. He thinks the hospital will be busier, with the necessity for more multi-tasking. Handling many things at once may be different for the paramedic, where the work was more targeted, directed and immediate.

There will be challenges and growth experiences involved in this kind of program and this new career path, but the opportunity to make a change with the support of the educational system is exciting.

10 Things to Remember When Choosing a Nursing School

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:46:00 -0700

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 go to school? There can be a lot of anxiety and worry in making this decision.

And one of the decisions you will have to make is where to apply to school. Here are ten items to consider when looking at schools. Start with this list then add to it as you go. That is, you may decide on one school and then find something in their curriculum or policies that you just cannot live with. Add that to your list, so you remember to ask that question of other institutions.

Here are my 10!

1. Find a school that matches your career desires. Whether you choose to follow a two year path to get an A.D.N. or a longer path that culminates in a MSN or a doctorate, be sure and choose a school that offers the right degree for you. Be sure you factor in whether or not you have a degree in another subject. Some schools recognize this and give you credit for your classes.

2. Location, location, location. Be sure that the schools you apply to are accessible without too much travel or hassle. Also, consider class schedules. Does the school offer a schedule of classes that you can get to easily and seems to fit with your life and other responsibilities.

3. Does the school offer on-line classes? This is a good compromise if the school is some distance away. Maybe you can complete some classes from the comfort of your home office.

4. Look at the specialty you may want to enter. Schools often direct their curriculum to certain specialties. Find a school that values the direction you would like to take in your career.

5. Be sure the school you choose is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or both. These bodies review the schools policies, curriculum, financial standing, boards of trustees and instructors. It could be difficult to move on in your education and career if you graduate from a school that is not accredited by one of these bodies.

6. Tuition and the possibility for financial aid may be very important to you. Make sure you find out about these before signing on the dotted line. And consider finding out about tuition reimbursement if something happens and you cannot complete your course of study.

7. Some schools give educational credit for experience you have had in the health care profession. If you have worked in a health care setting, find out if you can get credit at your institution of choice.

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8. Tests for admission to a school are not unusual. There is a pre-admission test given by the National League of Nursing (NLN) that some schools require, and there are other tests that you may be expected to pass before admission. Be sure you know what these are and are prepared to take them.

9. Clinical rotations can be the most valuable part of the nursing school experience. Look into where the school holds its rotations. Is it acceptable to you? Is this the experience you would like because it’s the kind of setting where you would like to practice? Don’t forget to evaluate this important area of your learning.

10. Lastly, check the schools pass rates for the NCLEX exam. When you finish your degree, you will be required to take this exam in order to get a license in the state where you want to practice. You can ask for the pass rates of this exam for the last five to ten years and get an idea about how the curriculum and teaching methods of the school prepare students to take and pass that exam.

Although there are many issues to consider when choosing a nursing school, you will find one that fits all your requirements, accepts you as a student and passes you with flying colors. Be careful, be persistent, and be a nurse.

Answers to The Nursing Calculations Quiz

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:30:00 -0700

Ready to see how you did on the Nursing Calculations quiz?

Check out the answers now!

Answers are in red.

Haven't taken The Nursing Calculations Quiz? Don't cheat! Take the quiz now!

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1. To divide by 100 you move the decimal point two places to the:

Left

Right

2. Convert 0.075g to mg

7.5mg

75mg

750mg

3. What is 0.007L in mL?

0.7ml

7ml

70ml

4. What is 6.326 correct to two decimal places?

6.3

6.33

6.326

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5. Multiply 8.3 x 0.07

0.058

0.581

5.81

6. A patient is ordered 0.06grams of Codeine. Your stock is in 30mg tablets. How many tablets should be given?

0.5

1

2

2.5

7. If you have 60mg, 80mg, 120mg and 160mg tablets, a required dose of 280mg and you can only give whole tablets. What is the least amount of tablets you can give?

2

3

4

8. You have a syrup of penicillin of 250mg/5ml. How many milligrams of penicillin are in 20ml of syrup?

750

1000

1250

2000

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9. What volume of phenytoin 20mg/ 5ml do you give if 30mg has been ordered?

7.5mL

75mL

8mL

80mL

10. You have Heparin at a strength of 5000 units/5mL. What volume do you need to give 900 units?

0.9mL

9.0mL

5.5mL

55mL

11. A patient will receive 750ml of normal saline and the fluid is delivered at 25mL/hour. How long will the fluid last?

25 hours

30 hours

33 hours

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12. You have 80ml of fluid containing 75mg of gentamicin and an infusion time of 35 mins. What’s the required pump setting in mL/hour?

136mL/hour

137mL/hour

171mL/hour

172mL/hour

13. If a patient needs a unit of packed cells over three hours, a unit contains 250mL and the I.V. set delivers 15 drops/mL. What drip rate in drops per minute is needed?

21

22

23

24

14. What size of single dose of Amoxicillin would be needed for a child weighing 27kg when they are prescribed 40mg/kg/day, 4 doses per day?

250mg/dose

260mg/dose

270mg/dose

275mg/dose

What Are You Doing for Your Summer Vacation?

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:34:00 -0700

Summer is the time for fun in the sun, escape from the city and a little time to relax…how can you get those and still practice the art of nursing? Consider these two ideas:

Summer Camp Nurse! As a camp nurse, you can work four or eight week stints in a camp with 7-15 year olds children. Camps employ RNs, LPNs and student nurses, who can be assistants in the health center. Often there is a rotating doctor who comes to the camp at intervals during the summer and there could be a small team of three-four nurses who care for the staff and campers.

I actually did this one summer. I was a camp nurse for two weeks in the Sierra Nevada mountains in my son’s camp. His tuition was free and he thought it was quite fun having me there. I took care of homesickness, and cuts and scrapes. The cutest incident of the week occurred when one of my son’s friends ran into the nurse’s cabin to announce that a bug had flown into his ear and it would not come out. He was very worried it was going to get into his brain.
Here’s the list of responsibilities for a camp nurse:

• Dispense medications to the children

• Provide first aid to campers and staff

• Care for homesick children

• Be aware of any special health needs and provide for them

• Liaise with the local doctors, hospitals and pharmacies

• Communicate with parents

• Accompany sick campers to the hospital or to medical appointments if necessary.

Meanwhile, you’ll be in the mountains or at the seashore, enjoying the outdoors, and the quiet, away from the television and the lights and flash of the city.

Cruise Ship Nurse! On the other hand, here’s a travel, vacation alternative. There will probably be a little more glitz than summer camp, but if the wide open sea calls to you, here is a possibility.

Medical teams on cruise ships are headed by a physician, but they use RNs to help run the health centers that are crucial to the functioning of the ship. RNs can make about $2200-2900 per month for providing care to staff and passengers. Requirements for the job include experience or training in first aid and trauma care, and the cruise lines prefer RNs with recent hospital experience. There does not seem to be any requirement for any specific degree. An active RN license is sufficient. Think how exciting it could be to travel for a month in the summer, exploring the ports and enjoying the ocean.
Where you travel probably dictates the kind of care that you may need to deliver. One article I ran across said that with cruises to Alaska you care more for respiratory infections, and, of course, you may see sunburn and exposure problems for cruises to the sunnier and warmer climates.

These possibilities for a little vacation while you are practicing your skills could offer you a real break from hospital work. Consider taking your vacation time and using your knowledge to help care for the staff, passengers and campers traveling the oceans and trekking the land this summer. It may give you the break you have been craving!

Nursing Informatics- Another Career Avenue

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:57:00 -0700

As we are all aware, electronic health records, on-line learning and countless other forms of technological assistance tools for the medical professional are here and here to stay. These valuable resources can offer the hospital or ambulatory care nurse the possibility of medical records readily at hand, reminders of allergies, and quick references for patient care essentials. However, all of these technologies need medical professionals who are willing to assure they are responding to the needs of the clinicians on the floor or in the clinic. Electronic health records are designed by vendors. Perhaps they have medical input into their development, however, using a system “out of the box” for your clinic will probably not fly. The systems need tweaking and adjusting to your needs, your protocols, your specific populations of patients. And, of course, after the system is in place, training staff, maintaining the system and assuring its ongoing quality will be someone’s responsibility. Nurses are precisely poised to adopt these roles. Having the knowledge of medicine with the practical experience of work on the hospital floor or in an ambulatory setting can give you the advantage to make a real difference in the creation of an electronic health record system that will really help the staff instead of frustrating them.

On-line learning is also becoming a major player in the education of nurses and support staff. The cost benefits of avoiding travel as well as the convenience of learning between patients or at home are contributing to the acceptance of these courses presented in an on-line format. But these courses are difficult and time consuming to develop. Subject matter experts are needed in a vast variety of disciplines within the healthcare arena. And, you could be there, to help in the development of the best learning tools, contributing to patient safety by creating the best resources possible for your staff.

These two new health informatics paths are only a sampling of the kind of technology that is available now to the medical profession and two of the paths that need nursing leadership to develop the best tools for nursing use.

According to some, this is the “hottest” new field in nursing. Nursing Informatics has been around for a decade, at least, and there are credentialing bodies and certification programs to prove it. Informatics nurses can be certified through the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center). They offer a test that you are eligible to sit for if you have a:

• Current RN license
• BA or BSN
• Have worked for two years as an RN
• Have worked for 2000 hours in informatics within the last three years, or
• Have worked for 1000 hours and have taken 12 hours of academic credits in informatics, or
• Have completed a graduate program in informatics.

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You can begin to get experience in this exciting new field with weekend immersion programs or other CEU opportunities.

And, with fewer requirements, you can get a certification in Health IT (including, of course, the training to back up the certificate) through the organization, ANIA (American Nurses Informatics Association). This website can give you valuable information about schools that offer graduate degrees in informatics, CEU opportunities, possibilities of certification in this field and just general information about the possibility of this specialty in your life.

Moving into this career path can be incredibly rewarding. You will be helping your organization make decisions about technology (E.H.R., learning opportunities, point of service decision making tools) that can make you patient’s care safer and your peers work-day less stressful and more satisfying. If you have the talent or the drive to consider looking at this opportunity, I am sure your colleagues will thank you for it!

The NCLEX: How To Prepare

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:38:00 -0700

You have just completed years of nursing school, you have requested licensure from your state and you have registered to take “the exam.” What do you do now? How can you be sure you will pass the test that will allow you to practice? How do you stop feeling so anxious about the test and your future?

The NCLEX is an exam used by the State Boards of Nursing to evaluate nurses as they enter the work force, their competency for licensure and for functioning as a nurse. It is used for both RN and LPN candidates and is a computerized adaptive test. You have probably heard a lot about it as you progressed through your classes, but now it is time to face it.

I, of course, took this exam with a number two pencil and paper, and this current method of testing is fascinating to me. In the tutorial they offer, you will learn:

1. The “adaptive” nature of the test. You only have to take as many questions as will prove that you have the knowledge to “pass.”

2. The logistics of the test. It may be disconcerting to find out on the day of the exam that you will be video-taped and
audio-taped while taking the test. The tutorial reviews that kind of information.

3. The computerized nature of the questions and how to answer them using the mouse and keyboard (pretty cool, really!)

4. The look and feel of the test.

It seems to me that this tutorial has the capacity to significantly reduce anxiety about the test, just by familiarizing you with what you will see in front of you when you sit for the exam.

There are many different ways to prepare for this important exam. It would be unwise to enter this test without any preparation, but this prep can take many different forms. Some students take extensive and expensive review courses, some count on review with friends or fellow students, and some merely hope for the best. Whatever path you choose, aim to do that which reduces your anxiety and mentally prepares you to pass this test with flying colors. Good luck to you…you can do it.

About Accelerated Programs for BSN and MSN

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:23:00 -0700

Many people decide after they have completed their education they really want to be a nurse. Several years ago, nursing schools started admitting these students, to “accelerated” programs. For those who have completed another course of study and have a degree in another major, these accelerated programs allow for completion of a nursing BSN in as little as eleven months. At first there were only a few of these programs, but they have grown in popularity and as of 2008, the number of BSN accelerated programs number 218, with over 20 new programs under development. Forty three states have BSN accelerated programs, including Puerto Rico and Washington DC.

Master’s degrees in nursing can also be completed with accelerated programs. Currently there are over 50 programs in the U.S. that offer an MSN accelerated program, with several new programs under development. You can complete this program in about three years. Master’s degrees in nursing can open the doors to highly paid administrative positions and to teaching appointments. One of the major reasons there is currently such difficulty for prospective students to get into nursing programs is that there is a severe lack of nursing instructors and these accelerated programs can offer the possibility of educating another generation of instructors so there are adequate numbers of nursing educators and we can take one more step toward alleviating the nursing shortage.

If you have a degree in another subject and would like to enter nursing, usually a GPA of 3.0 is acceptable.
The nursing programs and future employers appreciate these accelerated students. The schools find that students that come to nursing with another degree are often very motivated, older and more mature than other students. They have also proven themselves as students. They know how to study, but more than that, they know how to really learn a subject. They are also eager and dedicated to learning the art and science of nursing. They bring to their education, and later to their jobs a wider world view, because of their previous education. Knowledge of philosophy, literature, business, or the physical sciences can expand your general knowledge base and make you a more empathetic nurse, one who is able to relate to patients on a different level than someone who has only concentrated in nursing.

The hospitals who employ these nurses report they often have stronger skills, and are often a “quick study.” They learn their jobs quickly and effectively.

If you have a degree in another major and are interested in nursing, consider these accelerated programs to help you complete your goal more quickly and to get you out to the nursing field where you can offer your patients empathy, quality nursing care and the benefit of your wide range of experience.

Alternative Medicine and Hospice Care: A Very Special Specialty for LPN/RNs

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:30:00 -0700

After being reminded of the value of yoga principles and other alternative therapies recently I began some research in the possibilities of these in relation to expanding the career horizons of the LPN and RN.

With the aging of the population, hospice care has become a valuable specialty in nursing care. Nurses are needed to provide basic nursing care, to oversee the program aides and to be the “eyes and ears” of the physician concerning the condition of the patient. And, of course, these are just the “jobs” of the nurse. Not enough praise can be given to the hospice nurse as she/he tends to the dying individual and their family. The passing from this life is a transition, for the patient and the family, and it demands respect, nurturing and quality of care equal to the most difficult cardiac surgery or neurosurgical procedure. This is also an area of nursing where alternative therapies can be used hand in hand with more traditional methods of palliative care.

Searching the internet has revealed to me several opportunities for nurses to become certified in alternative approaches to palliative and hospice care. Some of the traditions that are taught in these courses include:

• Yoga therapy with in-bed postures

• Reiki

• Aromatherapy

• Nutrition

• Education in death and dying awareness

Clinical experience is offered at large urban hospitals or in your current practice, if appropriate and proper over-sight is available. Learning takes place under the tutelage of expert and respected alternative therapy instructors.
These programs are a departure from the typical traditional specialties available to nurses. This is an opportunity to encompass values of wellness and alternative medicine into your care of patients. It may also an opportunity for you to grow yourself for your career as well as for your spirituality. It is a way to give comfort and care to patients when they need it the most, at the transition from this life.

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The Hospice Patients Alliance website has a very sweet quotation. It says, “May the path you choose bring peace and comfort to your loved one.” May the path you choose also bring that same to you.

CEU’s- Virtual Learning VS Being There

Hollis Forester, RNC-NP — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:24:00 -0700

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 many as 30 hours of documented CEU’s (continuing education units) every two years, other states have no requirements. Advanced Practice Nurses are more frequently required to document continuing education than registered nurses, and there are few rules for Licensed Practical Nurses. Of course, as a professional nurse, there are ethical considerations for updating your practice. And for most, learning the newest and best is a matter of interest and stems from a strong desire to stay current with nursing practice as opposed to being an externally imposed requirement.

There are many ways to get continuing education units. There is a plethora of on-line courses available and it is not difficult to find a conference of interest in a location you have been dreaming of visiting (like those in Hawaii or Mexico).
How to decide where to go? Certainly, in terms of content, consider what kind of practice you are engaged in, what would help you do a better job, what weaknesses (challenges) have you noticed in you work (be honest with yourself, of course). You may choose something directly connected with your everyday job functions (a task oriented course) or you may want to delve into something a little more abstract (management and leadership styles), you may also want to learn something completely different to expand your horizons and possibly your value to the team (being a nurse legal consultant or obstetric nursing). So, CONTENT is the first decision to consider.

Next, think about how you learn best. Do you do well with little interaction? Or does it help you to ask questions, or even just hear the questions other people ask? Would you like to see the expert delivering the information and maybe talk with him or her after the lecture? How do you best absorb and retain information? Developing some answers to these questions will help you decide between an on-line venue and a live one. The next decision then is, HOW DO YOU BEST LEARN? Of course, you can use both technologies. Maybe one year attend a two or three day conference and the next year stay closer to home and your computer for your learning adventures.

What are some advantages of an in-person conference? There are many reasons to attend live conferences for your continuing education. The networking possibilities are a very valuable reason. You can network with other nurses in your field, or other nurses in fields you may want to learn about. You can also be exposed to the vendors that provide your practice or hospital with the equipment and supplies you use everyday. You may even be able to point out improvements they can make in their products to make your practice and the care you provide to your patients better. The vendor exhibits at these events are always very interesting and seeing them adds to your knowledge base about your practice.

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The conferences often have a meal or two included in with their registration fee, so if you like “a free lunch” you may be able to find it!

The cost of on-line and in-person conferences, of course, varies widely depending on the length of the course, how many CEU’s are being offered, and for conferences, the location, hotel and number of speakers.
I found some on-line courses of about one hour in length (usually one hour of lecture equals one CEU), that cost $15.00. I found three day conferences available for around $750. The in-person conference for $750.,offered 23 CEU’s, which means the cost per CEU was about $32.00, where the cost of the on-line CEU’s were $15.00 each. But, remember the additional possibilities of networking with peers, vendors and experts that occurs during an in-person conference.

Completing continuing education courses on-line also has many benefits, especially for the busy nurse. You can complete the course after the children are in bed, or any time and place of your choosing. You can avoid the cost of travelling, the hotel, meals and taxis needed to attend a conference, as well as save the time (and perhaps, your exposure to a virus or two). Many of the courses found on line are the exact course delivered by the expert at a recent conference, so you hear the information straight from the expert without the travel. These reasons for choosing on-line education are compelling for some.

My advice? Mix it up. Develop a plan to assure you always are at the “top of your game” in nursing, with a robust knowledge base to assure your value to your team and an outlook that includes continuous learning throughout your career. On-line or in person, learning should never stop.

Top Specialties for Nurses with an MSN

Angie Strawn, MSN, RN, Associate Dean, University of Phoenix College of Nursing — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:24:00 -0700

Tired of the hospital setting or looking for a new challenge? Fortunately, the delivery of health care today is less hospital-based and more focused on delivery of care in various community-based environments. This reality opens the door for nurses who pursue additional skills and knowledge through a Master’s of Nursing (MSN) degree and/or certificate programs. Some examples include:

Clinical nurse specialists who perform advanced work in specialized fields such as oncology or mental health.

Certified nurse midwives who help women through pregnancy, childbirth, and help care for their newborns.

Faith-based community nurses who provide health promotion, education and health care within a faith community, often devoting attention to the spiritual, as well as physical aspects of health and healing.

Family Nurse practitioners who perform many primary care functions while collaborating with physicians in such settings as clinics, hospitals, and in foreign medical missionary service.

Flight nurses who care for patients as they are transported by air ambulance from the scene of injury/illness to a health care facility or from one facility to another.

Forensic nurses who use their nursing skills and knowledge of pathophysiology to solve cases, often in the criminal justice system.

Legal nurse consultants who perform review of medical records for insurance claims and/or to advise on litigation.

Nurse anesthetists who anesthetize patients in the operating room, emergency room and elsewhere.

Nurse educators who design and implement education for nurses and or teach nursing students.

Nursing informatics specialists who perform data management and information technology as it relates to health care.

Nurse researchers who study ways to improve nursing methods and evaluate patterns of patient care.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of career opportunities for nurses pursuing higher education and thus advancement in their careers. As our population continues to age and the demand for easier, faster and more convenient health care rises, so will the opportunity for nurses to creatively expand their roles.

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Quiz Results: How Well Do You Know Your Healthcare Acronyms?

Tue, 19 May 2009 11:43:00 -0700

You took the quiz, now find out how you did! Questions and answers are featured - the correct answers are in bold. Click to the next page to learn the answers...but don't cheat!

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1. HIPAA stands for:

• Health Insurers Placement Association of America

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

• Health Indicators Profit Accessibility Act

• Health Information Professionals Accountability Act

2. ME stands for:

• Minor emergency

• Medical emergency

• Master of Emergencies

• Management emergency

3. ATD stands for:

• Ambulatory Treatment Device

• Administrative Teaching Director

• Academic Teaching Director

• Admission, Treatment, Discharge

4. CRNA stands for:

• Critical Registerd Nurse Assistant

• Clinical Resident of National Association

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

• Code Recognition Neo-Natal Assistant

5. PAS stands for:

• Patient Accounting System

• Patient Administrative System

• Physician Administration Studies

• Physician Accounting System

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6. GME stands for:

• General Medical Education

• Graduate Medical Education

• Group Membership Electonrics

• Gross Medical Emergency

7. NICU stands for:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

• Nursing Intensive Care Unit

• National Idependent Clinic University

8. N.D. stands for:

• Neonatal Doctor

• Nursing Doctor

• Doctor of Nursing

• Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

9. UCC stands for:

• Urgent Critical Care

• Unique Care Center

• Urgent Care Center

• Undergraduate Care Center

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10. SDS stands for:

• Strategic Development System

• Same-Day Surgery

• School of Dietary Sciences

• System of Dentistry Schools

11. PRN stands for:

• Physician Referral Network

• Patient Referral Network

• Patment Registration Network

• Prospective Registrar Network

12. OPD stands for:

• Operating Programs Department

• Outpatient Department

• Occuapational Physician Department

• Office of Patient Development

13. RN stands for:

• Registered Nurse

• Restricted Nurse

• Request for Nurses

• Relative Nurse

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14. ICU stands for:

• International Care University

• Integrated Care Utilization

• Intensive Care Unit

• Intensive Clinical Use

15. CPX stands for:

• Center for Physical Exams

• Complete Physical Exam

• Critical Physical Exam

• Cautionary Physical Exam

16. FFS stands for:

• Fee-For-Service

• Fee-Free System

• Free Federal System

• Federal Faculty Society

17. TH stands for:

• Total Healthcare

• Tax-Free Hospital

• Tele-Hospital

• Teaching Hospital

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18. PA stands for:

• Practical Assistant

• Physician's Association

• Physician Assistant

• Patient Assembly

19. LOS stands for:

• Length of Stay

• Longevity of System

• Licensed Operating System

• Local Operating Suture

20. IVF stands for:

• Intensive Vascular Facility

• Indirect Ventrical Finances

• In Vitro Fertilization

• In Vitro Faculty

Invite your friends to take the quiz!

Take more quizzes!

Comprehensive NCLEX Study Guide - Quiz Yourself!

NursingLink — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:57:00 -0700

Passing the NCLEX exam is one of the most important steps en route to becoming a nurse. Though it is inevitable that it, like all exams, will make prospective nurses stressed and feeling overwhelmed, there are several important tips that may serve to mitigate these pressures.

First of all, It is important to remember that the NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN are designed to test your ability to assess a patient’s medical condition and not your knowledge of every medical term involved. That being said, you should rely more on the assessments that you studied through your coursework rather than through practical experience. Think you're ready to take the NCLEX? Before you step into the test room, evaluate your knowledge by taking NursingLink's free mini NCLEX-quizzes. See your grade and how you compare with the rest of the NursingLink community.

Start now and take all the quizzes below!

	Would You Pass the NCLEX? Part I
	Would You Pass the NCLEX? Part II
	Would You Pass the NCLEX? Part III
	Would You Pass the NCLEX? Part IV
	NCLEX Review Series: Communicable Disease Practice Exam
	NCLEX Medication Study Guide
	Would You Pass the Mathematics Section of the NCLEX?
	Would You Pass the Vocab / Spelling Section of the NCLEX?

How To Get Back Into Nursing If You’ve Dropped Out

Angie Strawn, MSN, RN, Associate Dean, University of Phoenix College of Nursing — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:31:00 -0700

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, it is much easier to keep your skills and experience current than to attempt to re-enter the workforce.

If you are a nurse who still has an active license, but has been out of patient care for less than five years (in most states, five is the maximum number of years a nurse can be out of the field without consequence), a nursing refresher course may be mandated by the perspective employer. If you are a nurse who has been out of the patient care field and allowed your nursing license to become inactive, a nursing refresher course is often mandated by the individual state boards of nursing licensure. These refresher courses can be costly from a time and monetary standpoint. A quick review of available courses ranged from 46 hours (28 theory and 18 clinical) to 240 hours (80 theory and 160 clinical) and from $500 to $940. Be sure to check with your state board for specific requirements. And to perform the clinical component of the refresher courses, a nurse will have to acquire professional liability insurance and find a preceptor, both of which may be difficult from a “risk” perspective due to the gap in experience.

Despite the reportedly significant shortage of nurses in most states, simply taking the refresher course may not make a nurse who has been absent from the discipline an attractive hire for many hospitals or health care systems. An inactive nurse may find it difficult to adapt to the significant changes in the delivery of health care. For instance, technological innovation has increased the use of electronic patient records, patient monitoring and the like. And nursing today is a much more evidence- or research-based practice. For example, a more mature nurse might say, “We do it that way because we’ve always done it that way;” whereas the new thinking is “We do it this way because research indicates this will bring the best result.” There is also a much greater need to understand diversity—whether ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation or geographic—in terms of both the people needing service and the providers with whom nurses work.

However, for an inactive nurse who is ready and willing to do the work required to update his or her knowledge and skills, there are opportunities both in and outside of the hospital setting.

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50% Savings on 1300 Presentations from National Conferences Including CE Credit!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:07:00 -0700

NursingLink, in collaboration with Contemporary Forums, is pleased to offer to all NursingLink Subscribers the opportunity to select from over 1300 online presentations that have been given at recent national conferences, at a 50% savings until year end! These presentations are accessible through Contemporary Forums’ Online CE Library, include CE Credit, are accessible 24/7, can be shared with colleagues, and cover a wide variety of clinical specialties.

Simply go to onlinecelibrary.com, browse by specialty, conference or speaker then select the sessions you wish to purchase. During the checkout process simply enter the code NL9CF into the “Promotional Coupon” box and click “Apply” to receive your 50% discount toward all of your purchases made before 12/31/09. Offer can be applied to any number of purchases and content can be viewed for up to two years so take advantage of this opportunity now! You can even share this 50% discount code with your colleagues to use for all of their orders.

Why You Should Go Back to School

Donna Cardillo, RN, BS / Verticalnet, Inc. — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:26:00 -0700

When I decided, a little over ten years ago, to go back to college to pursue my bachelor’s degree, I viewed it as a necessary evil. I was contemplating starting my own business and believed I should “beef up” my credentials before moving forward. I saw the whole ordeal as a timely, expensive exercise that would yield me little more than a piece of paper.

I was in for a pleasant surprise. I got so much more.

When I graduated from a diploma nursing school in the early 1970s, I had no intention of ever returning to school for any reason. I had my career as a nurse and absolutely no desire to continue my education. In fact, I achieved a good deal of success without a degree and never saw any benefit in obtaining one. Besides, I never particularly liked school, and really didn’t have the time or money to go back.

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When I decided to return, I wasn’t interested in obtaining a BSN, so I enrolled in a BS, Health Care Management program. I was delighted to discover that the majority of my fellow classmates were just like me. They were “older” adults with full lives that included jobs, families and many other things. We were all in the same boat and that, somehow, made it more tolerable.

*Renewed life*

As I proceeded with my coursework, amazing things began to happen. I found out that through reading assignments, classroom discussions, and assigned research and projects, I actually began to learn more about my profession, the world around me, and myself. I felt parts of my brain coming to life that had been lying dormant for years. I was being challenged in many ways and forced to think about things I had previously taken for granted or assumed I knew everything about.

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I began to feel a sense of accomplishment for just having gotten myself back into school. I was developing an increasing sense of self-esteem, and much to my surprise, was learning something. These were all unexpected benefits of returning to school.

When I finally graduated, after several years of sacrifice and hard work, I realized that earning my degree filled a gap in me that I wasn’t even aware existed. It gave me a sense of closure. I found myself going out into the world with greater self-confidence and purpose. I realized that my previous lack of degree had actually been holding me back, in subtle ways, from pursuing even bigger, better dreams. Now, I felt as though nothing was holding me back and I attacked life with renewed gusto.

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I entered graduate school several years ago and am currently pursuing an MA in corporate and public communication. Once again I find myself using parts of my mind that had been unchallenged for awhile. I’m learning even more and building a solid foundation for my professional practice.

In addition to the knowledge I’m gaining, I’m honing my writing, speaking, organizational, and research capabilities. I continue to build a sense of confidence and accomplishment for my efforts. Graduate study is expanding my mind in ways I never thought possible. I’m forming opinions about things I never gave much thought to. I’m seeing that the world is much less black and white than I had previously thought.

*Getting back*

If you have ever thought of going back to school, just do it. The first step is to choose a school and a major and do what it takes to get enrolled. Use the Internet to search and get more information or go to your public library and ask the librarian to show you were to find books that list universities by major and geographic location. Then send for catalogs and see what appeals to you. Many colleges today have special programs for nontraditional students.

Once you’re in, just keep plugging along knowing that eventually you’ll come to the end. If you never start, you’ll never finish. Do you need to get a BSN or MSN to be successful in nursing? Not necessarily. If you wish to pursue a nursing degree, great. But many nurses are going for degrees in healthcare management, health education, business, psychology, communication and other related fields. All of these majors compliment your nursing background.

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Worried about money? Grants, loans, and scholarships are available from many different sources. When you are committed to achieving your goal, you’ll find a way to make it happen.

Learning keeps you young. It gets the blood coursing through your veins and makes you feel alive. There is an expression: “When you cease to learn you cease to live.” Rather than withering, nourish yourself with education.

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Although there are career opportunities for nurses who don’t have a degree, a degree will open up even more opportunities. It can make the difference between your being considered for a promotion or not. A degree will, in some cases, especially outside of the hospital, garner a higher salary. But don’t just do it for career advancement, do it for yourself.

*Propelled into the future*

Continuing with my formal education has enriched my life in so many unexpected ways. I have earned, and continue to earn the coveted “piece of paper” and some additional initials after my name. But more important, it has a made a significant qualitative difference in my life. My education is like a wave of energy propelling me into the future. This, from someone who once hated school and was determined to prove to the world that I would succeed without a college education. I didn’t realize what I was depriving myself of.

Don’t waste time. Get back to school today.

Reprinted with permission from Nurses.com (www.nurses.com).
Copyright 1999/2000 by Verticalnet, Inc., Horsham, PA., 215-315-3247.
All rights reserved.

Find out more about

• 5 Top Hospitals That Will Pay for Your Education

• Ten Steps to Becoming a Nurse

• Why You Should Choose a BSN

• Guide to Nursing School Rankings

• Find a Nursing Specialty

Social Change and the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner

Hollis Forster, RNC-NP — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:54:00 -0700

There are so many paths to take in education after you have gotten your RN licensure and one path is that of a nurse practitioner specializing in women’s health.

Why take this road? The role of the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner, WHCNP, is varied and exciting. Your patients will be essentially healthy women through the lifespan. For the young women your care will center on family planning services including contraception, well women exams, breast and cervical cancer screening services and prenatal care.
As a woman ages, her health care needs change and as a WHCNP, care for your older patients may include menopausal counseling, screening, and hormone replacement therapy management.

The kinds of procedures, patho-physiology, and medication management you will be asked to learn may include simple ultrasonography, birth control method management, and cervical cancer screening techniques which include not only obtaining pap and HPV tests but could include performing colposcopy, which is the evaluation of the cervix after the
detection of an abnormal cervical cancer screening test.

The education for this kind of practitioner can be a master’s degree with a time commitment of about two years, or a certificate program, which is generally a year or so for completion of the course. I actually just found that you can complete a certificate program in women’s health and then attend an on-line program where you can complete your master’s degree! Why do they make this program so widely available? Because the Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner not only serves individual women but has the capacity to effect the health of the entire family and hence, the community, for generations to come.

How is this possible? It is clear that when a woman receives quality prenatal care, her chances of a healthy baby are increased. This is an obvious and direct benefit of access to care. However, there is also a more subtle value-added phenomena to the delivery of prenatal care. This care and our ability to make it easy to access and customer friendly, serves as a way to introduce that mother and baby into the health care system. That child will be more likely to get preventive care in the form of vaccines and physical exams. That mother will be more likely to bring her family in for preventive services therefore improving the public health by keeping her family aware of health risks and spreading her new knowledge to her friends and extended family.

If you are serious about the health of your community, providing excellent care to the women can have wide ranging beneficial effects on many more people than the one woman served.
Let us look at some other reasons to move towards this advanced practice degree. You will function with the help of a physician, but in essence, very independently. In many states, you can have an agreement with a physician as back-up and consultant, but you can hang up your sign, have your own patients and care for them through their entire life.

Logistically, your hours can be your own. You set your schedule to care for your clients. Many clinicians love this aspect of the career move, because, face it, hospital hours are sometimes difficult to keep.
With a Master’s degree or a national certification, you can bill your services to Medicare and other insurance providers (another step toward independence).

But, you do not have to be this independent. You can join teams of physicians and other advanced practice clinicians (PA’s, CNM’s) to work within a functioning practice where your administrative chores are completed for you and you can concentrate on the care of the women you see.

Consider this direction as you complete your RN and are looking for the next challenge or advancement. It’s a path that can be fulfilling for you and serve an essential role in the improvement of health care in our nation (and the world) as a whole.

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Frequently Asked Questions about a Nursing Education

Hollis Forster, RNC-NP — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:51:00 -0700

I hear questions from people all the time about nursing, the education needed, the possibilities of advancement and the kind of person you need to be to become a great nurse. Here are a couple of those questions and as time goes on, I will add to this FAQ list, hoping to capture the questions you may have about this career and its educational challenges and benefits.

• How Old is Too Old to Become a Nurse?

My immediate answer to this is never. There are some things to consider, however. The initial clinical rotations for the educational path of the registered nurse are quite rigorous. They demand early hours and lots of time on your feet. You usually do not have a large patient load and are given adequate time to perform your duties, but you will find that even after eight hours on the hospital floor, you must go home to another several hours of study. All weekends will be spent in study and most free time you will have a book to read, flashcards to review or a paper to write. If you have many family obligations (and who doesn’t?) the time commitment may be too demanding. However, there are on-line possibilities for completing class work and these alternatives for time away from home, may make the demanding educational path do-able for the more mature student.

Certainly, aside from that, starting nursing school in your thirties or even forties is not too old. According to the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, released by the federal Division of Nursing in February 2007, the average age of a nurse in 2004 was 46.8 years. This was an increase from the same survey done in 2000, where the average age was found to be 45.2. Nurses are getting older and the demand continues to grow. So, if you have the drive and desire, act on it!

As an older nurse, you will have the maturity to understand the kind of effort that a new venture takes, and you probably will be better prepared to give your all to the educational system and to the profession. Also, after you have completed the education and training it takes to become a nurse, the jobs you can get are varied. You do not have to do hospital floor work, you can move into administration, clinic work or some other career path where the hours and work are less physically demanding, but still essential to patient care. Look around at nurses and their jobs and select a path for your education that will allow you to have less demanding hours and time on your feet as you age, but where your experience and knowledge of medicine and human interaction will be valued.

• What if I’m squeamish? Should I still go into nursing as a career?

There are nursing assignments that do not ut you in the path of the “blood and guts” associated with nursing. But you will not avoid some of it during the time you are training in procedures. However, my experience is that:

1. Every nurse has her moments of feeling “squeamish” in some circumstance. And it is interesting that some nurses will react to some issues, while others will find that circumstance entirely acceptable, but will react to some other instance. I remember going back to work after my second child, I had not drawn blood in a while and was given the job to do so. I was very nervous, but did as I was told. As the blood entered the tube from the patient’s vein, I was very excited, but also, started feeling very woozy. It did take me a minute or two to regain my composure, but I did, and went on with my day.

2. As you are practicing, you find your attention directed to the “big picture” of the care of a patient, not the details. You may be inserting an NG tube, starting an IV line or assisting the physician with a procedure and the end point is to achieve the procedure, not pay attention to the normal things that happen during the procedure. You will become less squeamish as you function in your role.

So, here are two questions…there are many more. I will attempt to collect questions and answers for this column so the nursing education process can become less intimidating and more inviting to all those talented folks out there who have imagined themselves as nurses.

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The NCLEX: How to Prepare

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:45:00 -0700

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I, of course, took this exam with a number two pencil and paper, and this current method of testing is fascinating to me. In the tutorial they offer, you will learn:

1. The “adaptive” nature of the test. You only have to take as many questions as will prove that you have the knowledge to “pass.”

3. The computerized nature of the questions and how to answer them using the mouse and keyboard (pretty cool, really!)

4. The look and feel of the test.

It seems to me that this tutorial has the capacity to significantly reduce anxiety about the test, just by familiarizing you with what you will see in front of you when you sit for the exam.