The Nursing Diploma

A nursing diploma, achievable in just 2 – 3 years, qualifies individuals to work in a hospital or clinic setting immediately. It’s what entry-level nurses earn after graduating from a nurse’s assistance program, but it’s not a nursing license. A nursing license is granted to individuals who’ve passed the NCLEX-RN exam and is required for anyone wishing to work as a registered nurse (regardless of degree type).

The Associates Degree in Nursing

An Associates Degree in Nursing is achievable in 4 years, and it too, qualifies individuals to work in a hospital or clinic setting. Nurses who’ve earned an associates degree often go on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree – especially since credits earned with the associates degree are readily applied to a BSN nursing program.

The BSN Degree

A Bachelors in Nursing Degree (BSN) is achievable in 4 years and it qualifies individuals to work as a nurse supervisor in hospitals, nursing homes, home health services and doctor’s offices. Nurses with a BSN earn more than CNAs, LPNs, and RNs. They also qualify themselves for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctoral Degree in Nursing.

The Masters in Nursing Degree

A Master’s in Nursing Degree (MSN) is achievable in just 2 years, but only after you’ve completed a BSN nursing program. You can’t simply earn an MSN after two years of study. A BSN or Associates Degree in Nursing is a prerequisite for this gem – especially since it qualifies individuals to work in advanced clinical training situation and research.

The Doctorate Degree in Nursing

A doctorate degree in nursing is achievable in a course of about four to six years, and like with the preceding degree, it requires a prerequisite as well: the MSN. If your BSN studies are extensive enough, an MSN might not be required, but that’s the exception and not the norm. However unlike with other nursing programs, you aren’t issued a degree at the end of your training. There’s a bit more work to do. Earning a doctorate degree in nursing additionally requires your own unique dissertation — a heavily research-based treatise that introduces your own unique solution to a health-related problem.

Not quite. We’re going to lay it all out for you right here.

Since legal nurse consultants consult on medical-related cases, they start each day much like lawyers and insurance companies start their day: researching, preparing, and/or writing reports – only they do these things from home or from a rented office. They either review medical reports created the day before, or they prepare new reports depending on a cases’ deadline.

Find an RN to BSN degree online

Because they work independently, they generally set their own schedule. The legal nurse works similar to the way other independent contractors work – contingent upon deadlines and emergency work assignments.

Other daily tasks entail screening cases, finding experts, and interviewing clients in person, making the means and time to travel a necessity. In fact, a significant portion of the day could be filled with traveling to various locations in an effort to collect testimonials, witness reports, evidence, and/or equipment. Medical records additionally need to be collected and analyzed to ensure they support a case – a process that could fill up an entire workday.

At the side of an attorney, the CLCN will draft legal documents and help develop case strategies. But since the whole premise of the legal nurse consulting job is to facilitate communication between a lawyer or legal team and a client, and because lawyers aren’t familiar with healthcare protocol, the legal nurse consultant may additionally spend some time educating attorneys about what differentiates standards from legitimate cases of neglect.

Inside the courtroom or arbitration case, the CLCN can act as a witness and provide necessary testimonial.

Note that although the jobs are somewhat similar, a CLCN’s day isn’t filled with the tasks of the paralegal. The paralegal generally works for a specific company where the CLCN works for himself or herself. That means that in addition to all the tasks associated with legal consultancy, the day is filled with self-promotion as well. The CLNC must take time to advertise, update skills, and secure contracts – basically everything that the typical entrepreneur does to attract a steady flow of business.

So what do you think? Does this sound like a day you’d like to experience? If so, register for an online RN nursing program. No BSN required!

More information on Legal Nursing Consultants

American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants

You’re Going to Have to Reduce Stress

This should go without saying, yet day after day, we read reports of stressed out nurses who burn out and quit their jobs faster than they can say, “I just wasn’t prepare for this.” We don’t want to chastise anyone, but anyone who thinks nursing is easy has to be nuts. Nursing is hard work, and for some people, staying in the field is even harder. That’s why we recommend you take the prescribed anti-stress regimen of regular breaks, plenty of exercise, and meditation. It’s a boring, repetitive regimen, but it works!

You’re Going to Have to Get Support

You don’t have to face your career alone. Working with the ill, injured, fearful, and depressed can be, well… depressing! And you’re sure to compound that feeling when you attempt to shoulder the world’s problems alone. Reach out for help. Nurses are awesome, but they’re not superwomen or supermen (although if memory serves us correct, even Superman got a little down at times). You can’t heal patients with a single bound – nor should you expect to.

When you find yourself living short of your own expectations, ask yourself whether you placing an impossible goal for yourself. Consult with other nurses to see what’s realistic and what’s a naive approach. It’s normal to worry whether you’re doing an adequate job. It’s not normal to suffer in silence.

You’re Going to Have to Let Your Body Do the Talking

Exercise does wonders for the mind. As a nursing student, you’ll discover the connection and marvel at how something as simple as exercise can refresh the mind. Take advantage of that connection and put it to good use. Sign up at a local gym and run your problems away on the track. Join an aerobics program and dance your troubles away. Even something as calm as yoga can help. Yoga teaches important breathing exercises that can bring the even most hyper-active five year old to a calm state. Try the same for yourself.

Listen. As a nurse, you’re going to have to follow that age-old advice passed down from mom to mom. You can’t take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself first. Your patients aren’t your children, but the same principle applies. A mentally sound and physically strong nurse is an asset. Anything is a risk – not only to surrounding staff, but to patients as well.

Men Make Up Just 5% of Our Nurses

Today, men make up just five percent of the nation’s nurses, which after considering nursing’s challenges – is rather surprising. Yes, nursing provides for extreme job security. However the job of nursing is rather an admittedly adventuristic one and a perfect paying opportunity for thrill seekers. From highly emotionally charged situations to the most challenging emergencies, there’s never a shortage of excitement in the field of nursing. And if you’re particularly daring, you might enjoy working as a military nurse.

The Field of Nursing is an Extremely Dynamic One

Then there’s the career path. In nursing, you’re never “stuck” in one position. There are multiple opportunities to advance into a higher paying, more challenging job. Men who are concerned about static routines can take comfort in knowing the field of nursing is an extremely dynamic one. The experience is as thrilling as you make it. And with a sufficient amount of education, you can migrate from a CNA position all the way to the nursing executive or nursing scientist job.

So let’s drop all the stereotypes that place the female as the only qualified nursing candidate. There really isn’t any part of nursing that’s exclusive to women or the way they operate. If a woman can administer medication, so can a man. If a woman can collect lab samples, so can a man. If a woman can work in a nursery and monitor the health of newborns, yes, so can a man.

Nursing is One of the Most Unrestrictive Careers

Whether your interest is in career advancement or direct patient care, nursing is capable of making that interest one of the most exciting interests you’ll ever have. In fact, nursing is one of the most unrestrictive careers available, especially when you consider the amount of math and science involved. Research shows males are generally attracted to these sciences more than females, yet for some reason, females dominate the nursing profession. Let’s work to change that.

Enroll into an online nursing program today and work within one of the most secure job opportunities we have today. You needn’t worry about feeling isolated since more and more men like you exercise increased interest in the field. Support systems are available. All that’s missing, is you!

That’s actually a normal reaction once you seriously think about all the unusual diseases and injuries nurses have to face. There’s a way that you can still help the nursing crisis we’re facing however, and it doesn’t involve any interaction with patients at all.

Work in a Doctor’s Office or Clinic

In the doctor’s office or clinic, you can spare your yourself from some of the really graphic injuries and illnesses seen in the hospitals since the doctor’s office or clinic is a precursor to these conditions. In this environment, you won’t do much more than set appointments, collect specimens, take blood pressure and temperature, chart a patient’s weight and height, and prepare a patient for the doctor. Patients with conditions that are too extensive for the doctor’s office or clinic are referred to the nearest hospital.

Work in Alternative Health Care Environments

If you’re interested in spirituality, you can combine that curiosity with a nursing education and work in a holistic environment instead of the hard-core hospital. A lot of nursing candidates work within alternative health care environments and work as an acupuncture nurse, chiropractic nurse, massage nurse, and/or even a nutrition nurse. Because the current nursing shortage exists across the nation, its predicted recovery is expected to provide new job opportunities in these careers as well.

Work in the Insurance Industry

You can even find nursing employment in the insurance industry. Health insurance companies hire nurses to work on their behalf. In this position, you may have to visit and speak with patients, but you don’t have to participate in a patient’s physical care. Your job as a health insurance nurse would only require health discussion, information verification, and filling out forms.

Work on the Administrative Side of Nursing

As a manager, you can work on the administrative side of nursing which doesn’t involve any patient interaction at all. Called “nurse administrators,” these employees work in hospitals, clinics, and staffing companies. To work as a nurse administrator, you’ll need office and people skills and an MSN.

Work as a Nurse Educator

The role of the nurse is applicable to many jobs outside of the emergency room. These jobs still require a nursing degree, only they exist in schools. As an LPN, RPN, BSN, or MSN nurse, you can work as a nursing educator and teach the public about health risks, healthier lifestyles, and physical fitness basics. You can teach at churches, community groups, elementary schools, and senior homes.

At elementary, middle, and high school institutions, nurses provide basic health care, administer prescription medication, and arrange for transportation to emergency facilities if need be. They may also give lectures about the importance of health care, nutrition, and exercise. For the upper grades, nurses may teach reproduction and/or anti-drug and anti-alcohol classes. With a psychology degree, they may provide counseling and refer students to social workers for additional help.

There are a lot more opportunities to work outside of the emergency room. We haven’t listed them all here. Doing so would probably fill up our entire website! We just want you to get an idea of how you can help solve our nation’s current nursing shortage without “getting your hands dirty” so to speak. We really do need your help. Consider your options and see if you can’t merge your current interests with an online nursing program today.

Compassion and Sensitivity

Two of the most desired characteristics of the nurse is compassion and sensitivity . Doctors demand it and patients expect it. Compassion and sensitivity are so expected, it’s quite a shock to encounter a hard-core, rude nurse. If you’re naturally compassionate, sensitive, and empathetic with those around you, you’ve got this part covered.

Critical Thinking

The patient never really sees the quick, critical thinking behind the sensitive nurse, but it’s just as important. Working in the medical field demands that you know how to effectively communicate, make correct evaluations, and employ today’s technical skills. If you’re a good communicator and quick thinker, your chance of succeeding as a nurse has just doubled.

Collaboration and Team Work

There isn’t a single nurse that works alone. The recovery of a single patient requires group effort of an entire nursing team. Group efforts help reduce errors and they increase response times. If you enjoy working with others, you just might make an excellent nursing candidate.

Self-Care

As a nurse, you’ll not only need to take care of patients, you’ll additionally need to take care of yourself too! After all, what good can you be tired and/or stressed? A good nurse knows that self-preservation is a priority and she or he does everything necessary to ensure she or he is prepared for each day’s events. That includes eating right and getting plenty of rest and exercise. It also includes pacing activities to prevent burn-out. If you share the same beliefs, you’re closer to becoming the ideal nursing candidate than you might have first thought.

Values

Another much-needed characteristic of the ideal nursing candidate is a strong commitment to both industry and humane values. Many people don’t take their jobs seriously. They don’t value the human characteristic either. Nursing is one of those jobs that must not only be taken seriously since lives are at stake, it must also emphasize caring, compassion, and self-sacrifice. If you already adhere to these types of values, your foot is practically in the door.

Nursing Education

Because the field of nursing requires constant updating, it’s imperative that you’re open to learning new skills. We’ve seen tremendous changes in nursing over the last 10 – 20 years. What was acceptable in the past just isn’t applicable anymore. You’ve got to roll with the changes and roll well. If you enjoy learning about medical advances and you’re excited about working with new technology and equipment, nursing is an obvious choice for you.

Specific jobs within the nursing field of course, require additional characteristics. If you’re thinking about working in nursing administration for example, success will depend on an innate ability to effectively manage people. Success in teaching nursing will depend on an innate ability to educate others.

The idea behind this little exercise is to get you to seriously consider your ability to become a nurse. If you discover you lack proficiency in a certain area, you can take comfort in the fact that nursing schools give you the skills you need to gain that proficiency. Enroll in an online nursing program today and prove to yourself that you would have made an excellent nursing candidate all along.

And what’s especially interesting about this phenomenon is that much of the traditional college experience has been captured into the online experience.

What you’ll discover in this innovative learning environment are opportunities to gain key nursing skills, traditional nursing preparation, and professional development and workplace abilities. Individuals who’ve already obtained a degree in nursing will appreciate how the Internet facilitates required bachelor courses, master courses, and doctorate courses.

Online Nursing School is Virtually the Same as Traditional Institutions

Outside of a physical location, there’s little that differentiates the online nursing school experience from the offline nursing school experience. Both environments adhere to the same admissions process, the same standards of education and the same course requirements and course development, so there’s no difference between the nursing degree achieved online and the nursing degree achieved offline.

All nursing students participate in a core curriculum that focuses on nursing methodology. And both communication skills and nursing technology are taught as well.

Online Nursing School is Becoming More and More Mainstream

Don’t make the mistake of thinking online nursing education is too new a concept or that it won’t be affective, respected, or even legitimate. More and more educational groups recognize the value of online learning institutions and they work with them to ensure offered programs meet today’s nursing requirements.

Online Nursing School is Affordable As Well

If you’re concerned about costs, rest assured that financial assistance programs are available to the online nursing student just as they’re available to the offline nursing student. Grants, Federal and state loans, military aid or Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits, and scholarships can help pay all or a significant portion of studies. Additional assistance is available for Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Reserves, Air Force Reserves and National Guard members through DANTES tuition reimbursement. Click here for more information regarding appropriate financial aid channels.

What should we expect?

It’s important to understand that nursing in the future will encapsulate many of the exciting technological advances sweeping across all industries. The medical field is constantly pushing limits, and its development requires a workforce that’s educated with the latest tools and the knowledge of how to use them. In fact, predictions suggest that in as little as ten years, the field of nursing will hardly resemble what we’re used to seeing today.

More Computer-Run Operations

In short, we expect to see more computer-run operations. We make fairly good use of computers already, however in the future, we expect computers will monitor patients, maintain more data, and analyze situations more so than they already do now. And by “computers,” we mean desktops, laptops, netbooks, and PDAs. The use of real-time video and voice-activated technology will increase as well, enabling the nurse to visually and/or audibly monitor patients while physically interacting with a separate patient and his or her family.

Emphasis on Nursing Administrator and Supervisor Fields

In one respect, the role of the nurse may undergo a significant change as well. What was once a full, hands-on occupation could transform into a bedside educator and assessor of what’s required over someone who fulfills requirements. As a result, the nursing administrator and supervisor fields are expected to take significant precedence.

An Increase of Male Nurses

Another change we expect to see, is an increase in the number of male nurses. With technology infiltrating the profession, male employees are bound to accompany its entrance.

Nurse Entrepreneurship

Since technology opens the door to remote accessibility, we expect to see the new field of nurse entrepreneurship – a type of employment in which nurses secure jobs through contracts and directly work with families rather than through hospitals or clinics. This type of nurse may additionally contract with several different insurance companies or nurse cooperatives.

A bit more hands on than consultancy type work, the nursing entrepreneur could have a home lab that’s wirelessly connected to a home-bound patient’s implanted microchip. Such a contraption would allow nurses to exercise their profession from miles away!

Nursing in Unrelated Fields

If the above example of remote nursing is to manifest, we expect hospitals will care for the most ill or injured patients exclusively, ultimately freeing nurses for work in what may seemingly appear as unrelated fields: clinical design, medical law, software development, and health insurance.

None of these advances will manifest if we don’t attract or generate enough qualified nurses. Each idea behind nursing’s future requires a team of educated professionals – that is, professionals generated from the best nursing schools in the nation. If you want to help build nursing’s future and its ideals appeal to you, get started now. Enroll in an online nursing program today and get the skills you need to help build nursing’s tomorrow.

The Nursing Work Shift

The typical hospital work day puts the nurse to work for twelve hours. Nurses can work these hours on a day shift or night shift with about 6 – 8 other nurses working the same hours. It’s an admittedly low staff number, but until the current nursing shortage ends, it’s considered the norm for now.

The Nurse Floor

Each patient floor is fitted with around 9 – 11 employees. 6 – 8 nurses take care of about 6 – 8 patients – an admittedly large ratio. But fortunately, nursing assistants pick up some of the extra tasks. Both nurses and nursing assistants answer to a head nurse or supervisor, who not only manages a floor, but additionally offers help when needed as well. Security and a respiratory therapist completes the round.

Nursing Tasks

At the start of each shift, each nurse reads his or her patient’s documentation generated from the nurse leaving the previous shift. This documentation records patient orders, lab reports, diagnostics test results, and changes in a patient’s mental or physical status.

Then the real work starts, in which the hospital nurse collects blood and urine samples, and monitors a patient’s heartbeat, motor signs, and temperature. Nurses issue medication, bed baths, grooming assistance, and help an appropriate amount of mild exercise (turning, sitting up, limb movement, or walking for example). The hospital nurse additionally makes beds and passes around water or ice. Other tasks include assisting patients with restroom activities, eating, and completing insurance forms if necessary.

The normal rounds of patient care occur every four hours unless there are problems. Problems are significant changes from anticipated outcomes which warrant doctor intervention).

At the end of each shift, each nurse adds new data to his or her patient’s documentation for the nurse entering the next shift.

Tension as Part of the Job

When family members visit, tensions can increase as family may overreact to a patient’s condition or medical procedure, or simply inundate staff with unnecessary questions. Another situation that could increase tension is the occasional error. Nurses are people and people make mistakes. No one is immune from errors which is just one reason why the job can be stressful.

Fortunately mistakes aren’t a regular part of the routine. With adequate education and training, every nurse has the opportunity to perform his or her job correctly and ensure the safety of each patient assigned. Enroll in an online nursing program today and step up to the challenge. After graduation, you’ll become part of the health care industry’s most respected teams.