The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation (PHEF) Board of Directors today announced funding allocations for its Nursing Education Grants for the 2008-09 academic year. PHEF will distribute the grants to Pennsylvania nursing education schools statewide to assist in the creation and retention of new nursing students and nurse educators.
LPN and RN programs at 127 Pennsylvania Schools of Nursing will receive a total of $10.4 million while 35 Graduate Schools of Nursing will share $3 million in grant funding. The Nursing Education Grant awards for individual nursing schools will be announced in July.
“The Foundation has contributed more than $66 million through its various programs in support of Pennsylvania nursing students since 2003,” said Representative William Adolph, Foundation Board member. “It is vitally important that we continue assisting students and nursing schools because the health of our citizens is ultimately at stake.”
“The beauty of the Foundation's student aid programs is that they are privately-funded by generous donors from the healthcare community as well as private individuals,” noted Senator Sean Logan. “In today's difficult economic environment it would be extremely difficult for the State to fund these important programs that are so vital to the health of our citizens.”
The PHEF Nursing Education Grant Program was created to help reverse Pennsylvania's nursing shortage by generating non-taxpayer supported funding which otherwise is not available to schools of nursing. This funding, in turn, helps Pennsylvania schools increase the recruitment and retention rates of their nursing programs, providing more qualified nurses for the citizens of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania nursing schools must submit an award proposal to PHEF to receive Nursing Education Grants. Once approved, the nursing schools administer and distribute the awards to their qualifying students based on their unique awarding criteria. Nursing students should contact their school's financial aid office or nursing department for eligibility information.
In addition to the funding for the Nursing Education Grants, the PHEF Board approved more than $1 million to provide awards through the Dr. Edna McKenzie Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students program. Ninety-seven Pennsylvania schools of nursing will each receive $10,310 in scholarship money. The scholarship is named for the late Dr. Edna McKenzie, a distinguished educator, long-time member of the PHEF Board, and noted African American historian.
PHEF was created five years ago and began offering financial support shortly thereafter to help students afford their nursing education. The Foundation currently offers numerous aid programs for students, including:
- Nursing Education Grants
- Nurse Scholars Program for graduate nursing students
- Low-income Nursing Students Tax Credit Program
- Graduate Nurse Education Grant
- Nursing Faculty Development Grants
- Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
- The Foundation also supports the Big 33 Nursing Scholarship Program and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Health Occupation Students of America (Penn Hosa) Scholarship Program
“Nursing students frequently tell me how important these awards are to them,” said Elinor Z. Taylor, PHEF Board Chairman. “Sometimes the Foundation's awards make the difference between continuing their program of study or dropping out. With the shortage of nurses we are experiencing, every nursing student that graduates is important.”
For more information on PHEF's student aid programs for nursing students, visit FuturesInNursing.org.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Misericordia University: An 84-year Tradition of Hospitality, Justice, Mercy and Service
By Cynthia Mailloux, PhD, R.N.
Associate Professor
Chair Nursing Dept - Misericordia University
Misericordia University - Description of Program
Misericordia’s nursing program is committed to providing an educational experience which produces competent nurses who are critical thinkers and educated consumers of research. This program prepares its graduates for productive careers in nursing and advocates for life-long learning. As an entry-level professional program, the nursing curriculum reflects a commitment to the relationship between liberal arts and professional studies that enables graduates to adapt to constantly evolving societal and professional needs. The Department of Nursing is committed to the provision of affordable, quality professional education that expresses the founding Sisters' values and attitudes of hospitality, justice, mercy, and service. The overall goal is to develop a competent professional who will provide the highest quality of care to individuals, aggregates, and populations.
The goals/outcomes support the mission of the University and the principles of academic excellence, service leadership, and professional preparation which are components of the Trinity of Learning. Evidence based practice is a strong component of this curriculum which requires students to critically think and problem solve. This curriculum will build on the reputation of the nursing program and continue to provide high quality graduates. The proposed changes are consistent with the program’s mission, goals and educational goals of the university.
Philosophy for Misericordia’s Department of Nursing
The nursing department at Misericordia University supports the mission statement and philosophy of the University. The undergraduate nursing program is based on a complementary relationship between liberal arts and professional studies. The approach to education focuses on critical thinking, as well as on the values and attitudes of justice, mercy, service, and hospitality. Humans are viewed as intellectual, spiritual and creative beings that are in constant interaction with their environments. Human beings have the potential for self-direction based on their developmental level and are characterized by the capacity for emotion, reasoning, and perceiving. The holistic view of humans takes into account the physical structure, mind and spirit of the individual, as well as the environment in which each functions. Humans interact on the basis of respect for each other’s worth and dignity.
The environment as experienced by human beings is multidimensional and dynamic. It can be viewed as encompassing biological, physical, psychological, socio-cultural, political and economic forces. Human beings experience the environment as individuals, families, groups and communities who can be described in terms of micro-systems and macro-systems.
Health is a dynamic sense of wellness, which results from a process of making choices over time. A particular sense of wellness is perceived by individuals and is influenced by their self-esteem, inner sense of meaning, and desire to achieve their highest potential.
Nursing is an art, involved in caring, and a science based on its own theory and research. The nursing process guides nursing practice and involves critical thinking as related to the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of knowing. Ethical and legal issues have a strong impact on the practice of nursing. Professional nursing is a vital, effective health service to the community. The faculty believes that professional nursing is committed to making quality health care available and accessible to all, thus reflecting the commitment to mercy, justice, and service. Professional nursing exerts an influence on, and is influenced by several factors that contribute to the complexity of the health care system. These include: the newly developing patterns of providing services, the roles of other members of the health team, scientific and technological advances, research, and social and economic pressures. Leadership in nursing involves directing and managing client care, as well as collaborating with other health care professionals.
Learning is directed toward the development of values and professional role identification. It is lifelong and involves developmental changes. Learning involves critical thinking, which encompasses analysis and synthesis of knowledge. The faculty believes that learning occurs when the student actively participates in the learning process. Students have the responsibility to achieve their highest potential with the assistance of the faculty who act as facilitators. Teaching, therefore, is a collaborative process in which a student assumes progressive responsibility for personal learning.
Undergraduate education in nursing is built on a strong core of general education requirements and is generic in nature. Included within the undergraduate nursing curriculum are liberal arts and the sciences such as nutrition, anatomy and physiology, and developmental psychology, as well as other pure and behavioral sciences. The undergraduate program prepares nurse generalists who are capable of using nursing research, nursing process, and theories in a variety of settings. Students are prepared for graduate study in nursing.
Graduate education enables professional nurses to realize their creative leadership potential and provides opportunities for collaborative functioning with health professionals and others in effecting change in nursing practice and health care. Specialization occurs on the graduate level which provides for in-depth knowledge and experience in specific clinical and functional areas. Advanced knowledge provides the foundation for effective leadership in nursing. Scientific inquiry is an integral part of graduate education in nursing. Such inquiry provides the basis for acquisition of increased competencies in utilization of research and increased knowledge base in the analysis and synthesis of theories related to the practice of nursing. Graduate education provides the foundation for doctoral study in nursing.
Associate Professor
Chair Nursing Dept - Misericordia University
Misericordia University - Description of Program
Misericordia’s nursing program is committed to providing an educational experience which produces competent nurses who are critical thinkers and educated consumers of research. This program prepares its graduates for productive careers in nursing and advocates for life-long learning. As an entry-level professional program, the nursing curriculum reflects a commitment to the relationship between liberal arts and professional studies that enables graduates to adapt to constantly evolving societal and professional needs. The Department of Nursing is committed to the provision of affordable, quality professional education that expresses the founding Sisters' values and attitudes of hospitality, justice, mercy, and service. The overall goal is to develop a competent professional who will provide the highest quality of care to individuals, aggregates, and populations.
The goals/outcomes support the mission of the University and the principles of academic excellence, service leadership, and professional preparation which are components of the Trinity of Learning. Evidence based practice is a strong component of this curriculum which requires students to critically think and problem solve. This curriculum will build on the reputation of the nursing program and continue to provide high quality graduates. The proposed changes are consistent with the program’s mission, goals and educational goals of the university.
Philosophy for Misericordia’s Department of Nursing
The nursing department at Misericordia University supports the mission statement and philosophy of the University. The undergraduate nursing program is based on a complementary relationship between liberal arts and professional studies. The approach to education focuses on critical thinking, as well as on the values and attitudes of justice, mercy, service, and hospitality. Humans are viewed as intellectual, spiritual and creative beings that are in constant interaction with their environments. Human beings have the potential for self-direction based on their developmental level and are characterized by the capacity for emotion, reasoning, and perceiving. The holistic view of humans takes into account the physical structure, mind and spirit of the individual, as well as the environment in which each functions. Humans interact on the basis of respect for each other’s worth and dignity.
The environment as experienced by human beings is multidimensional and dynamic. It can be viewed as encompassing biological, physical, psychological, socio-cultural, political and economic forces. Human beings experience the environment as individuals, families, groups and communities who can be described in terms of micro-systems and macro-systems.
Health is a dynamic sense of wellness, which results from a process of making choices over time. A particular sense of wellness is perceived by individuals and is influenced by their self-esteem, inner sense of meaning, and desire to achieve their highest potential.
Nursing is an art, involved in caring, and a science based on its own theory and research. The nursing process guides nursing practice and involves critical thinking as related to the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of knowing. Ethical and legal issues have a strong impact on the practice of nursing. Professional nursing is a vital, effective health service to the community. The faculty believes that professional nursing is committed to making quality health care available and accessible to all, thus reflecting the commitment to mercy, justice, and service. Professional nursing exerts an influence on, and is influenced by several factors that contribute to the complexity of the health care system. These include: the newly developing patterns of providing services, the roles of other members of the health team, scientific and technological advances, research, and social and economic pressures. Leadership in nursing involves directing and managing client care, as well as collaborating with other health care professionals.
Learning is directed toward the development of values and professional role identification. It is lifelong and involves developmental changes. Learning involves critical thinking, which encompasses analysis and synthesis of knowledge. The faculty believes that learning occurs when the student actively participates in the learning process. Students have the responsibility to achieve their highest potential with the assistance of the faculty who act as facilitators. Teaching, therefore, is a collaborative process in which a student assumes progressive responsibility for personal learning.
Undergraduate education in nursing is built on a strong core of general education requirements and is generic in nature. Included within the undergraduate nursing curriculum are liberal arts and the sciences such as nutrition, anatomy and physiology, and developmental psychology, as well as other pure and behavioral sciences. The undergraduate program prepares nurse generalists who are capable of using nursing research, nursing process, and theories in a variety of settings. Students are prepared for graduate study in nursing.
Graduate education enables professional nurses to realize their creative leadership potential and provides opportunities for collaborative functioning with health professionals and others in effecting change in nursing practice and health care. Specialization occurs on the graduate level which provides for in-depth knowledge and experience in specific clinical and functional areas. Advanced knowledge provides the foundation for effective leadership in nursing. Scientific inquiry is an integral part of graduate education in nursing. Such inquiry provides the basis for acquisition of increased competencies in utilization of research and increased knowledge base in the analysis and synthesis of theories related to the practice of nursing. Graduate education provides the foundation for doctoral study in nursing.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Is Psychiatric Nursing Your Calling
Are you looking for information on psychiatric nursing? Well, you have come to the right place. Anyone, who is interested in psychiatric nursing, is very much welcome to be part of this challenging yet rewarding profession. With the shortage of nurses in any specialization of nursing, any person who wants to become a nurse is greatly encouraged, especially in psychiatry nursing.
We live in a society where people find it easier to talk about physical illness than psychiatric or mental condition. It is not every day that you meet someone who has interest in psychiatric nursing. So, if you really want to become a psychiatric nurse, then you should know what steps to take in order for you to get started.
The first thing you should is what educational preparation to accomplish in order to gain entry in psychiatric nursing. Just like in any other profession, to become a registered nurse, you must take a nursing program offered in many nursing schools. You can choose either a two-year program leading to an associate degree in nursing, a three-year program for a diploma in nursing, or a four-year college or university leading to a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. All of these options are eligible to take registered nursing licensing examination upon graduation.
To help you finally decide if psychiatric nursing is really your calling, it helps if you do some volunteering works in any institutions where you will have a chance to encounter patients with psychiatric condition. If you still feel that this what you really wanted to do, then you should possess skills, such as good communication and relationships skills, and an extensive foundation in the basic and behavioral science to become a psychiatric nurse. Also, if you want to have a strong foundation in psychiatric nursing, might as well obtain a Master’s Degree in this specialization, just like what most people interested in psychiatric nursing do.
Now, let’s go to the scope of responsibility of a psychiatric nurse. There are actually two levels in clinical practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing or simply psychiatric nursing: basic and advanced. As a basic level nurse, you will work with individuals, groups, and communities, evaluating mental health needs, developing a nursing diagnosis as well as a nursing care plan, and then assessing the nursing care.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or APRN, on the other hand, have a Master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing, therefore assume a position of either Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner. So, the job of APRNs in psychiatric-mental health nursing includes the duties of basic level nurse, diagnose and treat individuals or families with psychiatric conditions. Also, they act as psychotherapists, educators, consultants, advanced case managers, and administrators.
We live in a society where people find it easier to talk about physical illness than psychiatric or mental condition. It is not every day that you meet someone who has interest in psychiatric nursing. So, if you really want to become a psychiatric nurse, then you should know what steps to take in order for you to get started.
The first thing you should is what educational preparation to accomplish in order to gain entry in psychiatric nursing. Just like in any other profession, to become a registered nurse, you must take a nursing program offered in many nursing schools. You can choose either a two-year program leading to an associate degree in nursing, a three-year program for a diploma in nursing, or a four-year college or university leading to a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. All of these options are eligible to take registered nursing licensing examination upon graduation.
To help you finally decide if psychiatric nursing is really your calling, it helps if you do some volunteering works in any institutions where you will have a chance to encounter patients with psychiatric condition. If you still feel that this what you really wanted to do, then you should possess skills, such as good communication and relationships skills, and an extensive foundation in the basic and behavioral science to become a psychiatric nurse. Also, if you want to have a strong foundation in psychiatric nursing, might as well obtain a Master’s Degree in this specialization, just like what most people interested in psychiatric nursing do.
Now, let’s go to the scope of responsibility of a psychiatric nurse. There are actually two levels in clinical practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing or simply psychiatric nursing: basic and advanced. As a basic level nurse, you will work with individuals, groups, and communities, evaluating mental health needs, developing a nursing diagnosis as well as a nursing care plan, and then assessing the nursing care.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or APRN, on the other hand, have a Master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing, therefore assume a position of either Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner. So, the job of APRNs in psychiatric-mental health nursing includes the duties of basic level nurse, diagnose and treat individuals or families with psychiatric conditions. Also, they act as psychotherapists, educators, consultants, advanced case managers, and administrators.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Nursing Degree through Internet Access
Earning a nursing degree through internet access in one the convenient ways you can realize your dreams of becoming a nurse. As you must have known, the shortage of nurses in the country resulted to a rise in interest of many people in the field of nursing. And the fact that there is a shortage, your chances of landing on a job are great!
Nursing Degree through internet access is for those who wanted to become a nurse, but cannot attend regular classes in real school environment. If you already have a work at the present, and attending to regular classes is out of the question, you can’t just say bye-bye to your dream just like that. If there’s a wheel, there’s a way! Making your dream come true is just a piece of piece if you have a strong determination. All you need is to have access to the internet. It’s as easy as that! Once you have internet connection, you easily take up some nursing programs online offered by several nursing schools. Now, isn’t that convenient?
Also, it would greatly help you decide whether or not to pursue obtaining nursing degree through internet access or attend a regular class in real schools. Besides the fact that, online nursing degree program can be taken at your own home, the big difference that you have to get used to is access to support tools. You see, getting your nursing degree through internet access takes a lot of commitment from you. You may find studying online boring, but depending on how important getting a degree in nursing to you is, I’m sure you can get the hang of it.
The system of online nursing degree programs lets you finish the course at your own pace, which means that you can study you lesson submit assignments or project when you want it. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, taking online degree programs may not work for you.
In order for you get started, you should first choose in what specialization to focus. Yes, there are a lot of areas in nursing for you to choose from and all those areas are also need additional nurses. There are associates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs that are available whatever areas or specialization in nursing you are interested in.
Your inability to attend regular classes at school should not be considered a hindrance in realizing your dream to become a nurse, but a challenge to face in taking a big leap to take advantage of the alternative, which is to take a nursing degree through internet access. There’s always a solution to every problem. Now, you have the solution to yours; just make sure you do your part of the bargain.
Nursing Degree through internet access is for those who wanted to become a nurse, but cannot attend regular classes in real school environment. If you already have a work at the present, and attending to regular classes is out of the question, you can’t just say bye-bye to your dream just like that. If there’s a wheel, there’s a way! Making your dream come true is just a piece of piece if you have a strong determination. All you need is to have access to the internet. It’s as easy as that! Once you have internet connection, you easily take up some nursing programs online offered by several nursing schools. Now, isn’t that convenient?
Also, it would greatly help you decide whether or not to pursue obtaining nursing degree through internet access or attend a regular class in real schools. Besides the fact that, online nursing degree program can be taken at your own home, the big difference that you have to get used to is access to support tools. You see, getting your nursing degree through internet access takes a lot of commitment from you. You may find studying online boring, but depending on how important getting a degree in nursing to you is, I’m sure you can get the hang of it.
The system of online nursing degree programs lets you finish the course at your own pace, which means that you can study you lesson submit assignments or project when you want it. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, taking online degree programs may not work for you.
In order for you get started, you should first choose in what specialization to focus. Yes, there are a lot of areas in nursing for you to choose from and all those areas are also need additional nurses. There are associates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs that are available whatever areas or specialization in nursing you are interested in.
Your inability to attend regular classes at school should not be considered a hindrance in realizing your dream to become a nurse, but a challenge to face in taking a big leap to take advantage of the alternative, which is to take a nursing degree through internet access. There’s always a solution to every problem. Now, you have the solution to yours; just make sure you do your part of the bargain.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Nursing Scrubs – Special Clothing
Scrubs came into existence in the 20th century. Scrubs are medical uniforms. Scrubs got its name from the practice of physicians of thoroughly washing or “scrubbing” their hands before performing surgery. Doctors and Surgeons should also wear scrubs during surgery. Nowadays, every people working at hospitals are bound to wear scrubs to avoid any spreading of germs and bacteria.
The traditional starched white uniforms with white cap, white stockings, white socks and fitted dress of nurses has been replaced by nursing scrubs. White clothing was found to reflect light, thus changing their special clothing to green.
Nursing scrubs are usually worn during surgery. Nursing scrubs should be loose-fitting and very comfortable for complete mobility, as nurses move a lot from one place to another, and nurses are required to be alert.
Nursing scrubs are a pair of cotton or cotton/polyester pants with a drawstring, short sleeved, and v-neck top, all of which are the same material. They are made so because cotton is absorbent and reduces bad smell. Cotton nursing scrubs are used for both aesthetic and health reasons. These scrubs are very comfortable to wear and easy to clean. They are also very good in stopping bad smells and body odors. Nursing scrubs should be washed at high temperatures to kill any germs or bacteria.
Traditionally, nursing scrubs are light green, but now they come in different colors and patterns. The light green scrubs first became popular in the 1970s. Many hospitals use a variety of colors to determine different departments. Nursing scrubs have decorated designs and patterns like bears, racecars, clowns or other cartoon characters to help make patients especially children feel at ease.
Nursing scrubs may come in pink or lavender for the delivery department, light blue scrubs for surgical staff, dark blue for the emergency department, light blue green in color worn during surgery. Hospitals can also imprint their logos or hospital names on the scrubs to add a professional touch. Others also require to wear pins or badge together with their scrubs for identification purposes.
Nurses and doctors alike work exceptionally long hours. That’s why their special clothing are expected to keep up with them.
The front-button nursing scrubs are worn by nurses helping inside the operating rooms. These types give them comfort and ease of movement. Sometimes, they are equipped with a waist-length long-sleeved jacket with no lapels.
Nowadays scrubs are not only found in the hospitals but also worn by housewives at home while cooking and washing to avoid stains and what not.
The traditional starched white uniforms with white cap, white stockings, white socks and fitted dress of nurses has been replaced by nursing scrubs. White clothing was found to reflect light, thus changing their special clothing to green.
Nursing scrubs are usually worn during surgery. Nursing scrubs should be loose-fitting and very comfortable for complete mobility, as nurses move a lot from one place to another, and nurses are required to be alert.
Nursing scrubs are a pair of cotton or cotton/polyester pants with a drawstring, short sleeved, and v-neck top, all of which are the same material. They are made so because cotton is absorbent and reduces bad smell. Cotton nursing scrubs are used for both aesthetic and health reasons. These scrubs are very comfortable to wear and easy to clean. They are also very good in stopping bad smells and body odors. Nursing scrubs should be washed at high temperatures to kill any germs or bacteria.
Traditionally, nursing scrubs are light green, but now they come in different colors and patterns. The light green scrubs first became popular in the 1970s. Many hospitals use a variety of colors to determine different departments. Nursing scrubs have decorated designs and patterns like bears, racecars, clowns or other cartoon characters to help make patients especially children feel at ease.
Nursing scrubs may come in pink or lavender for the delivery department, light blue scrubs for surgical staff, dark blue for the emergency department, light blue green in color worn during surgery. Hospitals can also imprint their logos or hospital names on the scrubs to add a professional touch. Others also require to wear pins or badge together with their scrubs for identification purposes.
Nurses and doctors alike work exceptionally long hours. That’s why their special clothing are expected to keep up with them.
The front-button nursing scrubs are worn by nurses helping inside the operating rooms. These types give them comfort and ease of movement. Sometimes, they are equipped with a waist-length long-sleeved jacket with no lapels.
Nowadays scrubs are not only found in the hospitals but also worn by housewives at home while cooking and washing to avoid stains and what not.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Salary Ranges for Nurse Educators
If you currently a nurse and are considering changing your profession, making the change to nurse educator is your next logical step. You will make good use of your experience, there is financial aid available through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation (www.higheredfoundation.org), but the pay is also very competitive.
Nationwide, the average salary for a nurse educator with 1-4 years experience is $53,894. And the pay increases as your experience grows. The average salary of a nurse educator with 5-9 years experience is $61,273.
Many nurses express that there lack of interest in becoming a nurse educator is the decrease in pay, but when you compare the median hourly rate X 40 hour work week of an RN, a nurse actually makes $49,000 which is $4K less than a nurse educator. Granted, RN's will receive increased hourly compensation for working overtime, but in an apples to apples comparison there is little difference.
So if you are a nurse in Pennsylvania and looking for a change, consider a career in nurse education and teach the next generation of nurses. Don't forget to visit higheredfoundation.org to see if you can qualify for a grant or scholarship.
*Pay numbers in this article were obtained through Payscale.com and are current as of 12/2008.
Nationwide, the average salary for a nurse educator with 1-4 years experience is $53,894. And the pay increases as your experience grows. The average salary of a nurse educator with 5-9 years experience is $61,273.
Many nurses express that there lack of interest in becoming a nurse educator is the decrease in pay, but when you compare the median hourly rate X 40 hour work week of an RN, a nurse actually makes $49,000 which is $4K less than a nurse educator. Granted, RN's will receive increased hourly compensation for working overtime, but in an apples to apples comparison there is little difference.
So if you are a nurse in Pennsylvania and looking for a change, consider a career in nurse education and teach the next generation of nurses. Don't forget to visit higheredfoundation.org to see if you can qualify for a grant or scholarship.
*Pay numbers in this article were obtained through Payscale.com and are current as of 12/2008.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Nursing: The Recession Proof Career
Weak job growth. A slowing economy. A declining housing market. Troubles in the financial sector. The news is full of worrisome developments that may indicate instability for workers in many professions and industries. Yet one area appears to be unaffected by threats of a recession: nursing and allied health professions.
There have been news reports recently of professionals in other industries, discouraged by their job outlook, switching into nursing as a stable, recession-proof career. While second careers in nursing are not necessarily new, this trend’s impact is being heightened by concerns over job prospects in other professions. Yet even with career shifters, healthcare employers are still facing a critical shortage of qualified nursing talent.
Some industries may be instituting layoffs, but hospitals, clinics and other healthcare groups are scrambling to fill vacant nursing positions. And this shortage may become more acute in the coming years as an aging Baby Boomer population increases the need for nursing services:
- According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of vacancies for registered nurses (RNs) was 125,000 in 2005; that shortfall will grow to 800,000 by 2020.
- Online job availability for skilled healthcare occupations such as nursing is up 15% from a year ago, compared to a 5% decline overall across professions, according to the Monster Employment Index, which tracks online job availability.
- RNs are the most difficult positions to fill, sometimes taking more than 40 days to find a qualified candidate and costing recruiters an average of $3,175. Recruiters will have a slightly easier time finding candidates with skill sets in the areas of LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurses) and CNAs (Certified Nurse Assistants).
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows employment growth in the healthcare sector averaging 23.8% between 2006 and 2014, with ambulatory healthcare services and nursing and residential care facilities showing the highest percentages of demand (33.1% and 24%, respectively.)
These statistics reflect only some of the obstacles recruiters and healthcare organizations face while trying to fill open positions. At a time when job seekers are looking for stable careers, recruiters can do a lot to demonstrate the appeal of nursing by following some long-term recruitment and retention strategies:
Reach out to the community
Look to the community to spread the word about the virtues of a nursing career. Encourage nurse managers within the organization to join community groups to educate people on available nursing positions. Host open houses, tours and seminars to introduce would-be career seekers to what life is like working in a medical environment. Leverage hospital publications and healthcare newsletters to highlight nursing careers and profile key employees.
Look to the schools – and beyond
Besides developing relationships with nursing schools, reach out to high schools – even elementary schools – to introduce the next generation to the benefits of a career in nursing. Sponsor career fairs and encourage nurse managers to speak at local schools. Look beyond traditional female candidates and establish programs to entice males to the career.
Provide a rich professional development program
Mentoring initiatives for nursing graduates, one-on-one buddy systems and assertiveness training are perks that may appeal to existing staffers and job seekers alike. Offering professional development training in areas such as acute care and operating room nursing can go a long way in giving current staffers a career path that keeps them engaged. Finally, make sure your organization has a complete orientation program so incoming nurses have enough time to get up to speed.
Heed salary and scheduling concerns
Flexible scheduling and job-sharing can attract a new audience as well as accommodate older nurses who have different scheduling needs and preferences. It goes without saying that competitive salaries and full benefits packages are a must to ensure your position is on par with – or stands out from – all of the other available postings.
Work on possible image problems
While nursing always ranks high in surveys as a trusted profession, many in the current workforce complain of being devalued by others in the medical community, particularly physicians. Healthcare organizations need to address this shortcoming by working with the human resources department and medical management to ensure others in the community treat the role with respect and value. Instituting a zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior, encouraging close nurse and physician collaboration and implementing reward and recognition programs can help mitigate any image concerns.
There have been news reports recently of professionals in other industries, discouraged by their job outlook, switching into nursing as a stable, recession-proof career. While second careers in nursing are not necessarily new, this trend’s impact is being heightened by concerns over job prospects in other professions. Yet even with career shifters, healthcare employers are still facing a critical shortage of qualified nursing talent.
Some industries may be instituting layoffs, but hospitals, clinics and other healthcare groups are scrambling to fill vacant nursing positions. And this shortage may become more acute in the coming years as an aging Baby Boomer population increases the need for nursing services:
- According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of vacancies for registered nurses (RNs) was 125,000 in 2005; that shortfall will grow to 800,000 by 2020.
- Online job availability for skilled healthcare occupations such as nursing is up 15% from a year ago, compared to a 5% decline overall across professions, according to the Monster Employment Index, which tracks online job availability.
- RNs are the most difficult positions to fill, sometimes taking more than 40 days to find a qualified candidate and costing recruiters an average of $3,175. Recruiters will have a slightly easier time finding candidates with skill sets in the areas of LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurses) and CNAs (Certified Nurse Assistants).
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows employment growth in the healthcare sector averaging 23.8% between 2006 and 2014, with ambulatory healthcare services and nursing and residential care facilities showing the highest percentages of demand (33.1% and 24%, respectively.)
These statistics reflect only some of the obstacles recruiters and healthcare organizations face while trying to fill open positions. At a time when job seekers are looking for stable careers, recruiters can do a lot to demonstrate the appeal of nursing by following some long-term recruitment and retention strategies:
Reach out to the community
Look to the community to spread the word about the virtues of a nursing career. Encourage nurse managers within the organization to join community groups to educate people on available nursing positions. Host open houses, tours and seminars to introduce would-be career seekers to what life is like working in a medical environment. Leverage hospital publications and healthcare newsletters to highlight nursing careers and profile key employees.
Look to the schools – and beyond
Besides developing relationships with nursing schools, reach out to high schools – even elementary schools – to introduce the next generation to the benefits of a career in nursing. Sponsor career fairs and encourage nurse managers to speak at local schools. Look beyond traditional female candidates and establish programs to entice males to the career.
Provide a rich professional development program
Mentoring initiatives for nursing graduates, one-on-one buddy systems and assertiveness training are perks that may appeal to existing staffers and job seekers alike. Offering professional development training in areas such as acute care and operating room nursing can go a long way in giving current staffers a career path that keeps them engaged. Finally, make sure your organization has a complete orientation program so incoming nurses have enough time to get up to speed.
Heed salary and scheduling concerns
Flexible scheduling and job-sharing can attract a new audience as well as accommodate older nurses who have different scheduling needs and preferences. It goes without saying that competitive salaries and full benefits packages are a must to ensure your position is on par with – or stands out from – all of the other available postings.
Work on possible image problems
While nursing always ranks high in surveys as a trusted profession, many in the current workforce complain of being devalued by others in the medical community, particularly physicians. Healthcare organizations need to address this shortcoming by working with the human resources department and medical management to ensure others in the community treat the role with respect and value. Instituting a zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior, encouraging close nurse and physician collaboration and implementing reward and recognition programs can help mitigate any image concerns.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Nursing Theory Frameworks
Nursing theory is the term given to the body of knowledge that is used to support nursing practice. In their professional education, nurses will study a range of interconnected subjects which can be applied to the practice setting. This knowledge may be derived from experiential learning, from formal sources such as nursing research or from non-nursing sources.
Nursing theories provide a framework for nurses to systematize their nursing actions: what to ask, what to observe, what to focus on and what to think about, to develop new and validate current knowledge. They define commonalities of the variables in a stated field of inquiry, guide nursing research and actions, predict practice outcomes, and predict client response.
Nursing theories are used to describe, develop, disseminate, and use previous/present knowledge in nursing. Descriptive theory identifies properties and components of a discipline. They identify meaning and observations and describe what elements exist in that discipline. Explanatory theory identifies how the properties and components relate to each other and accounts for how the discipline functions. Predictive theories predict the relationships between the components of a phenomenon and predict under what conditions it will occur. And, Prescriptive theories address nursing therapeutics and consequences of interventions.
There are generally 4-levels of Nursing Theory: Metatheory is the most abstract and not easily tested. Grand Theory is a conceptual framework that defines broad perspectives for nursing practice. Middle Range Theory is moderately abstract and has a limited number of variables. They can be tested directly. Mid-range is very useful in nursing research and practice. Practice Theory traces the outline for practice. Objectives are set and actions are set to meet the objectives. Four steps in the development of practice theories are: factor isolating, factor relating, situation relating, and situation producing control.
In nursing, theories can also be analyzed by types which are needs, interaction, outcome, and humanistic-focused.
It is interesting to note that 90% of all nursing theories have been generated just in the last 20-years. Many schools encourage students to formulate theories of Nursing as part of their curriculum. In fact the pages of Nursing Science Quarterly are a major mouthpiece for Nursing Theory. Some still argue though that this multiplicity of theory is detrimental to the practice and undermines common vision. Others would say that the nature of the young science is sufficiently far reaching to require such tactics in order to elicit true consensus. It cannot be denied, however, that there is much vanity involved in the formulation of nursing theory.
Nursing theory is essential to the framework of nursing practice. Nursing theory information will assist in guiding individual practice and research methods.
Nursing theories provide a framework for nurses to systematize their nursing actions: what to ask, what to observe, what to focus on and what to think about, to develop new and validate current knowledge. They define commonalities of the variables in a stated field of inquiry, guide nursing research and actions, predict practice outcomes, and predict client response.
Nursing theories are used to describe, develop, disseminate, and use previous/present knowledge in nursing. Descriptive theory identifies properties and components of a discipline. They identify meaning and observations and describe what elements exist in that discipline. Explanatory theory identifies how the properties and components relate to each other and accounts for how the discipline functions. Predictive theories predict the relationships between the components of a phenomenon and predict under what conditions it will occur. And, Prescriptive theories address nursing therapeutics and consequences of interventions.
There are generally 4-levels of Nursing Theory: Metatheory is the most abstract and not easily tested. Grand Theory is a conceptual framework that defines broad perspectives for nursing practice. Middle Range Theory is moderately abstract and has a limited number of variables. They can be tested directly. Mid-range is very useful in nursing research and practice. Practice Theory traces the outline for practice. Objectives are set and actions are set to meet the objectives. Four steps in the development of practice theories are: factor isolating, factor relating, situation relating, and situation producing control.
In nursing, theories can also be analyzed by types which are needs, interaction, outcome, and humanistic-focused.
It is interesting to note that 90% of all nursing theories have been generated just in the last 20-years. Many schools encourage students to formulate theories of Nursing as part of their curriculum. In fact the pages of Nursing Science Quarterly are a major mouthpiece for Nursing Theory. Some still argue though that this multiplicity of theory is detrimental to the practice and undermines common vision. Others would say that the nature of the young science is sufficiently far reaching to require such tactics in order to elicit true consensus. It cannot be denied, however, that there is much vanity involved in the formulation of nursing theory.
Nursing theory is essential to the framework of nursing practice. Nursing theory information will assist in guiding individual practice and research methods.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Facts about Nursing Shortage
A report entitled “Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020” alleged:
Based on what is known about trends in the supply of Registered Nurses and their anticipated demand, nursing shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent. At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent.
American hospitals are in a serious crisis, from large numbers of uninsured patients to spiraling costs, from outlandishly expensive prescription drugs to a severe and dangerous shortage of nurses. Emergency rooms are shutting down, surgeries are delayed and, most disturbing of all, patients are sometimes not getting the critical care they desperately need.
There are many factors behind the nursing shortage. Unlike a generation or two ago, young women with an aptitude for sciences now have a multitude of career opportunities to choose from. Many of the other career choices today involve less stressful and less strenuous work than bedside nursing. Generally speaking, a position with a managed-care company or a pharmaceutical sales job is less physically demanding than nursing.
The need for nurses is often depicted as cyclical in nature. Throughout history, the USA has experienced a series of nursing surpluses and shortages. However, the current nursing shortage has been characterized as being unlike those experienced in the past. Trends of an ageing RN/ Registered Nurse workforce and limited supply to fill the impending vacancies are some of the unique aspects that bring a new dimension to an old problem. Today's nursing shortage will not be resolved by simply returning to the solutions of yesteryear, and strategies to reduce its impact will have to be more creative and focus on the long-term.
The widely publicized nursing shortage in the United States is largely a result of three factors: the aging population of nurses; the aging population in the U.S.; and a shift in healthcare delivery away from doctors, towards skilled nurses. Also are four major contributors to the nursing shortage in the USA: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing.
Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; exploring retainment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage.
As new career options grow for women over the past few decades, and fewer women choose to go into nursing, another shortage begins to emerge. All of these factors point to the fact that the nursing shortage won't be reversed overnight.
Based on what is known about trends in the supply of Registered Nurses and their anticipated demand, nursing shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent. At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent.
American hospitals are in a serious crisis, from large numbers of uninsured patients to spiraling costs, from outlandishly expensive prescription drugs to a severe and dangerous shortage of nurses. Emergency rooms are shutting down, surgeries are delayed and, most disturbing of all, patients are sometimes not getting the critical care they desperately need.
There are many factors behind the nursing shortage. Unlike a generation or two ago, young women with an aptitude for sciences now have a multitude of career opportunities to choose from. Many of the other career choices today involve less stressful and less strenuous work than bedside nursing. Generally speaking, a position with a managed-care company or a pharmaceutical sales job is less physically demanding than nursing.
The need for nurses is often depicted as cyclical in nature. Throughout history, the USA has experienced a series of nursing surpluses and shortages. However, the current nursing shortage has been characterized as being unlike those experienced in the past. Trends of an ageing RN/ Registered Nurse workforce and limited supply to fill the impending vacancies are some of the unique aspects that bring a new dimension to an old problem. Today's nursing shortage will not be resolved by simply returning to the solutions of yesteryear, and strategies to reduce its impact will have to be more creative and focus on the long-term.
The widely publicized nursing shortage in the United States is largely a result of three factors: the aging population of nurses; the aging population in the U.S.; and a shift in healthcare delivery away from doctors, towards skilled nurses. Also are four major contributors to the nursing shortage in the USA: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing.
Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; exploring retainment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage.
As new career options grow for women over the past few decades, and fewer women choose to go into nursing, another shortage begins to emerge. All of these factors point to the fact that the nursing shortage won't be reversed overnight.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Public Health Nursing
Isn’t it good health one of our priorities in the family among other things? With that in mind, wouldn’t it be very comforting to know also if the community where we live in also promotes public health nursing? Even if your eyebrows meet and your forehead carries a large question mark because you don’t know exactly it means and what it can do to your community, but if you read it between the lines, I’m sure you would say yes right away!
But, what really is public health nursing? For some, the words may sound familiar, while others may find the words confusing. Actually, public health nursing is the practice of upholding and protecting the health of the community by using the knowledge learned from nursing, social, and public health sciences. Given the good intention of public health nursing, it is not surprising to know that you can find public health nursing almost anywhere in the country.
Public health nursing is, in fact, developed to describe its specific roles and to provide a guide for public health nursing practice in the ever growing health care system. However, the public health nursing practice can be affected by certain factors, such as environmental, biological, cultural, economic, social and political aspects of a community. Due to the fact that public health nursing is an integral part of the healthcare system, the former is also responsive to these factors by way of working with the community in promoting health and preventing disease, injury and disability.
As public health nurses, their role is to integrate community health involvement and knowledge about the entire community with personal and clinical understandings of the health and illness experiences of individuals and families within the community. Also, they interpret and express the health and illness experiences of different, usually vulnerable individuals and families in the community to health planners and policy makers and assist members of the community to speak up their problems and hopes.
A public health nursing may be carried out even by only one public health nurse or by a group of public health nurses working together for the same purpose. There could be many activities that public health nurses can do in order to promote good health and protect the health of the entire community. One of the best examples is providing health education, care management and primary care to the people and families, especially those who are members of vulnerable community.
Our world could be a better place to live in if only all the community encourage public health nursing in order to have disease-free and health-conscious family. And since family is the smallest unit of a community, the awareness in promoting health should start within it. This is much easier to achieve through the help of public health nurses, knowing that it only takes one public health nurse to operate a public health nursing.
But, what really is public health nursing? For some, the words may sound familiar, while others may find the words confusing. Actually, public health nursing is the practice of upholding and protecting the health of the community by using the knowledge learned from nursing, social, and public health sciences. Given the good intention of public health nursing, it is not surprising to know that you can find public health nursing almost anywhere in the country.
Public health nursing is, in fact, developed to describe its specific roles and to provide a guide for public health nursing practice in the ever growing health care system. However, the public health nursing practice can be affected by certain factors, such as environmental, biological, cultural, economic, social and political aspects of a community. Due to the fact that public health nursing is an integral part of the healthcare system, the former is also responsive to these factors by way of working with the community in promoting health and preventing disease, injury and disability.
As public health nurses, their role is to integrate community health involvement and knowledge about the entire community with personal and clinical understandings of the health and illness experiences of individuals and families within the community. Also, they interpret and express the health and illness experiences of different, usually vulnerable individuals and families in the community to health planners and policy makers and assist members of the community to speak up their problems and hopes.
A public health nursing may be carried out even by only one public health nurse or by a group of public health nurses working together for the same purpose. There could be many activities that public health nurses can do in order to promote good health and protect the health of the entire community. One of the best examples is providing health education, care management and primary care to the people and families, especially those who are members of vulnerable community.
Our world could be a better place to live in if only all the community encourage public health nursing in order to have disease-free and health-conscious family. And since family is the smallest unit of a community, the awareness in promoting health should start within it. This is much easier to achieve through the help of public health nurses, knowing that it only takes one public health nurse to operate a public health nursing.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Telemetry Nursing
Most people have a lot of nice things to say about nursing. This could be one of the things that made nursing an interesting career option. But, did you know that there are a lot of areas of specialization in the big world of nursing?
Having a career in the field of nursing can take you to a wide selection of various specialization. If you dream of becoming a nurse, then you should start choosing what to specialize on the soonest possible time in order for you to have ample time to consider where to focus on your studies. But if you are a registered nurse already, you may want to put some spice on your career and explore one of the most rewarding specialization in the field of nursing, which is telemetry nursing.
Telemetry nursing is an exciting career as it allows you to use your technical skills and interpersonal skills. There’s no preferred gender to this area of specialization, which means both men and women can be a telemetry nurse. For as long as you have compassion and nursing expertise, which are required if you want to become part of telemetry nursing, you will be good in this area.
Just like in any other career fields, it is expected that you want to know what the telemetry nurses’ jobs are, would you not? Actually, in telemetry nursing, what a telemetry nurse does is connect patients to monitoring devices. These devices are designed and used to monitor the changes in heart rates, breathing rates, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. If there are significant changes or if there are any complaints of discomfort from patients, it’s the responsibility of the telemetry nurse to notify the medical staff in order to develop an immediate action plan.
Even if a telemetry nurse often administers to patients in a hospital or clinical setting, the concern of telemetry nursing does not end in those premises. In fact, it is also the responsibility of the telemetry nurse to educate patients regarding health maintenance and disease prevention as they return to their homes. Promoting and maintaining good health of patients is part of the job of a telemetry nurse that extends beyond the confinement of the hospital, clinics, or any other healthcare institutions.
If telemetry nursing arouse your interest, why not make the right decision now and be part of the challenging and rewarding world of telemetry nursing? Due to the shortage in any area of nursing, you are guaranteed a secured job. As a telemetry nurse, not only you are sure to have a brighter future for your career, you also get the chance to use the skills you are so good at. So, what more can you ask for?
Having a career in the field of nursing can take you to a wide selection of various specialization. If you dream of becoming a nurse, then you should start choosing what to specialize on the soonest possible time in order for you to have ample time to consider where to focus on your studies. But if you are a registered nurse already, you may want to put some spice on your career and explore one of the most rewarding specialization in the field of nursing, which is telemetry nursing.
Telemetry nursing is an exciting career as it allows you to use your technical skills and interpersonal skills. There’s no preferred gender to this area of specialization, which means both men and women can be a telemetry nurse. For as long as you have compassion and nursing expertise, which are required if you want to become part of telemetry nursing, you will be good in this area.
Just like in any other career fields, it is expected that you want to know what the telemetry nurses’ jobs are, would you not? Actually, in telemetry nursing, what a telemetry nurse does is connect patients to monitoring devices. These devices are designed and used to monitor the changes in heart rates, breathing rates, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. If there are significant changes or if there are any complaints of discomfort from patients, it’s the responsibility of the telemetry nurse to notify the medical staff in order to develop an immediate action plan.
Even if a telemetry nurse often administers to patients in a hospital or clinical setting, the concern of telemetry nursing does not end in those premises. In fact, it is also the responsibility of the telemetry nurse to educate patients regarding health maintenance and disease prevention as they return to their homes. Promoting and maintaining good health of patients is part of the job of a telemetry nurse that extends beyond the confinement of the hospital, clinics, or any other healthcare institutions.
If telemetry nursing arouse your interest, why not make the right decision now and be part of the challenging and rewarding world of telemetry nursing? Due to the shortage in any area of nursing, you are guaranteed a secured job. As a telemetry nurse, not only you are sure to have a brighter future for your career, you also get the chance to use the skills you are so good at. So, what more can you ask for?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Pediatric Nursing
Is your fascination with kids keeps you thinking about making a career out of it? Since you have soft spots for children, you are left with several options to choose from when it comes to deciding on what profession to land on. You can be a teacher, a day-care provider, or even a baby-sitter! But because there’s a desperate need for nurses due to the predicted shortage, you my want to reconsider your options and become a pediatric nurse. In pediatric nursing, you are given a chance to work with different children of different ages as well as promoting their health and well being.
To become a pediatric nurse, your educational preparation will require you to take up pediatric nursing program in order for you to gain the skills and knowledge needed to perform your job properly, which is providing care for infants, children and adolescents. Also, you should learn how to comfort and treat patients, assist doctors, examine and refer patients, and instruct parents to do their share of caring and giving support for their children. Do you now have a clearer picture of how important the role of a pediatric nurse in children and parent’s lives?
There are many programs that allow you to focus on caring for children with special needs or you can concentrate on a certain age group like infants or teenagers. The choice is yours to make whatever you prefer. You can also take courses in child development, diagnosis and treatment, and physiology. Or, you may take courses about health promotion, parenting, and disease prevention. If you are interested in healthcare systems and management skills, there are also available courses for you to take up on those areas.
What’s great about pediatric nursing is that you can become a pediatric nurse in as early as two years by completing a two-year master’s degree program offered by some nursing schools. And most of these programs allow you to become a practitioner nurse after graduation, which means you can examine, diagnose, and treat your own patients, while others let you become a clinical nurse specialist. But, if you already have a master’s degree in nursing, all you need to do is complete a postmaster’s degree program leading to certificate in pediatric nursing. Isn’t that a fast way to realizing your dream of having a career that involves children?
Having a degree in pediatric nursing allows you to work in schools, hospitals, clinic, or any other healthcare institutions. Due to the fact that there is a significant shortage of nurses, you’re guaranteed to get a job in no time, provided you have the credentials needed to take the position. Isn’t your fascination with children the reason why you want a career that has something to do with them? Well, this is your big chance and the best part of it is that there are lots of things you can do more than just working with them, you can as well show and provide children what pediatric nurses are known for – care!
To become a pediatric nurse, your educational preparation will require you to take up pediatric nursing program in order for you to gain the skills and knowledge needed to perform your job properly, which is providing care for infants, children and adolescents. Also, you should learn how to comfort and treat patients, assist doctors, examine and refer patients, and instruct parents to do their share of caring and giving support for their children. Do you now have a clearer picture of how important the role of a pediatric nurse in children and parent’s lives?
There are many programs that allow you to focus on caring for children with special needs or you can concentrate on a certain age group like infants or teenagers. The choice is yours to make whatever you prefer. You can also take courses in child development, diagnosis and treatment, and physiology. Or, you may take courses about health promotion, parenting, and disease prevention. If you are interested in healthcare systems and management skills, there are also available courses for you to take up on those areas.
What’s great about pediatric nursing is that you can become a pediatric nurse in as early as two years by completing a two-year master’s degree program offered by some nursing schools. And most of these programs allow you to become a practitioner nurse after graduation, which means you can examine, diagnose, and treat your own patients, while others let you become a clinical nurse specialist. But, if you already have a master’s degree in nursing, all you need to do is complete a postmaster’s degree program leading to certificate in pediatric nursing. Isn’t that a fast way to realizing your dream of having a career that involves children?
Having a degree in pediatric nursing allows you to work in schools, hospitals, clinic, or any other healthcare institutions. Due to the fact that there is a significant shortage of nurses, you’re guaranteed to get a job in no time, provided you have the credentials needed to take the position. Isn’t your fascination with children the reason why you want a career that has something to do with them? Well, this is your big chance and the best part of it is that there are lots of things you can do more than just working with them, you can as well show and provide children what pediatric nurses are known for – care!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
RN to BSN - Career Benefits and Education Options
By: Michael V. Gruber, Mph
he complexities of a changing medical field in technology, advanced information, and facing a growing leadership role among nurses has increased the need for a degree of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing among registered nurses (RN to BSN). This higher level of education takes commitment and dedication and in the following article, we will outline how to achieve these goals.
Advancing your nursing degree – The difference between RN and BSN
Beginning a career in nursing for those who desire an abbreviated education will get an associate’s degree (AD) which usually involves 2-3 years of schooling. A nurse may also follow a diploma program, usually through a hospital, that is also 2-3 years in length before becoming an RN. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Sample Survey, 70% of nurses have AD or diploma level degrees. An RN must also pass all required examinations such as the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses) before practicing with patient contact.
For many nurses looking to advance their careers, a BSN is the natural next step. It is a 4 year program that includes research oriented learning, leadership training, and liberal arts. Many of the students that are enrolled in the BSN program are previous RN’s with associate degrees or diplomas. They are now going back to school with all the hardships involved; financially, time inflexibility, family and other outstanding commitments.
The differences between an RN and BSN are not necessarily clear to the patient who is being treated with basic care. A nurse treating a patient won’t be asked, “excuse me, are you a RN or a BSN?” Yet the differences lie within. The education gained, the additional technical training, and the potential advancement are not immediately recognized by the patient. A nurse with a BSN can review research papers, advocate for the patient, work with leaders in the hospital or medical facility with confidence and advanced management skills. A nurse with an RN may have all these abilities, yet a BSN enhances them and increases advancement opportunities.
Career Opportunities with a BSN
RN’s return to school for a number of reasons, yet many are personal in nature: To become leaders in the nursing industry, advancing their careers, or move to the next level and receive a master’s or doctoral degree.
Management-level nursing requires an advanced degree such as a BSN. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in management, nurses can become anywhere from the assistant head nurse or head nurse, to assistant director, director, and vice president and upwards. Other career opportunities include research, consulting, and teaching. A nurse with a BSN can manage a home health care clinic and ambulatory services, etc. Nurses can also move into the business side of nursing to becoming an manager of an insurance company, pharmaceutical manufacturer, and managed care organization (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005).
Salary Benefits of advancing a degree from RN to BSN
Advanced nursing degrees create new career opportunities and justify an increased salary. An RN and a BSN will receive the same salary for the same nursing position, but as the BSN moves through the ranks to a higher position, salaries tend to increase. For example, a promotion to a management position of head nurse with a BSN has a higher salary than being the floor nurse with an RN.
Education Opportunities and Education Cost
In 2004, there were 600 RN to BSN programs in the United States. Many RN's use the tuition reimbursement from their employer as an incentive to go back for the BSN. There are also accelerated BSN programs for those individuals who already attained bachelor or higher degrees and wish to go into nursing. There are more than 165 of these programs in the United States. These programs are 12 to 18 months in length (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005). In choosing the appropriate program, it is necessary to choose whether to work in a classroom setting or study through an online RN to BSN program.
The classroom setting has many benefits which include peer contact and live lectures. Sharing experiences with others and learning from other previous like-minded RN’s is a great benefit. The dilemma with classroom education for most nurses is the stringent scheduling and time management needed to attend class and work around an RN’s busy schedule.
An online nursing degree course is the other alternative. It is a way for nurses to work while continuing with their education with flexibility around time commitments. The non-clinical portion of the classroom courses are given online and the clinicals are usually arranged at a medical facility near the nurse’s home. There may be timed lectures or the nurses may do lectures at their own time with assignments being sent to the lecturer by fax or mail on designated due dates. Examinations are usually offered online. Many times the online school follows a semester schedule and has a set start and finish date, though this is not true for all schools. To learn more about online RN to BSN programs, refer to your school of choice and learn what that school offers.
Conclusion
Personal satisfaction, a qualitative factor that can not be measured or quantified, is what many BSN students say is most important about receiving their advanced degree. Our society is advancing in all areas, with technology and intellectual expertise. The information is available and the prerequisites allow many RN's to attain an advanced degree; the determining factor is, we must advance as a society and create leaders in all areas of industry. A BSN gives the degree and knowledge and critical leadership skills for an RN to advance in the world of medicine, business, and personal achievement.
he complexities of a changing medical field in technology, advanced information, and facing a growing leadership role among nurses has increased the need for a degree of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing among registered nurses (RN to BSN). This higher level of education takes commitment and dedication and in the following article, we will outline how to achieve these goals.
Advancing your nursing degree – The difference between RN and BSN
Beginning a career in nursing for those who desire an abbreviated education will get an associate’s degree (AD) which usually involves 2-3 years of schooling. A nurse may also follow a diploma program, usually through a hospital, that is also 2-3 years in length before becoming an RN. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Sample Survey, 70% of nurses have AD or diploma level degrees. An RN must also pass all required examinations such as the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses) before practicing with patient contact.
For many nurses looking to advance their careers, a BSN is the natural next step. It is a 4 year program that includes research oriented learning, leadership training, and liberal arts. Many of the students that are enrolled in the BSN program are previous RN’s with associate degrees or diplomas. They are now going back to school with all the hardships involved; financially, time inflexibility, family and other outstanding commitments.
The differences between an RN and BSN are not necessarily clear to the patient who is being treated with basic care. A nurse treating a patient won’t be asked, “excuse me, are you a RN or a BSN?” Yet the differences lie within. The education gained, the additional technical training, and the potential advancement are not immediately recognized by the patient. A nurse with a BSN can review research papers, advocate for the patient, work with leaders in the hospital or medical facility with confidence and advanced management skills. A nurse with an RN may have all these abilities, yet a BSN enhances them and increases advancement opportunities.
Career Opportunities with a BSN
RN’s return to school for a number of reasons, yet many are personal in nature: To become leaders in the nursing industry, advancing their careers, or move to the next level and receive a master’s or doctoral degree.
Management-level nursing requires an advanced degree such as a BSN. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in management, nurses can become anywhere from the assistant head nurse or head nurse, to assistant director, director, and vice president and upwards. Other career opportunities include research, consulting, and teaching. A nurse with a BSN can manage a home health care clinic and ambulatory services, etc. Nurses can also move into the business side of nursing to becoming an manager of an insurance company, pharmaceutical manufacturer, and managed care organization (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005).
Salary Benefits of advancing a degree from RN to BSN
Advanced nursing degrees create new career opportunities and justify an increased salary. An RN and a BSN will receive the same salary for the same nursing position, but as the BSN moves through the ranks to a higher position, salaries tend to increase. For example, a promotion to a management position of head nurse with a BSN has a higher salary than being the floor nurse with an RN.
Education Opportunities and Education Cost
In 2004, there were 600 RN to BSN programs in the United States. Many RN's use the tuition reimbursement from their employer as an incentive to go back for the BSN. There are also accelerated BSN programs for those individuals who already attained bachelor or higher degrees and wish to go into nursing. There are more than 165 of these programs in the United States. These programs are 12 to 18 months in length (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2005). In choosing the appropriate program, it is necessary to choose whether to work in a classroom setting or study through an online RN to BSN program.
The classroom setting has many benefits which include peer contact and live lectures. Sharing experiences with others and learning from other previous like-minded RN’s is a great benefit. The dilemma with classroom education for most nurses is the stringent scheduling and time management needed to attend class and work around an RN’s busy schedule.
An online nursing degree course is the other alternative. It is a way for nurses to work while continuing with their education with flexibility around time commitments. The non-clinical portion of the classroom courses are given online and the clinicals are usually arranged at a medical facility near the nurse’s home. There may be timed lectures or the nurses may do lectures at their own time with assignments being sent to the lecturer by fax or mail on designated due dates. Examinations are usually offered online. Many times the online school follows a semester schedule and has a set start and finish date, though this is not true for all schools. To learn more about online RN to BSN programs, refer to your school of choice and learn what that school offers.
Conclusion
Personal satisfaction, a qualitative factor that can not be measured or quantified, is what many BSN students say is most important about receiving their advanced degree. Our society is advancing in all areas, with technology and intellectual expertise. The information is available and the prerequisites allow many RN's to attain an advanced degree; the determining factor is, we must advance as a society and create leaders in all areas of industry. A BSN gives the degree and knowledge and critical leadership skills for an RN to advance in the world of medicine, business, and personal achievement.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Nursing Degree through Internet Access
Earning a nursing degree through internet access in one the convenient ways you can realize your dreams of becoming a nurse. As you must have known, the shortage of nurses in the country resulted to a rise in interest of many people in the field of nursing. And the fact that there is a shortage, your chances of landing on a job are great!
Nursing Degree through internet access is for those who wanted to become a nurse, but cannot attend regular classes in real school environment. If you already have a work at the present, and attending to regular classes is out of the question, you can’t just say bye-bye to your dream just like that. If there’s a wheel, there’s a way! Making your dream come true is just a piece of piece if you have a strong determination. All you need is to have access to the internet. It’s as easy as that! Once you have internet connection, you easily take up some nursing programs online offered by several nursing schools. Now, isn’t that convenient?
Also, it would greatly help you decide whether or not to pursue obtaining nursing degree through internet access or attend a regular class in real schools. Besides the fact that, online nursing degree program can be taken at your own home, the big difference that you have to get used to is access to support tools. You see, getting your nursing degree through internet access takes a lot of commitment from you. You may find studying online boring, but depending on how important getting a degree in nursing to you is, I’m sure you can get the hang of it.
The system of online nursing degree programs lets you finish the course at your own pace, which means that you can study you lesson submit assignments or project when you want it. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, taking online degree programs may not work for you.
In order for you get started, you should first choose in what specialization to focus. Yes, there are a lot of areas in nursing for you to choose from and all those areas are also need additional nurses. There are associates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs that are available whatever areas or specialization in nursing you are interested in.
Your inability to attend regular classes at school should not be considered a hindrance in realizing your dream to become a nurse, but a challenge to face in taking a big leap to take advantage of the alternative, which is to take a nursing degree through internet access. There’s always a solution to every problem. Now, you have the solution to yours; just make sure you do your part of the bargain.
Nursing Degree through internet access is for those who wanted to become a nurse, but cannot attend regular classes in real school environment. If you already have a work at the present, and attending to regular classes is out of the question, you can’t just say bye-bye to your dream just like that. If there’s a wheel, there’s a way! Making your dream come true is just a piece of piece if you have a strong determination. All you need is to have access to the internet. It’s as easy as that! Once you have internet connection, you easily take up some nursing programs online offered by several nursing schools. Now, isn’t that convenient?
Also, it would greatly help you decide whether or not to pursue obtaining nursing degree through internet access or attend a regular class in real schools. Besides the fact that, online nursing degree program can be taken at your own home, the big difference that you have to get used to is access to support tools. You see, getting your nursing degree through internet access takes a lot of commitment from you. You may find studying online boring, but depending on how important getting a degree in nursing to you is, I’m sure you can get the hang of it.
The system of online nursing degree programs lets you finish the course at your own pace, which means that you can study you lesson submit assignments or project when you want it. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, taking online degree programs may not work for you.
In order for you get started, you should first choose in what specialization to focus. Yes, there are a lot of areas in nursing for you to choose from and all those areas are also need additional nurses. There are associates, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs that are available whatever areas or specialization in nursing you are interested in.
Your inability to attend regular classes at school should not be considered a hindrance in realizing your dream to become a nurse, but a challenge to face in taking a big leap to take advantage of the alternative, which is to take a nursing degree through internet access. There’s always a solution to every problem. Now, you have the solution to yours; just make sure you do your part of the bargain.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mental Health Nursing
We are now living in a world where people seem to have an open mind about almost anything. But, why is it that, at some point, certain individuals still find it easier to talk about and accept a person being physically ill than someone who has mental health problems? There could be many reasons behind that life-size question mark on your forehead. To some extent, this could be the result of the impossibility of putting a clear distinction between mental health and illness.
At some point in our lives, we may have experienced episodes of stress, anxiety, anger, depression and any other mental health condition, because those are what make us human. In other words, these mental problems are as common as cough and colds. But, if any of those conditions becomes overwhelming, hard to control, or has been recurring for quite some time, it’s the time that you seek professional help. If you let your condition pass by without getting immediate attention and care, it could lead to a more serious problem, not to mention that it gets in the way of your daily activities.
This is where mental health nursing steps in. Mental health nursing is a very challenging job, I must say. The nurses working in a mental health institutions, whether in a hospital or in a community, show great care for people with mental health condition, assisting patients to overcome their unwell condition or to come to terms with it so that they can continue to live their lives as normal as possible.
Mental health nursing is the kind of profession in which the nurses are likely to be dealing with people from all walks of life with different backgrounds. As their experience broadened and careers develop, they have a choice to specialize in any areas like alcohol and drugs, research, education, or management positions. But the important challenges for mental health nurses are to use their skills and personal strengths in order to help patients come to terms with their problems. Have you noticed that sometimes you tend to feel more comfortable sharing your concerns with nurses than with physicians? That is exactly why mental health nursing exist – fill in the gap between the physician and the patient!
nother challenge that a mental health nurse has to face is to identify if and when a patient may be at risk of harming themselves or other people. Therefore, one of the most important skills that mental health nurses have to learn is recognizing any build-up tension in a patient and resolving it as quickly as possible. What a challenging career mental health nursing indeed! Not a very enticing job, but definitely very rewarding. You must be a people person with great care to people with mental illness to be able to do the job of a mental health nurse.
At some point in our lives, we may have experienced episodes of stress, anxiety, anger, depression and any other mental health condition, because those are what make us human. In other words, these mental problems are as common as cough and colds. But, if any of those conditions becomes overwhelming, hard to control, or has been recurring for quite some time, it’s the time that you seek professional help. If you let your condition pass by without getting immediate attention and care, it could lead to a more serious problem, not to mention that it gets in the way of your daily activities.
This is where mental health nursing steps in. Mental health nursing is a very challenging job, I must say. The nurses working in a mental health institutions, whether in a hospital or in a community, show great care for people with mental health condition, assisting patients to overcome their unwell condition or to come to terms with it so that they can continue to live their lives as normal as possible.
Mental health nursing is the kind of profession in which the nurses are likely to be dealing with people from all walks of life with different backgrounds. As their experience broadened and careers develop, they have a choice to specialize in any areas like alcohol and drugs, research, education, or management positions. But the important challenges for mental health nurses are to use their skills and personal strengths in order to help patients come to terms with their problems. Have you noticed that sometimes you tend to feel more comfortable sharing your concerns with nurses than with physicians? That is exactly why mental health nursing exist – fill in the gap between the physician and the patient!
nother challenge that a mental health nurse has to face is to identify if and when a patient may be at risk of harming themselves or other people. Therefore, one of the most important skills that mental health nurses have to learn is recognizing any build-up tension in a patient and resolving it as quickly as possible. What a challenging career mental health nursing indeed! Not a very enticing job, but definitely very rewarding. You must be a people person with great care to people with mental illness to be able to do the job of a mental health nurse.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Average Nursing Salary
It is commonly known that there is a significant shortage of nurses not only in a specific country, but throughout the world. To all those who are interested and most importantly qualified in the field of nursing, you are all welcome.
Just like in any other profession, it is not all the time that professionals think of how much money they will be getting once they pursue a certain career. Though, let’s face it, it matters. Additionally, in most career fields, a person’s salary depends on certain factors. You may be receiving bigger pay than what your friend is getting from other place. This thing applies also in the world of nursing.
If you want to know how much the recent average is nursing salary, you are on the right page. However, you should know that an average nursing salary can be determined by the needs and capabilities of a community, work schedule, training, skills, and experience, which means that the information you will get from this article maybe a little different from place to place.
For registered nurses (RNs) working in the US, the average nursing salary is a little over $ 41, 600 every year. RNs with more than 3 years of experience are getting more than $ 47, 000, while those who are in the entry level are receiving more or less $ 39, 000 a year. Depending also on the position, the higher position, the average nursing salary could go as high as $ 60, 000 a year and over.
In a hospital setting, an average nursing salary is also affected depending on the specialization. Also, working in various healthcare institutions with different specializations could also mean different average nursing salary. The lowest annual average pay you can get is not less than $ 33,500 and the highest can reach up to $ 65,000 and more.
Even for the hourly paid nurses, there is also a variation on the rates. Depending on the demand of a nurse’s specialty and the kind of responsibilities she/he is tasked with, the rate could go up much higher. The entry level nursing salary per hour is approximately between $17.65 to $19.75 If basing on hospital bed size, hospitals with more than 500 bed size, the possible average nursing salary at an hourly rate can be $ 21.00.
Based on the range of the average nursing salary, it is clear that salary of nurses is dependent on a lot of factors, such as training, the kind of institution you are working with, your position, and the location of your work.
Just like in any other profession, it is not all the time that professionals think of how much money they will be getting once they pursue a certain career. Though, let’s face it, it matters. Additionally, in most career fields, a person’s salary depends on certain factors. You may be receiving bigger pay than what your friend is getting from other place. This thing applies also in the world of nursing.
If you want to know how much the recent average is nursing salary, you are on the right page. However, you should know that an average nursing salary can be determined by the needs and capabilities of a community, work schedule, training, skills, and experience, which means that the information you will get from this article maybe a little different from place to place.
For registered nurses (RNs) working in the US, the average nursing salary is a little over $ 41, 600 every year. RNs with more than 3 years of experience are getting more than $ 47, 000, while those who are in the entry level are receiving more or less $ 39, 000 a year. Depending also on the position, the higher position, the average nursing salary could go as high as $ 60, 000 a year and over.
In a hospital setting, an average nursing salary is also affected depending on the specialization. Also, working in various healthcare institutions with different specializations could also mean different average nursing salary. The lowest annual average pay you can get is not less than $ 33,500 and the highest can reach up to $ 65,000 and more.
Even for the hourly paid nurses, there is also a variation on the rates. Depending on the demand of a nurse’s specialty and the kind of responsibilities she/he is tasked with, the rate could go up much higher. The entry level nursing salary per hour is approximately between $17.65 to $19.75 If basing on hospital bed size, hospitals with more than 500 bed size, the possible average nursing salary at an hourly rate can be $ 21.00.
Based on the range of the average nursing salary, it is clear that salary of nurses is dependent on a lot of factors, such as training, the kind of institution you are working with, your position, and the location of your work.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Critical Care Nursing
If you are to describe the job of a nurse, what comes to mind first? For some people, they would probably think that a nurse is someone who provides the care you need when being hospitalized, while other would see a nurse as someone who works side by side with physicians in providing care. There could be truth on those answers, but there is actually more to nursing than just giving care to patients. And if you think you have seen what a nurse can do, better think again.
There is this specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening situations and that is critical care nursing. As the name implies, critical care nursing is indeed a serious job that requires all your skills to be able to save the lives of those people who are in a life-threatening condition. As a critical care nurse, you should be a licensed professional nurse who is responsible in making sure that acutely and critically ill patients as well as their parents receive the best possible care.
To get a clearer picture as to how grave critical care nursing is, let us define what a critically ill patient is. Critically ill patient is someone who is at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health condition. The more serious the condition of the patient is, the more extremely vulnerable, unstable, and complex he or she becomes and the more extreme and watchful nursing care is required. Being in a situation like that, where there’s no room for errors, it is just right to get the right training and exposure to obtain the skills needed to be able to respond to the specific needs of critically ill patients.
Critical care nursing are given in the hospital setting where critically ill patients are being treated and where the real action is, such as in the intensive care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units or ICUs, pediatric intensive care units, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms. In addition, critically care nursing can also be provided in home healthcare, managed care organizations, outpatient surgery centers and clinic, and nursing schools.
Because critical care nursing requires stern expertise, critical care nurses have gone through an intensive practice in settings where patients need complex assessment, high-intensity therapies and intervention, and continue nursing care. With constant exposure to these situations, a critical care nurse will be able to work in different settings. They can be bedside clinicians, nurse educators, nurse researchers, clinical nurse specialists, nurse managers, and nurse practitioners. With the arrival of managed care and the resulting transfer of patients from hospital settings to healthcare institutions, critical care nursing is more in demand.
There is this specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening situations and that is critical care nursing. As the name implies, critical care nursing is indeed a serious job that requires all your skills to be able to save the lives of those people who are in a life-threatening condition. As a critical care nurse, you should be a licensed professional nurse who is responsible in making sure that acutely and critically ill patients as well as their parents receive the best possible care.
To get a clearer picture as to how grave critical care nursing is, let us define what a critically ill patient is. Critically ill patient is someone who is at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health condition. The more serious the condition of the patient is, the more extremely vulnerable, unstable, and complex he or she becomes and the more extreme and watchful nursing care is required. Being in a situation like that, where there’s no room for errors, it is just right to get the right training and exposure to obtain the skills needed to be able to respond to the specific needs of critically ill patients.
Critical care nursing are given in the hospital setting where critically ill patients are being treated and where the real action is, such as in the intensive care units, cardiac catheter labs, telemetry units or ICUs, pediatric intensive care units, neonatal ICUs, cardiac care units, progressive care units, emergency departments and recovery rooms. In addition, critically care nursing can also be provided in home healthcare, managed care organizations, outpatient surgery centers and clinic, and nursing schools.
Because critical care nursing requires stern expertise, critical care nurses have gone through an intensive practice in settings where patients need complex assessment, high-intensity therapies and intervention, and continue nursing care. With constant exposure to these situations, a critical care nurse will be able to work in different settings. They can be bedside clinicians, nurse educators, nurse researchers, clinical nurse specialists, nurse managers, and nurse practitioners. With the arrival of managed care and the resulting transfer of patients from hospital settings to healthcare institutions, critical care nursing is more in demand.
Monday, November 24, 2008
What is Holding You Back?
Are you happy with your present job, employer, and income? Are you living the lifestyle you desire? Do you feel the self-satisfaction and gratification you are looking for, maybe not at the end of each and everyday, but at the end of the week or even the month? How about self-esteem? If you answered yes, congratulations. For those that can not answer yes to these questions, where are you headed? Have you thought about what you want to do and where you want to go? What are your goals? Do you have a plan? Most important, what is your next step?! Undoubtedly, there are some obstacles.
Procrastination and Complacency
There are two very formidable opponents that face us on a human level: Procrastination and complacency. While there are similarities between the two words, they are two different conditions. The common theme of these two conditions is a lack of results.
Complacency is usually the result of accomplishment or achieving a certain level of success. Complacency is defined with “an unawareness of actual dangers.” Complacency creeps up on us unexpectedly, and most times we do not realize that we suffer from this condition until we are faced with the actual danger. The danger we could very easily face is allowing a lapse in our education, such as the mandatory continuing education required for re-licensure as talked about in a previous article dated October 31st on this site by Margaret Lyons, program coordinator at Villanova University.
Perpetual goal setting is one of the best practices we can employ to prevent complacency from setting in. Using a benchmark set by others can further insure that we will never have a goal in which we are satisfied. Tell yourself there is always someone doing it better, and find that someone.
We also need to create our own mechanism that will prevent complacency. It can be something simplistic such as an office bulleting board (hand-written to do list with due dates), or something more sophisticated employing technology (timed reminders on your computer). Keep your goals in front of you - carefully measured in achievable steps - so that you face them everyday. Choose the mechanism that will best work for you; just be sure to implement something. While at this juncture (nurses in Pennsylvania, California, Kansas and Delaware), have you addressed the mandatory continuing education for re-licensure?
Procrastination can be a byproduct of complacency however it has many sources. Unlike complacency, procrastination does not necessarily (and most times probably does not) result from success. It is a factor that prevents accomplishment.
Procrastination is a more conscious opponent usually a result of fear or poor prioritization. Concerning fear, it is never personal; identify and face your fear in order to alleviate anxiety. Our prioritization sometimes needs to be scrutinized. Life in nursing gives us a work load with more than our fair share. We begin to juggle instead of prioritize, and I am not referring to patient care here. When prioritizing, be sure your personal and professional advancement weighs in.
Time and Money
Now for the proverbial obstacles: Time and money. As you address procrastination and analyze your prioritization, commit the time needed for continuing education. Visualize where you will be and of the advanced opportunities afforded you once you have gained the desired (and necessary) degree. Do not let the economy be your excuse. Our profession is experiencing a shortage with a projected increase for the next 12 years. Nonetheless, by the time the economy improves, you could have positioned yourself for the place you want to be, rather than it being too late.
If you still have unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, take the first step to get started.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation is the first place to look. See if you qualify for the financial assistance they offer. Simply click on their link at left. And do not stop there. Schools of nursing often have assistance for those in need as well. As an example, visit Villanova’s College of Nursing, link at left, to see what they have to offer and peruse their site to learn more about their programs to see if their program may be right for you.
As this site continues to build its resources, please visit frequently for opportunities in education, advancement and employment.
As always, thank you for visiting and please share your comments.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Nurses Who Serve Those Who Serve
By Linda S. Smith, MS, DSN, RN, CLNC
Professor and Director of the Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program at the College of Technology, Idaho State University
Last year, New Jersey born Army Captain Maria Ines Ortiz was the first army nurse to be killed in Iraq since the 2003 US invasion. She was killed during a mortar attack in Baghdad’s Green Zone. Ortiz was doing what military nurses do best – caring for the sick and wounded on or near enemy lines. She was survived by her parents, four sisters, and a fiance’. Ortiz gave her professional nursing skills and dedication, as well as her life, to serve those who so selflessly and heroically serve us.
Many of us consider great military nursing to have originated with Britain’s Florence Nightingale. It is true that the events in Scutari, Turkey gave birth to professional nursing. It is not true that Scutari was the first military location for nurses. For America, military nursing officially began with the birth of our country - the revolutionary war.
Nursing during the Revolutionary War (1776) was not recognized as a separate and distinct service. It was often included and described along with such tasks as cooking, cleaning, washing, and sewing. “Nursing” was designed to keep sick men clean, well fed, and comfortable. Camp followers on both sides of the war effort were women who washed, cleaned, cooked, and “nursed” the men. And medical care given to the wounded included purging, blistering, and bleeding. Most battle wounds were followed by uncontrolled infections, forcing surgeons to amputate. Over 90% of deaths were caused by disease – 10% by battle wounds. Wounded men would be placed side by side with men suffering typhoid and typhus, thus wiping out whole wards.
The Civil War
In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to help care for sick and injured Union Soldiers. Simultaneously, women in the north began to organize relief societies. Dorthea L. Dix came to Washington, DC to volunteer her services and was immediately appointed superintendent of women nurses of the Army. (Dix had already made significant contributions to the improvement of care for the mentally ill). Dix established strict criteria for her nurses, with the idea that these women would be nursing supervisors. Her nurses were sent to Bellevue Hospital New York City, for one month of training. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, began her Civil war work in 1861 when she established an agency to distribute medical supplies to wounded soldiers.
Though enormously dedicated, hardworking, and successful, the idea of female nurses was met with opposition from male doctors and military personnel. These nurses were often outspoken about incompetence, pilfering, and corruption among army surgeons. Many hospitals had little food and even fewer supplies. Nurses wrote to their contacts and reported these terrible conditions – further angering the male physicians. They took cleanliness and organization into their own hands.
Transport services for sick and wounded men were available via railroad, steam ships and wagons, often taking days and even weeks to reach hospitals. Tents were pitched along waterways where a corp of male and female nurses worked. Religious sisters also became a vital part of the nursing staff.
Importantly, medical efforts during the Civil war led to many scientific improvements and paved the way for a new profession of nursing in the US.
Scutari and Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale’s best-known triumph, the organization of military nursing, took place during the Crimean War (named after Turkey’s Crimean Peninsula). In 1854, Great Britain and France declared war on Russia in order to protect Turkey from Russian attacks. Due to poor military decisions, fierce fighting and enormous numbers of causalities from wounds, cholera, and dysentery, men were dying by the thousands. Four miles of the Turkish “Barrack Hospital” housed Great Britain’s sick and dying soldiers. British people were outraged, as news of these atrocities reached England, and the Secretary of State Sidney Herbert asked his long time friend Florence Nightingale to organize a group of nurses for war service in Turkey.
Nightingale saw four miles of rat-infested corridors filled with starving, freezing men. They had no blankets, beds, or bandages. Amputations were performed without anesthetic or even the crudest sanitation. Nightingale and her 38 nurses arrived on November 5, 1854 and were given charge of 1,500 patients. In only a few months, Nightingale decreased the death rate from 42% to 2%. She transformed the Barracks into efficiently run hospitals and won the admiration and respect of the world.
Nightingale understood medical and military politics and the scientific method for gathering and reporting data. Advocating for the sick and wounded soldiers, Nightingale used her statistical and writing skills to influence increased funding and appropriations of supplies. The grateful British people donated $200,000 to her, which she used to start the Nightingale School of Nursing four years later in 1860.
Spanish American War
For the first time in US history, professionally trained nurses were accepted into military hospitals. During the Spanish American War, these contract nurses became forerunners to our present military nursing corp. The Spanish American War took place against Spain (Cuba) in 1898 and the first call for nurses came on May 7, 1898 because of the 30% sick rate among American troops. Typhoid patients would remain for hours and even days without care. Some had bedsores down to the bone. Because of the resistance to having female nurses, these health professionals knew they had to excel in every possible way. One single nurse often had to care for 40 or more delirious typhoid patients per day. Nurses worked at a frantic pace in unfurnished facilities. They also helped gather statistics and medical data related to typhoid – statistics implicating the contaminated water, food, and insects.
These trained nurses were considered by the men as angels of mercy. Thus, in December of 1898, a committee of women and nurses moved to establish a permanent Army Nurse Corp. In 1901, the Army Nurse Corp was established. In 1908 the Navy Nurse Corp (the only females in the Navy) became an important component of the US Navy. They won the praise and admiration of navel officials because, for the first time, two large nursing services were made up entirely of graduate nurses.
World War I
The US committed itself to WWI in 1917 and our Army and Navy Nurse Corp increased their numbers significantly to meet the needs of the American soldiers. Unfortunately, as our nation faced a devastating flu epidemic at home, more and more civilian nurses were leaving for military and Red Cross service. Therefore, student nurse recruitment efforts were increased.
Conditions in camp hospitals were difficult. However, World War I provided nurses with experience related to the new projectile bullets, shell fragments, poison gas, explosives, and other injury causing war machines. Nurses learned to use a weak chlorine solution for cleansing wound infections, and developed debriedment operations. Almost 300 nurses died in WW I, mostly due to disease exacerbated by overwork.
World War II
On December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots bombed Pearl Harbor and so began America’s involvement in WWII. Even before that date, however, the Nursing Council on National Defense was organized. Composed of representatives from the six American nursing organizations, this committee set out to recruit more student nurses, improve nursing education, decrease the numbers of inactive nurses, and educate and use voluntary nurses’ aides.
As with WWI, the war effort created a major civilian nursing shortage. A national plan for federal financial aid allowed schools of nursing to provide scholarships to needy student nurses and for refresher courses for inactive nurses. On July 1, 1943, a nursing student could join the Cadet Nurse Corp, receive full scholarships and a small monthly stipend. In return she had to promise to serve as a military nurse after graduation. Thus, students could complete their nursing education AND serve their country. Notably, and as a result of this national effort, nursing schools voluntarily upgraded curriculum and faculty to meet the military standards.
With the Cadet Nurse Corp and its 150,000 members, the concept of aid to nursing education became reality and civilian and military nursing collaborated. WW II also brought about the important idea of placing medical and nursing services as close to the war front as possible. The type of firepower used created more casualties but mortality was decreased because of the high medical standards and nursing services. By the end of the war, 100,000 nurses had volunteered for military service. Nurses went ashore with the invading troops and were placed where their special skills were most needed.
Today
Today, a career as a nurse in the military means that a nurse’s educational advancement and career goals can be met through military service. Experiences in state-side military hospitals and bases, as well as overseas duty positions, are available. Reserve nursing is also available to nurses who choose this type of military service.
American military nurses continue to stand firm in their beliefs and commitments for quality, efficient health care given to our nation’s sick and wounded military personnel. Just as was the case with New Jersey born Army Captain Maria Ines Ortiz, they are proving themselves as expert, valuable, dedicated nurses – they are bravely caring for and serving those who serve us.
References
Austin, A. L. (1975). Wartime volunteers-1861-1865. AJN, 75(5).
Berges, F. & Berges, C. (1986). A visit to Scutari. AJN, 86(7), 811-813.
Bullough, B. (1976). The lasting impact of WWII on nursing. AJN, 76(1).
Culpepper, M. M., & Adams, P. G. (1988). Nursing in the civil war. AJN. 88(7), 981-984.
Dolan, J. A. (1966). Goodnow’s history of nursing. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.
Kalisch, P. A., & Kalisch, B. J. (1978). The advance of American nursing. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.
Selavan, I.C. (1975). Nurses in American history: The revolution. AJN, 75(4).
* Portions previously published Journal of Military Nursing Research, 1(2), 12-13, 1995
Professor and Director of the Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program at the College of Technology, Idaho State University
Last year, New Jersey born Army Captain Maria Ines Ortiz was the first army nurse to be killed in Iraq since the 2003 US invasion. She was killed during a mortar attack in Baghdad’s Green Zone. Ortiz was doing what military nurses do best – caring for the sick and wounded on or near enemy lines. She was survived by her parents, four sisters, and a fiance’. Ortiz gave her professional nursing skills and dedication, as well as her life, to serve those who so selflessly and heroically serve us.
Many of us consider great military nursing to have originated with Britain’s Florence Nightingale. It is true that the events in Scutari, Turkey gave birth to professional nursing. It is not true that Scutari was the first military location for nurses. For America, military nursing officially began with the birth of our country - the revolutionary war.
Nursing during the Revolutionary War (1776) was not recognized as a separate and distinct service. It was often included and described along with such tasks as cooking, cleaning, washing, and sewing. “Nursing” was designed to keep sick men clean, well fed, and comfortable. Camp followers on both sides of the war effort were women who washed, cleaned, cooked, and “nursed” the men. And medical care given to the wounded included purging, blistering, and bleeding. Most battle wounds were followed by uncontrolled infections, forcing surgeons to amputate. Over 90% of deaths were caused by disease – 10% by battle wounds. Wounded men would be placed side by side with men suffering typhoid and typhus, thus wiping out whole wards.
The Civil War
In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers to help care for sick and injured Union Soldiers. Simultaneously, women in the north began to organize relief societies. Dorthea L. Dix came to Washington, DC to volunteer her services and was immediately appointed superintendent of women nurses of the Army. (Dix had already made significant contributions to the improvement of care for the mentally ill). Dix established strict criteria for her nurses, with the idea that these women would be nursing supervisors. Her nurses were sent to Bellevue Hospital New York City, for one month of training. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, began her Civil war work in 1861 when she established an agency to distribute medical supplies to wounded soldiers.
Though enormously dedicated, hardworking, and successful, the idea of female nurses was met with opposition from male doctors and military personnel. These nurses were often outspoken about incompetence, pilfering, and corruption among army surgeons. Many hospitals had little food and even fewer supplies. Nurses wrote to their contacts and reported these terrible conditions – further angering the male physicians. They took cleanliness and organization into their own hands.
Transport services for sick and wounded men were available via railroad, steam ships and wagons, often taking days and even weeks to reach hospitals. Tents were pitched along waterways where a corp of male and female nurses worked. Religious sisters also became a vital part of the nursing staff.
Importantly, medical efforts during the Civil war led to many scientific improvements and paved the way for a new profession of nursing in the US.
Scutari and Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale’s best-known triumph, the organization of military nursing, took place during the Crimean War (named after Turkey’s Crimean Peninsula). In 1854, Great Britain and France declared war on Russia in order to protect Turkey from Russian attacks. Due to poor military decisions, fierce fighting and enormous numbers of causalities from wounds, cholera, and dysentery, men were dying by the thousands. Four miles of the Turkish “Barrack Hospital” housed Great Britain’s sick and dying soldiers. British people were outraged, as news of these atrocities reached England, and the Secretary of State Sidney Herbert asked his long time friend Florence Nightingale to organize a group of nurses for war service in Turkey.
Nightingale saw four miles of rat-infested corridors filled with starving, freezing men. They had no blankets, beds, or bandages. Amputations were performed without anesthetic or even the crudest sanitation. Nightingale and her 38 nurses arrived on November 5, 1854 and were given charge of 1,500 patients. In only a few months, Nightingale decreased the death rate from 42% to 2%. She transformed the Barracks into efficiently run hospitals and won the admiration and respect of the world.
Nightingale understood medical and military politics and the scientific method for gathering and reporting data. Advocating for the sick and wounded soldiers, Nightingale used her statistical and writing skills to influence increased funding and appropriations of supplies. The grateful British people donated $200,000 to her, which she used to start the Nightingale School of Nursing four years later in 1860.
Spanish American War
For the first time in US history, professionally trained nurses were accepted into military hospitals. During the Spanish American War, these contract nurses became forerunners to our present military nursing corp. The Spanish American War took place against Spain (Cuba) in 1898 and the first call for nurses came on May 7, 1898 because of the 30% sick rate among American troops. Typhoid patients would remain for hours and even days without care. Some had bedsores down to the bone. Because of the resistance to having female nurses, these health professionals knew they had to excel in every possible way. One single nurse often had to care for 40 or more delirious typhoid patients per day. Nurses worked at a frantic pace in unfurnished facilities. They also helped gather statistics and medical data related to typhoid – statistics implicating the contaminated water, food, and insects.
These trained nurses were considered by the men as angels of mercy. Thus, in December of 1898, a committee of women and nurses moved to establish a permanent Army Nurse Corp. In 1901, the Army Nurse Corp was established. In 1908 the Navy Nurse Corp (the only females in the Navy) became an important component of the US Navy. They won the praise and admiration of navel officials because, for the first time, two large nursing services were made up entirely of graduate nurses.
World War I
The US committed itself to WWI in 1917 and our Army and Navy Nurse Corp increased their numbers significantly to meet the needs of the American soldiers. Unfortunately, as our nation faced a devastating flu epidemic at home, more and more civilian nurses were leaving for military and Red Cross service. Therefore, student nurse recruitment efforts were increased.
Conditions in camp hospitals were difficult. However, World War I provided nurses with experience related to the new projectile bullets, shell fragments, poison gas, explosives, and other injury causing war machines. Nurses learned to use a weak chlorine solution for cleansing wound infections, and developed debriedment operations. Almost 300 nurses died in WW I, mostly due to disease exacerbated by overwork.
World War II
On December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots bombed Pearl Harbor and so began America’s involvement in WWII. Even before that date, however, the Nursing Council on National Defense was organized. Composed of representatives from the six American nursing organizations, this committee set out to recruit more student nurses, improve nursing education, decrease the numbers of inactive nurses, and educate and use voluntary nurses’ aides.
As with WWI, the war effort created a major civilian nursing shortage. A national plan for federal financial aid allowed schools of nursing to provide scholarships to needy student nurses and for refresher courses for inactive nurses. On July 1, 1943, a nursing student could join the Cadet Nurse Corp, receive full scholarships and a small monthly stipend. In return she had to promise to serve as a military nurse after graduation. Thus, students could complete their nursing education AND serve their country. Notably, and as a result of this national effort, nursing schools voluntarily upgraded curriculum and faculty to meet the military standards.
With the Cadet Nurse Corp and its 150,000 members, the concept of aid to nursing education became reality and civilian and military nursing collaborated. WW II also brought about the important idea of placing medical and nursing services as close to the war front as possible. The type of firepower used created more casualties but mortality was decreased because of the high medical standards and nursing services. By the end of the war, 100,000 nurses had volunteered for military service. Nurses went ashore with the invading troops and were placed where their special skills were most needed.
Today
Today, a career as a nurse in the military means that a nurse’s educational advancement and career goals can be met through military service. Experiences in state-side military hospitals and bases, as well as overseas duty positions, are available. Reserve nursing is also available to nurses who choose this type of military service.
American military nurses continue to stand firm in their beliefs and commitments for quality, efficient health care given to our nation’s sick and wounded military personnel. Just as was the case with New Jersey born Army Captain Maria Ines Ortiz, they are proving themselves as expert, valuable, dedicated nurses – they are bravely caring for and serving those who serve us.
References
Austin, A. L. (1975). Wartime volunteers-1861-1865. AJN, 75(5).
Berges, F. & Berges, C. (1986). A visit to Scutari. AJN, 86(7), 811-813.
Bullough, B. (1976). The lasting impact of WWII on nursing. AJN, 76(1).
Culpepper, M. M., & Adams, P. G. (1988). Nursing in the civil war. AJN. 88(7), 981-984.
Dolan, J. A. (1966). Goodnow’s history of nursing. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co.
Kalisch, P. A., & Kalisch, B. J. (1978). The advance of American nursing. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.
Selavan, I.C. (1975). Nurses in American history: The revolution. AJN, 75(4).
* Portions previously published Journal of Military Nursing Research, 1(2), 12-13, 1995
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Formidable Career – Forensic Nursing
With crime scene dramas accounting gun shots and autopsies, most people acquire the misconception that forensic nursing has something to do with a special ‘medical detective agency’ out in action for the next murder case. Forensic nurses can go out for action, especially if one with American Forensic Nurses or the International Association of Forensic Nurses; however, a forensic nursing job is mostly focused on patients (not necessarily carcasses awaiting justice) and not on suspects to be hunted down.
Although forensic nursing also touch upon medico-legal death investigation, forensic nurses are most of the time involved in a much needing task of treating victims of a sexual assault or performing examinations for a child abuse or domestic violence case. Forensic nursing involves the proper collection of evidence upon suspecting an assault on their patients and then preserving the critical chain of evidence. Forensic nursing then requires a special training on valid data collection and producing legal testimonies. Aside from their nursing background, the forensic nurses combine a bio-psycho-social education in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims of abuse and traumatic accidents.
Forensic nurses are experts in clinical diagnosis, providing care to sexual assault victims, as well as legal nurse consulting and assisting in criminal prosecution cases. Forensic nursing then applies the nursing science in public and legal proceedings involving patients of special case and care. Forensic nurses may also go deeper in a critical investigation as they are susceptible to encountering also the crime suspects or perpetrators of violence and criminal activity. Nurses treat wounds yet may precariously compromise valuable evidence.
The complex yet crucial job of forensic nursing plus the fact that it’s only a fairly new field, make it complicated for those considering a specialization in this field. Aspiring forensic nurses may find that there is currently no national standard whatsoever when it comes to the licensing and designation of a ‘Forensic Nurse’ and that there are actually many acronyms often used by each state but are interchangeably pertaining to the same forensic nursing position. Some are called SANE/ Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, SAE/ Sexual Assault Examiner, SAFE/ Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, SANC/ Sexual Assault Nurse Clinician, or FNE/ Forensic Nurse Examiner. Each is quite similar, yet each certification may have greater areas of focus.
Even so, the various career specialties within forensic nursing – sexual assault examination, emergency room investigation, medico-legal death investigation, evidence collection training, medical examiner’s office study, medical legal consulting, or working with or on behalf of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies – are all formidable both in the medical and legal field.
Although forensic nursing also touch upon medico-legal death investigation, forensic nurses are most of the time involved in a much needing task of treating victims of a sexual assault or performing examinations for a child abuse or domestic violence case. Forensic nursing involves the proper collection of evidence upon suspecting an assault on their patients and then preserving the critical chain of evidence. Forensic nursing then requires a special training on valid data collection and producing legal testimonies. Aside from their nursing background, the forensic nurses combine a bio-psycho-social education in the scientific investigation and treatment of trauma and/or death of victims of abuse and traumatic accidents.
Forensic nurses are experts in clinical diagnosis, providing care to sexual assault victims, as well as legal nurse consulting and assisting in criminal prosecution cases. Forensic nursing then applies the nursing science in public and legal proceedings involving patients of special case and care. Forensic nurses may also go deeper in a critical investigation as they are susceptible to encountering also the crime suspects or perpetrators of violence and criminal activity. Nurses treat wounds yet may precariously compromise valuable evidence.
The complex yet crucial job of forensic nursing plus the fact that it’s only a fairly new field, make it complicated for those considering a specialization in this field. Aspiring forensic nurses may find that there is currently no national standard whatsoever when it comes to the licensing and designation of a ‘Forensic Nurse’ and that there are actually many acronyms often used by each state but are interchangeably pertaining to the same forensic nursing position. Some are called SANE/ Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, SAE/ Sexual Assault Examiner, SAFE/ Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner, SANC/ Sexual Assault Nurse Clinician, or FNE/ Forensic Nurse Examiner. Each is quite similar, yet each certification may have greater areas of focus.
Even so, the various career specialties within forensic nursing – sexual assault examination, emergency room investigation, medico-legal death investigation, evidence collection training, medical examiner’s office study, medical legal consulting, or working with or on behalf of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies – are all formidable both in the medical and legal field.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Certified Nurse Assistant’s Duties
Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is the Direct Care Giver to many.
Among the vast array of health care careers lies the area of direct care giving. These professionals are often Home Health Assistant (HHA) or Home Health Aides, Personal Care Assistants, Nurse's Aides, Patient Care Technicians and several other titles, depending on the work environment and the region.
Certified Nursing Assistants work closely with patients and provide assistance with daily living tasks, such as: dressing (according to patients' needs, ranging from minimal assistance to totally dependent); bathing (bed baths, tub baths, showers); feeding (serving meals, physically feeding patients who are unable to do so themselves); toileting (assisting with bedpans & urinals, help to the bathroom, provide incontinent care for patients who need it); vital signs (Blood pressure, pulse, etc); Catheter caring (emptying, upkeep of Intake & Output sheets when necessary); answering call lights in a timely fashion; assisting patients with ambulation, when needed; range of Motion Exercises, as prescribed by physical therapy; assisting residents in wheelchairs (a lot of heavy lifting at times); making beds and keeping the patients' rooms and belongings neat and organized; ensuring that bedridden patients are turned at least every two hours, to ensure comfort and to prevent bedsores; reporting all changes, physical and mental, of the patients to the nurse; Post Mortem Care; safety awareness - keeping an eye on wanderers and watching for potentially dangerous situations; Documentation - daily documentation on the care provided to each patient; and anything else that needs to be done.
Certified Nurse Assistants are required to lift patients, assist a patient that is falling and carry heavy medical equipment. They should have the physical dexterity to perform skills that require fine motor movement. Basic observations are made by the CNA; therefore they should possess the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and touch.
Certified Nursing Assistants can be found in nursing homes, hospitals, adult day health centers, assisted living facilities, even personal homes. Wherever there is a need for personal care, Certified Nursing Assistants are the ones who, for the most part, perform the most basic needs for patients, young and old alike. They work under the supervision of a nurse. Since aides have extensive daily contact with each patient, they are keys to providing vital information on the patients' conditions to the nurse.
A certified nursing assistant's job does not end with the physical needs of the patients. This is a job which requires compassion and a desire to make people comfortable and happy. Residents of nursing homes often suffer from depression and/or dementia, and the certified nursing assistant is often the closest human contact afforded to many of these people. A sense of humor helps in this field.
Article Originally Published by Staff Quest
Among the vast array of health care careers lies the area of direct care giving. These professionals are often Home Health Assistant (HHA) or Home Health Aides, Personal Care Assistants, Nurse's Aides, Patient Care Technicians and several other titles, depending on the work environment and the region.
Certified Nursing Assistants work closely with patients and provide assistance with daily living tasks, such as: dressing (according to patients' needs, ranging from minimal assistance to totally dependent); bathing (bed baths, tub baths, showers); feeding (serving meals, physically feeding patients who are unable to do so themselves); toileting (assisting with bedpans & urinals, help to the bathroom, provide incontinent care for patients who need it); vital signs (Blood pressure, pulse, etc); Catheter caring (emptying, upkeep of Intake & Output sheets when necessary); answering call lights in a timely fashion; assisting patients with ambulation, when needed; range of Motion Exercises, as prescribed by physical therapy; assisting residents in wheelchairs (a lot of heavy lifting at times); making beds and keeping the patients' rooms and belongings neat and organized; ensuring that bedridden patients are turned at least every two hours, to ensure comfort and to prevent bedsores; reporting all changes, physical and mental, of the patients to the nurse; Post Mortem Care; safety awareness - keeping an eye on wanderers and watching for potentially dangerous situations; Documentation - daily documentation on the care provided to each patient; and anything else that needs to be done.
Certified Nurse Assistants are required to lift patients, assist a patient that is falling and carry heavy medical equipment. They should have the physical dexterity to perform skills that require fine motor movement. Basic observations are made by the CNA; therefore they should possess the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and touch.
Certified Nursing Assistants can be found in nursing homes, hospitals, adult day health centers, assisted living facilities, even personal homes. Wherever there is a need for personal care, Certified Nursing Assistants are the ones who, for the most part, perform the most basic needs for patients, young and old alike. They work under the supervision of a nurse. Since aides have extensive daily contact with each patient, they are keys to providing vital information on the patients' conditions to the nurse.
A certified nursing assistant's job does not end with the physical needs of the patients. This is a job which requires compassion and a desire to make people comfortable and happy. Residents of nursing homes often suffer from depression and/or dementia, and the certified nursing assistant is often the closest human contact afforded to many of these people. A sense of humor helps in this field.
Article Originally Published by Staff Quest
Monday, November 17, 2008
Nursing Education in the United States
Nursing education is a field that combines nursing with the teaching of students of nursing and, for some, with the administration of educational programs.
A high proportion of the teachers in nursing education programs teach in clinical situations, in which students learn to care for patients and families in hospitals, at home, and in other situations. Universities or associations usually offer teaching by nurses in staff-development programs of hospitals and other health agencies and in continuing-education programs. The basic educational program for nurses in many countries is scientific and humanistic in content. All educational programs include experience with patients in hospitals, homes, or other settings.
In almost all countries with nursing education there are at least two kinds of programs – those leading to diplomas and those that train auxiliaries, though a large portion of auxiliaries in some countries are untrained.
The development of nursing education in any country is affected by the developments in general education. In the United States and some other countries, for example, high school graduation or its equivalent has for many years been a requirement for admission to schools preparing registered nurses. In the United States this is also a requirement for admission to practical nurse programs. In some countries fewer years of previous education are required.
Nursing education in the United States has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. In order to prepare nurses for beginning and advanced levels of practice, educational programs also have undergone tremendous changes. Many curricula are creative and interactive, rather than rigid and proscriptive. Education is more learner-focused than teacher-centered. Clinical experiences for students reflect a greater emphasis on community-based care, health promotion, disease prevention, family involvement, and self-care. And the integration of technology and the use of distance learning strategies are more evident in nursing education programs.
Nurse educators are realizing that there is an art and a science to teaching nursing – just as there is an art and a science to practicing nursing – and they are seeking preparation in curriculum development and evaluation, creative teaching/learning strategies, student and program evaluation, and other areas that complement their clinical specialization and expertise.
Post-basic programs for nurses with diplomas have been established in the United States and in many countries. Some programs offer courses in general education, as well as nursing courses, and some, in universities, may become programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. The purposes of such programs vary and include the preparation of teachers, supervisors, or administrators and of nurse specialists in various fields, including midwifery, public health, and teaching of auxiliaries. Some augment the education received in other programs. Enrollment is generally small in relation to the need for their graduates.
Article Originally published on Staff Quest
A high proportion of the teachers in nursing education programs teach in clinical situations, in which students learn to care for patients and families in hospitals, at home, and in other situations. Universities or associations usually offer teaching by nurses in staff-development programs of hospitals and other health agencies and in continuing-education programs. The basic educational program for nurses in many countries is scientific and humanistic in content. All educational programs include experience with patients in hospitals, homes, or other settings.
In almost all countries with nursing education there are at least two kinds of programs – those leading to diplomas and those that train auxiliaries, though a large portion of auxiliaries in some countries are untrained.
The development of nursing education in any country is affected by the developments in general education. In the United States and some other countries, for example, high school graduation or its equivalent has for many years been a requirement for admission to schools preparing registered nurses. In the United States this is also a requirement for admission to practical nurse programs. In some countries fewer years of previous education are required.
Nursing education in the United States has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. In order to prepare nurses for beginning and advanced levels of practice, educational programs also have undergone tremendous changes. Many curricula are creative and interactive, rather than rigid and proscriptive. Education is more learner-focused than teacher-centered. Clinical experiences for students reflect a greater emphasis on community-based care, health promotion, disease prevention, family involvement, and self-care. And the integration of technology and the use of distance learning strategies are more evident in nursing education programs.
Nurse educators are realizing that there is an art and a science to teaching nursing – just as there is an art and a science to practicing nursing – and they are seeking preparation in curriculum development and evaluation, creative teaching/learning strategies, student and program evaluation, and other areas that complement their clinical specialization and expertise.
Post-basic programs for nurses with diplomas have been established in the United States and in many countries. Some programs offer courses in general education, as well as nursing courses, and some, in universities, may become programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. The purposes of such programs vary and include the preparation of teachers, supervisors, or administrators and of nurse specialists in various fields, including midwifery, public health, and teaching of auxiliaries. Some augment the education received in other programs. Enrollment is generally small in relation to the need for their graduates.
Article Originally published on Staff Quest
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Facts about Nursing Shortage
A report entitled “Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020” alleged:
Based on what is known about trends in the supply of Registered Nurses and their anticipated demand, nursing shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent. At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent.
American hospitals are in a serious crisis, from large numbers of uninsured patients to spiraling costs, from outlandishly expensive prescription drugs to a severe and dangerous shortage of nurses. Emergency rooms are shutting down, surgeries are delayed and, most disturbing of all, patients are sometimes not getting the critical care they desperately need.
There are many factors behind the nursing shortage. Unlike a generation or two ago, young women with an aptitude for sciences now have a multitude of career opportunities to choose from. Many of the other career choices today involve less stressful and less strenuous work than bedside nursing. Generally speaking, a position with a managed-care company or a pharmaceutical sales job is less physically demanding than nursing.
The need for nurses is often depicted as cyclical in nature. Throughout history, the USA has experienced a series of nursing surpluses and shortages. However, the current nursing shortage has been characterized as being unlike those experienced in the past. Trends of an ageing RN/ Registered Nurse workforce and limited supply to fill the impending vacancies are some of the unique aspects that bring a new dimension to an old problem. Today's nursing shortage will not be resolved by simply returning to the solutions of yesteryear, and strategies to reduce its impact will have to be more creative and focus on the long-term.
The widely publicized nursing shortage in the United States is largely a result of three factors: the aging population of nurses; the aging population in the U.S.; and a shift in healthcare delivery away from doctors, towards skilled nurses. Also are four major contributors to the nursing shortage in the USA: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing.
Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; exploring retainment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage.
As new career options grow for women over the past few decades, and fewer women choose to go into nursing, another shortage begins to emerge. All of these factors point to the fact that the nursing shortage won't be reversed overnight.
Original Post from Staff Quest
Based on what is known about trends in the supply of Registered Nurses and their anticipated demand, nursing shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent. At that point demand will begin to exceed supply at an accelerated rate and by 2015 the shortage, a relatively modest 6 percent in the year 2000, will have almost quadrupled to 20 percent.
American hospitals are in a serious crisis, from large numbers of uninsured patients to spiraling costs, from outlandishly expensive prescription drugs to a severe and dangerous shortage of nurses. Emergency rooms are shutting down, surgeries are delayed and, most disturbing of all, patients are sometimes not getting the critical care they desperately need.
There are many factors behind the nursing shortage. Unlike a generation or two ago, young women with an aptitude for sciences now have a multitude of career opportunities to choose from. Many of the other career choices today involve less stressful and less strenuous work than bedside nursing. Generally speaking, a position with a managed-care company or a pharmaceutical sales job is less physically demanding than nursing.
The need for nurses is often depicted as cyclical in nature. Throughout history, the USA has experienced a series of nursing surpluses and shortages. However, the current nursing shortage has been characterized as being unlike those experienced in the past. Trends of an ageing RN/ Registered Nurse workforce and limited supply to fill the impending vacancies are some of the unique aspects that bring a new dimension to an old problem. Today's nursing shortage will not be resolved by simply returning to the solutions of yesteryear, and strategies to reduce its impact will have to be more creative and focus on the long-term.
The widely publicized nursing shortage in the United States is largely a result of three factors: the aging population of nurses; the aging population in the U.S.; and a shift in healthcare delivery away from doctors, towards skilled nurses. Also are four major contributors to the nursing shortage in the USA: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing.
Solutions to the shortage followed similar themes to the contributing factors and encompassed four main areas: exploring recruitment efforts; exploring retainment efforts; improving the image of nursing; and supporting legislation that helps to rectify the shortage.
As new career options grow for women over the past few decades, and fewer women choose to go into nursing, another shortage begins to emerge. All of these factors point to the fact that the nursing shortage won't be reversed overnight.
Original Post from Staff Quest
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Different Types of Nursing Careers
Have you been toying with the idea of pursuing a career in the field of nursing? If you have, that is considered good news since there is a desperate need for nurses to fill in the significant shortage in the nursing profession. To help you decide what specialization to choose, you should know the different types of nursing careers.
Critical Care Nursing – among the different types of nursing career, this is a popular one. Critical care nurses provide care for patients and families who are experiencing actual or potential life-threatening illness. As a critical care nurse, you will be assigned to where critically ill patients are such as intensive care units (ICU), emergency rooms, neurological and cardiac surgical ICUs.
Nursing Informatics– this type of nursing career is for those people who both love to provide care and computers. It is actually an extensive field that integrates nursing knowledge with use of computers. Your job in this field could be a nurse programmer, nurse communicator, informatics nurse manager, or nurse vendor representative.
Neonatal Nursing – this is also one of the challenging yet rewarding types of nursing, where in neonatal nurses provide care for new-born and premature babies by ensuring good health, providing preventative care to prevent illness, and caring for the babies who are sick.
Oncology Nursing – nurses in the field of oncology provide health care for patients suffering from cancer at all stages of treatment and remission.Pediatric Nursing – pediatric nurses provide care for children of different ages in all aspects of health care. Its only difference from neonatal is that neonatal nurses provide care for the newly born, especially within the first month after birth and premature babies.
Psychiatric Nursing – this is one of the most important types of nursing as it involves taking care of patients with mental and psychiatric illness. In a society in which physical condition is easier to accept than mental condition, psychiatric nurse plays an important role on this are of nursing.
By knowing some of the different types of nursing careers will make it easier for you to choose what specialization to focus and study. There are different nursing programs offered by some of the many nursing schools in the country for you take up, depending on your preferred specialization. The fact that there is a shortage of nurses all over the country, you certainly have a good shot getting a job upon graduation.
ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STAFF QUEST
Critical Care Nursing – among the different types of nursing career, this is a popular one. Critical care nurses provide care for patients and families who are experiencing actual or potential life-threatening illness. As a critical care nurse, you will be assigned to where critically ill patients are such as intensive care units (ICU), emergency rooms, neurological and cardiac surgical ICUs.
Nursing Informatics– this type of nursing career is for those people who both love to provide care and computers. It is actually an extensive field that integrates nursing knowledge with use of computers. Your job in this field could be a nurse programmer, nurse communicator, informatics nurse manager, or nurse vendor representative.
Neonatal Nursing – this is also one of the challenging yet rewarding types of nursing, where in neonatal nurses provide care for new-born and premature babies by ensuring good health, providing preventative care to prevent illness, and caring for the babies who are sick.
Oncology Nursing – nurses in the field of oncology provide health care for patients suffering from cancer at all stages of treatment and remission.Pediatric Nursing – pediatric nurses provide care for children of different ages in all aspects of health care. Its only difference from neonatal is that neonatal nurses provide care for the newly born, especially within the first month after birth and premature babies.
Psychiatric Nursing – this is one of the most important types of nursing as it involves taking care of patients with mental and psychiatric illness. In a society in which physical condition is easier to accept than mental condition, psychiatric nurse plays an important role on this are of nursing.
By knowing some of the different types of nursing careers will make it easier for you to choose what specialization to focus and study. There are different nursing programs offered by some of the many nursing schools in the country for you take up, depending on your preferred specialization. The fact that there is a shortage of nurses all over the country, you certainly have a good shot getting a job upon graduation.
ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STAFF QUEST
Friday, November 7, 2008
Helping Someone Who Grieves
By Linda S. Smith, MS, DSN, RN, CLNC
Professor and Director of the Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program
Idaho State University
Grief, loss, anger, despair, and guilt are human responses to any tragedy. They are normal, yet entirely unique, because each of us resolves grief and loss in our own way.
Accepting loss and even death is probably the hardest part about being human. When a friend or loved one is grieving, we may be afraid to get involved; to talk about the loss or death; to feel it for and with someone. We may say, "I hate going over there to visit, it's so depressing;" or "Why should I call or stop over; I can't do anything to make it better."
Yet, moods and reactions people have as they grieve a significant loss are often responses to how others react toward them and what others expect. With this in mind, it is easy to see how people "pick up" on the obvious and hidden "expected behaviors" from the persons who are closest to them. Therefore, if someone you know and love is experiencing grief, your reactions and responses to them can improve or worsen the situation.
Fears
First, friends and loved ones need to understand the fears of those who grieve. These fears include loneliness, meaninglessness, and continued loss. Families of persons who are dying experience profound grief and loss, anger, despair, depression, and even guilt but these emotions may occur very differently among members.
What to do if someone you know is grieving:
- Reach out to the person who is grieving; don't wait for him or her to come to you. Your presence as a good listener is almost more important than anything else you can do.
- Accept the person as a living, valuable human being
- Anticipate that grief work is extremely physical as well as psychological
- Express the simple yet profound, "I'm sorry."
- Allow the grieving person quiet time
- Listen, support, encourage, and share your own feelings. Be available as someone the person can trust.
- Through your responses, give the person permission to think and feel anything
- Allow loose ends to be tied; spiritual peace, financial matters, and funeral arrangements attended to, etc.
- Help persons review their lives for meaning and purpose. This could be done with a diary, a tape recorder, drawings, scrap books, or a photo album. Remind grieving persons of their accomplishments.
- Use culturally sensitive, appropriate touch as an expression of caring. After asking permission, you may chose to hold their hand, pat their arm, give a hug
- Help persons attend to personal grooming and exercise. Take a walk with the person, listen to music together, play a game, reminisce
- Call in a spiritual consultant if the person wishes
- Use open ended communication lead-ins like: "how…, what…, where…,
- “It sounds like you're feeling…;
- share with me…,
- help me understand…"
- Recognize that persons experiencing extreme grief and loss may have sleeping, resting, and eating difficulties. Therefore, call in healthcare resources and professionals as needed.
- Tell the person that you are interested in what they think and feel. Be receptive and nonjudgmental, acknowledging the actual, potential, or perceived loss
- Recommend support groups and provide this information when appropriate
- Give the grieving person the right to cry
- Allow the person at least a full year before major life-changing decisions are made
What NOT to do when communicating with someone in grief or crisis:
- Don't assume that all questions asked demand answers. A simple, "I don't know, but tell me your feelings” is one response to the unanswerable
- Don't meet anger with anger. Allow the angry, grieving person to express the anger without becoming defensive. Acknowledge and accept the anger by saying, "You sound angry…." "It must be so difficult (frustrating) for you …"
- Don't interrupt, expound, criticize, show impatience, judge, minimize, confront, abandon, or be dishonest.
- Don't ignore the person's mental and physical pain
- Don't try to replace grief with faith
- Don't reject the person's feelings with phrases like, "cheer up…" Everything will be fine…"
- Don’t wait to be asked for help. Often the “If you need anything, call me…” is never acknowledged. Better to say, “I’m picking up some groceries, what can I get for you?” and “Today is wash day, let me do a few loads for you.” Or “I brought over the lawn mower – how do you like the grass done?”
Caring for and about someone who grieves is a great privilege.
As you face someone who is experiencing grief and loss, please believe that your efforts are valued and needed. Your presence has a profound effect on those for whom you care.
Professor and Director of the Associate Degree Registered Nurse Program
Idaho State University
Grief, loss, anger, despair, and guilt are human responses to any tragedy. They are normal, yet entirely unique, because each of us resolves grief and loss in our own way.
Accepting loss and even death is probably the hardest part about being human. When a friend or loved one is grieving, we may be afraid to get involved; to talk about the loss or death; to feel it for and with someone. We may say, "I hate going over there to visit, it's so depressing;" or "Why should I call or stop over; I can't do anything to make it better."
Yet, moods and reactions people have as they grieve a significant loss are often responses to how others react toward them and what others expect. With this in mind, it is easy to see how people "pick up" on the obvious and hidden "expected behaviors" from the persons who are closest to them. Therefore, if someone you know and love is experiencing grief, your reactions and responses to them can improve or worsen the situation.
Fears
First, friends and loved ones need to understand the fears of those who grieve. These fears include loneliness, meaninglessness, and continued loss. Families of persons who are dying experience profound grief and loss, anger, despair, depression, and even guilt but these emotions may occur very differently among members.
What to do if someone you know is grieving:
- Reach out to the person who is grieving; don't wait for him or her to come to you. Your presence as a good listener is almost more important than anything else you can do.
- Accept the person as a living, valuable human being
- Anticipate that grief work is extremely physical as well as psychological
- Express the simple yet profound, "I'm sorry."
- Allow the grieving person quiet time
- Listen, support, encourage, and share your own feelings. Be available as someone the person can trust.
- Through your responses, give the person permission to think and feel anything
- Allow loose ends to be tied; spiritual peace, financial matters, and funeral arrangements attended to, etc.
- Help persons review their lives for meaning and purpose. This could be done with a diary, a tape recorder, drawings, scrap books, or a photo album. Remind grieving persons of their accomplishments.
- Use culturally sensitive, appropriate touch as an expression of caring. After asking permission, you may chose to hold their hand, pat their arm, give a hug
- Help persons attend to personal grooming and exercise. Take a walk with the person, listen to music together, play a game, reminisce
- Call in a spiritual consultant if the person wishes
- Use open ended communication lead-ins like: "how…, what…, where…,
- “It sounds like you're feeling…;
- share with me…,
- help me understand…"
- Recognize that persons experiencing extreme grief and loss may have sleeping, resting, and eating difficulties. Therefore, call in healthcare resources and professionals as needed.
- Tell the person that you are interested in what they think and feel. Be receptive and nonjudgmental, acknowledging the actual, potential, or perceived loss
- Recommend support groups and provide this information when appropriate
- Give the grieving person the right to cry
- Allow the person at least a full year before major life-changing decisions are made
What NOT to do when communicating with someone in grief or crisis:
- Don't assume that all questions asked demand answers. A simple, "I don't know, but tell me your feelings” is one response to the unanswerable
- Don't meet anger with anger. Allow the angry, grieving person to express the anger without becoming defensive. Acknowledge and accept the anger by saying, "You sound angry…." "It must be so difficult (frustrating) for you …"
- Don't interrupt, expound, criticize, show impatience, judge, minimize, confront, abandon, or be dishonest.
- Don't ignore the person's mental and physical pain
- Don't try to replace grief with faith
- Don't reject the person's feelings with phrases like, "cheer up…" Everything will be fine…"
- Don’t wait to be asked for help. Often the “If you need anything, call me…” is never acknowledged. Better to say, “I’m picking up some groceries, what can I get for you?” and “Today is wash day, let me do a few loads for you.” Or “I brought over the lawn mower – how do you like the grass done?”
Caring for and about someone who grieves is a great privilege.
As you face someone who is experiencing grief and loss, please believe that your efforts are valued and needed. Your presence has a profound effect on those for whom you care.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Need A Change? Maybe Teaching Next Generation of Heroes is Your Calling
I read through many posts in which current nurses are feeling burned out. A common theme among nurses is overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Most assuredly you are not underappreciated by your patients who are grateful for the care you provide. But, I can understand that many employers take for granted those who provide such a selfless service as nursing.Maybe the change you need is to take your experience to the next generation of nurses by becoming a nurse educator. This would satisfy both your calling in the healthcare profession and address the shortage of nursing crisis.
I’m not certain if every state has a program to financially assist current nurses to go back to school to become nurse educators, but Pennsylvania has a fine program in place; The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation. Several years ago they formed to address the nursing shortage and offered scholarships, grants, and low interest loans to persons looking to become nurses. Now they find that nursing schools in Pennsylvania (and many other states) are turning away nursing candidates due to the lack of nurse educators.If you live or work in Pennsylvania and would like to explore your options for financial aid to become a nurse educator, visit:http://www.higheredfoundation.org/home.shtml
I’m not certain if every state has a program to financially assist current nurses to go back to school to become nurse educators, but Pennsylvania has a fine program in place; The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation. Several years ago they formed to address the nursing shortage and offered scholarships, grants, and low interest loans to persons looking to become nurses. Now they find that nursing schools in Pennsylvania (and many other states) are turning away nursing candidates due to the lack of nurse educators.If you live or work in Pennsylvania and would like to explore your options for financial aid to become a nurse educator, visit:http://www.higheredfoundation.org/home.shtml
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Nursing Shortage
The projected nursing shortage in our state is 17,000 nurses by the year 2010 and 54,000 in 2020. There is no shortage of applicants as waiting lists at Pennsylvania's 127 schools of nursing are growing. However, without a sufficient number of nurse educators, this shortage will become a reality. It is not an overstatement to say that the crisis is now!
Additionally, thousands of qualified college nursing applicants are being turned away, left to find opportunities in other states or even to pursue other worthwhile occupations. The inability to educate the number of people needed, coupled with the forecast that 75% of current nurse educators will retire by the year 2019, will lead to the biggest nursing shortage ever.
There are many talented and dedicated nurses in the field with overwhelming conviction for their vocation, yet may feel stagnated with their current assignment.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation is searching for those nurses who have had rewarding careers and are searching for deeper fulfillment. You can give exponentially by becoming a nurse educator. By sharing your experience along with your knowledge to hundreds of nursing students, you will be helping to assure that care for the sick will not only continue but reach higher levels of quality care and medical assistance.
This is an opportune time for those looking for a new career path. You can affect the entire nursing industry and renew your vocation to nursing by choosing to become a nurse educator. Please give this opportunity serious consideration.For information on continuing education, a list of graduate schools in Pennsylvania and financial aid, please click on the following website link: http://www.futuresinnursing.org/aid/special_programs_educators.shtml
Additionally, thousands of qualified college nursing applicants are being turned away, left to find opportunities in other states or even to pursue other worthwhile occupations. The inability to educate the number of people needed, coupled with the forecast that 75% of current nurse educators will retire by the year 2019, will lead to the biggest nursing shortage ever.
There are many talented and dedicated nurses in the field with overwhelming conviction for their vocation, yet may feel stagnated with their current assignment.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation is searching for those nurses who have had rewarding careers and are searching for deeper fulfillment. You can give exponentially by becoming a nurse educator. By sharing your experience along with your knowledge to hundreds of nursing students, you will be helping to assure that care for the sick will not only continue but reach higher levels of quality care and medical assistance.
This is an opportune time for those looking for a new career path. You can affect the entire nursing industry and renew your vocation to nursing by choosing to become a nurse educator. Please give this opportunity serious consideration.For information on continuing education, a list of graduate schools in Pennsylvania and financial aid, please click on the following website link: http://www.futuresinnursing.org/aid/special_programs_educators.shtml
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Tribute To Nursing
By Linda S. Smith, MS, DSN, RN, CLNCProfessor and Nursing Program Director, Idaho State University
To venture the task of discussing the great people and events that have made American nursing the powerful profession it is today, is to undertake an impossible task. I do firmly believe, however, that a taste of history is somewhat like eating one Idaho potato chip - it will stimulate and support a lifelong interest in the subject.
We in nursing are fortunate indeed to be able to emulate the leadership and political savvy of Florence Nightingale. She, more than any nurse before or since, shaped and expanded quality health care throughout the British Empire and world. Most people, however, think of Florence Nightingale only as the founder of nursing education. Though this is true, her contributions exceed far beyond nursing and into the realm of illness prevention, health promotion, and community health and safety.
Florence Nightingale (born 1820) was better educated than most men of her day. She was an accomplished linguist, mathematician, statistician, philosopher, and historian. She understood that contrary to the belief of the day, forward thinking people could alter their destiny. She had an insatiable curiosity and a probing, analytical mind. But her greatest handicap by far was being a woman.
Despite this handicap, Nightingale created and developed a system of education affording women a respectable profession. Additionally, she used her strong political powers to enact hospital and military reform. She reformed health care for the British Empire, including India. Nightingale presented rationale for her decisions and needs with expert mathematical skill. She used the power of the press and her own outstanding prolific writing abilities to keep public health issues in full view of the people.
Nightingale was a national heroine and she used this popularity, along with her expert health care and political knowledge, to influence major leaders, including the queen of England.
US Nursing
In the early 1900s, American women did not have the right to vote nor were they allowed political status. Though nursing was almost exclusively female, nurses as a group were enormously conservative in their approach to the women's movement. In 1907, at the 10th annual convention of the Nurse's Associated Alumnae of the US (now known as the American Nurses Association), the question of women's suffrage (right to vote) was hotly debated and a resolution in support of the women's movement defeated.
Nurse Lavinia L. Dock, however, stands out as one of the strongest, most pro-feminist American nurse of all time. She marched in Washington and went to jail for her belief in equal rights for women. When, in 1920, congress passed the 19th amendment to the constitution giving women voting rights, Dock continued her equal rights crusade in opposition to countless other discriminations against women. Her basic premise, until she died, was that all people are equal.
The power of the press was the motto and mission of Nurse Sophia Palmer, first Editor and Publisher of the American Journal of Nursing. Palmer had great insight into the need for nurses to control their own profession. Her editorials helped create the first American nursing licensing laws and boards in 1903. Palmer took risks and made a major difference for us all. Because of her and others, boards of nursing govern American nurses and American nurses have legal standards for practice and education. These standards forbid unqualified, unlicensed persons from calling themselves registered nurses or RNs.
This is an exciting time to be a nurse! Because of increasing population census, a growing number of elders, expanded technology, health care reform, and emerging nursing roles, many new nursing jobs in Idaho will surface. These new jobs will require well-educated, dedicated, competent, caring, decision-makers and client advocates. Nationally, the healthcare system will require more than 1.2 million new nurses over the next decade. That means that the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations will be for RNs.
RNs work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients and families cope with illness and disability. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, communities. RNs develop and manage patient treatment plans; instruct patients and families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain health and quality of life.
Though there will always be a need for hospital nurses, in the future, a growing number of nurses will be employed in home health, long-term care, hospice, parish nursing, prison care, community care, surgical centers, and ambulatory clinics.
This week, please stop for a moment to thank a nurse who has helped you or someone you love find health, wellness, strength, and an improved quality of life. Individuals, families, communities, organizations, specialties, and health services have discovered the importance of quality nursing. Florence Nightingale, we are proud to be walking in your nursing shoes.
To venture the task of discussing the great people and events that have made American nursing the powerful profession it is today, is to undertake an impossible task. I do firmly believe, however, that a taste of history is somewhat like eating one Idaho potato chip - it will stimulate and support a lifelong interest in the subject.
We in nursing are fortunate indeed to be able to emulate the leadership and political savvy of Florence Nightingale. She, more than any nurse before or since, shaped and expanded quality health care throughout the British Empire and world. Most people, however, think of Florence Nightingale only as the founder of nursing education. Though this is true, her contributions exceed far beyond nursing and into the realm of illness prevention, health promotion, and community health and safety.
Florence Nightingale (born 1820) was better educated than most men of her day. She was an accomplished linguist, mathematician, statistician, philosopher, and historian. She understood that contrary to the belief of the day, forward thinking people could alter their destiny. She had an insatiable curiosity and a probing, analytical mind. But her greatest handicap by far was being a woman.
Despite this handicap, Nightingale created and developed a system of education affording women a respectable profession. Additionally, she used her strong political powers to enact hospital and military reform. She reformed health care for the British Empire, including India. Nightingale presented rationale for her decisions and needs with expert mathematical skill. She used the power of the press and her own outstanding prolific writing abilities to keep public health issues in full view of the people.
Nightingale was a national heroine and she used this popularity, along with her expert health care and political knowledge, to influence major leaders, including the queen of England.
US Nursing
In the early 1900s, American women did not have the right to vote nor were they allowed political status. Though nursing was almost exclusively female, nurses as a group were enormously conservative in their approach to the women's movement. In 1907, at the 10th annual convention of the Nurse's Associated Alumnae of the US (now known as the American Nurses Association), the question of women's suffrage (right to vote) was hotly debated and a resolution in support of the women's movement defeated.
Nurse Lavinia L. Dock, however, stands out as one of the strongest, most pro-feminist American nurse of all time. She marched in Washington and went to jail for her belief in equal rights for women. When, in 1920, congress passed the 19th amendment to the constitution giving women voting rights, Dock continued her equal rights crusade in opposition to countless other discriminations against women. Her basic premise, until she died, was that all people are equal.
The power of the press was the motto and mission of Nurse Sophia Palmer, first Editor and Publisher of the American Journal of Nursing. Palmer had great insight into the need for nurses to control their own profession. Her editorials helped create the first American nursing licensing laws and boards in 1903. Palmer took risks and made a major difference for us all. Because of her and others, boards of nursing govern American nurses and American nurses have legal standards for practice and education. These standards forbid unqualified, unlicensed persons from calling themselves registered nurses or RNs.
This is an exciting time to be a nurse! Because of increasing population census, a growing number of elders, expanded technology, health care reform, and emerging nursing roles, many new nursing jobs in Idaho will surface. These new jobs will require well-educated, dedicated, competent, caring, decision-makers and client advocates. Nationally, the healthcare system will require more than 1.2 million new nurses over the next decade. That means that the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations will be for RNs.
RNs work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients and families cope with illness and disability. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, communities. RNs develop and manage patient treatment plans; instruct patients and families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain health and quality of life.
Though there will always be a need for hospital nurses, in the future, a growing number of nurses will be employed in home health, long-term care, hospice, parish nursing, prison care, community care, surgical centers, and ambulatory clinics.
This week, please stop for a moment to thank a nurse who has helped you or someone you love find health, wellness, strength, and an improved quality of life. Individuals, families, communities, organizations, specialties, and health services have discovered the importance of quality nursing. Florence Nightingale, we are proud to be walking in your nursing shoes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
