Nursing The Next 10 Years A Brief Overview

General Outlook for Nurses

The outlook for individuals considering entering the nursing field is excellent. Registered nurses, or RN’s, make up the largest number of health care workers in the country. In addition, registered nurses will make up one of the fasted growing population of workers in all occupations over the next ten years.
Many registered nurses begin their career in the hospital setting. This allows the nurse to become familiar with various branches of medicine. While there is a demand for hospital nurses, this area of nursing will remain relatively level over the next ten years.

Many healthcare experts predict a surge in demand for registered nurses in the home health care setting. As Americans live longer, have more disposable income, and desire to remain home, nurses that can oversee care and treatment in the home setting will become increasingly valuable.

Another area of nursing that will see a surge in growth is with nurses who continue their education with Master’s level work. With the rising cost of healthcare many families are using nurse practitioners and nurse midwives as a replacement for their primary care physician.

Hospitals, also, are realizing the cost saving benefit of highly trained nurses, and many employ nurse anesthetists, clinical nursing specialists, and nurse practitioners to keep their costs under control.

Not a Registered Nurse?

Job prospects for licensed practical nurses, or LPNs, while positive, are not as strong as those of registered nurses. Licensed practical nurses will continue to be in demand, particular in hospital and long term care facilities.

Many licensed practical nurses continue their schooling to become RNs while employed. The responsibilities of an RN are greater, but they also include more opportunities. RNs typically supervise LPN in a clinical setting, and the greater skill level allows the RN more job options.

RN or BSN?

The schooling necessary to become a registered nurse can be completed in anywhere from two to four years. The coursework is very intensive and involves many clinical hours. A program completed in less that four years, however, will leave you with an RN, not a BSN, or Bachelor of Science in Nursing. An RN is fully qualified to do all the duties required of a registered nurse, depending on the state. Obviously, the addition of a bachelor degree has many benefits.

An RN with a bachelor’s degree in nursing is at an advantage when administrative positions open up in a hospital or clinical setting. In fact, due to the degree of federal and state oversight on healthcare facilities, many require a BSN for administrative, case management, and supervisory positions.

If you are considering working on your Master’s degree, either as a nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, or to teach, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree. While not all programs will mandate that your bachelor’s must be in nursing, it is certainly helpful.

Considering a Career Switch?

Nursing is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to move into a different career. With the high demand for nurses, many potential employees, particularly hospitals, will pay for most or all of your schooling. Even if you must foot the bills for your education initially, signing bonuses, combined with the near guarantee of a job upon graduation, takes much of the risk out of a career switch.

Another attractive fact concerning the nursing profession is the attractive tuition reimbursement plans offered by many employers. These offers, combined with the flexible shift scheduling available at many hospitals and care facilities make it possible to go from a LPN, to RN, to RN with BSN and on to acquiring a master’s in your desired specialty without hefty student loans or a disruption of your income.

The Future of Nursing

Clearly all nursing professions will continue to grow over the next ten years. Nursing is an excellent career choice for those who wish to make a good income, have a flexible schedule, and continue their education. While the hours can be long, and the work physical, a quality nurse should never find themselves without their choice of jobs.

While long hours and the physical demands of the job may scare some people off, many others are attracted to the flexibility, the fast paced environment, and the ability to help others. For those concerned about the rigors of a nursing career, there are many positions available in private doctor’s offices, public schools, and other lower stress environments. Nursing, whether in a clinical setting or administrative is a job in great demand.

Guaranteed College Nursing Scholarship

If you’re on the way to college, you might be confused while using the many courses being offered. Choosing one can provide you with a headache, but if you already know what particular career you intend to pursue after college, you won't have much difficulty.

Observe the trends in the job market. The medical field hires many competent people every year, as well as the demand for medical professionals is still increasing at present. Even those who already have a career are researching ways to join this particular field.

Medical professionals are badly needed. The demand for nursing graduates keeps growing. Health agencies and other services are looking for highly trained and qualified nurses. That is probably why many students are consumed by this field.

The primary problem that the majority of students encounter before they check out college, especially with a breastfeeding course, is funding. Though this field is incredibly much in demand, not all aspiring nursing students can graduate because of financial difficulties.

Public colleges which offer nursing courses will set you back around $14, 000 a 12 months; and if you want to attend college in a private college, the cost can reach of up to $30, 000 a year. And also to think that the tuition fees increase on a yearly basis. You can just imagine the amount it’s going to cost you if you wish to graduate with a nursing diploma.

Nursing is quite an expensive course, and if you don’t have the cash, you can’t possibly graduate. What sad ending for an aspiring scholar, but don’t lose hope however. There are still ways to help pursue your college studies without anymore worrying for ones expenses.

Education helps people discover more about different things, but it doesn’t conclude there, it is also a company in itself. If you don’t can pay for, you can’t get the very best education possible. If you don’t possess money, that is not problems. If you want to finish an application in nursing, you must be aware that it entails a lot regarding coursework. So if you really are a working student, you will surely have difficulty in maintaining your job and the coursework. What you require is a college scholarship to totally concentrate in your education.

Above all, you must contact nursing associations in your locality, your state’s nursing mother board, and the American Nurses Affiliation (ANA). Check the website of ANA on the internet because they can provide you with the necessary information you will desire for a nursing scholarship and grants or loans. All it takes is slightly research.

Federal government funds specific nursing scholarships, as well since private entities. Schools, agencies, in addition to corporations offer nursing scholarships with regard to individual students.

You will need all essential information from certain people such as the college of nursing department head. He/she can provide you with scholarship/grant applications. Or you can also contact the person in authority who provides scholarship/grants to breastfeeding students.

You’re quite lucky in case you have parents who can fund towards you to college, but if you’re one of several less fortunate ones, you definitely need some sort of assistance. Stand up and take action, don’t just sit there in addition to wait for someone to provide you with a scholarship of some sort. Chances are it wouldn’t come looking in your case.

If you are quite confident that you can maintain a scholarship, apply first. It never hurts to attempt.

Pediatric Nursing Is It Right For You

Pediatric nursing, or the field of nursing that relates to treating children, is a specialized and sometimes stressful field. Pediatric nursing is not for everyone. Before you decide to specialize in pediatric nursing it is important to understand some of the drawbacks to the field, as well as the benefits.

How Do I Become a Pediatric Nurse?

Pediatric nursing is not offered as a specialty in nursing school, so the training that pediatric nurses receive comes through the job. Some hospitals provide an orientation for nurses that are interested in pediatric nursing. This training includes classroom as well as clinical training. Other hospitals do all of their training on the floor, partnering the new pediatric nurse with an experienced nurse as a mentor. Regardless of which method is used at the hospital where you are employed, no one expects you to come directly from nursing school prepared to work in pediatrics without additional training.

Beyond the training that you receive from the hospital, there is specialized coursework available for nurses who are interested in becoming pediatric nurses. The American Heart Association offers a Pediatric Advanced Life Support course, and the Emergency Nurses Association offers the Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course. There is also the Society of Pediatric Nurses, a professional association for those in the field. After you have received training in pediatric nursing, you may want to obtain the Certified Pediatric Nurse certificate, which is available by exam.

Do I Want to Become a Pediatric Nurse?

While these facts address the amount of training that is involved in pediatric nursing, they do not explain the emotional toll of working as a pediatric nurse. Because pediatric nurses work solely with those under eighteen, it can be a difficult job. Working with young patients that are very ill is stressful. Not only must you deal with your patient, but the parents as well. It is a job that can be rewarding, but draining as well. For those that are interested in working with children, it helps to understand what is involved.

Some types of pediatric nursing are less stressful than others. Working in the emergency room of a pediatric hospital will provide a good deal of variety to your day, and most patients suffer from cuts, broken bones and other injuries that, while frightening, are highly treatable. Working as a pediatric nurse in the oncology unit, on the other hand, is a very difficult job. The day after day exposure to extremely ill children and distraught parents require a special person to perform this job. Another challenge that many people have with working around pediatric patients that are very ill is that the children who spend so much time in the hospital become close to their caretakers, and the reverse is true as well. A child in the oncology unit may be there for weeks at a time, or come in several times a week. This creates a strong attachment between the patient and nurse, which, if the patient does not survive, is very painful.

For those that can work as a pediatric nurse with very sick patients, the job can be very rewarding. The joys of watching a child regain his strength and get to return to school cannot be compared to any other situation, and the bond that you develop with your young patients is priceless.

To determine if you are suited to work as a pediatric nurse, it helps to be very self aware. Are you easily upset? Does seeing other people sad or frightened upset you? If so, pediatric nursing may not be your best career path. If you want to work with children, but are concerned that you may not be comfortable working around very sick children, consider a career as a pediatric nurse in the emergency room or operating room. In those places you are exposed to less illness and you are not around the same children for extended periods of time.

Make Pediatric Nursing Work for You

If you choose to become a pediatric nurse, there are a variety of steps that you can take to reduce the stress of your job. Regular exercise and healthy eating both contribute to a general sense of well being. It is also important to develop an informal support group of friends or family members that you can talk to about the stress of your day. Another way to reduce the stress involved in pediatric nursing is to rotate to other units. Spend some time in the pediatric intensive care unit, and then move to the OR. Not only does this give you an emotional break, but it provides you with a well rounded skill set.

Nurse Educators In Critical Demand

Nursing is the nation’s largest health care profession, with more than 2.7 million registered nurses nationwide, and nursing students account for more than half of all health professions students in the United States. Applications to attend nursing schools continue to increase nicely but did you know that thousands of students are being turned away because of an acute shortage of Nursing Educators?

A study done by the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions indicates that by 2020, the U.S. nursing shortage will grow to more than 800,000 registered nurses. How can we put a serious dent in stemming this dangerous tide unless nurses take an active role in educating the nurses of tomorrow?

Becoming a Nurse Educator is a wonderful career step
egistered the medical staff ARE teachers! RNs teach patients and their own families how to manage their health issues or injury, including post-treatment household care needs, diet and physical exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. RNs mentor and precept completely new graduates and new hire staff as well as develop and implement ongoing carrying on education activities within clinical options. RNs combine their clinical expertise and passion for teaching others in many ways every time they operate. Nurse Educators make use of these same clinical expertise and passion for teaching to guide and shape the future from the nursing profession- one student at the same time!

Do you want to end up being doing direct patient care when you’re 63 but still waiting to be old enough to retire? I say leave bedside nursing towards younger nurses, give your sore back a rest, and turn your talents towards building the following generation of nurses instead!

Some RNs elect to advance their nursing career by stepping into administrative or management positions, but the responsibilities and stress of management isn’t for all. For those RNs who would enjoy keeping in touch with direct patient care and in shaping the near future of nursing the best career path to take into account is becoming a nurse educator!
Given the growing shortage of nurse educators, the career outlook is strong for nurses interested in teaching careers. Nursing schools nationwide are struggling to find new faculty to accommodate the rising interest in nursing among new students.

Career Flexibility

Most nurse educators work in colleges and universities that offer associate and baccalaureate programs in nursing, and some work as instructors for LPN courses while educators involved in clinical education also work at collaborating health care facilities. A Master’s degree in nursing is typically required to become a faculty member at a university but RNs with a Bachelors degree in nursing and clinical experience are the minimum basic requirements for clinical instructors.Nurse educators can work as full time faculty with all the benefits including tenure and retirement, or may choose to work as part time faculty while still continuing clinical employment and direct patient care. Nurse educators play a vital role in preparing and shaping future generations of nurses!

Earn an NLN accredited Master’s in Nursing Education Degree While You Work

You can earn an accredited Master’s Degree in Nursing with a specialization in education or in health education online while maintaining your current job by investing just a few hours of study time per week through several schools.

Don’t have a BSN Degree?

There’s a fully accredited RN to MS in Nursing program that allows busy nurses to take the fast track to earning their Masters in Nursing. Students earn both degrees in a fraction of the time at 1/2 the cost of traditional programs and don’t have to give up their job to do it.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A Nursing School

Nearly every major city – and a lot of not so major ones – has at least one accredited nursing school. The school that you choose to attend could be a major factor in more than just the education you receive. Graduating from a well-known nursing school can put the finishing touches on your resume and guarantee you a higher starting salary, for instance. Choosing a nursing school associated with the right hospitals for your practice work can also boost your credentials – or even help you choose a specialty that you’d never have considered. If you’ve decided on your career, but not your education, here are some basic considerations to help you make the decision of where to go to nursing school.

 Location

The most basic location consideration is how far away from home you want to be, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A nursing school located in a busy metropolitan area, for example, can offer unexpected benefits in outside training, mentoring and hospitals/venues in which to complete your practicum. On the reverse side, a smaller, local school can offer a far more personalized approach. Take stock of what’s important to you to help you zero in on schools in your desired area.

Area of Study

Speaking of areas, that’s another consideration. Do you have a yen to practice pediatric oncology? Are you interested in learning the basics of patient care in a research facility? Is general nursing exactly what you want to do? Check course listings and certifications offered by the schools that you’re considering in order to determine which teach the beyond-basics things you want to learn.

Accreditation

It is important that the school you choose be accredited by one of two national organizations for general nursing (The National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education). If you are applying to a specialized program, there are separate accrediting organizations such as the Nurse Anesthetist and Nurse Midwife, The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and The American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation.

Most schools are approved by a state board, but that’s not the same as accreditation. While it will enable you to sit for your NCLEX examination, it may prevent you from using the credits and going forward for continuing education, such as a BSN or master’s degree. While it is possible to get a good education from a non-accredited school, you should thoroughly investigate it to be certain that their standards meet your needs.

Hands-On Experience

You want as much experience as you can get during your training time, and that’s why it’s important to check out the school’s clinical rotation program. This is where some schools that are affiliated with major teaching hospitals may have a major advantage, particularly if they specialize in one of your particular interests. When you’re evaluating nursing schools, ask how much time you’ll spend in clinical rotation, and what disciplines and specialties you may have a chance to observe and participate in.

Examination Success

Perhaps one of the most important factors in considering a nursing school is the rate at which their students pass the NCLEX exam. Obviously, a high pass rate indicates that the school’s students have been well prepared, but a low pass rate should be a huge red flag. Don’t be shy about asking the school to provide you with their record of examination rates for the past few years.

Tuition

Finally, the amount of money that it will cost you to attend the school will have to come into play. And because tuitions in nursing schools can vary so much, your goal should be to get the absolute best education for the least amount of money. Unfortunately, the only way you’ll be able to determine this is by doing some good research into your potential schools.

Don’t let money stop you from attending the school of your choice, though. Besides traditional routes of student aid, the nursing shortage over the past two decades has opened many opportunities for education funding. Ask about financial aid and work study programs, and be sure to check with local hospitals and organizations to find out if any offer scholarships for which you can apply.

Forensic Nursing The New Breed Of Nurses

With the continuing rise in crime rates, forensic nursing is quickly becoming a popular part of the American judicial system. Forensic nursing is one of the newest forms of forensic sciences recognized by the American Nurses Association. The new field combines the health care profession with the judicial system.
                                                                                   
Nurses trained in forensic nursing are needed to quickly and appropriately gather evidence that can be used in a court of law. Along with gathering forensic information, they also testify in trials of their jurisdictions.

The appeal of forensic nursing is mainly with victims of violence. Multiple people are seeing victims, social workers, doctors, the police etc. This can be hard on the victim. Having one expert that can do everything from start to finish including going to trial would make it a lot less stressful for the victim.

Because forensic nursing is such a new and growing specialty, it offers great opportunities for recent nursing graduates and experienced RN’s looking for a career change.

In 1992, approximately seventy nurses gathered together in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the first national convention for sexual assault nurses. This convention led to the founding of the IAFN, the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Their mission statement was the concept of nurses willing to devote their energy and resources to develop a role in nursing that can have a impact on the future of forensic science and the health care industry.

Forensic nurses practice in many diverse fields. They range from nurses who specialize in domestic violence, emergency trauma, and sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE’s), witch SANE’s are often the entry point into forensic nursing. Forensic nurses may also serve as legal nurse consultants or attorneys.

The education for forensic nursing vary. Degree programs are available in forensic nursing but are not required for entry into the profession. Certification courses required for the SANE program is a good start.

The employers of forensic nursing specialists vary as well. They include acute healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, county prosecutors, coroner’s offices, medical examiner’s offices, insurance companies, and psychiatric facilities.

Another opportunity is working independently on a per job basis to all of these employers – starting a forensic nursing business.

The industry of forensic nursing is only getting more and more attractive to nurses that really want to make a difference in the community around them. It’s an opportunity for them to help victims of violence and helping the perpetrators of violence to get help.




Source : http://plrplr.com

Starting New With A Nursing Career

 “I just want to give something back,” says one new nurse from a recent graduating class. Unlike your typical newcomer to a nursing career, Steve is not in his twenties and female. Rather, he’s one of the growing number of ‘non-traditional’ nurses who have adopted a nursing career after a lifetime of work in another field. Nursing is growing in popularity as a second career for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it’s a job that makes you feel good about yourself.

Known as second-degree or second-career nurses, this growing segment of the nursing world brings a unique slant to patient care. According to instructors and supervisors, second career nurses have a strong work ethic and a commitment to helping others that makes them a credit to the profession. Second career nurses come from all walks of life. Many have advanced degrees in other fields, but have traded in their Wall Street portfolios for a pair of rubber-soled shoes and a stethoscope. For some, the impetus was the loss of a job due to downsizing, but for many, the decision was a conscious commitment to giving something back to the world. They want to work in a job that directly benefits people, where they can make a visible difference in someone’s life. The hands-on medical care in a nursing career gives them a satisfaction that’s hard to find in any other line of work.

If you’re considering re-entering the work world as a nurse, you can find opportunities open in hospitals, rest homes, medical facilities, outpatient programs and public health areas. You can create a nursing career working in analysis and technology, or doing direct patient care, or both. An occupational nursing career can give you a chance to work in sports activities medicine, industrial medicine or the particular rehabilitation field. As a home healthcare worker, you can make a major difference in the products life for new parents and their babies, adults who usually are facing major medical decisions, children and families coping along with diabetes and asthma and seniors who require a couple of hours of skilled nursing care a week so as to remain at home among their loved ones and memories.
There are also opportunities for a nursing career in more unusual areas, especially if you choose to go on to more specialized training and acquire an advanced degree. It’s difficult to imagine a more fulfilling career than one as a nurse-midwife, helping to usher new lives into the world, for instance, or as a nurse practitioner helping parents cope with their children’s illnesses. Many second career nurses combine their former experience with their new nursing careers to open new doors. A paralegal with many years experience might work in the field of medical law as a consultant, helping hospitals and medical facilities create policies that are fair to both patients and staff. A teacher may draw on years of classroom experience to work as a nurse in the community, educating children on medical awareness and teaching them how to take charge of chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes.

There’s almost no limit to the kinds of jobs and challenges open to someone who chooses to pursue a nursing career. If you’ve chosen to pursue nursing as a second career, take the time to study all your options and find the one that’s most satisfying for you. It may be a second career, but it’s one that can last you for the rest of your life.