Anything You Need to Know About Associate Degree in Nursing
August 28, 2009 by Rn2b
Filed under Becoming a Nurse, Earning Your Nursing Degree, General Nurse Information, Registered Nurse (RN)
Anything You Need to Know About Associate Degree in Nursing
The different multiple entry points into becoming a registered nurse include the Associate in Nursing (which is also termed ADN), BS Nursing or BSN, diploma in nursing, and last is entering directly in graduate programs of nursing. Such options have made it confusing for the public especially to those who would like to pursue nursing as a profession. One of the options, Associate Degree in Nursing is the main focus of this discussion.
The programs for ADN started in 1952 when Mildred Montag, a nurse and also an educator from Columbia University took it as a subject of her dissertation. According to Montag’s study, the 2-year associate degree programs is possible, by cutting short the time needed to educate nursing students, because during that time, they are required to study for 3 years for them to obtain a diploma. During that time, there was a big shortage on nurses because the war has just ended.
About 60 percent of new-minted nurses in the US are from associate degree programs. The associate degree program helps students prepare for beginning a career in professional nursing practice. After completing an accredited program which takes two years, the graduates are qualified for the NCLEX which means National Council Licensure Exam.
Typical associate degree in nursing course takes seventy to eighty hours per semester. The curriculum includes nursing theory as well as varied clinical experiences which provide skills for care centered towards the patients in different situations. Opportunities for employment are in an intensive care units, private clinics and agencies for the community.
Listed here are some of the positive sides to associate degree in nursing:
• Lower cost of education compared to BSN
• It will take lesser time in finishing the course because it only takes 2 years.
• Services to isolated areas can be facilitated
• Local people are given the chance to work and gives them the chance to render service to their community
However, there are also drawbacks on associate degree in nursing and listed here are some of these:
• A number of applicants who are qualified are not shortlisted or they still need to wait because the class size of ADN is limited and many are applying to get in
• The co requisites in most programs are considered as prerequisites
• Students in some scenario are forced to re enroll in science and other subjects for a good standing so that they can equal other candidates in very competition-oriented process of admission into program.
• It happens that many students are not given the recognition they deserve, academically speaking for extra hours in the semester and their difficult work.
• They often get bedside nurse positions because they lack educational qualifications for management, education, and other roles.
Lastly,
• There are fewer opportunities available for advancement in the field they chose because many associate degree nurses fail to cope up with the stressful clinical environment as they age.
With this, consider the options before choosing your career path. It is also necessary to think twice and ponder on your options so that you maximize your time and resources for the fulfilling career you would like to achieve.
Online Nursing Degree Programs
March 21, 2009 by Rn2b
Filed under Finding Your Nursing Job, Registered Nurse (RN)
Online Nursing Degree Programs: The Option for Busy, Working Students
The University of Phoenix Online Nursing programs are part of other fields that can be studied at this largest private university in the United States. Majority of those who are already working, but are keen in pursuing their education, consider taking up online courses.
The healthcare industry, which is rapidly expanding and consistently in need of practitioners like nurses, is expected to grow over 27% by year 2014. The Registered Nurse is the healthcare career that is highest in demand and currently accounts for about 2.4 million jobs in the United States.
You can obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix (UoP) – one of the largest providers of professional nursing programs in the country. Their roster of graduate nursing programs include degree programs for nursing practitioners, for nurses who want to teach, and for nurses who would like to get into business management in health care.
Students of UoP can take the online classes to complete the degree program or take combination of online classes and onsite classes at any of the local learning centers of UoP. This flexibility allows the working student to still achieve his goals in terms of educational attainment.
Online courses are convenient because the programs do not require the students to attend the classes in the actual campus. The traditional way of earning degrees in schools may be a difficult option for reasons like costs and conflict of schedule with work. Through the University of Phoenix Online Nursing Programs, many of those who would like to obtain more in their careers can consider going into health care and building a promising career.
The Different Levels of Nursing Practice
March 20, 2009 by Rn2b
Filed under General Nurse Information, Registered Nurse (RN)
The Different Levels of Nursing Practice
We all know that health care has always been in demand in our society due to aging. People need to be taken care of especially when they get old and dependent to other people who can aid them daily. It would be hard to walk alone when you’re 85; people who get sick and old seek attention and help. Nursing have become a growing profession nowadays that is why a lot of college students are taking Bachelor of Science in Nursing as their course to qualify in the different levels of nursing practice they have to undergo.
There are four (4) levels of nursing practice. The first and easiest to attain is to be a certified nursing assistant or CNA, however if you’re just a certified nursing assistant, your job description is very limited; you can’t even be an assistant of a doctor in the hospital. Sometimes you are even referred to as a nurse’s aid. More or less, what nursing aids do is to bathe the patients, dress them, clean them, and help them walk to the bathroom, etc. Their task is very basic.
The next level is the Licensed Practical Nurses and the Licensed Vocational nurses. In this level, the nurse still does the same task as those of a certified nursing assistant however LPNs or LVNs can analyze the patient’s condition whether it is improving or worsening.
The higher level to LPNs and LVNs are the Registered Nurses or RNs. They are the ones assisting the doctor in the hospital. Besides having the capacity to do all the tasks that are assigned to CNAs, LPNs, and LVNs, registered nurses can operate the machines in the hospitals they are assigned to.
The highest among the levels of nursing practice is the Advanced Practice Registered Nurses or APRNs. These people have certain specialties like CRNA or certified registered nurse anesthetist, CNM or certified Nurse Midwife, and a lot more.