Nursing Degree Info

Nursing School Information

The Type Of People That Excel In A Nursing Career

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Decades ago, many people chose their careers by looking at the amount of money they could earn or some other disconnected method that would lead to a life of unhappiness at work. Nowadays, people are encouraged to take job profile tests at their local college to help them determine the types of occupations that they would be best suited for based on their personality and abilities. A nursing career is one that certain people excel at because it’s in their heart already and the job fits how they are. Here are the most common attributes of a great nurse and the different types of nursing jobs you might be interested in.

The Personality Profile Of a Great Nurse Being able to communicate with all types of people and comfort them is at the core of being a nurse. Nurses are at the front-line, working directly with the patients, doctors, lab techs, and other health care professionals. It’s the nurse’s job to explain every procedure in detail at the level of understanding of the patient. So if the patient is 5 years old or 75 years old, they’ll need to be able to adapt their communication skills to listen to and speak to all types of people from all walks of life. They will also need to be very empathetic when dealing with the pain of both the patients and family members as well.

At the same time that they are helpful and caring, a good nurse will also have to be very stable. They can’t be the one that’s falling apart emotionally when something bad happens. This can be difficult since the occupation will always have emotionally charged outcomes. There must also be an extreme attention to detail since giving the wrong medication in the incorrect amount could be detrimental to the patient and even lead to death. Mistakes in other occupations aren’t nearly so critical as they are in nursing.

A nurse will also have to be fairly physically strong in order to help patients get up and down, while enduring long shifts, sometimes up to 12 hours, on the job. Knowing the right way to lift and being physically fit are an important part of the job. As is being a quick thinker, problem solver, and ready to respond at a seconds notice. If That’s What You’re Made Of Here Are The Types of Nurses A nursing career in any specialty will be in demand for the upcoming future according to many online job analysis companies. The reasons for a lot of the demand is the slowly aging population of the United States which will require many thousands of nurses at all levels of education.

The most in demand are the registered nurses that usually have a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. This will usually take about 3 to 4 years depending on the school and several other factors. Some nursing schools go all year ’round without taking a summer vacation and this allows for faster completion to reach the degree. Registered nurses come in hundreds of specialties like pediatrics, surgery, emergency care, elder care, cancer care, and you name it.

The next most in demand is the licensed practical nurse. These nurses usually are required to work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or doctor. They can administer medicine, check all of the vital signs, and other important tasks. Lots of the LPNs use this level to get started and then go on to become registered nurses.

After those two popular nursing degrees, there are also travel nurses that work all over the country and internationally where they are needed. Then nurse practitioners that do many of the tasks of a licensed physician in areas where there are limited numbers of doctors available. If nursing is to be what you are destined to do, you can’t go wrong by checking at the local college to see what programs are available.

There are many starting courses that can be used for any type of nursing and then you can diverge as you start to see what interests you most in each specialty. Either way, the pay is great and the people incredible in nearly every way.

How Long Is Nursing School?

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If you have a passion for taking care of your fellow human beings, nursing is a good vocation. Not only does it give you an opportunity to help others, but you also get an opportunity to earn a respectable income. As such, you get to experience job satisfaction, an element that is crucial to leading a happy and fulfilling life, and as an added benefit, you also experience job security.

In all, there are plenty of positives that come with being a nurse. However, the road to becoming one can be quite long. How long does it take to finish nursing, school? Herein we will explore this specific question. This read will help you understand the time you need to dedicate pursuing vocational education. Importantly, this will give you an understanding of the best way to pursue an education in the nursing field.

How Long Is Nursing School?

Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer as to how long nursing school takes. It depends on a myriad of factors as well as your aspirations and goals. For instance, the most popular nursing program takes about 2-years to complete. However, if you take prerequisite courses, it might end up taking much longer as the time you take to complete the courses is dependent on your personal situation.

For instance, there are accelerated nursing programs that allow you to undertake your coursework even during the summer, thereby shortening your completion time. On the other hand, if you are looking to study and work at the same time, there are flexible courses that allow you to pursue an education in the nursing field and at the same time engage in your everyday endeavors. Aside from the 2-year nursing school program, there are plenty of other advanced programs. Each advanced level of study increases your understanding of the field and improves your skill-set. However, it also requires you dedicate additional time to your studies. For instance, for you to undertake nursing up to the doctorate level, you will have to dedicate a minimum of 8 years.

Let’s delve into the various levels of studying nursing and the number of years you need to dedicate to complete each level.

The Licensed Practical Nurse Programs

Also known as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), these people are trained to assist registered nurses while also offering the most basic of patient care such as a first aid and TLC. The one-year program entails taking classes and undertaking supervised work/clinical experience. The program is available at vocational schools and technical colleges.

While undertaking this program, students are taught about basic first aid and nursing and they are introduced to psychological care, pharmacology, and geriatric care. At the completion of the school work and clinical experience, students take the NCLEX-PN exam which when successfully completed grants students the LPN license.

To advance to the next level, a graduate can take a transitional training program that allows them to become a registered nurse.

The Registered Nurse Diploma

The registered nurse diploma is offered by certain hospitals and as such, they are might be as prevalent as the associate degree or degree programs. Nonetheless, completing this program allows students to register as a nurse and seek jobs in entry-level positions. The program can take anywhere from 1 year to 3 years to complete.

Associate Degree In Nursing (ADN)

The associate degree in nursing is another popular route to becoming a registered nurse. The programs are typically offered through community colleges or colleges. At the community college level, the programs are offered as day classes, night classes, or weekend classes. As such, depending on one’s schedule you can opt for any of the aforementioned schedules. Generally, the course takes anywhere between 2 to 4 years, depending on your schedule and the school you are attending.

During the course, students are taught the fundamentals of nursing. As such, they learn about microbiology, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and pharmacology. Beyond the classes, students must participate in supervised clinical experience. During their clinical experience, students get to put into practice what they have learned. To this end, students get to practice monitoring a patient’s charts, determining a normal and an abnormal heart rate, determining normal and abnormal breathing, and much more.

Bachelor of Science In Nursing (BSN)

While undertaking a bachelor’s course in nursing will give you an opportunity to become a registered nurse, it will also help you with advanced studies in nursing such as the masters’ course. There are plenty of routes to get to the Bachelor of Science in nursing.

If you have undertaken the Registered Nurse Diploma course and or the Associated Degree in Nursing course, and you are a valid license(s) holder, you can you can undertake the course in as little as 12 to 24 months. However, if you are new to the field and you want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you will have to undertake the full 4-year course.

Prospective bachelor’s degree students who hold another bachelor’s degree in another field can undertake this course in as little as 18 to 24 months under an accelerated program.

During the program, students get to learn about diet and nutrition, physiology, statistics, anatomy, nursing theory and research and much more. There is also a requirement for students to participate in advanced clinical experiences in nursing homes, hospitals, and in some cases in psychiatric hospitals.

Master of Science In Nursing

At the graduate level in the nursing field, is the Master of Science in Nursing. With this level of education in the nursing field, you get to specialize in a specific part of nursing. However, aside from being able to provide specialized nursing care, a master’s degree allows you the opportunity to apply for jobs in the administrative and managerial positions, research positions, and teaching positions. The typical period for completing a master’s degree is about 2 years that involve a combination of classwork, clinical experience, and research.

At this level of education, a nurse increases their income tremendously. While it might take years to reach the master’s degree level, the perks make the dedication worth it. For many people the answer to “How long is nursing school?” is 6 years – the 4 years needed for a bachelor’s degree and another 2 for a mastser’s degree.

Doctoral Programs

There are various doctoral programs that nurses can pursue. One of such courses is the Doctor of Nursing Science (DNS). This 3-year program allows students to conduct scientific research and investigation into the healthcare sector. During the course, students must participate in more clinical experience, conduct their own original research and much more.

Another doctoral program that will interest nursing students is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). This program is designed and geared towards nurses with a bachelor’s degree who are interested in pursuing leadership positions. The course teaches nurses how to balance between rendering high-quality services within budgetary limits.

There is also the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nursing. This course is meant to impart students with the knowledge and technical know-how of conducting investigations and research into the nursing industry. All the three doctorate programs take about 3 years to complete. However, the specific timelines are dependent on your schedule.

In conclusion

As you can appreciate, the length of time you spend in nursing school is dependent on the level of education you want to have. As such, it can take as little as one year or as much as 8 years for you to attain a doctorate. Furthermore, it is common for students to work whilst still pursuing their education. While it is not an ideal situation, there are plenty of reasons for working and studying at the same time. For instance, you may have to fund your education through your income. By opting to combine work and study, the time you have to spend in school will greatly increase. So, the answer to the “how long is nursing school” question is – it depends on you and what you ultimately want to do and become.

What A Great Nursing School Looks Like

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With Nursing becoming a rapidly growing sector in medicine, it’s become an option for thousands of students. These students are some of the brightest minds in the world and want to find world-class institutions to learn in. As a result, whether it’s an online or offline program, it’s important to find a suitable fit that’s accepted by premier medical facilities.

Before looking at some of the finest names in the world of medicine, it’s best to start by understanding what a good nursing school looks like. This can help pinpoint the top nursing schools.

Qualities of the Top Nursing Schools

1) World-Class Facilities

The facilities are an integral part of your academic experience. If the institution doesn’t spend money on its facilities (rooms, lecture halls, computer labs) then it isn’t doing enough for the student body. This is why it’s important to start with the foundational requirements, which should be evident in any premier nursing school around the world. If these details are missing then the institution isn’t going to provide a well-rounded educational experience that is worth spending time on.

Look at the facilities and what makes them special.    

This can include the architecture, layout, or the value you get by spending time at the institution. Every last detail has a role to play in your decision and should be taken seriously. Many students don’t look into the facilities and assume all nursing schools are the same. This isn’t true as the leaders provide world-class solutions that are ahead of the game.

2) Accredited Program

This is the bare minimum as a modern nursing student and cannot be ignored. All nursing schools that merit your attention should be approved at the local, state, and national level for appropriate results. If not, there can be lingering concerns about eligibility and approval in the workforce. This becomes a real problem while looking for nursing jobs and is the last thing a student wants to deal with.

Many lower tier nursing schools do not hold this accreditation and that can become a major hurdle.

Instead of dealing with those hurdles, it’s best to focus on leading nursing schools that do hold the right certification as institutions.

3) Multiple Options (Programs/Courses)

Each nursing school is going to have a unique approach to how its courses and/or programs are laid out. This is normal and should be accepted during the application process. It’s important to analyze how these courses and/or programs are managed, what they offer, and the value they’re going to have in your post-graduate career path. Until these details are ironed out, you shouldn’t be making a decision on a particular nursing school.

For example, a nursing school such as John Hopkins University provides different degrees including a bachelors in Nursing and a Masters in the same specialization. This enables students to choose what’s best for them and come up with a path that’s worth following.

Think about these options and lay out a plan before applying to different nursing schools.

4) Renowned Instructors

The instructors are an integral part of any nursing school and will set the foundation for your future. These professionals have years of nursing expertise and it’s important to find instructors that know how to teach. There are many ways of doing this including figuring out how they’ve done in the past. Many instructors with years of teaching expertise are going to have a better grasp of different concepts and can do a good job of helping new students.

Along with their teaching ability, it is also important to focus on a nursing school that has a good teacher-student ratio. This means there shouldn’t be too many students per teacher as that can be an example of improper educational standards. If a student isn’t getting enough attention, they can’t learn properly.

Some of the leading nursing schools in America maintain a smaller ratio to ensure this is not a problem.

5) Wonderful Networking Opportunities

While looking at different nursing schools, the best ones are going to stand out for this reason. They understand learning how to become a nurse is just one step in your career path. The ultimate goal is to become a world-class medical professional that is able to work at any medical facility without breaking a sweat. To do this, it’s important to not only be trained the right way but also be able to get good opportunities. As a result, networking is just as important as any other part of a nursing school.

The best schools are always going to host networking events and will give students an opportunity to build their skill-set. This is how the best nurses are born and it’s important to look into these details before applying. If a nursing school only focuses on academics, it isn’t doing enough as an institution to build nursing leaders through its programs.

Top Nursing Schools in the USA

1) Columbia University

This Ivy League school is among the best in the world in a number of subjects and that includes nursing. Students maintain access to state-of-the-art equipment, instructors, and course content that makes it easier to become a professional powerhouse once you enter the workforce. Some of the finest nursing practitioners walk around campus providing advice and making it simpler for new students to adjust.

Columbia University has a unique list of courses and programs making it an elite option.

One of the most underrated benefits of Columbia University would be its location. It’s nestled in the heart of New York City making it one of the best spots to be in as a nursing professional. There’s massive demand in the city and they prefer talent from this particular institution due to its local ties. Numerous networking events go through the campus on a regular basis making it easier for future nurses to land their dream job.

2) Duke University

Duke’s School of Medicine is a world-class institution and has earned plaudits from the biggest names in medicine. It has a strong nursing program and an academic setup made for continued excellence. Whether it’s the refined facilities, cutting-edge equipment, or respected programs, the balanced approach to education is what makes Duke University stand out in the list of options.

The real charm of Duke University is its willingness to adapt and learn what modern science requires. These adjustments are seen in all parts of student life and make learning how to become a great nurse that much better.

3) Johns Hopkins University

Situated in Baltimore, John Hopkins University is an accredited institution and one of the top nursing schools in America. It has a well-established name with world-class instructors on-site to teach nursing students. The reason it has gained acclaim has to do with its emphasis on a well-rounded learning experience. Students are able to choose from a variety of tracks including a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or a variety of online master’s programs. Each student is going to choose what’s best suited for their needs and that’s what makes John Hopkins University an elite choice.

It manages to appeal to everyone and provides the quality students look for in a modern nursing school.

These are the top schools in America and it’s important to do your homework before applying. What may work for someone else isn’t going to cut it for your needs. Think about what you want and how you’re going to get it at a specific institution. Once you start comparing these options, it’ll become easier to come up with a final decision.

The Convenience of Online Nursing Schools

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Do you want to get a job in the nursing field? If you are interested in working in the nursing industry, you will need to attend a specific nursing school to get a degree so that you can take on the position you’ve always dreamed of and earn a very nice salary. Choosing to get involved in this type of field is a fantastic idea because there is such a great demand for professionals that provide nursing services. There will always be patients in need of health services, so you will always have many opportunities to find great jobs that you enjoy and pay well.

If you want to be a nurse who cares for the needy and you want to go to school to get a degree but are concerned about not having enough time for classes, online nursing schools are available. These schools are convenient for those with busy schedules. You may need to continue working to support your family while you are attending classes to get a degree. The job you currently have may not pay as well, which could be one of the many reasons you are looking forward to getting a job as a nurse where you can earn more and would no longer need to struggle.

These different online nursing schools offer that added convenience to both women and men who want to pursue their dreams but still have other things to handle in their personal lives.  Especially if they are supporting their families or they have children to take care of throughout the day. Online learning allows these individuals to take classes and study at home instead of constantly commuting back and forth to school. The online schooling is more self-paced, so you would be able to get your work done at times that work best for you rather than always worrying about attending class at the same time on the same days each week.

How to Pick the Right Online School

If attending online nursing school sounds like something you want to do, you need to make sure that you are choosing the right school to attend in the first place. There are many online schools providing classes for those looking to get into the nursing field, so doing as much extensive research as you possibly can is a must. The first thing you need to figure out before selecting a school is the exact type of career you want to have in this specific field. There are a lot of different jobs you can take on with the right degree, such as a registered nurse (RN) and a licensed practical nurse (LPN).

Making a Decision on Your Nursing Career

Before making this decision, you should find out exactly what types of tasks you would be responsible for if you were to become one of these types of nurses. For example, licensed practical nurses are considered basic nurses that provide different services to patients, which may include administering medication, keeping a watchful eye on a patient who feeds through a feeding tube, and even helping with different tests that are administered. You will take on a lot of responsibilities as a licensed practical nurse, however, you will need to take on even more responsibilities as a registered nurse.

A registered nurse can provide nursing services in several different types of environments, including homes of patients receiving at-home care, hospitals, and even doctor’s offices. Some registered nurses choose to work at assisted living facilities where patients are unable to care for themselves and may need additional support to do different things. However, others work with younger patients and some even work in the labor and delivery unit where they are helping patients during labor. If these are some of the things you hope to do in the future, becoming a registered nurse may be the best decision for you.

Starting the Search For the Right Online School

After deciding what type of nursing career that you would like to have in the future, you can begin the search for a reputable online school that has a lot to offer in terms of education and hands-on experiences that will be provided to help you during the learning process. You need to search for online nursing schools that offer the programs you are most interested in taking, while at the same time finding out what many of the other students are saying about their own experiences at these different schools. This involves reading as many reviews on these online schools as you possibly can. Knowledge is power…especially in education. It is important to find a school with instructors who want to help you and guide you on the right path because they want you to become successful in everything you choose to do.

If you are not receiving the support you need throughout the learning process, it may be far more difficult for you to finish your classes, receive a degree, and then get the job you want to have. It is for that exact reason that it is so crucial for you to take your time looking through some of the different online schools, taking virtual tours, reading through the FAQ section of their websites, and even speaking with a counselor at these different schools to help with your decision. It may take a few weeks before you finally narrow down your options and come to a conclusion as to which of the online schools you are going to choose based on what is being offered to you.

Why Enroll in an Online School For Nursing?

Getting a degree in nursing is worth it if you are a nurturing person who likes taking care of different and needy people. You may be the kind of person who has always taken great pride in being there for people and helping them get through tough times. If you like socializing with different people and enjoy providing care to those who need it, working as a nurse will be such a rewarding career for you to have where you can learn so much over time and build such strong relationships with the different patients you encounter each day.

The online school offers the flexibility you might want and need when it comes to furthering your education and learning all the things you must know to successfully work as nurse, whether you are working in the homes of different patients, in an office, or even in one of the many hospitals in your area. You may be able to focus more when studying and taking classes at times that are more convenient for you, which helps in the long run when it is time for you to take exams, complete lessons, and eventually get the degree that you want to have. Many people are taking advantage of such a great opportunity to learn at their own pace and on their own time, whether it is between their shifts, on breaks, and even at night after the kids are in bed. It is not too late for you to make a career switch and work in a field you will love.