Nursing Degree Info

Nursing School Information

Some Easy Guidelines For Becoming A Nurse In The USA

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There are a number of education steps that you have to complete to accomplish becoming a registered nurse or even an LPN. However, the route that you choose will vary depending on the type of nurse you want to come.

Before you embark upon this journey of becoming a nurse, you should have a basic outline of what your requirements will be. There are entry level requirements that you must comply with if you want to get started in a nursing program. You need to have attended a community college, preferably earning an AA, that will give you the foundation for stepping into a nursing program. Some of the classes that you take must involve science, including human biology, math, and basic English classes. Essentially, you need at least three A level equivalent qualifications to begin this process.

The Educational Requirements

The first and most important step in how to become a nurse will be your education. All nurses have to complete formal training and education, but the level of this does vary. There are some types of nurses who have to complete a year-long training program while others need a master’s degree in nursing.

If you want to become a licensed practical nurse or a licensed vocational nurse, you will need to complete entry-level training. This is a one-year program offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and technical schools. The program includes classroom learning as well as clinical practice in a hospital or clinic.

Tests Or Exams That You Will Have To Pass

Some of the exams that you will have to pass will include the accreditation test so that you can be a registered nurse or our and. You also need to pass the NCLEX-RN test, obtain a state license for wherever you will be working, and also get employment as a registered nurse. From that point forward, you are required to take additional training to keep up with your education as a nurse. That is because many medical breakthroughs come out from time to time. You also need to refresh your awareness of the skills that you learned in nursing school just to make sure that you are doing things to the best of your ability.

How Long Will It Take To Complete Nursing School?

There are two different programs that you can take. First of all, you can earn your AA or Associates degree in nursing over the course of two years. Following that, if you are at the same school where your credits will transfer evenly, it will take an additional two years to complete your bachelors program. There will be additional courses that you may want to take such as those that will give you training within a hospital setting. Therefore, it may take an additional three years after your AA to complete your training, but this will give you more opportunities because you will be highly skilled.

If you want to become a registered nurse, the minimum in educational requirements is an Associate’s Degree in nursing. Once you have completed this degree, you will be able to take the examination for licensing. You could also consider completing a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing and getting work experience in a medical setting.

If you want to become an advanced practice nurse, you will have to complete a Master’s of Science in Nursing. These programs will not accept all nurses and only take licensed RNs. When you complete this training you will be able to practice as a nurse-midwife, a clinical nurse specialist and a nurse anesthetist.

Getting A License

In order to get a job as a nurse, you will need to have a nursing license. To get a license, you will need to complete the National Council Licensure Examination. There are 2 forms of this examination and you need to know which you should take.

The first is for registered nurses and is the NCLEX-R. The second is for practical nurses and will be the NCLEX-PN. You will have to pay a fee to take either of these exams and they are completed via computer. The number of questions you are asked will vary depending on your performance as the computer continues questioning you until it is certain that you are qualified or not.

Getting Certifications

After you have passed the licensure examination, you will be able to start working as a nurse. However, you may want to consider further certification to care for specific groups such as people with mental illnesses, children and the elderly. While these certifications are voluntary, certain employers may insist that you have them in order to be hired. Certifications can be obtained via the American Nursing Credentialing Center as well as the National League for Nursing.

Depending on the state that you live in, you might have to undergo additional certification. This will generally be a requirement for RNs and will depend on the state regulations. This is required as an RN in some states can prescribe medication.

Following these guidelines, you simply need to start contacting the schools that you locate online and requesting applications for their registered nursing degrees. They will then tell you how to apply, how much it will cost, and give you a general guideline as to how long it will take to complete this type of training. Finally, they may also provide you with job placement options that may only be available from certain well-known registered nursing schools. All of this information can be obtained online, allowing you to make the right choice as you are deciding on a nursing school to pursue your your career as a registered nurse.

What Do Home Health Care Nursing Professionals Do?

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In the future, due to the rising numbers of seniors in the United States, there seems to be a huge demand for in home nursing services. There are plenty of reasons why seniors don’t want to go into a nursing home when they get old besides the incredible costs, and in home care can help. Here are some of the tasks of those nurses and how they help the patients they serve.

People Age Slowly And Their Needs Increase Slowly Too

Many people are very comfortable living at home, sometimes alone and sometimes with their spouses or partners, but they need a healthcare professional to keep them well. This need can arise from a dozen different small tasks that are beyond the ability of their partners but don’t yet require the full-time assistance of a nursing home.

Things such as checking blood pressure, making sure all medications are being administered correctly, helping with diet requirements, and setting up a physical exercise regimen are all parts of the job. For the seniors at home, they save thousands of dollars in costs by being able to stay at home, and enjoy the comforts of their own space, pets, and spouse. It’s a win-win situation.

For The Home Health Care Nursing Professional

There are also plenty of benefits that go beyond the pay. For one thing, they can take on as many or few clients as they need, they don’t have to work full 40-hour shifts if they don’t want to. They can get paid per visit with many of the home health care companies and then get paid for their transportation costs separately too.

This arrangement works out quite well for nurses that want a less rigorous schedule since they can work any number of days per week that they desire.

The Home Nursing Healthcare Environment Is Varied

One other huge benefit that many home healthcare nurses enjoy is visiting the dozen or so different clients in their own homes. That way they don’t have to go into a sterile hospital or nursing home every day to work, but instead, three or four individual homes where their clients live.

Then they can see how their helpfulness is keeping these people out of a nursing home and why that is their desire. They get to meet with family, friends, spouses and pets to see how each can help the patient in their own way.

Home Healthcare Not Limited To The Elderly

While the greater portion of home healthcare clients are going to be elderly, that’s not always the case. Many are patients that have been released from the hospital after serious surgery that live alone and need regular checkups. They no longer need to be in a hospital and with just some regular help can recuperate at home.

Other people, while still being young, have chronic illnesses that require daily or weekly medications or injections that only a nurse can provide safely. These people wouldn’t necessarily have to be in a hospital for any other reason, so it’s best that they are able to live at home and avoid the high costs associated. Then, all they need is a regular visit from a home health care nursing specialist to administer their medications and check vitals.

There are dozens of high-demand nursing careers opening all across the country at every level. If you have the inclination and desire you should check into the occupation and see if there is a program near you that you qualify for.