Archive for the 'Nursing Education' Category

Term Papers and Projects to Expect in Nursing School

Nursing School ProjectsFrom the moment you start doing your undergraduate coursework to the time you apply to nursing school, there is a heavy emphasis on the sciences and on math. Starting with the very first day you decide to be a nurse, you’ll learn biology, chemistry, anatomy, statistics, and physics—and all with hands-on laboratory work like dissecting frogs and cow eyes.

Although this can seem overwhelming, it’s something most nursing students are prepared for, and the hard work is just part of the challenge of reaching your professional goals. What many students aren’t prepared for, however, is the other kind of work that you’ll be taking home: term papers and group projects.

Depending on where you are in your education, you might end a quarter of nursing ethics with a ten-page research paper, or spend an entire nursing theory course working with a team to create posterboard presentations, power points, and other large projects. These can be time-consuming and work-intensive, but a passing score here is just as important as it is during your clinical rotations.

Why Nursing Schools Include Papers and Projects

It might seem unfair to spend most of your time writing a paper when you’ll never be asked to write again, or to work with a team of nursing students who might not be willing to pull their own weight for a group presentation. However, these are common parts of the nursing curriculum. The reasons for this vary, but typically include:

  • Group Challenges: Being a nurse is very much a team effort. You’ll be working with doctors, therapists, nursing aides, and other nurses to provide a high quality of care. Some of these team members will be great; others will not. Getting used to working in a team setting—with all its challenges and setbacks—starts in nursing school.
  • Critical Thinking: Writing a ten-page report or paper requires quite a bit of planning, research, organization, and dedication. The focus here is not so much on how well you write or how good your grammar is—it’s on seeing whether or not you can pull together several different components to reach a whole.
  • Academic Learning: If you’re going to nursing school to get an MSN or even a BSN, you are going to be entrenched in the academic setting whether you like it or not. In many cases, you might even wish to go on to be a nursing instructor, nursing administrator, or research nurse. Having a background of academic learning and scientific documentation will really help boost this part of your career.

As is the case with any academic challenge, the key to writing successful term papers and doing well on your nursing group projects is to plan ahead and get the work done before the last minute. Nursing school is still very much a school, and although you’ll be drawing blood and seeing patients fairly early on in your education, you still need to focus on the textbooks and papers that will provide the foundation for learning for the rest of your life.

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Equipment and Clothing You’ll Need to Buy for Nursing School

Nursing Equipment and ToolsDepending on the program type and school you choose, the cost of nursing school can run anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Like any college program, there are costs associated with housing and textbooks in addition to things like tuition and student fees. For nursing students, there may also be a need to buy nursing gear like scrubs, shoes, and even a stethoscope.

Student Nurse Attire

Scrubs and comfortable nursing shoes are common for both working professionals and nursing students. However, what you wear as a nurse and what you wear as a student are a little different. That’s because students must have some sort of insignia that indicates they are still going through the educational process. A badge, a school-assigned scrub top, or a patch might be used to make this distinction, and you may not have a choice in where you make your clothing purchases in order to meet these regulations.

Other issues (including nursing shoes and following policies for things like hair, jewelry, and accessories) will be dictated by both your school and the organization hosting your clinicals. Expect to meet all standards in safety and hospital procedures, even if you aren’t technically an employee there yet.

Student Nurse Equipment

The most important piece of nursing equipment you’ll ever buy as a nurse is your stethoscope. These devices, which run anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars, are a critical nursing tool used to check patient vitals and take blood pressure. Although some nursing schools might issue a standard stethoscope, this is one item it’s worthwhile to spend a little money on, since comfort and functionality will go a long way in making the most out of your investment.

Nursing books aren’t technically equipment, but they will make up a large portion of your nursing school costs, as well. That’s because these science-based learning tools (which range from hardback textbooks to laboratory manuals) tend to be expensive—and you’ll need several of them each semester. Many nurses hang on to these books throughout their lives, especially as they start to reach the end of their training and get more specialized materials. Things like medical dictionaries tend to come in handy no matter how long you’ve been on the job.

Before you splurge and buy all your nursing school equipment, however, be sure and check with the policies at your educational facility. Many schools offer these items as part of a complete tuition package, and you can save a lot of money by waiting until you are required to make these purchases yourself.

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Moving a Nursing License Across State Borders

i_nursing_studentNursing students come from a variety of backgrounds and a wide range of ages. Some students are fresh out of high school and brimming with hopes for the future, while others are making a career changes after decades of working in a different field. Regardless of your situation in life, one thing remains the same: nothing remains the same. For whatever reason, professional or personal, you may find yourself packing up and moving to a new state. Unfortunately, your nursing license might not travel quite as easily.

The Nurse License Compact (NLC) which is offered through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), is a program that exists to make transferring a nursing license easy. It boasts a “mutual recognition model” that essentially dissolves state borders so that a nurse may move from one state to another and not worry about additional testing or licensing. While the program has been a success so far, it isn’t available in every state. If you don’t live in an NLC state, or if you’re moving to a state that isn’t part of the program, you don’t qualify for this multi-state licensing option.

The 24 states that are part of the NLC include:

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin

While the NLC makes it easy to transfer your place of residence and work, there are options for those who live elsewhere. In most cases, you’ll need to contact the state’s nursing board directly to learn what requirements they have that may differ from those currently in your position. For example, you may need to beef up on a few classes to reach the required number of continuing education credits, or you may need to pay an additional fee to be licensed to work in that state.

If you already have an employer lined up in your new state, you might want to solicit their help in getting the new license or even in paying the fees. Don’t expect to start working until all the paperwork is in place, however, since the field of nursing is strictly regulated no matter what state you’re in.

Although it can be a hassle, and you may be required to go back to school for a few weeks to get all the classes you need up to date, transferring a nursing license is a professional possibility. And as the NLC continues to advocate for cross-state licenses, more and more states should be jumping on board the plan to make this transition easier.

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Study Nursing and a Second Language

i_student_1Nursing students who either speak or are willing to learn to speak another language are in a good position for professional success. One of the biggest challenges facing the health care community today is the difficulty in helping patients who don’t speak English. Unless medical professionals can communicate about care, procedures, and even symptoms, there is a good chance that a wrong diagnosis will be made or the incorrect treatment regimen will be undertaken.

Hospitals have so far done a good job bridging the communication gap by hiring translators, using translation services via phone, and by printing medical instructions in several languages. However, this doesn’t always work. Translators tend to be costly, phone services can be unreliable, and there are often complicated and rare medical procedures that need to be discussed. Having a nurse on staff who not only has the education needed to provide care, but who can also translate medical terms and procedures on site, is rapidly becoming a must-have in the medical world.

Nursing and Native Bilingual Speakers

If you speak a second language fluently, or if English is your second language, use it to your advantage starting with nursing school. When you learn complex medical terms, take the time to learn both forms of it: your native language and English. This way, you’ll become a valuable part of a health care team, since you’ll be one of the few individuals who can translate complex medical procedures for those who don’t understand English.

In fact, you can use this to your advantage during the hiring process. In many cases, hospitals and doctor’s offices will pay a large sign-on bonus for nurses who can provide this service. You might also find greater opportunities for advancement or for travel nursing to high-need areas.

Learning a Second Language in Nursing School

If you want to learn a second language while you’re at nursing school, it’s a good idea to select a language that’s predominant in your area. For example, if there is a large Hispanic or Russian population where you live, learning these languages can make you more employable at area hospitals. Although you aren’t likely to become fluent in your two to four years of nursing school, you can learn basic conversational skills that will help put your patients at ease and improve the quality of care you provide.

In most cases, you’ll need to attend a four-year university or community college in order to take foreign language classes at your school. Most private, vocational nursing education facilities don’t have the staff or capabilities to teach a foreign language.

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Health Risks in Nursing School

i_respiratory_therapyEvery career has its inherent risks and responsibilities, and nursing is no different. Because you are working directly with patients who are ill, and because you spend so much time doing physically challenging work, your risks of disease and injury increase, especially after years of work. For nursing students, it’s best to be aware of these risks and develop good habits early, beginning with your clinicals and internship experiences.

  • Fatigue: Like doctors, many nurses work overtime hours or may be on-call during the weekends or evenings. Nursing students have it even worse, since they are often juggling school, work, and family all at once. Getting good rest and eating right are essential in staying in top form—otherwise, you run the risk of greater workplace injuries (to you and your patients).
  • Disease/Illnesses: Many of the patients you will treat have infectious complaints transmitted by the air, blood, or bodily fluids. Regular immunizations, handwashing, and following workplace guidelines will all help to keep your exposure low. Usually, the first two years of nursing are the worst for getting sick; after awhile, you tend to have more natural immunities and should enjoy better overall health.
  • Exposure to Drug-Resistant Organisms: One of the biggest risks to nurses is exposure to the worst kin of “bugs” there are. In a hospital setting, many of the viruses develop the ability to resist common medications, and outbreaks can be serious.
  • Physical Injuries: About half of all nurses will have a back injury at some point in their career. The most important thing to do is get the help you need right away so that a mild complaint doesn’t turn into something more serious. Other types of injuries to the body are often caused by repetition, heavy lifting, or standing for too many hours at a time.
  • Chemical Toxins: Many different types of chemicals are used for cleaning, disinfecting, or taking care of patients. If used improperly, these have the potential to injure a nurse on the job.

Although this list of nursing hazards might seem a little scary at first, it’s important to remember that many different safeguards are in place to prevent minor mishaps from developing into a larger health problem. Take the time in your nursing classes to pay attention to policies, procedures, and protocol related to nursing health issues, and incorporate these into your workplace habits from day one.

Nursing can be a long and viable career, as long as you treat yourself right. Don’t be afraid to seek help for your ailments or to ask for time off to keep yourself in optimal health.

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How to Succeed in Nursing School

i_student_2With a heavy science basis and clinicals that require a long and grueling commitment, nursing school is not an easy task.

Yet in recent years, nursing school has gotten a bit of a reputation as being nothing more than an assembly line for creating professionals to replace the large number of retiring nurses and to fill the nursing shortages all over the country. While it’s true that recruitment methods urge students to consider nursing school, and that you can earn an RN license in as little as two years, don’t expect an easy time of it. Nursing school is a challenge—both to get in and to get through.

If you’re one of the students who got all the prerequisite classes completed, gained entrance to an accredited nursing program, and are working hard to keep up, here are a few tips for finding success.

Establish a Good Relationship with Your Instructors: You don’t necessarily have to stay late every day to chat up the teachers or sit in the front row and have all the answers. But you should do your best to respect the instructors and the curriculum they have set out. Unlike many types of educators, nursing instructors are all nurses first, and instructors second. They have the hands-on skills you’ll need to develop over the next few years, and their experience should become your own. Do the work that is required of you, and take any feedback you get and put it to good use. Making allies of your professors can really boost both your professional success and your entire college experience.

Ask For Help: Nursing is one of those professions where just one mistake could cost you your job—and someone their life. Get in the habit now of asking questions and asking for help when you need it. Working as part of team is always going to be present in the nursing profession, and it’s okay to lean on your coworkers (and co-students) from time to time. It’s better to take the time to learn things now, even if it is difficult, rather than to learn the hard way later that you aren’t prepared to do your job well.

Pitch In and Help Others: At the same time, you want to be the type of nurse others are comfortable approaching for help, as well. A student who demonstrates responsibility and accountability, and who goes above and beyond to contribute to the whole team, is going to be better equipped to succeed in a real world setting.

Be a Caring Professional: Nursing is one of those careers that has a big scientific foundation—but just as important is a solid base of caring. Nurses are often the people families and patients see and talk to the most in a formal care setting, and they rely on nurses to be their advocates within the health care system. Use your nursing school time to develop compassion, empathy, and respect for your patients and the profession as a whole.

Of course, if you want to succeed at nursing school, you’ll also need to set up a good study schedule, spend a lot of time pouring over textbooks, and show up to class every day. As is the case with any medical profession, nursing school prepares you for the real world of nursing, and your commitment to your education will reflect in your job skills.

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What To Do If You Don’t Pass the NCLEX

i_nursing_student_2As a nursing school graduate, one of the most important tests you’ll ever take is the NCLEX exam. This test, which is the national standard for getting a nursing license, takes all the knowledge (both clinical and textbook) you have acquired and ensures that you are ready to handle nursing in a real-world, professional capacity.

Ideally, you’ll pass the NCLEX with flying colors and move on to the next step in your nursing career without a hitch. However, a passing score isn’t guaranteed, even if you attend the best nursing school in the country and spend weeks studying for it. If you do fail the NCLEX, you can take it again. And again. And again—as many times as it takes to get your license and start working.

If you don’t pass the NCLEX, you will be required to wait three months before you can take it again. Use this time to brush up on your studying and take test preparation classes so that you are even more ready next time around.

According to estimates, roughly 15 percent of nursing students in the United States and 48 percent of RN candidates who were educated internationally fail the NCLEX the first time. Although no one likes to talk about these numbers, they can and do happen. The best thing you can do is chalk it up to experience and try again.

Like any test, the NCLEX gauges not only how well you know the material, but how good you are at taking tests. Some people get flustered when faced with a series of multiple choice questions, and it has nothing to do with their intelligence or knowledge base. Fortunately, the more you take the test, the more comfortable with it you’ll be. Oftentimes, simply knowing what to expect can help you direct your studying and to feel less flustered the next time around.

Consider your circumstances, as well your educational shortcomings. Life often gets in the way of our professional goals, and that’s okay. Whether you waited too long after graduation to take the test, or if a family emergency made it difficult for you to concentrate, your circumstances will be different the second time you take the test. Try to schedule ut for a time when you know you’ll be able to study and rest up before the big day.

Realize that failing the NCLEX isn’t the end of your career. Chances are, your future employer isn’t going to care how many times you took the NCLEX—in fact, they probably won’t even think to ask. As long as you earned your degree from an accredited program and you’re dedicated to always learning and growing as a nursing professional, you can succeed in this field. Play up your strengths (maybe you have a great bedside manner or you think fast on your feet) and remember that the test is only a small portion of your skills and dedication as a nurse.

You will have to pay for your NCLEX test each additional time you take it, and adhere to the same rules regarding location and test time. For more information, please visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing at https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm.

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Nursing School Requirements: Update Your Immunizations

i_nurse_female_needleNurses work on the front line of health care—and their health is often at risk as a result. Whether it’s due to the potential for bloodborne or airborne illnesses that come with working so closely with those who are sick, or if it has more to do with the long hours that put a necessary strain on the body, nurses have a higher risk for illness than many other types of professionals.

Nursing students are just as much at risk, especially once you near the end of your education and start doing clinicals, where hands-on care and patient interaction are the focus of everything you do. That’s why nursing schools are among the most strict when it comes to keeping student records and immunizations up to date. In fact, more and more schools (and employers) are requiring annual vaccines for the flu and other common maladies.

Nursing Students and Proof of Immunization

Most of the immunizations needed for nursing school are similar to those needed for any college-level education. Although exceptions may be provided in extreme cases, most nursing students should expect to regularly update their immunization records in order to keep themselves (and their families) safe and healthy.

Basic immunizations include:

  • Tetanus
  • Rubella
  • Rubeola
  • Mumps
  • Meningitis
  • Pertussis
  • Chickenpox
  • Tuberculosis (skin test)
  • Hepatitis B

Most nursing students will also be asked to get an annual flu vaccine. In recent years, nursing and medical staff have reduced their rates of flu immunizations by almost 50 percent, even in the face of particularly virulent strains like H1N1.

This is a statistic that worries many health care employers. That’s because in addition to safeguarding their own health, nursing students and nursing professionals are expected to be advocates for the immunization process. In recent years, there has been quite a bit of contention over the safety of immunizations, and the result has been outbreaks of long-suppressed illnesses in schools and health care facilities.

Different nursing programs and schools will have different immunization policies, so it’s important to check with the admissions office before you apply. Although most students will already have all the traditional immunizations up to date, bi-annual tuberculosis tests and annual flu shots might require that you visit your health care provider before you take your first class.

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Getting a Nursing Degree through a Faith-Based Program

i_student_3There are thousands of different nursing schools and nursing programs around the United States. From public universities to small, independent vocational training centers, you can get all the training you need in just two to four years.

When it comes to choosing the right college for you, however, there are more than just considerations of degree type and the length of the program. Many private schools offer faith-based learning (typically in a Christian or Catholic setting) in which nursing and religious studies are mixed. In some schools this takes the form of one or two prerequisite classes in religion; in others, there might be a more in-depth approach to nursing with an overarching faith-based design. Depending on your personal beliefs and what you want out of your career, these schools might be right for you.

Benefits of a Faith-Based Nursing Program

The truth is that many of today’s hospitals and nursing homes are run by religious organizations. Although it is becoming increasingly more common for big businesses to own and operate hospitals, many health care centers have their roots in religious organizations or a mission that takes faith into account. These hospitals aren’t likely to turn you away from employment if you didn’t attend a religious college, but being taught in the same tradition (in which spirituality and caregiving are intertwined) can help you be more comfortable in that particular corporate culture.

The classes you take are likely to be very similar to those of a non-religious nursing school, and you will be held to the same academic and professional requirements (including passing the nursing licensure exam and graduating from an accredited school), so the level of education is the same no matter where you go. Coursework that might be a little different includes:

  • World religions
  • Healing words
  • Public advocacy
  • Ethics
  • Health ministry
  • Home visits
  • Hospice and end-of-life care

In fact, you are more likely to find that a nursing program in a faith-based school has less to do with one particular religion and more to do with human spirituality as a whole. Tolerance for other religions, honoring individual beliefs, and connecting individuals and families with religious services in their area are all part of the faith-based nursing approach.

Where to Find a Faith-Based Nursing Program

These programs are more prevalent than you might think. Many of the top schools associated with great nursing are actually built on religious traditions, and even though faith might not be at the forefront of all that you learn, you could incorporate school resources with your own approach to nursing school. For example, Emory University and Loyola University, whose nursing programs consistently rank in the top 30 for the nation, are both faith-based organizations.

Religion and nursing tend to go hand-in-hand, since you must deal with life and death every day. No matter what your personal beliefs, you should be able to find great personal and professional opportunities at a faith-based nursing school. As long as the school is accredited and has a good reputation, you should have no fears about adding it to your list of possibilities.

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Switching Nursing Schools Halfway through a Program

i_student_1Because going to nursing school is such a large time investment, ranging from two to six years in all, it can be difficult to organize your life around your school schedule. After all, what happens if your spouse is transferred to a new city for work? What if your family needs you back at home? What if you simply can’t afford a more expensive educational option in one city, but still want to keep pursuing your nursing degree somewhere else?

Although most schools discourage it, you can transfer your nursing credits from one school to another—provided you are going moving to and from nursing schools that have regional accreditation. Vocational schools and those with national accreditation may vary in how well their credits transfer, so if you know that moving is a possibility, you may want to choose a regionally accredited school right from the start.

The Admissions Process

Although it will be easier to transfer to a new college than to apply to and be admitted to college for the first time, you still have to go through the admissions process and possibly even face the chance that you might not get in.

Your first step will be to talk with the school you would like to transfer to about their specific requirements. In addition to filling out an application (and possibly including letters of reference, paying the application fee, and writing a nursing essay), you will need to ask about their individual credit transfer policy and have your official transcripts sent over.

There may be restrictions regarding what types of credits can be moved. Factors might include GPA, core curriculum requirements, and the usefulness of the class as a whole. For example, a course in nursing ethics might not move seamlessly from one school to another since the two schools might focus on different aspects (especially if you’re considering schools with a religious mission or focus). Be prepared to duplicate classes or even lose several of the credits you’ve already acquired. Although you may be able to contest the school’s policies or test out of certain classes, this is a common occurrence for transferring students.

Other Transfer Options

You may want to consider long-distance or online courses in place of a school transfer. Chances are, your existing school wants to see you stick around and finish out your program with them. If they have an online nursing program or are willing to work with you for the last few credits, be sure and explore these options. This is especially true if you’re nearing a milestone. For example, if you are close to getting your LPN license, do what you can to finish it. That way, you can enter an LPN-to-RN program at your new school without necessarily worrying about which credits will transfer.

Nursing school takes time, money, and quite a bit of hard work. If you find yourself facing a move or change of venue, do what you can to hold on to as much of that hard work. Your admissions counselors (at both schools) should be able to help you make the transition.

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