Registering for online college courses is the first step toward achieving the success and the degree that you have always dreamed of. The next step is to make sure that you complete and pass those courses. No student wants to waste time on a class only to fail it and have to spend the time and the money to take it over again, not to mention the delay in graduation. There are numerous things that the student can do to ensure they are able to achieve passing grades.

Get Organized

One of the most important study aids for the online student, which is often overlooked, is organization. When a student is taking multiple courses online concurrently it is easy to miss assignment deadlines and lose valuable points toward a final grade. The student should have a folder for each class that they are attending. Most online courses have an assignment schedule that can be printed out. Keep a copy of the course syllabus and the assignment schedule in the front of the folder for each course. At the beginning of each week check the schedule and determine what assignments are due for the week. Schedule enough time to make sure you can complete all assignments due for each course. Make sure to mark the date completed and submitted on your assignment schedule. This will help the student to make sure that all studying and assignments are completed in a timely manner.

Finally, purchase a daily planner. At the beginning of the semester go through each course and place any important dates, such as due dates and exam dates, in the calendar. Make sure to add information and dates as they become known. Look at your calendar daily to insure you do not miss any important dates or deadlines.

How to Remember What You Learn

Now that you know how to organize your assignments, the next step is finding ways to help you remember and recall the information you have learned. One of the oldest study aids is still the best. Index cards are a very valuable “must have” for any college student. They are perhaps the most efficient and effective way to learn terminology, physiology, anatomy, or any other information that is new to the student. Keep blank index cards next to you at all times when you are studying. Any time you come across information that you think may be important or difficult to remember, write it on an index card. Place a question or term on the front of the card and the answer or definition on the back. Because index cards are very portable it is easy to find time to review the information and commit it to memory. Keep them with you at all times and use them whenever you have a minute. You can review them when you are in line at the grocery store, stopped at a red light, waiting at the doctor’s office, on your lunch break, and even during commercials on television. You will quickly learn the information and will see the difference in your grades.

A simple way to keep track of important information in your text is with “flags”. These are small sticky colored tabs that are easily removable from paper and are available at nearly all department and/or office supply stores. As you come across information in your text that is too much to put on an index card, place a flag on the page so that it sticks out the side of the book. You can easily locate the information later without wasting time flipping through the chapter to find it. You can also write a key word on the flag so that you can easily locate the information you are seeking if you have multiple flags that you have placed in your text. This helps make studying for exams a lot faster and easier and keeps textbooks in better condition for resale as well.

Keep Reference Tools Handy

Another study aid for the online student is to keep a pocket dictionary close at hand, or use the online encyclopedias, thesaurus, and dictionaries available for you on this site. There are often times that a student will come across a term that they are not familiar with. When you come across a term that you don’t understand look it up and make sure that you comprehend the meaning of the text you are reading. Students pursuing an online nursing degree will find that that Taber's Medical Dictionary For PDA is a valuable resource. Another helpful resource online nursing students should have around is the most up to date Nursing Drug Handbook.

Once you're enrolled in an online nursing degree program be sure to make use of the Thomson Micromedex free PDA-based clinical tools available for healthcare students. These free tools for your PDA access to clinical information on drugs, interactions, toxicity, lab tests, clinical calculators, diagnostic tools, news, and more.

Internet Search is the Online Student's Best Friend

There are numerous search engines that are available online to aid the student in locating information. Thirty years ago a student would have to spend countless hours in a library to accomplish the research required of college students to maintain adequate grades. Modern technology and the birth of the Internet have changed the way we study. There are thousands of resources online that can be accessed from any computer, anywhere, anytime. Simply select an search engine from our internet search engine page and type in the information you are looking for. Just make sure that you are not plagiarizing anyone else’s work. Use the information you locate to provide yourself with the knowledge and information to complete the work yourself. Many online colleges now have ways to determine if information has been taken directly from online sources. This is not an ethical practice and could lead to expulsion from your online degree program if you are caught. Internet search is a priceless study aid for busy students, use it wisely and it will quickly become your very best friend!

Using The Resources Your Online School Provides

Every online school provides a variety of resources through their virtual classrooms to help students study and conduct research effectively. Be sure to see what your online university has to offer and make use of whatever you find helpful. Most online schools also provide methods for students and faculty to interact together such as live chat and discussion forums. Students are encouraged to network with fellow students and you should take advantage of these interactive tools in order to get to know your virtual classmates. Students are generally allowed and encouraged to post questions to fellow students or faculty members on these discussion forums as well as to offer helpful advise and share useful resources with each other. Some online schools, such as the University of Phoenix Online, believe that interaction among online students is very important for a positive online learning environment and assign group projects to foster social networking and facilitate learning. Learn what interactive tools your online university offers and use them vigorously.

The National Student Nurse’s Association is a nonprofit organization for students enrolled in associate, baccalaureate, diploma, and generic graduate nursing programs. It is dedicated to fostering the professional development of nursing students.

Over 3,000 nursing students participate in NSNA’s Annual Convention, which features leadership and career development activities, opportunities to listen to renowned nursing leaders, hear about job opportunities and the chance to network with hundreds of other students. The program includes a state board exam mini review. NSNA holds a second meeting which attracts over 1,500 students yearly: the MidYear Conference offers workshops and panels on career and association development as well as a state board exam mini-review.

NSNA State Chapter Web Sites — Alphabetical Listing by Location

by Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD

Have you ever wondered whether you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur? Nurses sometimes tell me they aren’t sure if their nursing career has prepared them to start and succeed in their own legal nurse consultant practice. Yet even the most routine nursing job is full of life lessons that apply to the business world.

My first job as an intensive care nurse in a major medical center prepared me for business success. Subsequent jobs reinforced those early messages. I invite you to look closely at your own nursing career and discover the lessons that will help you succeed as a legal nurse consultant.

Success Lesson 1 — Find Your Passion and Turn It into a Business

As much as I loved my work with critically ill patients and their families, my inner voice told me I wouldn’t be working in a hospital forever. As a young nurse, the vision of myself working in the ICU at age 40, 50 or 60 just wouldn’t come into focus.

With only 6 years of nursing experience, I left the hospital and started my legal nurse consultant business. From there, I listened to my inner voice and reconnected with my first passion teaching. At age 8, I spent hours every day teaching an imaginary class. Today I am privileged to teach, coach and mentor nurses to live their career dreams. I turned my passion into a business, and since then I haven’t worked a single day.

Listen to your inner voice, and you will find your passion. Many nurses have reconnected to their passion through legal nurse consulting, a choice unknown to them before they took my program.

Success Lesson 2 – You Have the Power to Take Control of Your Career Destiny

Patients heal faster when they take control of their health and practice healthy habits. Even the smallest positive action can give a patient a sense of control and empower the healing process.

I learned this lesson time and again as I struggled to gain control of my own nursing career. Each time I refused to give in to the frustrations of working within the healthcare system and took a positive step on my own, I felt better. With every step I grew, I thrived and I came up with new ideas to further my sense of control and satisfaction.

The same is true about your career. You have the power to practice the healthy habits essential to take control of your career destiny. Educate yourself about the steps to achieving career health, including new career options like legal nurse consulting. Then take action on those steps. You really can take control of your career destiny.

Success Lesson 3 – Don’t Give in to Fear

As a nurse, I frequently treated patients who had the same progressive disease, yet experienced dramatically different outcomes. We all have known patients who lived years after their predicted demise and other patients who should have lived but didn’t because they gave up or didn’t want to live. The fact that so many elderly patients die within months of losing a spouse is a solid example of the mind-body connection. In almost every case, the patients who died too soon had given in to fear.

There’s also a mind-business connection that will influence the health of your business. When I give in to fear, I become the biggest obstacle to my success. That was true when I started my business 19 years ago. That is true today.

Fear will paralyze you instantly. Practice mind control and exercise your mind daily for positive thinking. Shake off your lack of confidence and negative thinking. Don’t wait for an MI to stop inhaling the toxic smoke of fear. Don’t let fear be the reason you don’t live your career dreams. Always remember the mind-set of the patients who live and the patients who die.

Success Lesson 4 – Nurses Can Do Anything

As nurses most of us have brought patients back to life. We all can recall at least one miracle story a case where, with our help, a patient survived against all odds.

Whenever I face a business crisis, I remind myself, “I’m a nurse and nurses can do anything.” I’ve repeated this same message for 19 years, and it has helped me overcome every obstacle.

If you can heal sick patients and handle life-threatening emergencies as easily as you make your bed in the morning, you really can do anything – especially something as straightforward as starting a business.

Success Lesson 5 – You Can’t Climb Mount Everest without Practicing on the Foothills

I had to have extensive education and training just to qualify for my first nursing job. All the lessons from that job helped prepare me for the next. Each successive nursing position required new and different skills necessitating more training and education.

The same applies to owning a business. Today I handle things easily and successfully that seemed impossible 19 years ago. But that’s because I’ve been in training for what I do now ever since I became a nurse.

If you’re frustrated with your nursing career, don’t feel like you’ve thrown your life away. No experience or job is a waste. Everything you have done has trained you to move up to the next level. Above all, don’t let the fact that you’re not trained to climb Mount Everest stop you from pursuing your dreams of becoming an independent legal nurse consultant. Your nursing training and experience was the first step. Start the next step of your training today, and you will make that climb to start your successful legal nurse consultant business.

Success Lesson 6 – The Nursing Process Is Your Friend

When I left clinical nursing, I thought I could set aside the “nursing process” forever. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Business requires that same process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. Every project I take on requires me to assess the possibilities and needs, diagnose the problems, plan how to achieve my goals, implement the plan and evaluate my results.

Your nursing jobs have prepared you well. You can apply the nursing process to any business situation and challenge. You will thank your nursing instructors for this one. Every time you review a medical-related case, interview with an attorney or face a challenge in running your business, you will rely on the process they taught you.

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Success Lesson 7 – Act Quickly and Decisively

As an ICU nurse, I learned that seconds made a difference in patient outcome. That’s true for nurses in any specialty. I rarely had lots of time to ponder or brood over a clinical decision.

I have applied the same principles of acting quickly and decisively in business, too. Am I always correct? No. Do I make mistakes? Yes. Yet because of my nursing experience, I’m never paralyzed into inaction and I’ve been able to make the most of numerous opportunities I would have missed without acting quickly.

Don’t miss your chance to succeed. Learn to act quickly and decisively, and you will grow your legal nurse consultant business.

Success Lesson 8 – What You Focus on Is Where You Achieve Results

In nursing I was often overwhelmed by short staffing, heavy caseloads and lack of support from hospital administration. I soon learned to triage and focus on what I needed to do to heal patients in this less-than-ideal environment. Nursing taught me that where I focus my time is where I achieve results.

That skill comes in handy in business. It’s as important to triage and prioritize your actions in business as it is when working with patients. Every day I’m confronted with dozens of challenges, five things that must be done at once, and 20 new creative ideas for my business, but I rarely panic. The organizational and multi-tasking skills I learned as a nurse have served me well.

When you start your legal nurse consultant business, you will not receive any extra hours in the day. In fact, the days will feel shorter. Even the general public knows that working conditions for RNs are worse than ever. Your ability to focus on what’s really important under these conditions is the perfect preparation for your successful legal nurse consultant practice.

Success Lesson 9 – This Is Just Business, It’s Not Breast Cancer

Ministering to patients and family members helped me put life with all its problems and challenges into perspective. Today when I overreact to a problem or feel I’m in crisis, I think of sick and dying patients. I think, “Now fighting for your life is a REAL problem.”

In business I’ve had lots of ups and downs. When the down moments come, I remind myself, “This is business – not breast cancer.” This helps me focus positively on solving the problem rather than embarking on a pity party. I’ve thrown plenty of those “parties”, and they never helped me solve a single business problem.

As you grow your legal nurse consultant business, it helps to ask “So what if this month is not as successful as I planned?” or “So what if my best attorney-client retires?” and to remember its just business, not breast cancer.

Success Lesson 10 – Illness Can Wake You Up

As a nurse I treated many patients who only began to live after they almost died. We’ve all had patients who said they are glad they got sick, because while they were well, they weren’t living the life they wanted. The health crisis forced them to wake up, reassess their lives, decide what was truly important to them, and go for it.

Not every day is a healthy business day. Some days I wake up to a disease challenge in my business. Surprisingly, it’s the business ills and mistakes that often awaken me to creative ways of injecting my business with new life.

If your career is facing a health crisis, this is your opportunity to wake up and change things for the better. Legal nurse consulting is one way to restore the health of your career.

Success Lesson 11 – Business Is Personal

Even though technical skills are vital for an ICU nurse, the relationships with patients and their families were what mattered most to me. Those relationships paid off one day when I made a mistake. Because of our relationship, the patient requested that I continue being his nurse despite my error.

Legal nurse consulting is a service business where you will apply the same relationship principles you learned in nursing to your attorney-clients and prospects. Provide quality service and excellent work product that no other legal nurse consultant can replicate, and soon you’ll feel like you’re in a short-staffing situation all over again.

Success Lesson 12 – Healthy Patients Take Care of Themselves

We’ve all worked with healthy and unhealthy patients and we’ve seen the effects of poor health habits on the human body. The health of a pregnant woman is often dramatically reflected in the health of her offspring.

To run a successful company you must enjoy an optimal state of health. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself. I love my business, but I love myself more. After all, without a healthy me, I couldn’t muster the energy to give 110% to my clients and employees every day.

Every lesson I learned from nursing, I apply to my business today. You’ve already learned similar lessons yourself. You don’t need another hospital job to help you succeed in business. Take a moment to revel in all nursing has taught you. These lessons will multiply your success when you transfer them to your new legal nurse consulting practice.

About the Author: Inc. Top 10 Entrepreneur Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD is the founder and president of Vickie Milazzo Institute, legal nurse consultant certification company. Credited by The New York Times with pioneering the legal nurse consulting profession in 1982. She is the author of the bestselling self help book for women, Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn’t Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now.

by Bill Sterzenbach

The nursing profession has witnessed tremendous changes in the last five decades. In this continually changing environment, it is important to study the trends in nursing jobs in order to determine a successful career path.

Today the demand for Registered Nurses or RNs has increased considerably, because of two factors. Firstly, relatively less fresh enrolment down the years since the turn of the century along with retirements of extant RNs has led to a shortage of trained nurses. Secondly, there is an increase in a nurse’s range of function, with rise in the number of the elderly due to improved healthcare systems and the introduction of community-based preventive projects.

According to the Federal Bureau of Health professions, “In 2000, the National supply of FTE registered nurses was estimated at 1.89 million, while the demand was projected at 2 million, a shortage of 110,000, or 6 percent. Based on what is known about trends in the supply of RNs and their anticipated demand, the shortage is expected to grow relatively slowly until 2010, by which time it will have reached 12 percent”.
(Source http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/rnproject/report.htm)

It is clearly a time for those interested in healthcare professions to join nursing, and those already working as qualified nurses to consider specialization. Pay hikes in the nursing industry in recent years are a good incentive, though the number of nurses existing is still short of that in demand. Some of the trends in the area of nursing jobs well worth considering can be both well paid and challenging.

Becoming a traveling nurse has long been a popular option since some agencies began to work with traveling nurses in order to cater for temporary shortfalls in certain areas. It can combine the advantages of traveling free of cost to see a new place while enjoying free housing and other benefits. This also provides the opportunity to add a premier hospital to one’s resume. Staff nursing at Magnet hospitals is also a good option. They involve their nurses in decisions affecting the patient and the work environment and allow participation in shared governance structures.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster like Katrina, the most immediately perceived need was for someone to be able to combine clinical skills with information technology. The need for electronic medical records was emphasized in the wake of the devastation left behind by the hurricane. This is the purview of the nurse informatics who can find a niche in various areas including corporations that hire them for positions in R&D and sales, as they are able to demonstrate products to the customers. They can branch into teaching and training positions in the academia, or as systems analysts, or information officers in hospitals.

There is also a surging demand for Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs), who provide care in critical situations, where the patients have advanced, acute or chronic problems. They are usually found in Intensive Care Units(ICUs), but also work in various other areas including pediatrics, psychiatry or anesthetics. They obtain medical histories, conduct physical examinations, and even plan and direct treatments and investigations.

Another option for the ACNPs can be in the area of genetic nursing. The mapping of the human genome means that the importance of genes and genetics in certain medical conditions cannot be ignored, and there is a need for trained nurses to simplify the geneticists’ prognosis and interpret test results for the patients and their families. Such nurses work in regional genetics networks, specialty genetic labs, and help in education, counseling, and testing.

Modern medicine requires special implants and insertions in the patient’s body for a long-term venous access, especially in the case of chemotherapy or antibiotic therapies. The infusion nurses do this successfully and are usually on call in various hospitals.

End-of-life nursing is another trend that has renewed interest in hospice and palliative care, and is likely to be increasingly on demand in an aging population and a national consciousness towards dignifying the death experience. Also in a post 9/11 world where the threat of bio-terrorism looms large, nursing in Public Health is seeing increased investments.

In an era of technological advancements, increasing opportunities in healthcare professions and better incentives than ever before, the nursing practice is sure to become more popular, and meet increasing demands for care, comfort, knowledge and support.

About the Author: Insurance Workforce is a leader in the Insurance Jobs Industry. Let us help you with your next job search or job placement. Visit us at http://www.insuranceworkforce.com/

Helpful Resources:

Kaplan University: Offers an accredited, online R.N.-to-B.S.N. degree program and also offers nursing specialty education in Case Management Nursing, Geriatric Care Management Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Legal Nurse Consulting, and Life Care Planning. [Request More Information]

The College Network: Combines the power of 10 major universities under one umbrella and offers the largest selection of fully accredited online nursing degree programs in the country including the nation’s only completely online LPN to RN program. Programs include LPn to RN, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN, *NEW RN to MSN bridge program, MSN, Diploma/Foreign – Trained RN to B.S. in Nursing, and more. [Request More Information]

by Rita Henry

By the year 2014 – just eight years away – there will be 3.6 million new jobs available in the medical profession, and the bulk of those jobs – about 60% of them – will be open to those with nursing degrees of one kind or another. The demand for registered nurses is highest – the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of jobs available for registered nurses will rise by 27% by 2014 – but there will also be increased opportunities for certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and those in medical technical fields like phlebotomy and pulmonology.

And if you thought that the only jobs available for nurses were in hospitals and medical facilities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has more news for you. Less than 60% of registered nurses work in a hospital. A nursing degree opens doors of opportunity into so many fields that it’s easily one of the most versatile and useful degrees that you can acquire. Not only that – a nursing degree appeals to a wide range of people. According to the BLS, about 20% of those entering the nursing workforce are older workers starting on a second career. Many of them have been attracted by rising salaries triggered by the nursing shortage, but for many of them, a nursing degree is a chance to do something that makes them feel good.

Whether you’ve just started your nursing career, are returning to work after a hiatus, or are switching to a career in nursing as a second career, take a look at some of the opportunities that are open to you with a nursing degree.

Pediatric Home Health Care is one of the growing fields for those with nursing degrees. Every state in the Union now has some sort of Early Intervention program that identifies children under the age of three years with special needs. Pediatric home health care gives you the opportunity to work with children and parents and make a real difference in their lives.

Elder Home Health Care is the other end of the spectrum. The ‘aging of America’ means that more and more people require a little bit of help to remain in their homes. Nursing assistants, registered nurses and licensed nurses can provide that little bit extra that will allow a senior citizen to maintain a higher quality of life and remain at home when all they need is a few hours of medical care a day or week.

Working in a Blood Donor Center is an option that makes you part of the life-saving network. There’s more to blood donor centers than just starting IVs. Nurses who specialize in pharesis can command high salaries, and a nurse working in the blood collection field can be a valuable community organizer as well as a medical practitioner.

A Critical Care Transport nurse requires multiple nursing degrees, but it can be one of the most interesting and fascinating nursing jobs available. A CCT nurse accompanies patients being transported from home or a nursing facility to another nursing facility. The nurse is responsible for maintaining continuity of care for every patient – in the back of an ambulance. It’s a challenging and fun job that commands a salary commensurate with the experience required.

On Site Nursing is a wide open field for medical workers with nursing degrees. You can work at an amusement park or zoo, or in the medical office at a state or national park, or provide medical backup for the emergency workers at a beach or other recreational setting. If you choose to work on site at a camp or other facility, your benefits may include free tuition for your own family.

Rita Henry is a contributing editor for Nursing Job Finder, the leading job and resource site for the Nursing Industry. Interested in receiving only the hottest Nursing job listings weekly for free? To learn more visit Nursing Job Finder.

by Sara Ellis, RN, BSN

The drastic shortage of nurses for the next decade is well documented. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that an additional 450,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) will be needed to fill the present demand through 2008. By the end of the decade, 1.7 million nurses will be needed, while less than 635,000 will be available.

What to do to solve this supply and demand problem is the $1,000,000 question for the healthcare industry. How can the industry retain and replace an aging national nursing force and attract younger students to a profession that is self- fulfilling but physically and mentally demanding?

The first step might be to educate prospective nurses about the great personal satisfaction and the many different types of career paths available and attainable to a nursing professional. Nursing is a respected profession, offering many career choices. RNs not only offer expert care and attention, but they also manage people, information, budgets and technology in a variety of settings including hospitals, schools, government and private practices.

One tool to retain current nurses and make the profession more attractive to prospective nurses is to offer more “job perks”. Many other industries offered special perks when they faced similar staffing shortages. The one benefit that seems to have a great impact on employee retention and new employee hiring is the offering of educational benefits, including tuition reimbursement to veteran and new employees. By offering educational programs, companies are able to retain their employees, promote from within, lower recruitment and training costs and increase worker productivity. However, most nurses are unable to attend traditional college degree programs and take advantage of these educational benefits because they have limited free time due to working on rotating schedules and numerous hours of overtime.

The College Network has eliminated this no-time problem for nurses with its online LPN-to-RN Degree programs. The online LPN To BSN Degree program now makes it possible for LPN’s to earn their Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing entirely online. There has never been a better time for nurses to move forward in their careers…to strive for new dreams… to achieve outstanding personal growth and satisfaction!

A whole new array of fully accredited degree-completion programs are available for nurses through dozens of nationally renowned universities and The College Network. No Classes to Attend! Nurses can complete virtually 100% of the course work in the comfort of their own home!

The online LPN-to-BSN program features online “classrooms” that are designed using the very latest technology to give students the “digital tools” they need to enhance their educational experience. These tools include on-demand video streamed lectures that allow students to view the lectures as many times as they need; an asynchronous online bulletin board that permits students and faculty to interact on key topics and chat rooms that are used by instructors to host “virtual” office hours where students can collaborate real-time with faculty members.

The College Network’s online nursing degree programs give nursing professionals the opportunity to continue their careers while they pursue higher education- working at their own pace without disrupting their busy schedules and family commitments. Students set their own hours and attend class in the comfort of their home or work, whenever it is convenient for them. No classroom attendance is required

The College Network works with major nursing schools nationwide to bring students the very best fully accredited programs that best fit each nurse’s specific needs. Online health care degree options include LPN to RN, LPN to BSN, Diploma RN to BSN, RN to BSN, Master Degree Programs, and Health Care Administration.

Over 85,000 adult learners who have chosen The College Network to provide solutions to their educational needs and to help advance their education at their convenience, without compromising their careers or family commitments. The College Network offers nurses
1. Online degrees through prestigious accredited universities
2. No Classroom Attendance Required
3. Academic Success is Guaranteed for the TCN portion
4. Low Cost With Guaranteed Financing
5. Learn at Your Place and Your Pace

The College Network’s mission is to make quality education as accessible and affordable as possible for working adults.

Build your education around your lifestyle…
not your lifestyle around your education.

To learn more about getting an online LPN to BSN Degree, or RN to BSN Degree visit The College Network.

Nursing can, at times, be a very stressful, intense and hectic job. There are all types of things that affect the day-to-day stresses of a nurse; staffing shortages, hospital protocol, corporate rules and regulation, lack of self confidence, and that one nurse that has a higher level of training than you and makes your life miserable! You begin to hate going to work and feeling like you just go to work, do your job, and get your paycheck. You no longer enjoy the career that you wanted so badly to do. You become depressed. Depression leads to illness, fatigue, and low tolerance to stressful stimuli. Welcome to “Burn-Out”.

What can be done to deal with nursing burn-out? Well…here are a few options. You can continue as you are and just keep bringing home the paycheck while you grin and bear it. You can leave nursing and give up the time and money that was spent to get your education (working in a factory is always pleasurable as I understand it). You can continually moan and groan to your superiors (I’m sure they will understand and fix everything that is bothering you). Or, you can further your education and be in a better position to make your work environment a healthy and happy one while increasing your own skills and self confidence.

Assuming that the first three ideas don’t appeal to you, let’s look a little closer at the fourth idea. How can you afford to quit working and go back to school? The answer is simple; you don’t have to quit working to further your education. Many colleges now offer online programs for nurses. You can take your courses online, at your convenience, and you don’t have to adjust your work schedule around your school schedule. Check out a few of the colleges that offer online nursing courses and choose the one that best fits your needs. By increasing your education you will begin to fall in love all over again with nursing. Your confidence will increase and you will begin to enjoy the benefits of seeing your new training being put to good use.

What are online nursing courses and how do they work? Online courses are very similar to courses in the classroom. At the beginning of a course you are given a syllabus that describes the course and the required assignments for that course. You access the course online and complete and submit your assignments online. The biggest difference between online courses and on-site courses is that you don’t have to listen to an instructor lecture from a textbook that you have already read, and you don’t have to spend several hours a day going to and from the college classes. The instructor and your classmates will be available online for any questions that might arise, and most instructors will provide a phone number so you can call them if you need a more in depth explanation.

But what if you don’t make enough to pay for those courses. Many hospitals and health care facilities offer a tuition reimbursement plan that will cover the cost of your education. They will benefit from your education as much as you will. If that is not available, then talk to the financial aid office at the college of your choice and discuss Federal Aid, State Aid, Scholarships, Grants, and Student Loans. Finances are no longer a valid excuse for not pursing an education.

Nursing burn-out is only for those nurses who can’t take their careers into their own hands and make more of themselves than what they are. If you’re “burnt out” then do something about it, because no one else will. Renew your love of nursing and learn how to better assist your patients and yourself. You’ll find that learning new abilities and renewing your self confidence by increasing your education will make you a happy and healthy nurse once again!

Providing quality health care delivery is growing more and more complex and requires the knowledge and talents of physicians, nurses, and the expertise of a diverse group of allied health providers. There are hundreds of professions in health care besides nurses and physicians.
    

As you may know, there are extreme workforce shortages among healthcare providers both now and predicted for the future. These shortages are huge among allied health professions. The fastest growing jobs in the U.S. predicted through 2010 are in allied health occupations, and perhaps one is right for you!

These articles explore some of the various careers available in the Allied Health Sciences including job description, typical duties, employment outlook, educational requirements, and earnings potential.  Come along and explore Allied Health career opportunities!

Dental Hygienist Careers
Among the top 5 fastest growing health professions according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Dental Hygienists enjoy their choice of a wide range of practice settings, outstanding career advancement opportunities, and can earn $60,000 and up without needing a bachelor's degree!

Healthcare Management Careers
Healthcare jobs numbered 13.5 million as of 2004 more jobs will be created in healthcare fields than in any other industry through at least 2014. Simply put, the huge growth in all types of healthcare jobs is leading to an explosive demand for healthcare managers and administrators in all settings.

Massage Therapy Careers
Your opportunities are as varied as your imagination with a career in Massage Therapy. As a massage therapist you can choose to work in exotic places such as aboard cruise ships, in luxury spas, or in a hospital setting, or you can choose to go into business for yourself. Opportunities abound and you can set your own goals..

Medical Assistants- No such thing as a "ho hum day"
"If having an exciting and meaningful career that is essential to patient care, challenging, involves helping others, requires a wide range of clinical and office management skills, and offers one of the fastest growing job outlooks in healthcare sounds interesting, then Medical Assisting might be the job for you!… "

Medical Billing and Coding- A sure-fire path
"An attractive career opportunity awaits those who choose to get into the medical billing area. As healthcare procedures are being automated at blistering pace, there is huge demand for healthcare specialists who can perform medical billing and coding…. "

Medical Transcription- The Sky's the Limit!
Medical Transcription is one of today's fastest growing healthcare professions because the healthcare industry is based on the ability to collect insurance, and detailed medical records are needed for processing insurance claims.

by Josh Stone

The medical field has always offered great career opportunities and provides not only job security but favorable incomes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nursing is the number 1 Career in the Top Ten Occupations with the Largest Job Growth.

Nurses promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. They collaborate with all members of the healthcare team to provide the care needed by each patient as an individual. Nurses are hands-on health professionals who provide focused and highly personalized care. The field has a wide range of career opportunities, ranging from entry-level practitioner to doctoral-level researcher.

Nurses also serve as advocates for patients, families, and communities. They develop and manage nursing care plans; instruct patients and their families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health.

An entry-level nurse can find a job with a two-year RN degree, there is a growing national movement to require all nurses to hold a BSN. An increasing number of nursing schools are offering accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs. There also are a growing number of RN-to-MSN and MSN-to-Ph.D. programs, designed to meet the increasing demand for more highly skilled nurses in the workforce.
[Search Online Nursing Degree Programs]

Nursing has also four Advanced Practice clinical professions, each of which requires a master's degree and separate certification: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse, Anesthetist, Nurse-Midwife, Nurse Practitioner.
[Search Online Nurse Practitioner Programs ]

All States and the District of Columbia require LPNs to pass a licensing examination after completing a State-approved practical nursing program. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for the sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses.

Most LPNs provide basic bedside care. They take vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. They also treat bedsores, prepare and give injections and enemas, apply dressings, give alcohol rubs and massages, apply ice packs and hot water bottles, and monitor catheters. LPNs observe patients and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments. They collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests, feed patients, and record food and fluid intake and output. They help patients with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, keep them comfortable, and care for their emotional needs. In states where the law allows, they may administer prescribed medicines or start intravenous fluids. Some LPNs help deliver, care for, and feed infants. Experienced LPNs may supervise nursing assistants and aides. [Find an LPN Program Near You ]

In addition to providing routine bedside care, LPNs in nursing care facilities help to evaluate residents' needs, develop care plans, and supervise the care provided by nursing aides. In doctors' offices and clinics, they also may make appointments, keep records, and perform other clerical duties. There are many different options for you in the nursing profession. This diverse field offers you many different departments to work in. You can work hands-on with patients or you might want to work in a lab or research facility. You might choose to work in a specific field such as OB-GYN or Pediatrics. There are also many opportunities for advancement. Find a nursing job or career that utilizes your unique set of skills, talents and abilities. The career process is similar to the nursing process, which includes assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, and they parallel each other. [Online LPN to RN Degree Program ]

Nurses in rehab facilities and convalescent homes get to be part of the recovery process, and many take great pride and joy in watching a patient advance and recover. Convalescent home jobs include charge nurses, floor nurses and nursing assistants as well as physical and occupational therapy specialists.

There have been developing major changes in the practice of long term elder care. Many seniors don't need round the clock nursing care, but do need some nursing supervision. Senior housing communities often have an on-site nurse who is available to help residents with medication problems, take care of routine medical care and be available in case of an emergency. The nurse on site will also often consult with doctors who work with individual residents to help manage any medical care that they need. The pay scale is generally quite good, and the hours closer to a regular work week than in many other geriatric nursing jobs.

Due to this high demand on this job it is easy to find many different opportunities and choose one with favorable working conditions and hours.

There are companies offering placement for nurses to meet situational requirements. You may not want the responsibility of a full-time position in a hospital, but want to work only a few weeks at a time. You have plenty of options. Choose travel nursing and spend a few days on the road each month, or a few months out at a time. Pick up part-time work or temporary positions. You have plenty of options without working full time and there are companies that do nothing but placements for people like you. Be careful to choose a reputable company and be wary of signing a long-term contract that limits your work with other companies, but this could be a viable option.

The pay is great. Bonuses are paid when you are hired. You do not have to work in the same place year after year. In fact, you can change the vocation landscape every quarter if you wish.

With the promise of meaningful work, job security and new opportunities, second-career nurses bring maturity, commitment and life experience to the workplace. Some say that after years of just making money, they want to do meaningful work. Others feel trapped in limited professions or have lost their jobs in a sliding economy and see new opportunities in nursing. To attract and keep their interest, many nursing schools have established accelerated bachelor's degree programs for students who already have a degree in another field. In addition to a long list of prerequisite courses, mostly human sciences and psychology, most programs last three semesters and require 18 to 20 hours of coursework and another three to five hours of clinicals per week.

About the Author: Josh Stone is a Freelance writer with eleven years of experience writing for Best Buy Nurse Uniforms and Dickies Medical Uniform Scrubs

Baby Boomers are turning sixty this year. Of the 3.4 million babies born between 1946 and 1964, 2.8 are still very much alive and projected to live another twenty years – at least. Baby Boomers currently make up over 26% of the total United States population, and their aging is already making significant impacts throughout the country, but most profoundly in the impact on the nursing profession.

Social Security and Medicare concerns aside, these Baby Boomers are going to need a great deal of medical support. Already, almost 40% of the Baby Boomer population is obese. This condition leads to many medical problems, such as diabetes, as well as advanced aging. With the rise in health concerns for such a large percentage of the population, the demand for health professionals will dramatically increase, and the demand for nurses prepared to provide primary care for this growing aging population is already beginning to explode. In fact, the industry is already showing signs of this increased demand.

Nursing and medical assistants are among the largest fields of growth in the medical field to support the huge Baby Boomer population. Well-educated nursing professionals are sought after and are all but guaranteed strong career opportunities. Nursing programs vary in complexity and requirements, and span from one to six year plans. The nursing field is broad and almost all segments are in increasingly more need of qualified applicants.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Licensed Practical Nurses, or Licenses Vocational Nurses (LVN) complete a single year of training in a state accredited program then sit for the certification exam. LPN certifications are the most readily obtained of the nursing field. Working as an LPN, responsibilities are somewhat limited and practicing LPNs work under the direction and guidance of a registered nurse. Many LPNs obtain the certification and begin immediately working toward a RN or BSN degree in programs specifically designed to do so. [Online LPN to RN Degree Program Information]

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered Nurses are considerably more qualified than LPNs due to the required educational background. To become a registered nurse, candidates must complete an Associates degree, which generally requires two or three years of coursework. Registered nurses work in many capacities, including some management. Many registered nurses decide to pursue further education and RN to BSN programs support such a transition. [Search Online RN to BSN Degree Programs ]

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)

Nurses with a Bachelors degree in nursing are in the greatest demand. A BSN degree is considered the entry level of professional nursing practice and is mandatory for new nursing hires in some states and agencies. BSN nurses have the broadest spectrum of nursing career opportunities and options, and often a BSN is the threshold for more prestigious nursing administration or management positions as well. Although some nurses pursue a BSN initially, most prefer to become either a RN or LPN and take advantage of employer tuition reimbursement plans to purse the desired BSN programs.

Online degrees in nursing are the least complicated and most cost effective means for working nurses to obtain their BSN degree. In addition to the ability to make use of employer paid educational benefits online RN to BSN programs allow nurses to start their degree program without delay or worrying about waiting lists, provide the convenience of being able to do course work from work, home, or wherever they have internet access, any time, day, night, or weekends – whenever it works best for their work schedule and family needs. Obviously the ability to earn a BSN degree without needing to stop work, give up a steady paycheck, or schedule their life around traditional campus based class schedules are prime reasons behind the thousands of working nurses busy pursuing their nursing degree online every day.

Advanced Practice Nursing Programs 

Even more nursing career opportunities exist for nurses who obtain an M.S. in Nursing Science (MSN degree). The traditional path to obtain a Master's degree in Nursing requires an additional two years of study after after a nurse has obtained a BSN degree. Working nurses who desire to obtain a Masters in Nursing degree have the option of attending traditional campus based programs, participating in a hybrid program that offers a blended mixture of online and campus classes such as those offered by the University of Phoenix in their FlexNet Program, or attending an accredited school of nursing that offers a 100% online M.S. in Nursing degree program such as those offered by Walden University and several others. [Search Online MSN Degree Programs ]

Online RN-MSN Degree Programs provide an wonderful option for nurses who currently have their Associate degree in Nursing to complete an accelerated online RN to MSN degree bridge program without interrupting their present job or family responsibilities. Most nursing students are able to complete online RN to MSN programs in as little as 2 to 3 years, which is a significant improvement over needing to first complete their BSN degree (two years) and then start on their Masters degree in Nursing (two more years)! [Search Online RN to MSN Bridge Programs ]

A Masters in Nursing degree opens the door to virtually unlimited nursing career options and opportunities. Nurses with an MSN degree can choose to work in research, as nurse educators, public health nurses, in the most advanced levels of nursing administration, as Clinical Nurse Specialists, Advanced Practice Nurses, and even practice autonomously as Nurse Practitioners . Thousands of nurses have discovered how convenient it is to obtain their Masters in Nursing degree online through accredited accelerated nursing degree programs.

Doctoral programs in Nursing such as Nursing PhD programs and Doctor of Science in Nursing (DNSc) programs are also available online through accredited nursing schools. Nursing Doctoral programs prepare nurse scholars, policy makers, leaders, and researchers who conduct research that shapes and advances the foundations of nursing practice.  Nurse researchers also conduct research on nursing problems, patient outcomes and health policy at the local, state, national, or international level for private healthcare organizations, multinational corporations, academia, non-profit agencies, governments, organizations such as the UN, and world health organizations.

Being a nurse means never running out of options and career opportunities these days. Today's nurses are scientists, patient care managers, researchers, educators, administrators, clinicians, practitioners, well paid consultants, experts, policy setters, chairman of the board, and well… you name it! Online nursing degree programs allow every nurse to pursue their nursing career goals. What's your nursing career dream?