RN Nurse Schools

By: Marina Smiley

A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one’s ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing. Read the rest of this entry »

Nowadays, going to classes at college is not the only way to earn your nursing degree. Online education is an alternative where you can earn a nursing credential from anywhere you like and at the time when it’s most convenient to you. Earning a nursing degree online has many advantages over the traditional learning setting, but there are a few considerations that you must look into before sign-up an online nursing degree program. Read the rest of this entry »

by: Robyn Knapp

In the nursing profession, more now than ever, the ability to think critically is essential. The responsibilities of a Registered Nurse have increased over the years. In correlation with this increase in responsibility comes the additional increase in educational prerequisites and core requisites required to achieve a degree in Nursing. The ANA (American Nursing Association) Standards has set forth the framework necessary for critical thinking in the application of the “nursing process”. The nursing process is the tool by which all nurses can equally become proficient at critical thinking. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Michelle Phillips,Rn

Certified Nursing Assistant Education

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a member of a nursing team who provides basic patient care working under the supervision of registered nurses. The nurse assistant performs routine care and treatment of patients, assisting them in their daily tasks. The duties performed may include keeping track of the patient’s all round health, bathing them, serving them meals, taking their temperature, blood pressure, respiration rate, pulse rate, etc. and making observations on the patients and reporting about their condition to supervising nurses. Read the rest of this entry »

by: Milos Pesic

Do not let financial setbacks hinder you to pursue your dream to study nursing. There are many nursing school loans available whether you are a graduating high school student who would like to start a nursing career or someone who is advancing your nursing education. There are nursing loans available even for those pursuing a Masters or Doctoral degree.

Every nursing school offers some type of financial service to their students. Many schools form partnerships with private financial institutions and participate in government-funded student loans to be able to grant nursing school loans. Ask the college or university where you intend to enroll about their nursing school loans programs and application requirements.

Many hospitals also offer nursing school loans and scholarships with the agreement that after graduation the student will serve in the institution for a specific period. Financial assistance is also available to individuals already employed in the hospital such as Licensed Practical Nurses who wish to further their education and become registered nurses.

Possibly the best source of nursing school loans is the government. The US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid has different loan programs that allow undergraduate and graduate students and even parents to secure educational funding directly from the government. These loans include Federal Stafford Loans, which are for students and Direct PLUS loans for parents of dependent undergraduates.

Private lenders also offer nursing school loans funded by the federal government through the Federal Family Education Loan Program or FFEL. Nursing schools that participate in the Federal Perkins Loans Program also offer students in great financial need with government-funded low-interest loans. In this program, the student borrower makes payments to the school.

In addition, the US Public Health Department offers grants and nursing school loans forgiveness programs to students in exchange for their service in remote or under-served locations after they graduate.

As you can see, there are many sources of nursing school loans. The best place to start looking is in your community and your local state. The Internet is a useful tool to help you in your search. There are even websites that can match you with a financial aid provider. Sometimes, you will need to obtain more than one loan to cover your total educational costs. The key here is persistence in researching and applying for these opportunities. Lastly, remember that a loan is borrowed money so you would want to make sure that you would be able to keep your end of the bargain.

By: Linda Raye

Whether the US economy slows down or perks up in the near or long term, what is now widely considered as one holding great promise is the demand for qualified nurses in the country for at least the coming 6 years. There is however the fear of growing shortage of good nursing teachers, which means that the gulf between availability of nursing jobs and that of qualified nurses is likely to grow bigger in the years to come.

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By: Robyn Knapp

Many new graduate nurses are readily offered jobs prior to graduation. The positions that they are offered are usually those with the title graduate nurse or GN. For the most part, new graduates are looking for employment near their home. Since the general nursing student is now in their early to late thirties, they have already established a secure family base. While jobs for graduate nurses are plentiful it helps to have some idea of how many jobs are actually offered throughout the United States. The wonderful fact of being a nurse is that they can work just about anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »

There are three major educational paths to registered nursing-a Bachelor’s of Science degree in nursing (BSN), an Associate degree in nursing (ASN), and a diploma.BSN programs , offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete. In 2006, 709 nursing programs offered degrees at the bachelor’s level. ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2-3 years to complete. About 850 RN programs offered associate degrees. Diploma programs, administered in hospitals, last about 3 years. Only about 70 programs off diplomas.

Many RNs with an ADN or diploma later enter bachelor’s programs to prepare for a broader scope of nursing practice. Often they take an entry level position and then take advantage of tuition reimbursement benefits to work toward a BSN by completing an RN-to-BSN program. In 2006, there were 629 RN-to-BSN programs in the United States. Accelerated master’s degree in nursing (MSN) programs are also available by combining 1 year of an accelerated BSN program with 2 years of graduate study. In 2006, there were 149 RN-to-MSN programs.