by Lisa M. Davila, BSN, MS
Here's the rundown on CNA, LPN, ADN, BSN, accelerated MSN, DPN and PhD degrees. When it comes to the world of nursing, the letters that follow your name can represent your academic degree, type of license, type of certification, or a combination of these. Which degree is which? Academic degrees can prepare you for nursing licensure or help you advance your career.
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by Lisa M. Davila, BSN, MS
To be a nurse, you need a strong stomach and a thick skin. Your schedule can be erratic and shifts may rotate from week to week or day to day.
You are the primary coordinator and problem solver for your patients' care.
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by Lisa M. Davila, BSN, MS
Once you've completed prerequisites, you will take specialized courses that are directly related to the practice of nursing. You'll also focus on how to do a physical assessment, and take classes that combine nursing theory with clinical rotations.
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Check Out The Nursing Degree Guide Blog
Our blog is maintained by Tamara B. Dolan RN, MSN, OCN. Tamara is an experienced informatics and oncology certified nurse.
by Robert Gluck
Devotion to patients is the primary reason to choose nursing as a career. It's all about one's passion to help others, but there's also the the clinical side of nursing, and that should be part of any decision making process to enter the field.
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By Nicole Galan, RN
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are important members of the healthcare team, helping the patient with their most basic physical and emotional needs. They assist the patient in performing basic self-care activities: walking to the bathroom, eating, drinking, dressing and bathing.
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By Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN
More than almost any other career, nursing offers the flexibility that so many moms crave. Nursing also offers infinite opportunities for professional development and advancement. Like motherhood, nursing is a demanding job that pays unexpected and often intangible dividends.
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By Tamara B. Dolan, RN, MSN, OCN
Accelerated BSN programs offer a relatively fast transition to nursing as a second career for non-nursing graduates. Accelerated BSN programs can typically be completed in anywhere from 12 to 18 months.Don't do it unless you are ready for some seriously hard work.
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By Erin Weaver, RN, BSN
Within the nursing profession, there are a wide variety of career paths. Some choose to provide patient care throughout their careers, while others choose to obtain advanced certifications or degrees. With so many options, how do you choose what is right for you?
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Lisa M. Davila, BSN, MS
The National League for Nursing is a membership organization for nursing faculty and leaders in nursing education. Accreditation provides assurance that nursing programs meet or exceed certain standards. Graduating from a non-accredited program may limit your job possibilities, especially working for the government.
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Lisa M. Davila, BSN, MS
CRNAs are master's prepared advanced practice nurses who apply their specialty in just about all settings including hospital operating rooms and delivery rooms; ambulatory surgical centers; the offices of dentists, podiatrists, ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, and pain management specialists.
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Tamara B. Dolan, RN, MSN, OCN
The DNP program prepares nurses to incorporate evidence into practice and policy in order to improve outcomes. Despite its appeal, the DNP program has generated some controversy. The AACN endorsed the DNP degree in 2004 and proposed that it be the minimum entry-level education for all APNs by the year 2015.
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Tamara B. Dolan, RN, MSN, OCN
Distance education, as the name implies, means that faculty and students are geographically separated. Technology is used to facilitate learning, which takes place asynchronously or synchronously. Students with demanding schedules and responsibilities may appreciate the flexibility distance education offers.
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By Madeline Sivak, RN
Nursing school is divided into two realms of learning - theory which is the classroom component and clinical work in which the student actually works with patients. The key element to a successful nursing school career is to study. The students highly recommended that one not procrastinate with the studying.
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Nicole Galan RN
Critical care nurses care for the sickest patients in the hospital, often only one or two at a time. Patients on these units often require a great deal of care, so critical care nurses learn a considerable amount of advanced monitoring and therapeutic skills.
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Nicole Galan RN
Practicing as a medical-surgical nurse offers a great general nursing background. Med-surg nurses work primarily with the adult population and treat a wide variety of medical issues.
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Nicole Galan RN
Home health nurses assist patients and their families to return to optimal functioning within their home and community. Nurses go into patient's homes to perform assessments, manage symptoms, coordinate different therapeutic services and evaluate the effectiveness of those services.
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Nicole Galan RN
Most labor and delivery nurses work in hospitals, though some work in freestanding birthing centers. They assist women and families during all stages of the birthing process from prenatal testing to postpartum care.
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Nicole Galan RN
Perioperative nurses take care of patients throughout the entire operative process, from admission and preop testing through the recovery period and discharge to home or a nursing unit.
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