- Part 2

Regarding Credit by Examination

Credit By Examination has become common practice in most colleges and universities. A student usually earns at least one-third of credits required for their chosen degree. These examinations are available in many subject areas like that with university courses.

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) is an example of a credit exam. Dantes exam offers free tests for military members and also offer discounts for veterans as well. A Dantes exam is conducted on military bases, embassies and even inside military camps.

These exams come in the form of a transcript system through JST or CCAF. Using transcripts simplify their enrollment process. Students are first encouraged to check the college of their choice to make sure they meet certain requirements. There are 3 types of credit by examination: College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) and Excelsior College Examinations (ECE).

CLEP is the most popular of the three. With CLEP, students will receive credit for a fraction of the degree cost. Instituted by the College Board, it offers help to almost three thousand universities. The DSST is more extensive. It is a series of examinations comparable to that of an end-of-course exam. Business Law and Physical Geography are regular subjects in DSST. Students can ask for reimbursements with DSST, particularly with military members, by using their GI Bill.

ECE offers distance learning and online education to veterans and military personnel. ECE offers objective, multiple-choice exams to aspiring students, but also emphasize the application of military concepts and skills. Students who attend military schools are given equal opportunities like that of regular students. They no longer need to find ways to get an entry pass in military schools. Going through DANTES is the right choice for them. All they need to do is study, and attend to their credits later.

Nursing and the Schools of Psychology

Studying the mind and its corresponding behaviors are the concerns of psychology. Psychology establishes general assumptions through research; methods that have its own affinity with the study of nursing. Psychology may only be an increment to the nursing profession; but even before its insertion into the nursing course, nurses have already been using psychological techniques in treating their patients. This has been manifested through the schools of thought that psychology employs to its patients. Let us examine a few of these schools of thought that has already found its expression in the nursing field.

The Biological School
The biological matters that compose the human brain have an effect on the human behavior. If a nurse is aware of this, then they will be able to properly manage the patient. The nurse will also be able to keep in mind certain physiological reactions that can be expected from the patient.

The Behavioral School
As has been said, psychology concerns itself with human behavior. Nurses should be able to determine behavioral patterns from the patient they is handling. If a nurse has the capacity go over the patient’s demeanor, then they has taken the first step towards treating the patient well.

The Cognitive School
Mental processes that manifest through human activity should be part of a nurse’s agenda of concern. As the saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.” If a nurse has a knack for determining peculiar behaviors within his/her patient, then both the nurse and the patient benefit from the professional’s good awareness.

The Social School
Like Psychology, the inclusion of Sociology to the nursing curriculum enables nurses to see attitudes in their patients based on their sociological status. This helps nurses create a complete assessment of their patients’ conditions.

The Psychoanalytic School
Ever since Freud introduced the study of psychoanalysis, it has become a part of every department in every office, including the nursing department. The analysis that goes about it is crucial in giving enough evaluation over a patient.

The Sociology of Nursing

In the past, it was unheard of for sociology to be a subject for nursing students. Now, nursing students are often required take the subject because it is widely viewed as essential knowledge to their daily work as nurses. Sociology is the study of human behavior. From its definition, any nursing student can construe sociology as their calling card when it comes to handling patients.

Nurses get a lot of human interaction and that is one way of determining human behavior. Any nurse who is serious about a nursing profession should consider sociology as an important subject to learn.

Treating sociology as a core part of your nursing education is a key to become a successful nurse. You will be able to provide genuine care and perform appropriate diagnoses if you have an understanding of human behavior and reactions. Sociology enables nurses to understand their social responsibility as agents of change. When you have the capacity to heal or make your patients feel better, you are not only treating their illnesses; you are also improving the quality of their lives.

Nurses will also gain insight into the minds and hearts of their patients. That may not be manifested on initial diagnosis, but with sociology, you begin to understand that the healing of a person is a process and more than just the giving of medicine. This is why science sociology is already part and parcel of a nursing profession. Without it, nurses are incapable of understanding the intricacies of providing diagnosis to people what with their different backgrounds and ideologies. Sociology is the ticket to a more effective diagnosis.

Nursing Roles and Duties

Nurses play an important part in any hospital. You can’t imagine a hospital or a hospice care without them. They have so many roles that any hospital would find it hard to deal with their patients without them.

They don’t just roam around a hospital and assist those in need of help. Nurses have specific roles to do for their patients. Their duties may have evolved over time, but nurses are no longer mere assistants to doctors and medical specialists. A hospital care is not complete without a nurse.

Care Provider
First of all, nurses provide care to their patients. And that includes attending to their personal needs at times.

Comforter
Nurses are great comforters, too. Their patients need that more than giving a precise medical diagnosis. When a nurse provides comfort to a patient; that will make his patient feel better.

Communicator
Nurses should be able to communicate to their patients as well. If they can talk to them, establish lines of communication, their patients’ time inside a hospital would be worthwhile.

Coach
They can be a teacher, if need be. This happens when explaining difficult terms used with medicine. If a nurse provides coaching to his patient, things inside the hospital would be a whole lot better.

Client Advocate
Nurses should be able to treat their patients as the most important person in the hospital. It is not the hospital who is paying them but their patients. So, providing care and comfort to them should be their main duty.

This is a short list of the many roles nurses do inside a hospital. They may use a combination of these roles, depending on the need of the patient, but nurses are there to give special medical attention to those who are in need of one.

Getting to Know Your Respiratory Therapist

Most Respiratory Therapists (RT) are competent at their job, but it is not every day that you find a great RT. But like all things, you can determine a great Respiratory Therapist through his/her traits.

RTs are healthcare specialists, particularly with respiratory diseases. They are usually called upon to assist at intensive care units and outpatient centers.

They provide extra care to those patients suffering from the debilitating effects of respiratory malfunctions and other related diseases. They are more like nurses ready to lend help when needed.

Perhaps the suitable way to find a great RT is by examining some of their traits when taking care of their patients.

A Competitor
Your respiratory system is a delicate system to handle. So you need a Respiratory Therapist who knows how to go about your respiratory needs. They should be able to give enough breathing treatment, manage the ventilator quite well and understand that time-honored of code of doing it with immediacy.

Knowledgeable
You wouldn’t want to consult with an RT who is not even sure about their diagnosis, wouldn’t you? One simple mistake when it comes to prognosis will often lead to complications later on. So be wise also in choosing an RT.

Calm
Doing a respiratory assessment takes time. Assessing a patient is not a one hundred meter dash but a marathon. In fact, most RT assessments done over time, to make sure you have the appropriate diagnosis.

Confident
Being knowledgeable is great, but being confident is a step up. A confident RT will be able to take care of their patient without any doubt about the prognosis. It takes great skill, knowledge, and practice to have great healthcare confidence.

Demand for RNs is Still on the Rise

Registered Nurses (RN) are on the rise. While the demand for RNs continues to rise, the number of RNs however, continues to shrink. Thus, it is a near perfect guarantee that RNs will find and keep work.

RNs are needed everywhere. There is even an increase in cross-country enrollment to nursing courses. Many students strive to enroll in other countries to learn more about the nursing course. The reasons for this annual increase is quite stark that other universities tend to limit the flow of aspiring nurses because they cannot physically accommodate everyone that is interested in earning a nursing degree. This is where Distance Learning Systems can help to fill the gap with online classes.

One of the reasons for the increasing demand for RNs is that a significant part of the population are growing old. And the effect of this somehow is the need to produce more nurses. Every year there is an installation of either a foster home or a patient care institution. The construction of these patient care units would lead to the hiring of nurses and medical staff.

Another thing is that the statistical number of sick people are on the rise. Others would even hire the services of one or two nurses, depending on the need of the patient. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act also contributed to the demand of nurses. Because patients now have access to affordable healthcare, more nurses would be employed to give extended help. The idea of going outpatient has been with us for quite a long time. But lately, it has seen its revival since many patients opt for this kind of service compared to a hospital.

This situation is growing in numbers by the day. That’s the reason why there seems to be no end why nursing students are still among the highest when it comes to enrollment. And by the looks of it, it will keep on growing as long as there are patients and patient care centers.

Facts About Distance Education

Distance education has been with us for some time. Since its introduction more than a decade ago, many students are availing of the system for convenience and accessibility. Other students are not carved out for distance education. They have a hard time adjusting to the program, including its schedule and instructors at times. But let us examine facts about distance education.

They Are Everywhere
It is fast becoming the thing for modern education. In fact, the percentage at times of availing of these said programs outweigh the conventional ones. Modern living is life on a fast lane, and that is quite fitting with distance education.

They Vary
Even nursing courses are into distance education. This is unheard of in the past. Not only that, platforms of this type of education vary depending on the preference of the student.

They Offer Better Results
Distance education can be a surprise. The results of state exams prove that despite being enrolled in a distance education program, students still excel compared to their classroom counterparts.

They’re Perfect for Adults, Too
A significant number of senior students are doing well with distance education. And besides, this makes for easy access on education since older students are working most of the time.

They are Cheaper (not with fees)
Yes, distance education is cheaper than the conventional one. The amount of expenses you have with distance education is quite minimal compared to the costs when attending a traditional classroom.

They’re Not a Threat at All
There are students who have techno phobias. They should not worry with distance education. The subjects discussed in it are quite the same as in a classroom, but with a difference. You can study, take the exam and go over your assignment from a distance.

Simple Steps for Credit by Examination

It saves both time and money. That is the desired effect of credit by examination. It allows students to have full college credit through a standardized examination process. There are steps governing credit by examination. As in the case for nursing courses. First, you need to attend test prep classes to learn more of the content of the said subject. After which, the said exam will take place. If you pass, then that would earn you an entire semester of study. To some, this a convenient way to earn a degree.

The steps are as follows:
There has to be an evaluation first. This includes the courses you have taken before and determine which of this will be credited. This is important because it’s a form of assessment before you proceed with the next step.

After evaluation, test prep classes will take place, provided you have finished taking either associate courses in nursing or a bachelor’s degree. Classes are usually conducted once a week, but you can choose to go for classes twice a week, with the intention of accelerating your way to a degree.

Then comes the test proper. If in case you pass the exam, you have now earned a college credit. That would enable you to pursue the subject of which you have taken the exam. After that, proceed to your clinical exam. This will further develop your skill as a nurse, and at the end of it, you will earn a nursing degree from an accredited nursing institution.

And last stop is the state exam; this will lead you to become a licensed nurse in the end. This is just a simple walk-through when you want to become a nurse through credit by examination. You don’t have to study long enough to become a professional nurse, you can shorten the process.

Nurses at Patient Care Units

Patient care comes in a variety of forms. It has seen an expansion over the years to cater every possible need of every patient. Taking care of the sick is the only reason why patient care exists, although others have their own specialization, but their main concern remains the same, and that is, giving medical care to the sick.

There are also different types of nurses attending these said patient care units. When the development of patient care outlets started, the formation of adding specialized workforce was already in the works. And this paved the way for the inclusion of these type of nurses. These nurses, however, do have different roles to keep, but most often than not, their calling hasn’t changed. The following are types of nurses you would find in a patient care outlet.

Emergency or Trauma Nurses
They treat patients who are in the brink of death, such as in an accident or after suffering from a debilitating disease. They are usually situated on emergency rooms, getting ready to assist life-threatening situations with their patients.

Critical Care Nurses
It may sound like they have the same responsibility with Emergency Nurses, but a Critical Nurse’s sole responsibility is to treat those patients with pulmonary and cardio-vascular ailments.

Holistic Nurses
These type of nurses are into a different kind of patient treatment. They concern themselves with mental disorders as well as maintaining the spiritual health of their patients.

Infusion Nurses
Nurses who are more attuned to injections, particularly with blood transfusions and other diseases that have something to do with vein problems.

Home Health Care Nurses
They are the ones who provide care to their patients like that in a home. They extend help to those patients who have survived a major surgery or after giving birth, while providing assistance like that of a typical nurse.

Steps to Becoming a Competent Nurse

A nursing education has its own procedure. You can’t just finish a certain course and be eligible for a nursing job. There are steps that you need to do for you to become a legitimate nurse.

First, you need to complete an accredited nursing program. This can be accomplished through nursing diplomas, associate programs for nursing and even a bachelor’s degree. This is your initial step before proceeding to a higher level of nursing education. After which, you need to pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCLEX-RN). The purpose of this exam is to assess how much you have learned after taking associate courses in nursing. This exam is crucial since it will pave the way for your nursing license.

And speaking of license, nurses should have proper licenses for them to function as legitimate nurses. It goes without saying that those who don’t have licenses of their own are not allowed even to diagnose a patient, let alone take care of them.

After completing these initial three steps, it is advisable that any nurse should get employment. This is the fleshing-out part of having a nursing degree. Unless you do this employment thing, your calling as a nurse is not so much complete. When you are employed, you have the opportunity to widen your options as well as developing certain skills like decision-making. Get training, if need be. This will further enhance your capability as a nurse and will increase your chances of getting promoted if you so desire to become a preceptor or a medical specialist in the future.

These are the steps to becoming a competent nurse. These may vary depending on the need of the hospital. But with these steps, your chances of becoming nurse are as sure as a waiting patient just outside your door.