Nursing Education | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

Role of Sociology in Nursing

Nursing is more than just taking blood samples, recording patient data or assisting the physician. Nurses are well-educated and prepared to handle sophisticated tasks and procedures to best assist the patients towards recovery. Additionally, learning the medical terms as well as the procedures is not their only job. Nurses, to be more effective, must be able to learn the proper way of approaching their patients. They must also be able to understand how people think, feel and react. This may seem like a job for a psychologist, but it is very important to be able to provide quality and effective health care services.

As a nurse, you will be able to experience different types of patients with different health issues and from different social backgrounds. Patients react differently on a particular condition or medication which will have a direct impact on their recovery. Through the knowledge of sociology, nurses will be able to look past what is obvious. It will give them another perspective of the situation which will give an idea on what approach or medication to take.

Incorporating sociology in nursing helps develop skills that will make nurses provide nursing care to patients in a more effective way by considering many other factors and forces that directly affect recovery and care. Determining the factors that may hinder recovery or promote it may help avoid malpractice and fast track recovery.

The fast recoveries of the patients don’t just depend on the quality of the medicines the patient took or the use of the advanced medical facilities, it also depends on how well the nurses determine the true needs of the patient.

LPN to RN Bridge Course

License Practical Nurses experience certain challenges in their career. As much as they would want to do more for a patient, their skills are limited. LPN’s are trained and educated to be bedside nurses in the hospitals. They assist the registered nurses and physicians on taking care of the patient. LPNs are mostly limited to basic patient care, administering medications, wound care and some basic nursing assessment with the intervention of RNs and physicians.

Today, the work of an LPN involves more than bedside care and paper work. While the role of LPNs gives them limitation in performing patient care, there are opportunities for LPN to advance in their field.

LPN RN bridge is a course designed to assist Licensed Practical Nurses in the transition of their role into Registered Nurses. LPNs who get into this course will get the opportunity to further their skills and knowledge. This serves as a stepladder for them to be trained and learn more. They can advance in their field with more understanding of the human body. LPN RN bridge programs vary from one school to another. They will be trained to conduct patient assessment and care planning. as well as advance pharmacology, pathology and physiology.

LPN to RN bridge programs are structured on LPNs’ knowledge which they have gained from their experience. They will be offered credit for LPN education or working experience. LPNs take test on certain subjects. If they obtained a high score in that particular subject, they will be given credit even without them taking the class. As stated earlier, LPN to RN bridge courses vary from one school to another. There are also online schools that offer LPN to RN programs. This provides a flexible option for LPNs. Be sure to look at the educational requirements or if there are any prerequisites for the program.

Highest Paying Nurses

In accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), over 2.5 million nurses are exercising across the country, making nursing the biggest labor force within the health care industry. There are plenty of different types and degrees of nurses; it may be mind-boggling to determine which nursing field to select.

If settlement and tons of employment opportunities are at the very top of your list of selecting factors, this list will let you slim the selections for you. Listed here are the top three nursing fields, according to yearly salary, and industry demand. Since they’re the highest paid, these nursing functions also require the most education and learning and training when compared with some other kinds of nurses. This list includes clinically practicing nurses, and doesn’t include of roles which mainly consist of management or managing obligations.

All listed here are advanced practice nurses, which mean they are highly customized and qualified at a graduate level.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Having an average yearly salary of $100,000 or even more, CRNAs have one of the largest salaries on the list of nursing field. In case you are already a licensed registered nurse (RN), you might be allowed to enter a graduate education program to turn into a CRNA.

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Nurse practitioner, known as “mid-level provider,” offers immediate patient care. Several states require NPs to operate within the supervision of a licensed physician, while other states allow NPs to practice relatively independently. NPs are certified and authorized to do patient exams plus some minor procedures and tests and may fulfill many of the same responsibilities as a physician.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

A clinical nurse specialist is a superior practice nurse who also aids with customized study, education, advocacy, and quite often management. Clinical Nurse Specialists also hold a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) and they’ve finished the extra CNS certification for their particular specialization.

The Effectiveness of E-Learning in Organizations

Research has proven that students showed positive academic outcomes when learning are integrated with technology. For instance, students who took all or part of their learning process online performed better compared to those who took the same course in an actual student-teacher face-to-face environment.

Because of this, many organizations today, including the RN community, have increasingly adopted learning methods and tools to train and develop, not only students, but also employees. This article will tackle about the usefulness of distance learning systems in the work environment. Before anything else, let us familiarize ourselves with this new found process.

What is Distance Learning?

Many organizations use distance learning as a training technique to meet the difficulties faced in the fast-tracked work environment. The use of videos, audio recordings, computer, and internet in training and disseminating information for effective workforce is one example of using this method. Management development, job skills, improving customer service, and new products are some of the topics being taught.

Due to the fact that learning distance is broadly diffused in the educational and organizational setting, its definition is undetermined. Despite of this, one commonality of distance learning is that training takes place synchronously. This means that the material is covered to multiple participants all at the same time even though they are distance apart. Another common attribute is the utilization of electronic mediums such as video, audio, multimedia technology, and computer.

The most fitting term that can also be used for distance learning is “E-learning.” Though few authors separate the two, e-learning is quite synonymous to distance learning due to the use of electronic-based materials. The only difference is that e-learning can take place on-site, while distance learning does not. In this article, we will use e-learning as another name for distance learning.

What are the Benefits of E-learning?

E-learning is advantageous in the organizational background and we’ll name some of the benefits it can bring:

Fast way to train employees from across the country.
An opportunity to utilize the best instructors and provide information that is up to date.
Training of more people in a short learning session that is easier to schedule and coordinate.
Higher rates of course completion and retention.
Convenient to employees due to delivery at work or home sites.
Easy accessibility on learning resources and experts.

Improving Nursing Education

Health care today is continually facing different challenges as the need for improvement in technology, effective approach and quality health care professional increases. As the American population increases and the number of senior citizen swells, the presence of nurses in hospitals and other health care facilities is in demand.

There is a shift in the country’s health care needs which is now more related to chronic conditions like hypertension, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as mental health conditions. This is due to the increasing aging population and spread of obesity in the country. Though it is known that chronic diseases are predominant today, our health care system is designed in favor of acute illnesses and injuries.

This shows that there is a need to make a change in nursing education. Nurses in the 20^th century are educated in a different approach and the teachings and lessons are more into caring acute illnesses as well as injuries. Though it is still vital, it won’t be enough in the current health situation of the country. The patient health needs are more complex today than it was before; therefore nurses must acquire a more advanced and focused education.

Nurses today must acquire leadership qualities, evidence-based practice, research experience, improved teamwork and collaboration abilities as well as competency in particular areas like geriatrics and community and public health. Due to the development of health care technologies, nurses are expected to master technological tools and apparatuses as well as be prepared for expanding roles. That is why nurses are required to get higher levels of education. They must be educated in new ways and approaches that best suit the health care situation today. New and emerging competencies in quality improvement, decision making and team leadership must be included in nursing education.

Threats of Understaffed Nursing Homes

Many nursing home facilities are extremely understaffed that they might be endangering the welfare of the patients; this is according to a report by federal health authorities. The report suggests more stringent recommendations that will require thousands of nursing facilities to employ more nurses and nurses’ aides.

According to several studies, under-staffing in nursing homes has led to many issues in patient’s condition like severe bedsores, abnormal weight loss, and malnutrition. It is, of course, hard to maintain the welfare of the seniors if a facility lacks manpower. It has been reported that a huge amount of patients have developed life-threatening infections that could have been avoided if there is proper staffing.

The US government has already made several vital steps to resolve the issue. It suggests new federal standards to ensure that patients receive no less than two hours of care every day from nursing aides, amongst other things, there must be sufficient amount of nurses and other health professional within the facility. The research states that 54 % of nursing facilities presently fall underneath the suggested minimum standard. This is very threatening, given that it may endanger the life of the senior.

Studies suggest that patients receive only a minimum of 12 minutes each day of care from nurses. Presently, 31 percent of nursing facilities don’t meet that standard amount of nurses. Though the government has intentions in resolving the problem, it is still impossible for the government to propose minimum staffing recommendations since they were supplying insufficient subsidies under Medicare insurance and State Medicaid programs. Many senior care authorities explained that it is also hard to attract and retain good employees because of the status of the economy. Making the job appealing for nurses and developing a program will increase the quality of healthcare service that our seniors will receive in a nursing home.

Importance of Sociology in Nursing

Educating nurses with sociology has turned into a major issue in health sociology. The latest nursing curriculum recognizes the necessity for the twenty-first century nurse to use knowledge coming from a selection of specialties and disciplines when evaluating and examining patients/clients and selecting a procedure for care. This includes the study of sociology. Society has evolved and people tend to be more prepared to challenge ‘experts’ in terms of medications, treatments and procedures.

Professional limitations may also be getting less rigorous, and a lot of people are requiring a more active part in decision-making. The health care industry has seen many organizations and nurses, as well as other health care personnel, who have to adjust to the altering structures and ideologies of health care.

The effect of these adjustments has been enormous and lots of nurses have found themselves at a loss in understanding how to prepare for the new demands. The function of sociology in nursing is constantly casting new light on many facets of wellness and illness. Throughout the last 20 years, nursing process has seen sociological concept become an important clinical tool, in both the diagnosis and prognosis of a wide range of illnesses and long-term conditions.

Sociology in nursing is a vital tool in understanding more the patient’s reaction and response to treatment. The more the nurses are able to connect with their patient, the more effective they are. It is in fact difficult to diagnose a patient without having the right connection and understanding; this is why sociology is important. The previous studies and research on how a patient reacts, respond and recover to certain diseases or conditions can give the health care professional a step ahead on the medical treatment process.

Importance of Fundamentals of Nursing

Fundamentals of nursing are the courses that teach the basic principles and procedures of nursing. In the fundamentals of nursing, the student attends classes and provides care to chosen patients. The course highlights the significance of the fundamental needs of humans and competence in fundamental skills as prerequisites to providing extensive nursing care.

The nursing practice has to be dependent and based on nursing theories. These theories are proven and tested for so many years. These theories are the basis of the nursing discipline and what makes it a profession. The nursing concepts supply direction and assistance for structuring professional nursing practice, advancement, and research. It also differentiates the focus of nursing from other professions. It is designed to guide assessment, involvement, and evaluation of nursing care.

The theories also supply a rationale for collecting reliable and valid data about the health status of patients. These are essential for effective decision making and implementation. They assist in creating criteria to measure the quality of nursing care. They develop a common nursing terminology to use in communicating with other health care professionals. Lastly, nursing theories improve the autonomy of nursing by understanding its very own independent functions.

In nursing research, nursing theories offer a structure for producing knowledge and new ideas. They guide in discovering knowledge gaps in the specific field of study. Eventually, they give a systematic method of identification questions for study, select variables, translate findings, and authenticate nursing interventions. To comprehend nursing theories, a theory, conceptual frameworks, theory and conceptual model must first be defined. A theory is a system of ideas that is proposed to describe a given phenomena.

Concepts are the foundations of theory, are abstract ideas or mental images of phenomena. A conceptual framework is a collection of related concepts and processes. It provides an overall view or orientation to concentrate thoughts. A conceptual model is an illustration or diagram of a conceptual framework.

The NLN Pre-admission Examination

Students who wish to enter the nursing field must go through the NLN PAX before they can enter a nursing school. The National League for Nursing Pre-Admission Examination (NLN PAX) is a standard entrance exam for possible nursing students who are looking for admission into nursing schools across the country. Once they pass the examination, they are qualified to become a nursing student.

The NLN PAX RN and PN consist of three main areas: verbal skills, mathematics and science. In the verbal skill section, the student’s word knowledge and reading comprehension skills will be measured. The mathematics area includes basic calculations, algebra, geometry, basic conversions, graphs, applied mathematics and word problems. While in the science field, the student’s basic knowledge in general biology, physics, chemistry and earth science will be measured. A section on health and first aid is also included.

The examination is intended to measure the readiness of the student in taking the nursing course. It will determine what areas the student is good at and what areas need more improvement. Each area contains all multiple-choice questions and consists of experimental items for the purpose of future test development. Answers to these questions are not counted in the scoring.

If you are planning to register for the examination, you may register online on http://www.nlnonlinetesting.org. There are specific instructions that you need to follow for the registration. Once you pay the Pre-Admission NLN for RN Examination, you will need to create your own login and password. You must not forget your login and password that you made on the NLN website, as you will need this information on your examination date.

Deciding on an Online BSN Degree

Deciding on where to study for your BSN degree is a significant decision. It will require some research to properly choose the right one for you. If you have an associate’s degree in nursing you may prefer an online BSN course to continue your education, especially when you are busy with your career and family obligations. Continuing your education will give you more opportunities and career options.

An online BSN course will give you more time to study on your vacant time and more options. It is much cheaper and convenient as well, given that you no longer need to travel and pay for miscellaneous fees at a university.

Most of online BSN program will allow you to complete your degree on your own terms and time. It will reduce your stress to your already-busy schedule in balancing work and family commitments. Most offer competitive and affordable tuition. This makes your degree within reach.

Before choosing an online program, you must do your assignment by conducting a research about the accreditation of the school. This is to ensure that you are not wasting your time and money.

An ideal nursing program has online resources readily accessible for their students. Good online programs use online tools that enhance courses to make them both engaging to students and effective. Because many RN to BSN students are balancing work and their education, it is important that any degree program you pursue is convenient for your busy life—this is what makes online programs a smart choice for many nursing students.

Before choosing an online program, make sure that there is financial aid in their program. Continuing your nursing education will cost you money, but it doesn’t have to bury you in debt. The program must have an affordable tuition, and students can apply for financial aid before they are accepted into their desired program.