Category: Nursing Education

RN Classes and Continuing Your Education

Continuing RN education web based programs are available to nursing staff that need to sustain their professional status and credentials. There are many different continuing programs on the internet RN classes that are available to current RNs. There are some common misunderstandings when it comes to continuing education for RNs. These two terms are CEU and CE.

CEU, literally translated, stands for continuing education unit. CE, on the other hand, represents contact hours. Authorized nursing staff are required to take continuing education and these programs can either be completed on the internet or in person through live lessons for contact hours. A CEU is usually similar to 10 contact hours (or a CE). Make sure that you, as a nurse, check with the accrediting body or company before you sign up for your continuing education on the internet RN programs. This will put your mind at ease and allow you to enjoy your convenient RN classes in the comfort of your own home and in your own spare time.

Be sure you completely understand the difference between CEUs and CEs. You want to ensure you meet the necessary credentials so that you can continue on with your profession as an RN. Do not allow yourself to get puzzled on what you need to do to move full steam ahead with your profession. If you feel concerned, you can always get in touch with the exclusive school or company that is providing the continuing education on the internet RN programs and/or the controlling body for your registered nursing credentials. When you know all that you can about the potential continuing education on the internet RN course and then you can be on your way towards an interesting academic internet experience on which you maintain your professional nurse status!

National League for Nursing Accelerating to Practice

The National League for Nursing (NLN) declared the release of an important effort of the NLN Center for Academic and Clinical Transitions. The center is reinforced by grants from Laerdal Medical, the innovator in healthcare education and learning equipment, and Wolters Kluwer Health, publishers of Lippincott nursing content. This unique collaboration of not-for-profit and private businesses will create collaborative programs to better prepare nursing staff for the progressively complex requirements of nursing practice.

“The requirements placed on modern practicing nursing staff are accelerating, with more sick sufferers, more complex treatments and digital medical records all including new levels of complexity to basic nursing proper care,” said Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, CEO of the NLN. “This center will build a link between those providing nursing education and learning and those guiding nursing staff in practice. Together, we can create the solutions and resources modern learners need to succeed in this challenging field.” National League for Nursing President Judith Halstead, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF declared that the NLN Center’s first program, Accelerating to Practice, will focus on building relationships to enhance the conversion of new nursing staff from education and learning to practice.

A team of major health professional teachers and medical center nursing directors will draw on active research to determine the specific capabilities that new nursing staff need to ensure job success. Then, together with Laerdal Medical and Wolters Kluwer Health, the National League for Nursing will create an Accelerating to Practice system programs and material, which will be available for adopting and execution by 2015.  Wolters Kluwer Health and Laerdal Medical have previously joined on items that incorporate digital health records learning resources with individual cases and manikin simulator, helping learners master the skills of patient history presentation, individual care and follow up certification. The incorporated items link to Lippincott books, referrals and e-Learning material, to enhance clinical knowledge and verdict and create interesting student experiences.

The Accelerating to Practice working group includes experts from many of the country’s major nursing educational institutions, academic health techniques and community health techniques. Founded in 1893, the NLN offers staff development programs, social media opportunities, examining services, nursing research grants and public policy projects to its 38,000 members and 1,200 institutional members across the variety of nursing education and learning.

Accreditation Watch

Unaccredited nursing programs will gladly greet you, take your cash, and disgorge you into the job market where you will be at a serious drawback in comparison to graduates from approved programs. How does this work? State boards of nursing agree to educational institutions of nursing and have the power to shut down a nursing program. Their job is to protect the public, so if they are pleased that the university is doing an acceptable job of turning out certified, safe graduates who are passing the NCLEX at a good rate, they will agree to the program. This is done on a state-by-state level and approval is not the same as accreditation.

Two bodies take care of accreditation in the United States: the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission or NLNAC and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or CCNE. These bodies make sure national requirements and reliability of nursing curricula and are available completely to make sure the reliability of nursing education across the country. They do not have the power to shut down a college of nursing, but they can take their accreditation to sanction the system.

 

Why would a nursing university not be accredited? These organizations require master’s-prepared staff, and not all programs have enough teachers with this education, particularly programs for practical nursing staff. Accreditation is also expensive. The site visits cost the program money, as do the yearly account charges for the accrediting body. In addition, the university must often pay teachers for a longer period invested in planning for the visit by the accrediting body. And, of course, sometimes the university does not meet the national requirements established by the accrediting organizations for educational institutions of nursing.

Most nursing programs that are approved by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission say so noticeably on their publications or Web sites. If the program you are looking at does not say anything about accreditation, that is a red flag and should immediate investigation work. Do not be shy about asking, either. You’re about to spend a lot of cash on your nursing education and you do not want to reach the finish line only to find that it did not really count for anything.

Nursing Education Grants

In its pursuit to back up extensive, high-quality studies that promote the growth of the technology of nursing education and learning, the National League for Nursing has put out its yearly call for suggestions. The NLN’s Research in Nursing Education Grants Program, which started more than several years ago with $12,000 to spread among worthy health professional faculty-scholars, today awards more than $80,000 yearly, with financing from the NLN and the NLN Foundation for Nursing Education.

In addition to three named research grants, the Nancy Langston/Ruth Corcoran, Joyce Griffin-Sobel and Dorothy Otto Research Awards, two prizes are made specifically to doctoral/DNP candidates: the Jane Angel Rizzolo NLN Dissertation/DNP Project Award and the Midwest Nursing Research Society/NLN Dissertation/DNP Project Award. All grantees must be NLN members or a member of the school at an NLN-affiliated school or college.

To be qualified for assistance, grant suggestions must meet at least one of the NLN’s research priorities for 2012-15, defined in a document accepted by the NLN Board of Governors. With a particular focus on changing nursing education and learning for the modern nursing care environment, these main concerns fall within three wide categories: 1) Leading Change in Nursing Education; 2) Improving the Science of Nursing Education; and 3) Creating National and Worldwide Management in Nursing Education. Awards will benefit multi-site, multi-method tasks that include relationships between practice and educational learning surroundings. The due date to publish programs is Feb 20, 2014.

Dedicated to quality in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the top company for health professional staff and leaders in nursing education and learning. The NLN offers professional growth, social media opportunities, examining services, scientific research grants and public policy tasks to its 39,000 individuals and 1,200 institutional members. NLN associates represent nursing teaching programs across the number of college and nursing care companies and organizations.

NLN Creating Inclusive Environments

Health professional teachers must master novel techniques and strategies to make and maintain a racial, social, gender-diverse nursing labor force ready to provide excellent care to individual communities of varying backgrounds and sources across powerful, complicated wellness techniques.

As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) takes full effect with the start of the new year, nursing professionals must keep pace with the law’s inherent call for social understanding and inclusivity. For nurse teachers, that means mastering novel techniques and strategies to make and maintain a racial, social, gender-diverse nursing labor force ready to provide excellent care to individual communities of varying background scenes and sources across powerful, complicated wellness techniques. In keeping with this challenge, the National League for Nursing or NLN presents its 2014 Leadership Conference in Savannah, Georgia, Friday through Saturday, February 6-8: Academic Leadership Excellence: Developing Inclusive Environments.

NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, will open the conference on Friday evening with her talk: “Now Is the Time: Developing Inclusive Environments to Advance the Nation’s Health.” The next morning, following welcoming comments from the NLN’s president, Marsha Adams, PhD, RN, CNE, ANEF, Antonia Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, will provide the keynote address, “Integrating the Three Ds: Diversity, Differences, Social Determinants, Nursing’s Perspectives.” Dr. Villarruel is lecturer and Nola J. Pender Collegiate Chair at the University Of Michigan School Of Nursing. Throughout the three-day gathering, national experts will guide conference members in plenary sessions, panel conversations, and large classes to:

Explore inclusivity and its importance to nursing education and nursing care.

  • Understand the Affordable Care Act’s impact on nursing education’s role in preparing students to provide culturally competent care to different communities.
  • Take part in courageous dialogues about inclusivity.
  • Identify action techniques to develop a base for social due diligence and inclusivity in nursing teaching programs.

NLNAC Accreditation, A Sign of a Good Nursing School

There are so many nursing educational institutions, so many degrees and so many stages to train and learn. In addition to educational costs, how can you tell which ones are quality nursing schools? Here are tell-tale signs to look for. The best way to discover the following details is to first look at the college’s web page. Some can be hard to get around. Use an online search engine if you cannot find a particular product. If you still cannot find it, contact them and ask for the admissions person. Use this record to “interview” your university. They should be beneficial and offer the details easily. If they are unhelpful or reluctant, that can be an idea to the overall culture of the school.

1. NCLEX Passing Rate – Every student health professional has to take a national examination known as the NCLEX to lastly get certified as a health professional. Examine the college’s rate of learners who pass the NCLEX. Every school should have it either released or revealed easily if you contact them. If they are reluctant to tell you, that is a red flag.

2. Accreditation – Accreditation is a nationwide “stamp of approval” for a college. A graduate from an approved university is able to transfer or continue their education in other educational institutions. It can also be an indication of the great quality of training and learning you will get. The two programs that accredit educational institutions are the NLNAC (National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission) and the CCNE (Commission on College Nursing Education). The CCNE is only for bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, while the NLNAC may accredit at any stage. Look at the college’s web page or ask them straight to make sure they are accredited by one of these companies.

3. Class Size and Retention Rate – Is it a big university or a small school? What is the common class size? And most of all, how many learners make it all the way through in one try? This is probably one of those things you will have to call and ask about. A higher failing rate can mean a few things. Nursing programs are usually challenging. That isn’t a bad thing, since you will be better ready for the NCLEX. However, be careful if they have too great of a failing rate. They might not be beneficial enough to their learners.

Anatomy & Physiology Course Relevance

The Anatomy & Physiology course presents the structure and function of the whole human body. You will read about the cells, tissues and walls that make up our bodies and how our vital systems function to help us develop and stay in good health. In this course you will learn to:

  • Describe basic human body features and life process.
  • Name the significant human body systems and associate their functions.
  • Describe the physical locations, components and physical features of the primary elements of each significant system of the human body.

Human anatomy & physiology (A & P) courses are important to a scholar’s success in a nursing program; unfortunately, many beginner learners don’t realize the significance. Some learners who had an A & P class in high school most often learned to remember content; they did not apply what they learned to a practical situation. Other learners were never introduced to the topic in high school. Therefore, beginner nurses registered in individual anatomy & physiology often lack the critical thinking abilities necessary to implement theory to practice. Often they state being unable to comprehend how the topic will serve them in nursing and are more focused on the technical abilities, or ‘real nursing’ material. Seniors, on the other hand, often say they wish they had paid more attention in beginner A & P. With nursing practice, they quickly understand the significance of A & P.

To help beginner nurses comprehend the nursing importance of anatomy & physiology, the writers designed a project giving senior student nurse guides to freshmen. Initially, the A & P trainer, who was missing nursing experience, was concerned with educating A & P material to nurses without providing relevant nursing illustrations. This concern led to the A & P trainer shadowing the critical care nursing trainer and senior nurses during nursing time in the intensive care unit (ICU) to see nursing application of A & P material to practice.

Clinical illustrations are abundant. For example, the A & P trainer saw a patient with serious Laennec’s cirrhosis suffering from severe ascites that was disrupting his respiratory status. Under the nursing teacher’s guidance, she examined, auscultated, and palpated the individual’s fluid-filled stomach and then observed as nine liters of liquid were removed through paracentesis with ultrasound examination. She still uses this research study when educating liquid balance and liver function. This is a great example of how an anatomy & physiology course can become relevant to a student in a nursing program.

Things to Know About an LPN

If you are interested in a profession that allows you to take care of people, whilst custom fitting your job to your way of life, Licensed Practical Nurse or LPN is the best option for you. You may wonder what an LPN is. An LPN is a regulated healthcare professional who provides basic medical care and works under the direction of RNs and doctors. As a professional practical nurse, you can work in a range of configurations, including assisted living facilities, continuing care centers, medical centers, private houses and doctor’s offices. You can work either individually or as part of a medical care team. Research has shown that the job opportunities for LPN will be much more than average in the next several years.

If you have decided to get into the LPN profession, the first important step to be taken is to choose a school. There are many schools in that provide Practical Nursing programs. If you look for a nursing degree program that allows you to learn at your own pace, on the internet programs is the right choice for you. You can opt for one of the best LPN career on the internet programs that fit your way of life. Licensed Practical Nursing takes 11 months to finish. Nursing LPN program brings together classroom learning in topics like nursing and chemistry. After getting a certification, you can take the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX. You need to successfully pass the examination to get a license and work as a Licensed Practical Nurse. The best on the internet schools provide review services that provide assistance to successfully pass the NCLEX examination in the first attempt itself.

To work as an LPN successfully, you need to have some essential features, which include sympathy, social abilities, negotiating abilities, tolerance and endurance. Being understanding and caring towards the people you serve is essential to earn a good name in your area. Nursing is a profession that has great requirement. It is approximated that there are around 100,000 nursing job opportunities in the nation now.

A Collaborative Model of Nursing Education

A new effort designed to ease the conversion between associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs started out to its first class of learners this summer. Based at the School of Nursing at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), the program enables learners with associate degrees in nursing (ADN) to earn baccalaureate degrees in nursing (BSN) in 12 months. Supporters of the program see this as a big improvement over the typical ADN-to-BSN conversion, which can take learners two years to complete and often includes repetitive training because of unreliable curricula across nursing educational institutions. It will also enhance diversity in the nursing employees and help develop more wellness professional management, followers said.

“The idea is that learners will get their BSN in a year with no repeating of courses,” said Mary Dickow, MPA, state-wide director of the California Action Coalition, a group of wellness professional management and nurse champions who will work to enhance nursing and nursing care in situations by changing the nursing career. The California Action Coalition is a part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a national campaign supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and AARP that is attempting to convert health care through nursing.

The CSULA programs draws from a white paper on nursing education upgrade, called the California Collaborative Model for Nursing Education (CCMNE), which was released in 2008 by the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care. The model set out in the white paper and now implemented at CSULA, has been duplicated in other configurations around the state.

The program’s overall goal is to create a more highly knowledgeable nursing workforce, which is needed to ensure there is an adequate supply of nursing staff and to enhance the quality of care. Research has shown that BSN-prepared nursing staff provides more secure care, in part because of their background in pathophysiology and because of their understanding of disease procedures, Judson said. Equipped with this type of nursing education, many companies in the region are now demanding that new nursing staff hold bachelor’s degree or higher, leaving ADN-prepared nursing staff with less job opportunities. This program is a life line that allows many to continue their nursing careers.

Importance of Psychology in Nursing

Psychology has its origins distributed in every single industry. It has become crucial to study the human mind for the better result of operations carried out on a regular basis. It has affected many thoughts and is known to have a great impact on healthcare as well. Psychology and healthcare are leagues apart but at a certain level, they are connected. Nursing concentrates entirely on assisting individuals recover from serious and chronic diseases, while psychology concentrates on dealing with the emotional issues of individuals. Nursing staff have to understand the psychology of their sufferers and help them psychologically for a rapid restoration.

Nurses have to manage sufferers during severe healthcare concerns and deal with their emotions and actions. Patients begin to depend on nurses who try to reduce their emotional stress. It has been seen in many cases that physical sickness results in emotional interference. At this stage, nurses have to be sympathetic and understanding. Nursing staff are trained in a manner that they help sufferers psychologically by dealing with the emotional changes. Psychology in the healthcare industry is trained intentionally. The modern medical literary works on counseling psychology and clinical psychology helps nurses perform their everyday tasks. They communicate with sufferers on a regular basis and it is easy for them to recognize the signs of emotional disruptions compared to other healthcare employees. It guarantees proper care to sufferers and professional services are given to them.

Along the process of treatment, they create a strong relationship with the sufferers as away from home, they expect individuals to be helpful and sympathetic to them. And nurses are trained to do so. Nursing staff have to have some outstanding characteristics such as, tolerance, helpful characteristics, sympathy, love for others and the ability to feel the pain of others. In many ways, psychology has been assisting the healthcare professionals to serve a huge number of individuals.