Nursing School Programs

By Melanie Ullman
For nurses currently holding a R.N. and a B.S.N. there are many opportunities to step up the career ladder and advance in the nursing profession. Obtaining a graduate level nursing program to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or C.R.N.A. is a great way to expand you nursing abilities and to earn additional income. A C.R.N.A. is a specialized advance practice nurse that is qualified to apply anesthesia. These nurses are in high demand and they make a very good income for the specialized work that they do. If you are a nurse looking to move up the career ladder and are considering graduate nursing programs there are a few important steps in obtaining your certification as a C.R.N.A.

Any current nurse considering the step to becoming a C.R.N.A. must be a licensed registered nurse with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree. Gaining these qualifications takes about four to six years depending upon which educational route you take.

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By Melanie Ullman
Do you work a full time schedule and have a full family life but need to make more money to keep you head above water?  Have you ever looked into online classes?  Online nursing degrees offer you the flexibility of learning at your own pace and not having to worry about competing with the twenty something’s in the classroom settings.  You can set your own study schedule around work, the kids, dinner and everything else in your busy life.  You can take as many or as few classes you want depending on how much time you have to spare.

You need to do some homework on the online school of your choice, and understand the nursing prerequisites .  It must be an accredited online school or it may not qualify you for the degree that you want.  Also, if it is not accredited you may not be eligible to take the state nursing board exam to get certified in the state you want to work in.  There are a number of online institutions offering online nursing degrees but verify their accreditation before you enroll and make any payments for classes.

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By Melanie Ullman
If you enjoy assisting others with their health care concerns and being a teacher at the same time public health nursing job may be for you. Public health nurses specialize in treating and preventing ailments. Many work for local clinics and community health centers. They also spend a great amount of time traveling and educating individuals on health care issues. Many public health nurses also travel to make home visits to seniors who are unable to leave their homes to go to doctor’s appointments or to visit new mothers to ensure that their newborn babies are developing properly. Being a public health nurse will allow you to use a variety of skills in a variety of different settings.

One of the main responsibilities and goals of a public health nurse is the focus on prevention. In clinical settings such as hospitals the goal is to treat a condition and cure the condition if possible. Public health nurses do treat ailments, but their main objective is to prevent diseases and complications from occurring. Many work in organizations such as Planned Parenthood to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections through community outreach programs directed towards schools and high-risk populations. Public health nurses also participate on councils and assist in research projects to offer data and suggestions on improving access to healthcare for specific populations and communities with the goal of increasing awareness and improving the health and lifestyles of individuals in order to prevent the onset of disease and conditions.

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By Melanie Ullman
Some potential nursing students have been led to believe that online nursing degrees are all fake. This is a huge misconception perpetrated by less than honest people, which unfortunately we have to put up with online, but don’t have to use or tolerate. Always check that any nursing degree program you embark on is fully accredited with the necessary education authority, as you would if you were to embark on a nursing degree in a bricks and mortar educational facility.

Distance Learning

Distance or online learning is available for most degrees that are available in traditional educational facilities and nursing is no different. The college or university must be accredited with the US Department of Education or any of the 6 regional or 52 national bodies funded by this department – accreditation is the key word here!

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By Melanie Ullman
A nursing curriculum entails a good deal of learning regardless of which course is being undertaken. This usually means lots of nursing school textbooks. These can be purchased new and in many instances also used, both at on and offline book stores, but with an online nursing course, a good deal of the course material can be downloaded, which precludes from having to buy as many text books. Perhaps not all, but there will definitely be some savings in terms of course or degree material. As far as text books are concerned, if you are very lucky and have a nursing the family or generous girlfriends, they may even give you their old books.

In terms of the textbooks required, the nursing student is responsible for the purchase of these and it is stating the obvious that she is going to have to read and study them too. Nursing process is a big deal and the student needs to understand how this evolved, the history behind it, and theoretically, how to put nursing process to practical use.

Every class, from nursing process to chemistry and anatomy will have their own textbook requirements, and they are an integral part of the teaching method. Each text book deals with a specific part of the accredited curriculum, at various levels and new text books will more than likely be required for each year of the course of study. First year text books will not necessarily be helpful in second year nursing and so on.

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