Accelerated nursing programs could be very challenging- the curriculum is rigorous and the workload is very high. These courses are very much in demand, though, as nursing has become a greatly sought-after career opportunity. The vocation itself is a very satisfying one, and the remunerations for qualified and skilled nurses are very attractive. Graduates from good nursing colleges have bright career prospects and can even work overseas in a country of their choice, as good nurses are in demand everywhere!

While there are many good schools that are offering accelerated nursing programs, there is so much demand for these courses that prospective students are often put on a wait list. To get admission into an accelerated program, you must be a graduate of a bachelor’s degree course, not necessarily related to the medical field.  Aspiring students can be a graduate of accountancy, finance, engineering or any other stream-so long as they have finished the degree.

Prospective students must know that accelerated nursing programs may demand all of your time. All the subjects studied during the regular 4 or 5 year program are compressed into a 2 year time frame, making this an extremely intensive period of study. Students must be deeply committed to completing their coursework on time, with focus and dedication, in order to finish the course requirements.

Students who have graduated from accelerated nursing programs get the same benefits as those who have finished the regular nursing course. This is because all the modules are the same, except the time frame for completion was much shorter. They get the same workplace exposure, knowledge and skills as with the regular program of study. In fact students of an accelerated program may have an edge over others as they have proven their dedication to finish the course of study in a much shorter time.

Initial Registration for Overseas Registered Nurses Course

Accelerated nursing programs can take your career up to the next level within a short time. A career is nursing is a very fulfilling professional choice- not only is the salary rewarding, there is also a lot of job satisfaction that you can get from serving other people and becoming a part of their lives.

There are many factors to be considered when you are choosing a nursing school. The tuition fee is one of the most important factors that you must take a close look at. You should check the affordability of the tuition fee at your prospective school, and see whether it fits into your budget. Keep in mind that financial assistance is available for deserving students.

Many organizations offer free grants for nursing schools which are based on the needs of the student. Your eligibility factor for such grants is based on your financial needs. The decision will ultimately depend on your academic record and the agency that offers the grant will have the final say in the matter.

The US government offers an excellent educational aid program called FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. To apply for a grant under this scheme, you will need to send in some information including details of income tax returns, driver’s license, Social Security Number, bank statements, the residence card and so on. Please ensure that the information you send in is complete and accurate, or you will be disqualified at the outset itself.

Once the details are verified thoroughly, you will be intimated and may be called for a follow up interview. In the event that your first application is not accepted, you can always apply for another one. FAFSA application forms are available at all colleges and high schools. You will also be able to get information in community libraries, on the FAFSA website and also in many educational offices from many states. Once you have filled out the FAFSA forms, you can send them through mail or also submit them online.

Do remember, however, that timing is very important when you are applying for a nursing school grant. If you miss the deadline, then your application will not be considered at all. Do check with a counseling agency that can help you to collect all the particulars needed. The sooner you are able to apply, the better your chances of receiving a positive response. Good luck!

Nursing is one of the most sought-after and respected careers in today's world. Of late, many activities that used to be the domain of doctors and experts are now being executed under the supervision of nurses, making this a more respected career than ever before. Nurses work toward the betterment of the health and well being of the entire community.

In the past, especially during times of war, nursing was carried out by military personnel and by nuns. Even in contemporary nursing, many military and religious elements are evident- in Britain, nurses are often called "sisters". Nurses in USA and Canada often work in churches and undertake counseling, healthcare and community related activities for needy people.

Nurses can work in a variety of healthcare sectors and branches. Some of the options available to them are listed out here:

Travel nurses: These nursing consultants are dispatched to different towns and cities where they are needed for a relatively short period of time. They may need to be well versed in multiple aspects of nursing, as they have to offer a variety of services while they travel.

Flight nurses: These nurses help to transport patients from one place to another, during emergency situations and also for routine procedures.

Clinical nurses: They are assigned to manage a patient’s entire case, including organizing and managing aspects such as controlling the cost and managing the resources. Nurse practitioners are typically involved in health care, pediatrics, women’s health care, geriatrics and acute care, also mental health and neonatology and other such specialties. They are highly qualified, having studied usually above bachelor level. They either hold masters in nursing or doctorate degrees. Salary scales are quite high for nursing practitioners and they also find the work quite rewarding.

Certified Anesthetist: The role of a certified anesthetist is similar to the role of an anesthesiologist. Their job involves assisting and counseling the patient before and even after the administration of the anesthesia.

Surgical nursing: Surgical nurses assist doctors during complex procedures such as neurosurgery and organ transplants. They are among the highest paid nurses, and are sought after due to their experience.

Legal nurse consultants: Such nurses are not required to work in court rooms but in hospitals and clinics and are required to assist in quality assurance. This branch of nursing is growing rapidly, as more and more companies are foraying into the medical business due to government mandates.

Forensic Nurses: They work with government and law enforcement agencies to collect and review evidence in crime scenes. Their job is to analyse the victim’s injuries, identify the cause of injury and suggest the appropriate follow-up treatment.

Nursing is considered to be a very noble and satisfying career. However, getting into the nursing profession can be daunting- the expenditure is a lot, and academic achievements need to be high. A number of nursing institutes have set up scholarship programs that take care of tuition fees and also provide free books, accommodation and many other facilities.

Do not confuse a student loan with a scholarship program. Student loans need to be repaid after completion of the course of studies, but scholarships do not require repayment.

The healthcare industry is experiencing phenomenal growth, and there is at present a nationwide shortage of nurses. With the increasing population, this deficit is predicted to get worse in the coming decade - which makes the field of nursing a very rewarding career proposition.

Unfortunately, not only is there a shortage of nurses, there is also a shortage of nursing educators. So those looking to get into a good nursing program have to face a lot of competition. Nursing students are finding it difficult to find programs of their choice, and when they do, they are often wait listed. However, this wait is worth it. As qualified nurses are very much in demand - and will continue to be, their wages too, are expected to keep rising. This sector constitutes one of the largest healthcare occupations, with 2.3 million jobs available for qualified Registered Nurses. This number is also on the increase with new career openings for registered nurses being created every day.

Registered nurses, or RN's work to support the health and well being of the community, prevent disease, and care for patients who are dealing with illness. Being the advocates and health educators for the community, their patients and families, they have to deal with direct patient care. Part of their duty is to observe patients, record their symptoms and track the patient progress. They also assist doctors during surgery, treatment, and examinations, administer medications, and assist during convalescence and therapy. Registered nurses work in various healthcare settings, with a majority of them working in hospital settings. They provide bedside nursing care for patients, and carry out medical regimens according to the patient care plan. They also supervise licensed practical nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing aides. Hospital nurses are typically assigned to one department, such as ear-nose-throat(ENT), surgery, orthopedics, maternity, pediatrics, emergency, intensive care, or the treatment of cancer patients.

If you wish to become an RN, there are three streams you could choose. You may graduate from a 4-year Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing, an Associates of Nursing, or a Nursing Diploma program offered by hospitals. You will also need to pass a national licensing examination. Once you have a registered nursing degree, there is a national licensing section that makes it easier to get licensed in multiple states. If you wish to work in another state this is helpful. Statistics given out by the Department of Labor Statistics indicate that registered nurses will be in great demand for the foreseeable future. There will be more new nursing jobs open than jobs in any other field. At present, there is a huge shortage of qualified nurses to even come close to filling the projected demand. This is a lucrative profession too- with the average salary for a nurse being approximately $48,000, while the higher 10% make upwards of $69,000 annually.

In the next ten to fifteen years, the baby boomer generation will reach retirement age and move to nursing care facilities, by which time the healthcare industry is expected to see a great amount of growth. A strong system of qualified healthcare personnel will then be needed to help manage all aspects of health care management. For this reason, it is expected that anyone involved in health care will have steady work for years to come.

The health care industry encompasses many different areas of expertise for professionals. There are qualified doctors, surgeons, midwives, pharmacists, aides, and nurses to look after the physical and medical needs of patients. People with administrative and management interests can take care of the large business aspects of the health care industry. This sector provides the management and infrastructure that allows patients to receive medicine and treatments they require, as and when they need it. Those who are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare industry have limitless job options that can suit their talent and experience. 

There are those who are involved in direct patient care, medical billing and coding, those who work for insurance companies, or even practice holistic and alternative medicine. Regardless of the avenue you choose to pursue in your healthcare career, having the right degree and training will enhance your marketability in the workplace.

*Statistics given out by the Bureau of Labor show that the health care industry has provided 12.9 million jobs-including 12.5 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 382,000 jobs for the self-employed. Of the total number of wage and salary jobs, more than 40 percent were working in hospitals; 22 percent were employed in either nursing or residential care facilities; and almost 16 percent were working in physician’s offices. 

An estimated 92 percent of wage and salary jobs were in the private industry; while the rest were in State and local government hospitals. A vast majority of jobs for self-employed workers were in offices of physicians, dentists, and other health practitioners –at least about 265,000 out of the 382,000 total who were self-employed.

A career choice in nursing is becoming increasingly popular today… with good reason, too! It is a rewarding profession – with salaries generally starting in the $40,000s for newly graduated nursing students who have a degree in registered nursing. This high demand has also caused a massive shortage in nurses across the globe, and if you do a quick online search for the term "nursing shortage" you will be able to see many links to news items and articles discussing this crisis.

This demand for nurses has encouraged many people to pursue a career in nursing. So let’s look at which nursing school you should go to…and more specifically, how do you find one that's accessible to you?

The best place to look for this information is your State Board of Nursing website, where you can find a list of approved nursing schools in the state. You can usually find them by searching for a link for "resources" which will take you to a page with various links, including a link for "education." Many state boards of nursing have a link on their home page that goes directly to "education".

Please ensure that the nursing school that you pick is approved by your State Board of Nursing. In case the school you attend is not approved, then at the time of your graduation, you may not only find that you haven't learned enough in order to be a competent registered nurse. You may also not be qualified to sit for the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-LPN – which are the tests that you need to take to get your license as a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse.

Please also make sure you check whether your nursing school is nationally accredited- otherwise, once you attend, you may not be able to transfer your credits to other colleges or use your Associate's Degree in Nursing to pursue a higher degree, such as a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing.

Nursing is a profession that demands continual improvements in order to keep up with global changes in the healthcare industry. Areas of service, skills and expertise are constantly evolving and nurses must stay updated with current best practices in order to stay on top of their profession.

As student nurses, young people must work on improving their learning through practical application, critical thinking and reflective practice. They will face challenging situations on a daily basis and may need to make snap decisions that call upon all their experience, knowledge and expertise. They will need to find flexible ways of dealing with crisis situations, and work in the best interests of patient health and outcomes.

Nurses need to be very proficient at verbal and non verbal communication. They must be quick to understand what their patient is trying to say to them, and must be alert to any signs that they require help with their treatment. Nurses who are good communicators will be able to put their patients at ease. Group sessions in communication will help student nurses to strengthen their skills, build up their self esteem and gain confidence in their communication capabilities.

Nurses must always consider that learning is a continuous process and they will need to keep themselves in the forefront of knowledge to stay ahead in their nursing careers. Professional development courses on all major health topics are available on the internet. 

Online learning can connect nurses from across the globe and help them stay updated with topics of current relevance. Patients who have their records stored electronically can get more involved in their own care and improve their knowledge about their symptoms and treatment options. All nurses must participate in research in order to improve their skills and the quality of care given to patients, and accessing the internet can help them to achieve this.

For more nursing courses please visit this site : Institute of Health and Management (IHM)

WATERLOO — An acute case of demand overwhelming supply has put nursing on the critical list.

Experts say there is a serious shortage of nurses, and things are only going to worsen as the baby boom generation retires.

“I don’t even want to think about that,” said Kelly Richards, chief nursing officer for the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa, which includes Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls and Mercy Hospital of Franciscan Sisters in Oelwein.

The shortage cuts a wide swath across the nursing category, embracing acute- and emergency-care, home health, rehabilitation and other areas.

“There’s a statewide shortage of registered nurses,” said Dr. Jerry Durham, chancellor at Allen College in Waterloo, the largest nursing school in Northeast Iowa. “In the Cedar Valley, which I know more about, there are significant numbers of openings for nurses at all three hospitals.”

Some areas of Iowa are worse off than the Cedar Valley, but the shortage stretches across the state, Richards said.

“I’ve talked with different colleagues in central Iowa, and they were really feeling the shortage,” Richards said. “They stressed that they had open positions and had a hard time filling them.”

Locally, there’s a “little bit of a shortage,” but recruiters have been active, Richards said.

“Specifically, critical-access hospitals that aren’t affiliated with larger organizations may have had shortages,” Richards said. “One said they’ve had one position open for a year. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but for a small critical-access, 25-beds or fewer, that’s a lot.”

The shortage probably is most acute in the medical-surgical area, Richards said. Many nurses start in that area but later gravitate toward other areas.

“At Wheaton, the specialty areas currently don’t have many openings — some don’t have any — because the nurse develops an interest in that area,” Richards said. She mentioned the birth center, emergency rooms and operating rooms in particular.

Help wanted

Both Wheaton and UnityPoint Health recently held job fairs for nurses, and additional fairs are upcoming. Wheaton drew more than 50 candidates to a recent job fair, Richards said.

“We hired about a third of them,” she said. “We try to fit the candidate to their area of interest.”

Some not hired were qualified but interested in areas with no openings — the Family Birth Center, for instance. Shift preferences can also be a factor, Richards noted.

UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital in Waterloo, on whose campus Allen College operates, benefits from its proximity to the nursing school, Durham said.

The shortage hits close to home, said Jan Erpelding, manager of clinical recruitment at UnityPoint-Allen Hospital.

“The most intense it’s been has been within the last 10 months,” she said.

Allen has 65 RN openings. The clinics have 11 RNs and 11 LPNs open. Home health has nine vacancies. The hospital will hire some of Allen College’s 50 December graduates, Durham said.

“They’re not all going to work at Allen; our graduates go everywhere,” Durham said.

Most new nursing graduates want to work in a hospital setting, but only about 50 to 55 percent of the nursing workforce in the U.S. actually does, Durham said.

“It has decreased over the years as job opportunities have increased in other settings,” he said.

100 percent placement

Job opportunities locally abound for nursing school graduates of all stripes.

“Any registered nurse, without or with experience, can find a job in the Waterloo area,” Durham said.

Hospitals prefer experienced nurses or nurses with a four-year nursing degree.

“However, I know employers are hiring brand-new nurses with two-year degrees from the community college,” Durham said.

Allen College is doing what it can to recruit students to fill an increasing number of nursing vacancies, increasing enrollment in the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program. A student can complete the program in as little as 16 months. The program has grown from 40 to 64 students.

Allen College is looking outside standard classroom venues to bring in more students, Durham said, considering online study. “We are moving in that direction for one of our accelerated programs,” Durham said.

Allen College’s enrollment for the semester that ended in December was 611 students — more than twice that of 10 years ago. The growth is the result of a number of initiatives.

In addition to offering more programs online, Allen has arrangements with several higher-education institutions, including the University of Northern Iowa, Wartburg College, Loras College, Simpson College and Central College. Students can go to affiliate institutions for three years and finish a BSN at Allen in 15 months, Erpelding said.

Nursing school grows

Ten years ago, there were 35 students in graduate programs at Allen College; today, there are 240 in master’s and doctoral sequences, Durham said.

Two-year nursing graduates from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo also can move on to Allen College for further credit, Erpelding said.

The college has master’s programs in nursing and occupational therapy and doctoral programs in nursing practice (DNP) and education in health sciences. The masters program has a total of seven options, including four nurse practitioner offerings, Durham said.

The accelerated program in nursing, which now enrolls 64 students, was introduced in the last decade. Allen College launched a master’s in occupational therapy last fall and anticipates admitting 24 students per year. A doctor of physical therapy program will eventually be added, Durham said.

Undergraduate students are obtaining a four-year degree graduate with an average debt load of about $29,000, about the same as the national average. But the virtual certainty of landing employment can take some of that sting away, Durham said.

Erpelding said there are financial incentives available to recruits, including a $10,000 signing bonus that commits a nurse to the facility for three years. She said Allen Hospital also offers a “very good support system, as far as forgivable student loans.”

Wheaton Franciscan also offers tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness, Richards said.

There’s also a nurse residency program.

“Within three months of hire, they get in and talk about a variety of topics, such as their professional journey as a nurse, legal issues, stress, prioritization,” she said. “It’s kind of a nice area for the new hires to talk. Our orientation, when we hire a new nurse, it’s pretty comprehensive. It includes some classroom education and some hands-on training and time in our simulation lab.”

Nurses with at least one year of experience also can participate in a career ladder program, Richards said.

Shortage to grow

The need for nurses is only going to increase, Durham said. The nation is going to need 1 million new nurses in the next decade, according to federally supported studies, due to retirements, an aging population and more access to health care through the Affordable Care Act.

A goal nationally is to fill 80 percent of those jobs with registered nurses who have four-year degrees, Durham said.

“Some employers are compelling them to do it and also providing financial support for them to return to school,” he said.

Nursing Career

If you are looking for a career that can give you infinite personal as well as professional benefits, then nursing is your best choice! As a nurse, you will have a career in caring and looking after others, which can give immense satisfaction. You will be helping others through your knowledge, skills and compassion. Your nursing abilities will be a mix of technical objectivity and personal subjectivity.

As a nurse, you will be a part of the world's largest healthcare profession. There is a growing deficit of nurses and as such more job opportunities are likely to open up across the globe. In any hospital or healthcare institute, nurses are the primary caregivers and work as a part of a multidisciplinary team to take care of the physical, medical and emotional needs of the patients. Nurses can also take care of patients in their homes or in community care centers. They can take on various roles- looking after the aged, disabled persons, patients in acute care, or in the operating theaters or critical care units. They can assist at deliveries, work in emergency rooms or look after patients in wards.

There will never be a shortage of job opportunities for nurses, especially in the aged care sector. With increasing numbers of the elderly in our society, there are more and more aged people staying alone at home as their children have moved to other cities. This has led to an increasing need for qualified aged care workers who can step in and take care of the elderly- either in their homes or in aged care facilities.

Nursing Degree

Nurses can also take on management positions. A Nursing Unit Manager is in charge of the other nurses in the unit and assigns tasks and oversees the work of the nurses in her team. A NUM needs to collaborate with other healthcare professionals on the care of patients under her charge. A clinical nurse educator is one who educates other nurses and can get a job in a teaching hospital or nursing school. Nurses can also become Nurse Consultants, and use their experience to effectively oversee the nursing facilities in the institute.

To get started on a career as a nurse, you should undertake the necessary qualifying courses at state-approved and accredited schools of nursing. The Diploma of Nursing course (HLT51612) is a qualification that covers the application of nursing skills required to be eligible for registration with AHPRA as an Enrolled Nurse (Division 2). Nursing students may be required to undertake professional placements at hospitals and other health care settings, where they can get hands-on experience in caring for patients. The right attitude, a great deal of perseverance and willingness to work and study hard will take you far in your goal to help others as a nurse.

Graduate Diploma in Nursing

There is an increasing demand for healthcare professionals nowadays, making a career in the medical field a good choice. Among the various options in healthcare, a career in nursing is the most popular. As educational programs in nursing vary a great deal, it is often very hard to choose the program that suits your goals, age, experience or financial situation. Broadly, there are three different nursing programs available if you wish to study to be a nurse: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.

By far the easiest and quickest route to becoming a nurse is to sign up for a vocational nurse program. This basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in Texas and California, but it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in other states. A vocational nursing program can typically be finished in one year, and this makes it a great choice for those interested in a fast track to a nursing career. Various LVN programs have different entrance requirements- while some programs require the student to have completed courses such as Math, English, and medical terminology; there are others that ask for only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre - entrance exam.

Having completing the LVN program, graduates will receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. After this, they are asked to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Candidates who have successfully passed this exam are ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level as an LVN.

Licensed vocational nurses can also move ahead in their careers by working toward the Registered Nurse Bridge program. Do remember that most vocational schools do not offer college credits, and hence, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, they will be required to undertake some more college courses in English, psychology and anatomy. If you wish to transfer credits for the Registered Nursing program, then apply only in those schools where students have transferable credits.

Critical Care Nursing

The second route into nursing is to undertake an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program usually takes 2 years to complete and has to be approved by the state's Board of Nursing. This program is so much in demand that some community colleges have a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program. The prerequisites for admission include chemistry, microbiology, psychology, anatomy, college level English and math courses. This course is also available in many private schools,  but the cost of the fees in such schools could be as much as five times higher than in community colleges.

Lastly, to earn a license as a Registered Nurse, students must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Even though an Associate Degree also permits a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program offers the best career opportunities, and a graduate with a BSN degree can get more rewarding positions in nursing administration, management, or work at an insurance company. Bachelor of Science Nursing programs are typically taken at four year colleges or universities.