The College Network

Did you know that Indianapolis, IN will be home to Super Bowl XLVI? Did you also know that The College Network is headquartered in none other than Indianapolis, IN?

We've decided to get involved in the festivities leading up to the Super Bowl by sponsoring a great cause, and we hope you will join us.

Riley Children's Foundation of Indianapolis with support from the Super Bowl XLVI Host Committee is engineering the first ever Super Bowl host city service project that will reach nationwide, and The College Network has joined them in sponsorship of the event.

January 25 will mark the 31st observation of National IV Nurse Day. The theme for this year is "A Vital Role in Quality Healthcare--IV Nurses." 

According to Infusion Nurses Society (INS) CEO Mary Alexander, MA, RN, CRNI®, CAE, FAAN, "infusion nurses deliver the highest level of patient care due to their knowledge and expertise. IV Nurse Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the significant contributions that infusion nurses make in their patients' lives."

The US House of Representatives elected January 25 as National IV Nurse Day in 1980 "to honor and recognize the accomplishments of the nation's infusion nurse specialists, as well as the Infusion Nurses Society," according to the press release. 

Registered Nursing requirements are certainly great, and it is good to see the work of nurses that so often goes unnoticed receive official recognition on January 25. Becoming a Registered Nurse has its rewards!

While you may have successfully completed the act of reading, you didn't absorb the information at a level which would allow you to comprehend and retain the information. This happens quite frequently with scholastic endeavors which is why periodic assessment is paramount! 

The wonderful aspect about our Comprehensive Learning Modules located in our Online Resource Center is that they contain a variety of self assessment tools that learners can use to gauge their level of understanding. From an interactive-key term feature to end of chapter quizzes and comprehensive practice exams, our modules offer each independent learner the opportunity to determine how well they understood the material they reviewed versus believing they think they understood. Even having an internal dialog with yourself asking, “What did I just read?” periodically while reviewing your information can be most helpful in progressing with your studies.

As always, contact our amazing Customer Support team at The College Network by calling 1-800-634-1443 if you ever need assistance with your Comprehensive Learning Modules. 

We all have goals. Whether you formally write them on paper or daydream about them on your lunch hour, you have a goal for something you want to achieve. Perhaps your goal is to earn advanced nursing education and you've chosen The College Network to help you achieve it.

I encourage you to ask yourself the following six questions. Write down your answers and the next time things get tough, pull out that piece of paper and remind yourself why you are doing this.

1. What is your motivation for earning your degree?
   
2. Why did you choose self-paced education?
   
3. How will achieving this goal change your life?
   
4. What does it feel like to picture yourself holding your diploma?
   
5. Who do you want to inspire to follow in your footsteps?
   
6. Who will you share your success with?

As someone who has set a lot of goals for herself, I know that things don't always happen exactly as planned. You have to be prepared to stand up for your dreams and achieve them. Focus on your answers to these questions, and take action to achieve your dreams.

• Dental and medical appointments
• Create a list of things financial goals for the year
• Update my résumé and professional connections

This is a rather standard list of very basic tasks but you’d be surprised how many people don’t take care of their physical, financial, or professional wellbeing.

The medical appts probably don't surprise you and the review of financial goals probably makes sense to most people. But being proactive about your professional wellbeing is also one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones. So, every January I take an inventory of where I am professionally. This is a practice one of my mentors taught me long ago. Some years I am more on top of things than others but I try to ask myself these 4 questions every January. 

1. What did I achieve in the previous year?
2. What did I learn in the previous year?
3. Am I on the right path to reach my professional goals?
4. Am I still pursuing my professional ideal?

The answers to these questions tell me if I need to continue on the same path or make changes in order to reach my personal and professional goals. This approach has worked for me for many years. I have even passed this approach along to those I mentor so they can use it as a tool to help keep them on track.

Take a few minutes and ask yourself these 4 questions. Consider the answers thoroughly and determine if you are on the right track to reach your professional ideal. If you find that you haven’t achieved what you’d like or that you didn’t learn as much in the previous year as you needed to reach your goals, consider a change in direction. That change may mean returning to school or earning a professional certification.­ The College Network can help you earn your Six Sigma Green Belt, a Paralegal Certificate, or one of many degrees offered by our partner institutions.

Give The College Network a call at (1.800.395.1014) and talk with one of our Program Advisors about earning the education that will allow you to achieve the answers to these questions that will take you where you want to be professionally. 

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The College Network commends Ms. Batson’s bravery and selfless service to others. We are honored to feature her story on our nursing blog. Read the entire story reported on ABC News.com here. 

Here in the U.S. we are fully into winter now - the season of sickness.  After waking up ill this morning, I thought of how much care individuals actually get when they attend a medical facility.  Nurses are the lifeblood of the medical profession, and we at The College Network offer online self-paced education and training to help nurses become more educated and even better in all kinds of medical facilities today.

I personally want to make sure we at The College Network  salute the work of nurses across this country and the world.  Without your care and expertise, millions of people would suffer, and the sacrifices you make in your day-to-day work really speaks to the character of nurses everywhere.  So THANK YOU to all the nurses out there - we really appreciate it!

Kevin Burton, Program Advisor, kburton@collegenetwork.com, 1-800-307-1006 Ext. 4734

If you have reached a plateau with your studies, have you asked yourself: “Why did I choose to begin this program to begin with?” With all the demands of life we can easily lose sight of the things we want and focus on the tasks to accomplish and we become our own worst-enemies. As we get older, expectations set upon us increase, families are born, job responsibilities mount, and we tend to put ourselves last. It’s time that we all begin to put ourselves first! Bettering ourselves as individuals will positively affect all aspects of our lives.

While our distance nursing programs do allow the convenience of working at your own pace on your own schedule, if you need someone in your corner to assure you that you can be successful, contact Academic Support. We Care about your success and the Academic Support team is only a phone call, email, or web chat away.

If you have not yet chosen an educational path to obtain a convenient RN license, advance your nursing education with a BS in Nursing or become an MSN, please call 1-800-39-LEARN for more information on our amazing programs. 

I’ll leave with the following quote from famous author Ayn Rand from the critically acclaimed novel, The Fountainhead: “The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.“

When it comes to your education, don’t let anyone get in your way.