Accelerated RN to BSN

Business intelligence is, by its very nature, dynamic; ever changing; and fast paced. A hybrid between teaching and forensics - my job provides the truth in a world of chaos and urgency. The data drives falsehood and lies from business decisions and provides the team the guidance needed to accomplish purpose.  Business Intelligence allows managers to see things more clearly.  In fact, the goal of Business Intelligence is to illustrate the picture so clearly that the picture is more than what it was originally. 

The College Network is more than just a resource to online degrees from leading universities.  Just as the picture to the left is more than a couple enjoy a view of a lake.  We are a team of adults like you who want more.  We believe there is more to education than just books.  We believe eduction should be inspired by life and integrated into our lives, whatever the circumstances!  We strive and push one another to:

• Make a difference
• Challenge the routine
• Have an impact

I encourage you to view the College Network Reviews.  You will find there are lots of educational opportunities.  Some like Associate Degree in Nursing ADN, Online Paramedic to RN Program, accelerated RN to BSN, MS in Nursing Management, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and PMP Preparation course, but if you look through the surface, I hope you will see more than educational opportunities.

Some would say the purpose of Business Intelligence is to provide information as to what has been accomplished and how we are doing; key performance indicators.  Business Intelligence is so much more.  The goal is to use the data and information to go beyond the numbers.  Business Intelligence is clearly painting the picture so the future can be predicted.  The College Network is more than an educational services company.  The College Network is your team and support to finding a new life through education.

A popular TV show has that title Who Wants to be a Millionaire and attracts a large TV audience weekly to see who will win. It is a game of chance. When you look up the definition of the word millionaire it describes it as somebody with a net worth or income more then 1 million dollars or another unit of currency. It is also described as a person of wealth, and wealth is often thought of as a person with net worth. Why am I talking about money?

The College Network is in the business of influencing a persons net worth by helping them achieve success in careers as a RN or BSN or MSN in nursing through education. The difference is nursing is not a game of chance. One of the primary roles of a nurse is to provide care and wellness to those who are sick, ill or on the way to recovery.

There is no greater net worth. The registered nurse job is the #1 occupation based on average annual salary. About $52,000+ according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A person starting there nursing career early enough who works 20 years will earn over 1 million dollars. That is net worth without chance. There are not too many worthwhile careers that can boast that. A career as a register nurse is possible by using our online, inexpensive, courses.
 
Want to be a millionaire then call me today at 1/800-307-1006 ext 2604 to find out how? Ask for Hank...

Or email: hmosley@collegenetwork.com

LVN to BSN programs
RN to MSN bridge programs
LPN to RN programs
Accelerated RN-BSN
Good nursing schools
 

A person who enters the field of nursing is usually someone who likes working with people.  If you find that you have exceptional skills communicating with people during your accelerated nursing courses, you might consider the specialty of mental health nursing.  A person diagnosed with a mental illness needs a smart, caring person to support them through the various stages of their treatment.

When you have your ADN nursing degree, you can work in a mental health hospital setting.  There you will gain extra training in dealing with patients that need careful assessment.  Part of the job of a hospital nurse is to counsel the patient as to the proper usage of their medication when they are discharged and also to work with the patient to encourage compliance if the medication seems to be helping them.  A nurse in the hospital will also assess the patient closely for a physical illness that may be causing their outward symptoms of mental illness and alert the physician if some tests might be needed.

Mental health nurses also work in the community, in counseling centers and in rehabilitation centers for patients with alcohol or drug problems.  An RN should consider an accelerated RN to BSN in order to work as a case manager with social workers and psychologists counseling the patient.  A psychiatrist will handle the patient's medications but will rely strongly on nursing assessment as to side effects.

Every once in a while I find myself having a conversation that I have had several times over the past fifteen years. I have now had the conversation so often that it no longer surprises me when it occurs. It is a conversation that has the potential to be life-changing.

The focus of the conversation is based on a single word—reflection.

You see, reflection is the difference between collecting pieces of information (or experiences) and learning (growing). Stated a bit differently, reflection is the difference between collecting information and connecting information. Even more accurately, reflection is the difference between those who successfully establish a knowledge base they can build upon and those who are simply wandering aimlessly through their educational process.

Someone may be asking at this point—what exactly is the definition of reflection?

Generally speaking, reflection, in the learning context, is the deliberate act of thinking back on information previously encountered in order to make meaningful connections between that information and the information being presented currently.

For example, this blog entry on Making Meaning Through Reflection is connected to last week’s blog entry titled One Must Use It Well. Do you understand the connection between the two?

With a bit of review and reflection, you should easily be able to make the connection between the two blog entries. While this may appear a very simplistic example, it is a perfect example of how reflection helps us build our understanding or make meaningful connections between small or even large bodies of information.

Here is another way to look at it. Let’s use the analogy of laying a foundation for a house or small building. The individual pieces of information (fact, concepts, examples, etc.) could be represented by the individual cinder blocks in the image above. Each of these cinder blocks is strong as a stand-alone entity; but, a single block has only a few, limited uses.

The real potential of the cinder block becomes evident when mortar is used to bind several together so that they form a foundation for something larger and with greater purpose. Reflection is the mortar of the learning process. It binds together the individual pieces of information so that we engage in making meaningful connections that lead to the development of a strong knowledge base.

In my next entry, I'll expound further on the role of reflection as it relates to self-paced education and training or pursuing your Accelerated RN to BSN degree. This will enable you to get the most out of your online learning experience with The College Network.

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Recently, I was speaking to a nice ADN RN who worked at one of our local hospitals about pursuing her BSN. She said she was always receiving emails & offers through the mail about doing a RN to BSN program. She told me she would like to have her BSN but it wouldn't be because of management since she didn't desire a management position since she enjoyed bed side nursing. She was also clear she didn't want to teach.

She told me that may change in the future but now her love was bed side nursing. God bless her! Sounds like she got into nursing for the right reasons! She knew that a growing number of hospitals strongly encouraged their RNs to pursue their BSN or in the case of most magnet hospitals-require it.

The bottom line this good RN wanted to know from me was it worth it for an ADN RN to pursue the BSN? Here is what I told her. I explained that life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at us. What works for us today may not in the future. The main value of a BSN I told her, in my opinion, is that it gives the RN more options than an ADN. What would happen to her if one day she was interested in a particular position and the decision came down to two candidates with similar work experience but the other nurse had the BSN? We know who would get that position most of the time! Why scramble at the last minute?

The other tangible benefit is the extra knowledge will enhance the RN's skills. I believe an ADN RN tends tends to benefit more from the degree than the BSN who never worked as an RN before receiving the degree. Those RNs who have experience as an ADN will undoubtedly have a huge heads-up on the new BSN with no experience.

The College Network offers a variety of accelerated RN to BSN programs including a RN to MSN, and a MS in Nursing Management from some leading universities without every having to attend a college classroom. For more information, please contact The College Network at 800.395.3276 or www.collegenetwork.com
 

If your goal has always been to be a registered nurse, then now is a great time to get into a registered nurse program. 

Employment of Registered Nurses is expected to grow much faster than average because an estimated 581,500 new jobs will result from nurses who are leaving the occupation and for the need of new nurses.  In fact, it is expected to grow by 22 percent in the next decade.

The reasons for growth include:

• technological advances in patient care
• increased emphasis on preventative care
• increased number of older people needing nursing care

Of course, the boom in employment of RNs will differ depending on the geographical location and work sector.  For example, offices of physicians is supposed to increase 48% whereas the employment of RNs in public and private hospitals is supposed to increase only by 17%.

The reason that the need for RNs in physician offices is supposed to increase more than in hospitals is because more and more patients are being discharged earlier and earlier from hospitals and therefore more procedures are being done on an outpatient basis. 

In order to be an RN, you can already be an LPN or an LVN and then you'll want to take accelerated nursing courses to get your ADN nursing degree or equivalent, so that you can complete a registered nurse program. 

Most RNs follow three different educational paths - a bachelor's degree (BSN), an associate degree (ADN), or a diploma from an approved nursing program.

Most BSN programs take about 4 years to complete and are typically offered by colleges and universities.

Many times, ADN programs are offered by community and junior colleges and take about 2 to 3 years to complete.

The Diploma programs are administered by hospitals and take about 3 years to complete.

While there are a lot of BSN and ADN programs, there are fewer diploma programs.  When a student graduates from a BSN, ADN or a diploma program, then they can usually obtain one of the entry-level positions in a hospital, for example, as a staff nurse.
 
Once you have your degree, then you will need to get your licensure and certification.  Licensure is required in all states, DC and in all U.S. territories and the licensing exam is known as the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN. Once you pass it, you can get a nursing license. Depending on your state, you might have additional licensure requirements.  Be sure to check with your state as to the particulars.