Becoming an RN

The College Network would like to extend a special Thank You to all nurses in honor of National Nurses Week! We know how hard you work every day of the year to help other people in need, and your acts of kindness and compassion are truly selfless.

At The College Network, we take pride in helping people work towards their dream career in nursing. Whether you're looking to become an RN or earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing degrees, we've got a program for you.

We work with reputable universities to offer convenient, online nursing degree programs that are fully accredited. When you sign up to earn your nursing degree with help from The College Network, you can begin right away, because with our programs there is never a waiting list.

Thank You, again, to all of the nurses out there for your hard work and dedication to improving the quality of life of so many people. And, for those who would like to join the more than 150,000 nurses who have chosen to advance their education with help from The College Network, we look forward to helping you!

A recent article from the Community Press/Cincinnati.com highlights the greatest vacancy level in years currently exists for hospitals in greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.  The vacancy rate currently rests at 7.3% for area hospitals; if you were thinking of becoming an RN, this is a great time! 

Nursing students are also reaping benefits from the hospitals' needs. "They're definitely interested in hirong on (students as) nursing aides, then hiring up once they graduate," said nursing student Julia Hall. Retirement of existing nurses is added to the general expansion of healthcare to create a healthy employment climate.

In a previous post on the Nursing Blog, I introduced the idea of career fairs as a viable job search strategy for nurses. Since writing that post, I have discovered another invaluable resource. Nurse.com has an entire section of their website dedicated to career fairs! The nationwide listings are staggered by date, offering nurses looking for the next step in their career time to plan ahead for job fairs both regionally and nationally. Becoming an RN is a huge accomplishment, but afterwards of course you have to find a job, and attending a career fair is a great opportunity to network and potentially acquire employment. Here are a few upcoming nursing career fairs from the site:

April 24: Oakbrook Terrace (Illinois) Career Fair 

April 26: Nursing Fair in East Central Georgia (not from Nurse.com)

July 20: San Diego Career Fair

August 23: Los Angeles/Universal City Career Fair

September 17: Tampa Career Fair

For more dates and locations, check out the website. 

“I have been an LPN for 20 years and knew that it was time to get my RN. I have procrastinated for many years but made a promise this year to start the program,” says Associate of Science in Nursing degree customer Cecilia Portillo.

“I received an email from a friend with The College Network information attached. When I called and met with Krista, it seemed very clear to me that this was the way to go,” Cecilia says of her decision to enroll in the online nursing degree program. “I have had many co-workers who did a self-study, go-at-your-own-pace program. They didn't have access to the online and phone support that The College Network provides. I can call anytime and someone always answers my questions.”

Cecilia admits that earning an advanced degree takes time and dedication. “It is hard sometimes. When you have young children and a full time job you think, ‘Wow, I just can't do it!’ but I have found that when I tell my family I need study time they are more than supportive of me and give me the time I need. I even have my children quiz me with the key words or the objectives.

Cecilia did it and so can you! Read more of her inspiring story or call 1-800-395-1014 to speak to a Program Advisor today.

So you want to become a registered nurse. But how do you do it? It seems like it might be an impossible goal. You work, take care of your family--when are you going to find time to go to school?  Here are 10 easy ways you can become an RN with help from The College Network.

1. Call the The College Network to learn more about online nursing degree programs.
2. Set an appointment to meet with one of our Program Advisors. They can answer all your questions and set you up with a program that is right for you.
3. Make the decision to move towards your goal of becoming an RN and get started in your program.
4. Take our Learning Styles Survey to find out how you learn best. 
5. Complete your Academic Guidance call with our customer support team to review your learning style and develop a study plan for your Comprehensive Learning Modules.
6. Start studying.
7. Schedule your first TCN Exam.  Then go ahead and schedule the rest of your exams on your calendar.  This will help to keep you on track and give you a timely goal to work towards. Keep studying and passing your exams. 
8. Enroll with the university and complete any other requirements for your program.
9. Graduate! Plan to walk with your fellow nurses in the graduation ceremony.
10. Take and pass the NCLEX exam and receive your new RN License!

It really be done in these 10 steps.  You just have to make a commitment, set your goals and take action.  We are here to help every step of the way.  Call us today at (800) 39-LEARN and check your first item off your to-do list.  

Job fairs may not be a traditional avenue that nurses have taken to find jobs, but 600 nurses will obtain jobs from a single three-day job fair called “Nursing Now” that began March 28, 2012 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cleveland Clinic has condensed the recruitment process of interviews, background checks and health screenings into about four hours for attendees of the fair, whereas this process would normally take weeks. 400 of the 600 new-hire nurses will fill existing positions, but it is noteworthy that the remaining 200 nurses will fill positions that have just been created. Job offers will be extended to qualified applicants at the fair; becoming a RN has never been so convenient! The College Network wishes the best of luck to all nurses in attendance.

Information on this job fair came from Cleveland.com. For more information, visit the Cleveland Clinic’s “Nursing Now” website. 

Setting your sights on becoming a CRNA, or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, is another great reason to become an RN. CNRAs typically earn $150,000 and up per year due to their specialized training. "The cost of educating and training a nurse anesthetist is a fraction of the cost of educating an anesthesiologist and they provide the same safe care," said attorney Philip Recht, quoted in a recent article. The expanded role of trained "advanced-practice nurses," he said, is part of modern medicine's effort to "provide more services more cost effectively."

CRNA is the oldest nursing specialty, with 150 years of history in the USA. The CRNA role is becoming increasingly important as cost-effectiveness becomes a constant buzz word in the healthcare industry. There are currently about 40,000 nurse anesthetists in the USA.

As we have been mentioning recently on The College Network Blog, nursing is a secure and growing profession that is seeing more men take an interest in a field traditionally dominated by women. I found another article this week that confirms the trend.

Something interesting that I learned in this article is that almost half of male nurses go on to become CRNAs, or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. CRNA salaries are generally $160,000-180,00 annually. Stigmas about male nurses are evaporating as both nursing candidates and patients become acclimated to men in the nursing field. Trevor Potts, a nursing student, explains “There are always times when someone says, ‘Oh, another male nurse,’ but it’s usually a positive reaction or more of a surprise than a negative reaction.”

Gentlemen, don’t let opportunity pass you by! If you are thinking about becoming an RN, research The College Network!

Nursing homes, a stronghold of LPN jobs, may become progressively less so. Illinois, for one, is attempting to instate a new law requiring 20% of nurses in nursing homes to be RNs. The change would cost the state $122 million annually, but Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, as well as local advocacy groups, are pushing for the change because they believe that care from RNs prevents hospitalization. This information comes from an article on the Progress Illinois website.

If you are an LPN and you want to take action now to avoid worries about job security, do not fret. Give The College Network a call at 1-800-39-LEARN to find out how you can work towards obtaining RN status while continuing to work full time as an LPN through our online programs from top universities. 

Arlene enrolled in an online Associate of Science in Nursing degree program with help from The College Network™. “I learned about The College Network from a friend whom I worked with for a brief while. My friend happened to stop by my place of employment and informed me she was continuing her education to become an RN,” Arlene says.

Prioritizing your time and sticking to a schedule is what Arlene says it takes to successfully balance everyday life with earning a degree. “Yes, there are challenges with being a student and balancing everyday life. It is impossible to explain to a four-year-old child that you are studying to improve life for him. As a student, however, you have to learn to prioritize. Setting a daily schedule and sticking to it has been the best balance for me.”

Staying focused on her goal is what motivated Arlene throughout her educational journey, and she has been very successful in doing so. Read more of Arlene's inspirational story or visit our web site to learn more about about our online nursing degree programs.

The American Assembly for Men in Nursing has a new chapter in Delaware, thanks to Chris Foard, RN, MSN. Foard was inspired to become a nurse after his own health issues kept him in the hospital for a year. He hopes to share that same inspiration to place other males on the path to nursing in what has stereotypically and traditionally been viewed as a female profession.

There are about 40 chapters of the AAMN in the country. AAMN's "20 x 20: Choose Nursing" campaign includes a goal for the year 2020 of having 20% of the nursing workforce be men, according to Demetrius Porche, RN, DNS, PhD, AAMN immediate past president. Goals of the AAMN include providing mentoring to male nurses and students, assisting in professional growth, reaching out to junior high and high school students to present the opportunities of nursing careers, and the encouragement of research in men’s health. Becoming an RN is a rewarding career for anyone, and combating gender disparity and stereotypes in nursing is certainly important work.  This information comes from a story on Nurse.com. 

As the nursing career field expands, the niches nurses fill expand in turn. The number of nurse researchers present in hospitals is increasing as of late. Establishing best practices and improving standards of patient care are key tenets of nursing research programs. The research topics are relevant to nurses working in the field because they often come directly from nurses curious about certain areas of inquiry. "It's nurse-driven," said Pam Ginex, RN, EdD, OCN, a nurse researcher. "[The nurses] come up with ideas or problems they want to look at and work collaboratively with members of the team to address a specific problem." Findings are published so that data can be shared with other healthcare providers.

When considering the nursing career field, opportunities such as this make becoming an RN seem even more appealing because they provide alternatives to the traditional role of a registered nurse or nursing manager. Growth within the career field of nursing is occurring not just in numbers, but also in responsibilities and opportunities. Information obtained from an article on nurse.com.

 

“I thought it would be a great way to earn my BSN that would be a lot more convenient as a working, divorced mom. I need to earn more income, and becoming an RN is the way to go for me since I love the nursing field and have been an LVN for 27 years now,”  Elizabeth explains.

Not only does Elizabeth like the convenience of earning her nursing degree online, she also says this is more affordable than some of the traditional colleges she looked into.

Find out how Elizabeth stays motivated to earn her degree by reading more of her story, or call 1-800-395-1014 to find out how you can begin your online educational journey.

An unexpected life event is what led Karen Burns, customer of The College Network, to earn her Associate of Science in Nursing Degree through an online program. “I was in a traditional associate program when I had a medical issue happen,” Karen says. “At that time, I needed to find a better way to become an RN after missing too much time in school.”

Karen has a passion for learning and for reading educational material, so for her, an online degree program was a perfect fit.  “I am the kind of person who only reads educational material because I love to learn, so I figured what better way to do this than to read material towards my degree,” says Karen.

Karen tried the traditional classroom approach to education, but found that to be more intimidating than online education due to all the different age groups and personalities. She really likes The Comprehensive Learning Modules that The College Network provides.

“My favorite part about The College Network material is that it’s already broken down for you. It is more straight forward than being in a classroom and having 13 nursing books in which you have to go to different chapters and read hundreds and hundreds of pages," says Karen.

Read more of Karen's success story here.

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!

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.