Continuing education for nurses

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.

A recent article from marketwatch.com stated, "With more than three million nurse professionals in the United States alone, nursing is the largest segment of the healthcare industry and touches every facet of care from the doctor's office to home care to hospitals." With all of the praise that doctors and physicians receive for all of their hard work, it's easy to forget the significant influence nurses have in the healthcare field.

With the advent of improved healthcare technology, the expanding role of the registered nurse has become essential to the functionality of any hospital. "Nurses have been championing quality-of-care improvements, spearheading research innovation, advocating for patient rights and generally challenging the status quo. Simply put, their impact has been enormous and will continue to be so over the coming decades." 

If you're considering the field of nursing, there has never been a better time to obtain the education and training necessary. There are myriad nursing schools and online degree programs to accommodate just about anyone's schedule, but there is only one that combines online, self-paced learning with online degrees from top universities.

Since 1992, The College Network has helped hundreds of thousands of people earn certificates and degrees, including thousands of people who wanted to earn or further their nursing degrees. Visit The College Network's web site to learn more and begin the journey to becoming a registered nurse.

 

 

Rise and shine.  It's time to wake up.  

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?  Some people believe what you do and what happens when you first wake up will determine how your whole day will go.  I tend to agree with that and believe that by managing expectations and expecting the best to happen, you can change your whole mindset and succeed day-in and day-out.

Something I've learned in the past couple years is to be realistic, but set lofty goals for yourself.  If you believe you are capable of doing something, your mindset and drive can help you complete tasks you thought previously were impossible.

If you wake up and EXPECT to have a good day, EXPECT to make work, school, or life fun, EXPECT to be the best you can be everyday - you'll find this attitude will cross over from all walks of life - personally and professionally.  Once these EXPECTATIONS become a habit, good things will continue to happen and finding success will be much easier than ever before.

Obviously there will be setbacks.  Everyone has those days where nothing goes right.  That is okay.  If you make those days the exception, and EXPECT good results every time you do something, you'll find your life improves daily.

The point of all this is because at The College Network, our self-paced education and training programs, namely the nursing independent study programs, require students to believe in themselves and have the want, need, and drive to finish their programs.  Creating GREAT EXPECTATIONS for yourself can mean the difference between finishing your degree, or not.

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

I have always had school sickness, as others have seasickness. I cried when it was time to go back to school long after I was old enough to be ashamed of such behavior.    -Jacques Derrida

Although it can definitely be intimidating, school should not be dreaded. With education you'll enhance your understanding of the world around you and allow yourself to become more specialized in your career.

While you may not always look forward to going back for your continuing education, it is a part of life.

Fortunately, I have some good news.

Did you know that The College Network is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation to offer Continuing Education contact hours?

This accreditation means that you are able to take your Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) courses online through The College Network! 

For more information about self-paced education and training, give us a call today. 1-800-39-LEARN

 

I am re-posting an article written by Tera Tuten, which appears on Healthcare Finance News, because I think it is extremely relevant to our readers. Social media advice tailored to nurses is a very different sort of RN training!  Online education certainly takes many forms.


When looking for a job, make the most out of every opportunity available to you. Social media is a key tool in your job search, and being visible on the Internet can make you stand out in an instant. If you go the extra mile and become active in social media, reach out to potential employers. You might discover the results you’ve been looking for. 

For those of you who are established in your career, the idea of continuing your education can be something that you might not see the importance of pursuing. You have experience and years on the job.  But, did you know that 31 states require registered nurses to obtain continuing education in order to keep their license current. You can click here to see a full state list.

After months and months of depressing statistics, the unemployment rate has finally begun to rise in the U.S. According to the U.S. Labor Department, the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5% in December with the addition of 200,000 new jobs.

With things slowly beginning to look up in the employment world, now is a good time to look for RN careers. However, if you're like many other people out there looking for a job right now, you may feel a bit overwhelmed and need some guidance as to where to begin.

The easiest and most accessible place to begin is on the Internet. Three popular job websites are monster.com, careerbuilder.com and indeed.com. With each of these sites, you can search by geographic location and desired job type. You never have to leave the comfort of your home because you can submit your resume directly through these sites.

Another great place to look for your desired nursing job is by visiting the website of any company you have an interest in. Most companies will post current available positions directly on their website.

In addition to the above ideas, social media can also be a great resource for the job hunt-specifically twitter. There are tons of great nursing resources on this site. For example, NurseConnect, GetNursingJobs and Nursing_Jobs all continuously post updated nursing jobs from all over the country every day.

It's a touch job market out there and you have to be creative when looking. With the above tips and the positive outlook on the job market, you will have a great chance of landing your dream nursing job. And remember, if the answer to your dream nursing career involves higher education, The College Network is here to help with our top online nursing programs from leading universities!

A key to success with any educational endeavor one undertakes is motivation. With any post-secondary program, there is no one forcing you to enroll in a program, attend class or study, complete assignments, and graduate. It is up to each of us to remember the reason why we desired a higher level of education in the first place to keep us going. For many, the possibility of a better way of life motivates us to continue past any periods of struggle and frustration.

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. 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that is. Do you have a nursing degree-perhaps an associates degree, but aren't really sure what your next move should be? If you're like many other nurses you probably love what you do, right? So, how can you stay in the nursing field, but also make a career change? It's simple, earn your bachelors degree in nursing and enjoy the opportunities that will come along with that.

By earning your bachelors degree in nursing you are putting yourself in a category of nursing that will earn a higher salary, have more responsibility and be exposed to more specialized work. Below is a chart indicating the average salary, broken down by years of experience, that nurses who have their BSN make annually.

 


Some of the job opportunities available to BSN nurses are Clinical Nurse Manager, Nursing Director, Nurse Case Manager, Emergency Room RN, Operating Room RN and Nurse Educator. Nurses who have their bachelors degree typically have more job security due to their advanced education and knowledge.

At The College Network we work with several top universities to offer convenient and affordable Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree programs. We have an LPN to BSN program and an RN to BSN program. With our self-paced programs, you can begin working towards your advanced degree with little interruption to your daily life. Most of our customers continue to work full-time, raise a family and still do all of the things the enjoy all while earning their degree.

If would like more information on our online Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, give us a call today at 1-800-395-1014. 

The Johns Hopkins Hospital is widely recognized for its nursing expertise, and they are utilizing innovative methods of sharing this expertise with the international nursing community. Video conferences for continuing education and webinars in places such as Abu Dabhi and Japan allow nurses all over the world to take advantage of what JHH has to offer. These programs were detailed recently in Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine.

Regarding international nursing education initiatives, Jane Shivnan, MScN, RN, AOCN, explains “My experience has been that the work of nurses around the world, though impacted by different things, is fundamentally the same. We are all problem-solvers—that’s the nature of the job no matter what we’re doing. Nurses worldwide are trying to solve problems to provide better care. It’s a privilege to be able to be involved in that."

The College Network participates in and encourages distance education for nursing, and applauds JHH and the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing in their international and national nursing education efforts.

 American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that there was a 3.9% increase in enrollment for BS in Nursing programs this year. Since the year 2000, there has been an annual rise in nursing school enrollment. from 2009 to 2010, there was a 5.7% increase! 

“With the Institute of Medicine and other leading authorities calling for significant increases in the number of nurses with baccalaureate and graduate degrees, moving to prepare a more highly educated nursing workforce has become a national priority,” said AACN President Kathleen Potempa, quoted on ModernHealthCare.com.

What does this mean to you? If you are an LPN--go for RN status! Associate prepared or Diploma RN? Think about the online BS in Nursing or the RN to MSN program! BSN Nurse? Time for the MSN! The demand for nurses continues to increase, but so do educational expectations. Research The College Network and see how we can help you to become more competitive in the ever-expanding nursing field!

There is an extremely high projected nursing need to account for the baby boom generation's aging and the healthcare system's expansion, and young people are increasingly stepping up to fill the gap. According to a study mentioned in an article on LATimes.com, the number of RNs aged 23-26 was at 165,000 in 2009, as compared to only 102,000 in 2002. The number is only going up, and if it continues the need for nurses may possibly be filled. California is certainly a hotbed of activity for new RNs--2002 saw only 5,300 people graduate from nursing schools in the state, whereas the 2009 number was over 11,500.

I talk to people in California on the phone all the time, and they tell me that the wait time for entrance into local nursing schools is very long. If you live in California and you want to become an RN, your options are not limited to local schools with swelling student populations. The online LPN to BSN program, offered by Indiana State University in partnership with The College Network, is a smart route to becoming a BSN Nurse that allows you to work and/or raise your family and complete your education when it is convenient for you---without the wait time!

If you are interested in learning more, give me a call at 1.800.378.8515. extension 4768, or checkout collegenetwork.com!

For Sherry Luckenbaugh, earning her online nursing degree was more than just a career move. "My dream had been to become an RN." Sherry was working as an LPN when she decided to enroll in the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree program. "I was encouraged to use The College Network from my coworker," she says.

Sherry is enjoying the experience of being back in school. "It feels wonderful to continue my education as an adult learner and has increased my self esteem." Developing a study routine has helped her stay on track in the program.

When she needed help, Sherry turned to The College Network for support. “I really appreciated the helpfulness and kindness of the academic advisors through The College Network,” Sherry said. 

Read more of Sherry's inspiring story here, or if you would like more information on our online degree programs, call 1-800-395-1014.

There is good news here at The College Network! We are extremely pleased to announce a newly forged partnership with Cape Fear Valley Health  of North Carolina. Nurses working for Cape Fear Valley Health will now have access to convenient, quality continuing education on their own time.  Their patients will see the benefits of a better educated workforce of nurses.  

"The partnership between Cape Fear Valley Health and The College Network is essential to our nurses because it provides them with convenient access to high education. Many nurses find it necessary to achieve advanced education in order to continuously provide the highest levels of patient care consistent with our organization," said Joy Miller, Director of Training and Development, Cape Fear Valley Health. More information is available at MarketWatch.

The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence has announced a new program that will focus the efforts of doctoral-level nursing students on providing specialized care to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to an article on Nurse.com. “Nurses are key professionals on a veteran’s healthcare team, and veterans may confide information about their mental and physical health and their deepest concerns about recovery that they may not be comfortable sharing with others. The Jonas program will go a long way toward better preparing nurses to care for the unique and growing needs of veterans,” said retired Major General Gale S. Pollock, CRNA, FACHE, FAAN, former interim Army Surgeon General in a news release.

The healthcare needs of recently returning veterans are great and varied. According to the Jonas Center, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have served more tours of duty than veterans of any previous war.  Mental and physical health of returning veterans requires special research and care, and the Jonas Center's new program will address these issues.

This is just one example of the exciting careers that continue to bloom within the nursing career field. If you are an LPN and you are wondering how to keep moving forward in your nursing career, consider advanced nursing education and research The College Network. A rewarding career awaits!

Everywhere you look right now stores are getting ready for the holidays. (Already)  It does seem as if this occurs earlier and earlier every year.  There was something so inherently wrong about seeing red and green decorations next to the orange and black of Halloween.   

Continuing with my series of The College Network Core Values, let's look at excellence.

We challenge the norms and commit to raising the bar with constant improvement.  Excellence means different things to different departments in our company, but from a customer standpoint, myself as a Program Advisor and others in customer service want to ensure that your experience is above and beyond what you expect every time you connect with us.

Personally, I want to convey our commitment to excellence by asking you to do the same.  Pursuing your advanced nursing education with us at The College Network requires you to raise your own bar and demand the best of yourself.  In this pursuit, you must display the courage and honesty to allow yourself to achieve what you want to achieve.  I have no doubt our team can help assist you in achieving your own excellence with your goals!

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

An inter-departmental effort by the University of New Hampshire has resulted in a new prototype for a training syringe to better instruct nursing students on how to deliver vaccines to patients.  The syringe offers real-time feedback so that nursing students and their instructors can determine the effectiveness of their vaccination method, and if necessary see how the methods can be improved. Force, trajectory, angle and pressure are measured on a computer screen.  This device is the first of its kind and could drastically improve both quality of education and quality of care, leading to more effective immunization programs.  At this point in time, there is no best-practice data related to giving injections; this will certainly change when the syringe passes the development stage and enters the market.  Read the full press release on NewsWise.

New technology leads to great improvement in the quality of nursing education and care.  If this inspires you, consider looking into higher education online and research The College Network.  The nursing field continues to both improve and expand!

Last week I had the pleasure of writing a success story about a customer who lives in Canada and used the help of The College Network to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Writing this woman's story reminded me of a gentleman I also spoke with a few months back who was enrolled in The College Network's Paralegal Studies Certificate program. He was from Germany.

The woman who lives in Canada was a nurse global in the United States when she decided to immigrate to Canada-her husband is Canadian and owns a business there. Because of the accessibility of our online nursing programs she was able to begin her degree in the U.S. and continue completing it once she moved to Canada.

The man from Germany was studying law and wanted to accompany his degree with paralegal knowledge. There were no programs that offered what he wanted where he lives in Germany, but Boston University's online Paralegal Certificate program was perfect for his needs, and The College Network was able to help.

That's the beauty of online education-it's global. Anyone can earn a degree from anywhere they have access to the Internet. Nowadays, finding an Internet connection is pretty easy. Coffee shops, restaurants, gas stations, retail stores and many others are offering free wi-fi. Also, most libraries have computer labs which are set up for Internet connection.

When I was in college, I went to a school that was four hours from my home. So, every summer I would have to pack up all of my things and move back home for three months. I wanted to continue taking classes during summer vacation (so I could stay on track to graduate in four years) so I had to enroll, each summer, in the local college near my home. I'm glad I took the summer classes, but let me tell you it was a big hassle!

I would have loved to have the opportunity to take my classes online, on my own time, from anywhere I chose to. Online education really does make life more simplified. Whether you are living here in the U.S., are global, or are thinking of immigrating to another country, The College Network is here to help you achieve your education goals. Call us today: 1-800-395-1014.

 I recently read an article out of the Midwest Region magazine "ADVANCE for Nurses" about the quickly changing role of a nurse.  The article, "The Present and Future Heart" focuses on the constantly evolving technology used in Cardiology.

While digesting the information, I was very excited to hear about what's in store for the future. Hospitals are working on creating technology that will allow people to diagnose diagnose heart problems from their own living room.

Although I'm not the typical candidate for a heart problem, it's still wonderful to see how I could possibly be helped in the future.

So what does all this mean for nurses? Well, with this technology quickly developing it's going to be very important to make sure you are well educated and able to adapt.

Nurses are and will be required to learn more now than ever before.

While this may be troubling for some to hear, since many of us have very busy lives, I do offer a solution. The College Network offers top online nursing programs that are NLNAC accredited. Our programs from leading universities allow you to work from home at your own pace, while still working and enjoying your personal life.

If you are interested in continuing your education online and preparing for the future of the medical field, please give us a call to learn more about the programs we offer.

We'll be happy to help you find the program that best fits your goals. Call a Program Advisor today at 1-800-39-LEARN.