Home Health Nursing - What Does It Entail?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 by The College Network Web Team

A home health nurse provides the access to freedom from hospitalization for many people.  A disabled person who needs medications and IV treatment can receive this care in the comfort of home when a nurse is able to come and treat them.  The nurse develops an individual medical care plan for each patient that enables them to live outside a hospital or rehabilitation center.  This plan will encompass their medical needs combined with their personal needs.  This skilled and creative style of nursing will allow someone with an education from a good nursing school to be a lifeline for many individuals.

The patients helped by the home health nurses need many different types of care and procedures. Nurses in this role could use their skills in medication, intravenous care, dressing care, nutritional counseling, paraplegic care, AIDS care and the management of laboratory tests in the home.  Depending on the patient's situation, the care could be as simple as weekly blood pressure checks or as complex as catheter care.  This is a wonderfully diverse area of nursing. 

Educating patients about their illness and its care is a large part of the job.  The home health nurse also educates the patient's family so that they can help and be aware of warning signs in the patient's condition.  

Home health nursing is a very rewarding career for those who want to make a difference in the lives of others. For more information on obtaining the education required to advance your nursing career, visit www.collegenetwork.com/blog or call 1-800-395-1014 today.  

Psychiatric Nurses

Saturday, October 30, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Psychiatric Nursing involves approaching patients with behavioral disorders and bringing about a change in their understanding and outlook by offering them therapeutic help. Patients need to be viewed from a holistic perspective to enable a positive turn in behavior after taking into account physical and mental health.

Most patients in need of psychiatric nursing are those suffering from mental illnesses, either acute or chronic, inclusive of psychosis, mood and personality disorders, neurosis, sexual assault and physical abuse. All of these complaints may or may not occur in conjunction with substance abuse or other medical problems.

Those aspiring to be psychiatric nurses need to be able to communicate confidently and well. They need to possess physical and psychological endurance. A psychiatric nurse also has to be prepared to face challenges which come with this specialization.

A psychiatric nurse can work as a staff nurse, a counselor, a therapist, a case manager or as a head nurse. This specialization offers autonomy and independence.

A registered nurse with a diploma, an Associate Degree in Nursing ADN or a bachelor’s degree in nursing from good nursing schools can work as a psychiatric nurse. However, a certification in Psychiatric Nursing is highly recommended.

Neonatal Nursing – What Does it Entail?

Saturday, October 9, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Due to improved medical technology, the field of neonatal nursing has become a specialty.  Now babies born with physical difficulties or birth defects and premature babies born with medical problems can survive, but they may need intensive care while in the hospital.  Nurses from good nursing schools and with some work experience gravitate to this specialty because it is so rewarding to work with these tiny patients and their families. 

The nursing activities include creating a care plan for the baby, assessing their needs, supervising that their needs are met and working in a very high technology environment.  Neonatal intensive care units in large hospitals have the latest in medical equipment to meet the needs of babies having trouble breathing, being too young to survive without the incubator, needing blood or dealing with diseases that have infected these young babies.  This specialty is perfect for a caring nurse who has completed one of the distance nursing programs and wants to make a real difference in health care.

To learn more about advancing your nursing education with no waiting list, contact The College Network online or call 1-800-395-1014.


Primary Care Office Nurses

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Primary care nurses are responsible for administering direct care to patients and managing the daily functioning of the practice office. These nurses are expected to offer direct assistance to patients and can treat many ailments by themselves or with the help of a doctor. If required, the nurse should be able to direct the patients to a specialist for further treatment.

Often, primary care nurses are exposed only to a specific set of patients as the office they are assigned or work in would cater to a certain section of the population. For example, offices can be dedicated to women, elderly or to those with mental illnesses.

The primary care nurse is the first one to be encountered in a clinic or office. He or she enquires after one’s health and evaluates the symptoms. The information obtained is then relayed to the doctor in charge to ensure faster response and treatment.

Primary care nurses are expected to have extensive knowledge of clinical skills and of a wide variety of injuries and sicknesses. They should have office management skills and be capable of offering direct care.

Registered Nurses RN with a diploma from one of the good nursing schools in the United States, and an Associates Degree in Nursing or a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing are deemed qualified to work as a primary care nurse. Most offices, however, require a certification to that effect. Primary Nurses are employed by ambulatory care clinics, outpatient care centers, clinics and  at HMOs.

Acute Care Nursing

Saturday, September 4, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

If you are an LPN or an LVN, and are looking into Schools for Registered Nurses, then you might be interested in getting into some of the specialty disciplines that RNs are involved in.

One is Acute Care Nursing.

Acute Care nurses help to assess and provide care for patients that have acute conditions.  Acute conditions include heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome or shock.

Acute care nurses might also care for pre-operative or post-operative patients.  They might also be involved in performing advanced, invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Acute care nurses may serve as:

  • administrators
  • case managers
  • patient and staff educators
  • policy makers
  • researchers
Schools for Registered Nurses will help you learn more about acute care nursing.  There are a number of good nursing schools that offer inexpensive nursing degrees to enhance your career.

Are you an RN?  Do you specialize in acute care nursing? Leave a comment below and share it with our readers!

Why Advance Your Nursing Degree?

Friday, September 3, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
If you are a paramedic, then you might want to know why on earth you'd want to go from a paramedic to RN.

Here is a list of reasons why you might be interested in taking distance nursing programs through the College Network Online so that you can advance your nursing degree:
  • 581,500 new jobs are available for RNs according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Employment for RNs is supposed to continue to increase - 22% from 2008 to 2018.
  • The current RN workforce is aging and therefore new jobs will open up.
  • RNs earn on average $62,450/year.
  • A lot of employers offer flexible schedules
  • You are usually part of a large hospital network that includes excellent health care coverage and dental care as well as retirement benefits.
  • There are a variety of specializations, so you can to choose the one that is right for you
Are you a nurse?  What sort of nursing degree do you have?  Do you enjoy your career?  Why or why not?  Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with our readers!

Ambulatory Care Nurse

Saturday, August 28, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

When you are a LPN or a LVN, the nursing specialties that you can get into are limited because of your degree.  Therefore, it's always a good idea to look into good nursing schools that offer inexpensive nursing degrees to help advance your education and get you the positions you deserve.

For example, once you have acquired your higher-level nursing degree, then you might be interested in being in ambulatory care.

As am ambulatory nurse, you will treat patients of all age ranges who might have an acute or chronic illness or injury.

As it so happens when it comes to ambulances, you might also be administering preventative care, pain management, case management, discharge planning, and patient education to those that have chronic illnesses or injuries as well as those that have experienced an emergency situation.

Schools for Registered Nurses will provided you with the education you need.  There are a number of institutions that offer inexpensive nursing degrees that will also help you figure out which discipline of specialty nursing interests you.

Are you a ambulatory care nurse?  How did you get into it?  Do you like it?  Leave a comment below and share it with our readers!

Occupational Health Nursing

Sunday, August 22, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
An occupational health nurse is employed by a corporation or the government to oversee the health and safety of employees. This nurse will provide pre-employment medical exams and drug screenings, assess and treat employees who get sick or are injured at work, and provide counseling and support. After your accelerated nursing courses, you can work for a large corporation and be a part of the risk management team.  This team would assess the workplace, identify health and safety problems and then advise the corporate managers how to improve the situation.

Another duty of the occupational health nurse is training of the supervisory staff in first aid and assessment of injured employees. A nurse with their ADN nursing degree will have the responsibility of managing employee health records and contacting employees if they need updating.  This nurse might also work on a corporate team that will develop and manage emergency procedures for the corporation.

An Occupational health nurse that has accelerated RN to BSN may end up managing the occupational health staff or running an occupational health center, as well as moving into nurse training or health service management.

Are you a Occupational health nurse?  Can you share with our readers a little bit about your job and what to expect if they are interested in being a Occupational health nurse?

Perianesthesia Nurses

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Perianesthesia nurses provide care to anesthetized patients before, during and after the operation. They explain the operative procedure to patients and help them relax. Throughout the period of anesthetization, and even after the operation, they maintain a sharp eye on the patient and report anything unusual to the physician.

Constant monitoring is required to ensure a safe progression from the anesthetized state to consciousness. After reaching consciousness, the patient’s vital signs are monitored as he returns to the standard state. Perianesthesia Nurses have to keep a lookout for complications arising due to anesthesia including pulmonary difficulties, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, and pain or emergence animation.

Perianesthesia nurses should be able to deal with stress and be flexible and prompt decision makers. They should be experienced at medical skills and critical care nursing. Being adept at operating all the high end medical instruments is another requirement. Team work is of prime importance where care of an anesthetized patient is concerned and therefore nurses should be excellent communicators and team workers.

To be able to work as a perianesthesia nurse, a diploma, an Associates Degree in Nursing Online or a bachelor’s degree in nursing from good nursing schools should be acquired.


Rehabilitation Nurses

Saturday, August 14, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Rehabilitation Nurses care for patients who have gone through treatment and are on the path to recovery. These patients may be temporarily, progressively or permanently disabled as a result of their illness or accident. Rehabilitation Nurses help them to cope with these disabilities and continue to live normal lives despite the odds.

Rehabilitation Nurses are specifically trained to assess and administer an exclusive plan for each individual to cope with his/her disability. They help patients learn how to talk, walk, write, eat and execute other tasks following sickness or injury during which they might have impaired those faculties.

Rehabilitation nurses also assist patients who are mentally ill or suffer from substance abuse. Teaching and empowering patients to live his/her life independently after a particularly debilitating condition forms a major part of rehabilitation nursing.

Rehabilitation Nurses should possess an innovative outlook. They should also possess medical and surgical knowledge, flexibility and patience. Being required to work with victims of varied diseases and disabilities, they have to undergo extensive training.

Registered Nurses with a diploma from one of the good nursing schools, an Associates Degree in Nursing Online or a bachelor’s degree in nursing can specialize as rehabilitation nurses by completing Accelerated Nursing Courses. They can gain employment in hospitals, free standing facilities, rehabilitation centers and in long term care facilities. If you are interested in obtaining these credentials to become a rehabilitation nurse, contact The College Network for more information.
 

Flight Nursing

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
Flight nursing or transport nursing is caring for patients in critical situations that need to be transported by air.  Usually this transport is by helicopter and it is often to a large trauma center in a nearby city or state.  Burn victims are transported to specialized burn units.  Seriously injured children are often transported to pediatric hospitals that specialize in that type of trauma.  Sometimes a patient with a less emergent situation will be transported by commercial airlines possibly to a transplant center. Registered nurses RN who are trained in this area travel with the patient to monitor their vital signs and give emergency treatment as necessary.

The transport nurse is concerned mainly about safety during this trip.  Their job is to see that the patient is in a safe situation and also that they are themselves.  Many nurses from good nursing schools who enter this field have previously been working in emergency rooms or intensive care units where they have learned to handle changes in a patient's condition quickly and efficiently.

Flight nurses work as part of a team.  The team might be the nurse and the pilot or it could be the nurse and a paramedic.   In really serious cases, a physician may be part of the transport.  Even if the physician is not on the vehicle, the nurse and their team stay in contact with a physician by radio or phone during the flight.  There are inexpensive nursing degrees available for those interested in entering this exciting field who need to obtain an RN license.

Urology Nursing

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

There are many specialities available to Registered Nurses RN upon receiving their nursing licenses.  The not so well known field of urology nursing is one of them.  This speciality deals with the urinary tracts, kidneys, bladders, ureters and urethras of both male and female patients.  The types of disease that this specialty works with are urinary tract infection, kidney stones, kidney infections, overactive bladder and prostatitis (enlarged prostate) among others.  All of these are diseases that make patients particularly uncomfortable and they need excellent care.

The duties of the urology nurse can be performing urologic examinations and treating acute urological health problems.  They order blood work and facilitate other laboratory studies that will help diagnose and treat bladder dysfunction and incontinence.  Nurses from good nursing schools will be teaching their patients about proper management of their urological problems.

The speciality of urology nursing is about providing preventative care and doing checkups and screenings for urological problems. The urological nurse will collaborate with physicians and other health professionals and work as a team for the best patient care. The duties of the urology nurse include giving self-care education to patients in catheter care, nutrition, exercises, medications, intermittent catheterization, incontinence, impotence, and biofeedback.  If this area of nursing intrigues you, there are inexpensive nursing degrees available.

Telemetry Nursing

Monday, August 9, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Nurses that specialize in telemetry are involved with monitoring patient's various body signs electronically.  They might typically work in an intensive care unit, a cardiac care unit or following patients post operatively on a surgical floor.  Graduates from good nursing schools who are interested in this intense patient care will constantly be honing their skills as medical technology progresses further.  This is an up-to-date specialty.

Registered nurses RN who are telemetry nurses have the duty of monitoring patients that have heart monitors, blood pressure monitors and various other specialized monitors to note and record the patient's reaction to certain medications and treatments.  These nurses would be the first to note any sign of distress with the patient and would be the first to respond to remedy the situation. 

Telemetry nurses who work with surgical patients are observing and watching their patients after surgery.  Often these patients will have had cardiac bypass surgery and will need to be closely watched for arrhythmias and other signs of heart failure.  Other surgical patients need to have their blood pressure carefully watched as a sudden drop may indicate that there is some internal bleeding.  Administering medications and checking for any dangerous side effects is also an important for the nurse in this specialty.  If you think you might be good at working with very sick patients and helping them and their families, this might be a specialty for you and you should be able to find inexpensive nursing degrees.


Careers Helping Patients

Saturday, July 31, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics is supposed to grow rapidly in the coming years.

In order to be a EMT or a Paramedic, you need formal training and certification or licensure.  The requirements vary by state and some require ongoing Paramedic Continuing Education.

Many people are drawn to the work of an EMT or a Paramedic because they have to have a quick reaction and be able to provide competent care to a patient.

If you are already an EMT or a Paramedic then you might be interested in a Paramedic to RN
program
or even an Online Paramedic to RN Program, as an RN you will also have the opportunity to make quick reactions to help people who are in danger and need competent care as a patient.

As a registered nurse, you will be able to work more closely with the patients, and you may have a more regular schedule. 

Are you an EMT or a Paramedic?  Were you one and decided to pursue your degree as a RN? Tell us about it and share your story so other readers can hear about it.  Leave a comment below!

Tips For Taking An Online Course Program

Friday, July 30, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
Did you know that you can get online degrees from leading universities without ever having to step foot on the campus of the actual university?

If you are looking for accelerated nursing courses, then look no further than The College Network. As an LPN or an LVN, then you have filled the requirements to take a course online for an Associate of Science in Nursing or Bachelors of Science in Nursing program!

If you've never taken an online course program, then you might be interested in the following tips!
  • Be sure that you have access to a computer that also has Internet access.  Many online courses are interactive with instructors and other students in the course.
  • You'll want to set aside time to study or to complete lessons.  Taking courses online requires discipline.
  • You'll want an area of your house that is free from distractions, so that you can get your studying done and have a full comprehension of the material when you are studying.
These are just some tips that you'll want to keep in mind when you are taking an online course. 

Have you ever taken an online course?  How did it go?  Do you have any additional tips for our readers?

Different Kinds Of Nurses

Friday, July 30, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Nursing is a very broad career term.  In fact, when it comes to registered nurses, there are many different career choices across all disciplines of the health care industry.

Here is just a short list of the sorts of specializations you can get into as a RN:

  • Acute Care
  • Administration/Management
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Antepartum / High Risk OB
  • Burn ICU
  • Cardiovascular
  • Case Management
  • Clinical Research
  • Community Health
  • Nurse Educator
If you are a LPN or a LVN would like to become a RN, then you will want to look into
schools for Registered Nurses.  There are a number of good nursing schools out there that will help you advance your career as a nurse and help you earn inexpensive nursing degrees.

Are you a RN?  Do you specialize in a certain sector of the health care industry?  Can you tell us a little bit more about it?  Leave a comment below and share it with our readers!

Labor and Delivery Nurse

Thursday, July 29, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
As you would imagine, a labor and delivery nurse works closely with the patient as well as her family.

They care for women who are in antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal stages of pregnancy, labor and birth.  A labor and delivery nurse deals with the patient whether she has complicated or uncomplicated labor and delivery. 

In order to be a labor and delivery nurse, you want to have critical thinking and fast decision making skills.  As a labor and delivery nurse, you would assess each mother and decide on the plan of attack for her labor based on her condition, situation and needs.  You might need to modify the plan if it isn't working for the mother, baby or the family for some reason or another.

If you are an LPN or an LVN and you would like to get into labor and delivery nursing, then you will want to check out come good nursing schools that offer inexpensive nursing degrees like an LPN to BSN or LVN to BSN degree. 

Are you a labor and delivery staff nurse?  How did you get into it? How do you like it?  What would you say to someone that is thinking of becoming a labor and delivery nurse?

Want To Be A RN?

Thursday, July 29, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

Have you been pondering the idea of becoming an RN?

If you are an LPN or an LVN, then you are already half way there and all you need to do now sign up for one of the distance nursing programs where you can get one of the inexpensive nursing degrees to become a RN.

As an LPN or LVN, there are two different types of degrees that will qualify you to sit for RN licensure. You can go back to school and earn your Associate Degree in Nursing ADN or complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

It is important to realize that many traditional nursing schools have waiting list for acceptance into their RN programs. However, The College Network offers online degrees from leading universities with no waiting list.

If you're interested in becoming an RN then you might look into good nursing schools where you can get your RN degree.

Are you a registered nurse?  What are some of your responsibilities?  What sort of advice can you give to someone who is interested in being a registered nurse?

Oncology Nursing

Monday, July 26, 2010 by The College Network Web Team
Oncology nursing is a challenging and rewarding speciality to continue in when you have finished your accelerated nursing courses.  This nurse works with patients that have cancer. These are patients of all ages, from infant to adult.  A person dealing with cancer goes through many physical changes during the course and treatment of the disease and a good oncology nurse can assess these changes and help with the appropriate treatment. 

With your ADN nursing degree, you can work with patients that come in for periodic chemotherapy treatments by administering their medications, assessing their reactions to these strong medications and teaching them how to deal with the side effects they may experience.  This nurse will know the patient and also will advise the patient's family on their care before and after these treatments.  There are other procedures where nursing care is needed such as radiation treatments and before and after bone marrow transplantation.  

The oncology nurse works in many different places and sometimes performs some therapies in the patient's home.  A nurse who earns an accelerated RN to BSN can study further and become a Certified Oncology Nurse after passing the board exams.  These nurses often work in large hospital research centers such as St. Jude's with teams that are trying new cancer treatments and therapies that can extend life and hopefully eradicate the disease.

Are you an Oncology nurse?  Can you share with our readers a little bit about your job and what to expect if they are interested in being an Oncology nurse?

Would You Enjoy Community Health Nursing?

Saturday, July 24, 2010 by The College Network Web Team

As a student at one of the good nursing schools, you are being exposed to the many different areas in which nurses can put their training to good use.  Community health nursing is a wide and varied speciality for nurses and uses most of the areas of training that a nurse has received.  This nurse, sometimes called a public health nurse, has the job of monitoring the community and making the public aware of areas where there is a rise in illness from a disease like AIDs to even a flu epidemic starting. 

The community health nurse works in various places in the neighborhood.  They staff clinics for low income families or people without health insurance.  This nurse educates families as to immunizations that should be given and how to keep all members of the family from babies to the elderly healthy.   A community health nurse will likely be part of the state's Health Department dealing with disease statistic gathering and public education on current health risks. 

Many of these nurses were interviewed during the recent Swine Flu epidemic regarding precautions and actions to be taken regarding the flu.  When you graduate from one of the distance nursing programs, you can be an asset to your community through nursing.

The Department of Elderly Affairs will utilize nurses to help with their inspections of nursing homes and assisted living centers to see if they meet state regulations.  There are inexpensive nursing degrees available to you that will open these community opportunities.