If you've considered furthering your nursing education through the pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), you've likely wondered about the potential benefits of holding a BSN. While there are many routes that lead to a solid nursing education, the most direct and beneficial route involves becoming a bachelor's-prepared nurse. In fact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Initiative on the Future of Nursing feels so strongly about the pursuit of a BSN that it hopes to increase the number of nurses with bachelor's degrees to 80 percent by 2020.

The College Network offers an online LPN to BS in Nursing program as well as several online RN to BS in Nursing programs. Below is a list of three major advantages of completing these programs and earning a bachelor's degree in nursing.

1. More Experience — Nurses who complete a bachelor's degree program have more experience in real-world hospital situations than those with a lesser degree. Most BSN programs require a significant number of clinical hours, which helps students feel more comfortable in the nurse role.
    
2. Broader Knowledge — Nursing bachelor's degree programs dive further into each nursing course and require completion of more courses than associate's degree and diploma programs. This gives students a broader knowledge base and enhances their problem solving and critical thinking skills.
    
3. Expanded Opportunities — With the changing nature of healthcare, hospitals are increasingly looking to staff their nursing units with nurses who have earned at least a BSN. Bachelor's-prepared nurses have a leg up on those who have only an associate's degree, and that helps them stand out when seeking initial employment as well as promotions. Additionally, some positions in the nursing industry (e.g., educator, researcher, and administrator) can only be filled by those with a bachelor's or higher degree.

If you're ready to advance your career with a BSN, contact The College Network today at 1-877-TCN-DEGREE (877-826-3347)!

May 15th is Police Officer's Memorial Day (part of National Police Week). Due to the high demand in nursing, many of TCN's efforts are focused on helping nurses achieve the next step in their education.  But we can offer so much more!  TCN has a wide spectrum of continuing education programs, including the Public Safety sector.  

Bellevue University offers two options for a Bachelor's in the Public Safety arena: Criminal Justice Administration and Security Management.  Bellevue offeres undergraduate degree programs in a cohort approach in an online learning format.  

Criminal Justice is designed for people working in or associated with the criminal justice system; Security Management looks at private and industrial security settings.

Read more about these programs on The College Network's website here.  

Read more about National Police Week here.

How will you impact the future of nursing?

We hope you've enjoyed our tribute to influential nurses throughout history in honor of Nurses' Week 2013. These extraordinary women accomplished great things to change the face of healthcare as we know it today. How will you make an impact on the future of nursing?

• LPN/LVN to RN
• LPN/LVN to BS in Nursing
• RN to BS in Nursing
• RN to MS in Nursing
• MS in Nursing

Are you ready to take the next step in your nursing education?

Call us at 1-800-395-1014 or

click here for more information.

"The surest test of discipline is its absence." - Clara Barton 

As you know, we've developed a series titled "5 Influential Nurses Who Changed the Face of Healthcare" in honor of Nurses' Week 2013. The third nurse profiled in our series is Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross.

If you're thinking about pursuing an online nursing degree, there are many steps you can take to journey toward success. An article recently published on nursetogether.com offers some helpful advice for surviving nursing school. Here are four tips to help you succeed in your pursuit of online education:

1. Stay organized. Use a calendar to keep track of reading assignments for yourself and to schedule your exams. When you log in to The College Network Resource Center, you will see a calendar for just this purpose on the left-hand side of your screen.
    
2. Discover your learning style and use it. People learn in many different ways, but there are typically three major learning styles: tactile, auditory and visual. You can take a learning styles survey in our Center for Learning Empowerment to find out which learning style works best for you. Once you know your optimal learning style, organize your studying around that style to maximize your chance of success.
    
3. Seek assistance if you need it. If you are having trouble with a particular concept, don't hesitate to ask for help! Our Academic Support team is available seven days a week to lend a helping hand.
    
4. Take care of yourself. In order to succeed as a nursing student, it's important to pay attention to your health. Make sure to get enough sleep and to eat a balanced diet so that you feel your best when studying and taking your exams. It's also a good idea to get regular exercise to keep your stress level low.

To learn more about the opportunities for advanced nursing education available through The College Network, visit our nursing degrees page or fill out our information request form.

Did you read today’s article in the Times-Herald on the increasing nursing shortage in the state of Georgia?

In this article, Dr. Grams, the Dean of the University of West Georgia, is predicting that there will be a shortage of nurses in Georgia that equals 20 percent by 2015, and that number could be as high as 260,000 nurses by the year 2025.

The shortages in nursing are due in part to our aging population, not enough quality nursing instructors and the limited amount of space to accommodate nursing applicant. Dr. Grams explained that her campus offers “a very competitive admissions program” and out of 350 RN applicants, most of them have to be turned away because her facility can only sit about 120.

Since 1992 The College Network has been offering great alternatives for working adults to earn their advanced nursing degrees online. We allow nurses to get started immediately with general education and elective courses. Nursing programs offered vary by state but include: LPN to RN (associate degree), LPN to BS in Nursing, RN to BS in Nursing, RN to MS in Nursing, and BSN to MS in Nursing.

If you or someone you know could benefit from an advanced nursing degree and have been considering alternatives, I would strongly encourage you to visit www.collegenetwork.com or contact Reggie Theodore, Atlanta area Program Advisor for The College Network, by calling  646-271-9617.

To read the article in its entirety, click on the link below:

http://www.times-herald.com/Local/20-percent-nursing-shortage-expected-by-2015-35675

In a recent post, I presented a list of the advanced nursing degrees you can earn with help from The College Network. But what are your options once you earn one of those degrees? You may be surprised to learn how many different directions your nursing degree can take you.

DiscoverNursing.com, the online leg of Johnson & Johnson's Campaign for Nursing's Future, offers a searchable list of 104 nursing specialties that might spark your interest. The list includes the name of each specialty, the broad category (or categories) under which each specialty falls, the education required to pursue each specialty and the main characteristics of each specialty. You can view the entire list, or you can explore the list by category or characteristic.

The specialties are grouped into the following nine broad categories:

1. Advanced practice
2. Clinical
3. Community
4. Emergency
5. Family
6. Management
7. Psychological
8. Surgical
9. Women's health

They are also grouped by the following nine characteristics:

1. Multifaceted
2. Patient-facing
3. Independent
4. Managerial
5. Structured
6. Research-oriented
7. Fast-paced
8. Behind-the-scenes
9. Multilingual

Johnson & Johnson's list of nursing specialties is a beneficial tool that can help you explore several healthcare areas that you may never have considered otherwise. For example, you can be a nursing writer, author or historian or a telephone triage nurse if you have an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). You can be a flight/transport nurse or a home health care nurse if you have an RN diploma (ASN or BSN).  And you can be a health policy nurse or a nurse educator if you have a BSN and an MSN or a PhD.

Don't limit yourself! Let The College Network help you earn your degree, and you'll be on your way to one of 104 nursing specialties!

As an LPN, you don't have to choose between your career and furthering your education. We make it possible to work and earn your degree at the same time. You can begin today and move at your own pace, setting your study schedule around the things that are important to you.

You may have even encountered the long waiting lists that many people find themselves on before they can enter nursing school. The College Network has designed an online learning environment exclusively for LPN’s, and you can begin working toward your advanced nursing degree as soon as you're ready - there is no wait list.

Hospitals in Georgia have also started requiring that their registered nurses hold a BSN--especially those hospitals who are attempting to earn Magnet status. Holding your RN license used to be the accepted standard, but in keeping with the call for a more educated workforce, hospitals now are giving more consideration to those nurses with their bachelor's degree.

Hospitals in Georgia struggle to find bachelor's-prepared nurses and because of this, have developed policies to address the issue.  These hospitals will hire nurses with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree, but will require those nurses to obtain their bachelor's degree within a certain number of years.

At The College Network, we have options for you if you are either an LPN or an RN who would like obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

We partner with Indiana State University to offer the only online LPN to BSN program in the country.  This three-phase program allows you to work through your general education and prerequisite courses with The College Network and then enroll with Indiana State University for your nursing transition courses and final nursing courses with concurrent clinical hours. Courses are delivered online, and you can get started today.

The College Network has helped over 200,000 nurses begin working toward an advanced education! We can help you too! Getting started is simple. Just call me, Jerry Kelly at 404-217-6638 or go to www.collegenetwork.com/kelly to learn more about how you can reach your dream of earning your advanced nursing degree in the state of Georgia.

In a recent blog, we highlighted the changing healthcare landscape and the call from the Institute of Medicine for 80% of nurses to hold at least a  bachelor's degree by the year 2020. As well, there is a push for nurses everywhere to go back to school with more and more hospitals reaching to achieve Magnet status which requires a high percentage of nurses to hold an advanced degree. If you're wondering how you can reach the next level in your education, here are some options for you with The College Network® and our partner universities.

If you are an LPN who would like to earn a bachelor's degree, The College Network partners with Indiana State University to offer the only online LPN/LVN to BS in Nursing program in the country. Work through your general education requirements using the The College Network's program and then transfer those credits to Indiana State University, where you'll complete the rest of your program and obtain your BS in Nursing degree. Learn more about Indiana State University's program. 

Are you a registered nurse who wants to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree? Regis University offers an online RN to BSN degree designed for busy nurses which allows you to complete your upper-level nursing courses in just 12-20 months. Regis University has full time faculty dedicated to their online students and offers a very student focused experience. You can learn more about Regis by watching the video below. 

The best part about our bachelor degree options is that there are no waiting lists. You can get started today in your degree program. So if you're ready to find out more, call us at 800-395-1014 or simply click here. 

For us who nurse, our nursing is a thing which, unless we are making progress every year, every month, every week, take my word for it, we are going back.
~ Florence Nightingale

Well known as the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale advocated for continued advances in healthcare and nursing throughout her life. And although she died over a century ago, her famous words about forward movement in the nursing field still ring true. In order to keep up with the ever-changing healthcare industry, nurses must continue to grow in their profession through the pursuit of advanced education. 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Initiative on the Future of Nursing highlights eight recommendations for nurses, and three of those recommendations push nurses to attain higher levels of education. The following educational recommendations aim to prepare nurses for improved patient care and continued advancements in the nursing field:

• Increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate degree to 80 percent by 2020.
• Double the number of nurses with a doctorate by 2020.
• Ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning.

If you're ready to improve the future of nursing by moving forward in your career, The College Network can help you take the next step. We offer the following online associate's, bachelor's and master's nursing degree programs:

• LPN/LVN to RN (associate's degree)
• Paramedic to RN (associate's degree)
• LPN to BS in Nursing
• RN to BS in Nursing
• RN to MS in Nursing
• MS in Nursing

Make Florence Nightingale proud, and decide to advance your nursing education this week, month and year! For more information about the online nursing degree programs available through The College Network, visit our nursing degrees page.

If you are an LPN/LVN, you’ve probably considered going back to school to earn your degree and RN license. With the demand for qualified RNs on the rise, it’s a great time to start working toward a higher nursing credential.

Earning your associate’s degree in nursing isn’t the only way to get your RN license—in fact, there are lots of benefits to earning your bachelor’s degree instead.

The 80 by ‘20 Push

By now, you’ve probably heard about the Institute of Medicine’s 2011 recommendation—it states that 80% of all RNs should hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) by the year 2020. But why is the industry pushing for higher nurse education? The simple fact is, due to the demanding nature of the patient landscape, the role of the RN is changing. RNs are required to take on more responsibilities than before, working directly with physicians to diagnose patients and manage teams of LPNs.

To be successful in these new working conditions, it is beneficial to have a bachelor’s-level nursing education. In fact, many healthcare facilities are raising their minimum education requirements for RNs as a result of this industry-wide push.

Aside from mastering the necessary clinical skills, BSN students gain an in-depth understanding of leadership skills and managerial strategies, preparing them to lead and manage teams of nurses and move up within their organization over time. Most nurse managers are required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

As RNs retire at a rapid rate, the number of open positions for BSN-RNs is on the rise. Over 55 percent of today’s RNs and nurse leaders plan to retire by 2020, creating more leadership opportunities for BSN-prepared RNs.

Go From LPN to BSN with One Online Program

As an LPN, your bachelor’s degree in nursing is well within your reach.  Although there are many degree programs that can bridge the gap between LPN and BSN, there is only one LPN to BS in Nursing program that can be completed entirely through distance learning. The LPN to BS in Nursing program from Indiana State University allows to complete your course work online, meaning you can continue to work in your current job while completing your degree. Upon graduation, you’ll receive your bachelor’s degree in nursing and will be ready to make an impact as a BSN-prepared RN.

To learn more about the LPN to BS in Nursing program from Indiana State University, watch the video below.

If you’d like more information on the LPN to BS in Nursing program, feel free to call us at 800-395-1014 to speak with a Program Advisor. You can also request more information by clicking here. 

“Students and employers are increasingly finding value in the way subjects can be mastered in a digital environment." U.S. News has long provided data and a ranking to determine which schools have the best bachelor’s and master’s degree programs available.  They are now expanding this list to include online programs.  They do warn you that they have to rely on schools to report key metrics (such as graduation dates and debt levels) but as the popularity of online programs increases, it is important to know what is out there and what your options are.   Click here to read the full article.  Click here to see how each school was ranked as well as explore the other categories U.S. News used to rank programs and schools.  

P.S. One of The College Network's partner schools, Bellevue University, was ranked #9 for Best Online Bachelor's Programs!

Another partner of The College Network, Regis University, was ranked #26 for Best Online Graduate Nursing Program!

Most of us have considered going back to school at one point or another. I want go back to school to get my master's degree. I, like you, research programs to see what will work best for my lifestyle. I will need to continue to work my full time job and run my household, while I obtain my degree. The reasons that we decide to go back to school as an adult are much the same--no matter what degree that we pursue. 

So, let's talk about my top 5 reasons.

1. Career Advancement--Earning your associate's or bachelor's degree will open up more career opportunities for you. If you earn your Associate Degree in Nursing online, you can move forward in your career to become an RN. If you earn your Bachelor's degree in Fire Science, you can advance into higher ranks and move into a leadership role. But whatever degree you pursue, earning it will lead to more options for your career. 

2. Earning Potential--By advancing your education and earning your degree, you increase your earning potential. The easiest example of this is the difference in pay between an LPN and an RN. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average salary for an LPN at $40,380 and the average salary for an RN at $64,690. That is a remarkable difference!

3.Expanding Your Horizons--Learning opens us up to all kinds of experiences. I think we can rediscover our love of learning and how much we enjoy the challenge of finding answers. It can spark a lifelong love of new adventures.

4. Achieving Your Dream--By earning your degree, you will accomplish a milestone in your life. It is one that will take hard work and dedication. There might be times along the way when you feel like giving up--but you can push through to keep going. Thinking about how your life will change can help to motivate you to stay on track.

5. Inspiring Others--Most people don't realize that by reaching their goal, they inspire others to take a chance and follow their dream too. You will impact those around you with your success and will be a role model for those that are contemplating taking the next step in their career.  

I'm sure after reading these reasons, you might even have more reasons to add to your list. If you're ready to discover more about earning your degree online through The College Network and one of our partner universities, call us today at 800-395-1014. Or you can request more information here. 

What do you think of when you hear of career options in the healthcare field? Do you think it only means a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or someone that has a nursing degree? There are actually many diverse career options in the healthcare field. And it's a field that is not only stable but growing according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Let's look in particular at a Medical and Health Services Manager. People with this type of degree are often the staff in doctor's offices or hospitals that manage medical services. They may manage an office, a department or a nursing home. And there are different focuses within medical and health services that might match your interests. Nursing home administrators, clinical managers, health information managers or assistant administrators are just a few of the positions that you could hold.

To become a Medical and Health Services Manager, you will need to have your bachelor's degree. Earning your Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Bellevue University will enable to you pursue a career in health services. Bellevue University awards transfer credit for previous college credits, so you might be closer to earning your degree than you think.

Working through our online program at The College Network® will enable you to continue to work in your field while earning your degree. Bellevue University also offers many other bachelor's degree options such as business, criminal justice or software development and many more. If you would like to learn more about the bachelor's degree in healthcare management program at Bellevue, simply click here to request more information or call us at 800-395-1014 to find the right degree program for you.  

As you work through your online degree program, do you share your success with friends and colleagues?  Do you announce on your Facebook or Twitter account that you have passed an exam?  If you do, you probably have people who congratulate you on your success and ask you about your degree program. 

Since you are inspiring others with your success, are you also helping them to advance their education?  The College Network's EARN program is for people like you who want to achieve their dream of an associate's or bachelor's degree and also help others. If you are a nurse who works in a hospital or long term care facility, I'm sure there are other nurses who would benefit from an online LPN to BS in nursing program or those who dream of obtaining their associate of science in nursing.  

EARN stands for the Educational Ambassadors Resource Network™. It's comprised of people who have referred their friends and colleagues. One of the best things about this network is that enables people to start their own study community while they support their own education.

As a customer of The College Network®, when you refer someone and that person enrolls in a degree program, you will receive $200.  And on your sixth referral, remaining balance on The College Network portion of your loan will be paid in full. So while you support your education, inspire others to achieve the same success and create your study community. You will be recognized for your efforts.

Want to learn more about the EARN program? Go here to find out more about how it works and for a complete list of rules and guidelines. And if you are already to refer someone today, you can go to our online referral form.  Keep up the good work, and keep inspiring others! 

Happy New Year!!!

Hopefully you had a great 2012 but I want to help you have an even better 2013 by fulfilling one of your biggest resolutions.

Every single year people make a ton of different resolutions:

• This is the year I finally lose that extra 10 pounds
• This is the year I finally stop smoking
• This is the year I finally start flossing (no? Maybe just me)

While oftentimes it is looked at as goal that supersedes a resolution, I want to tell you why this should be the year you choose to finish your online education.

To me, there is nothing more rewarding than learning a new skill or finally mastering something that you have been working on for a while. Rarely, do these new skills tend to lead to you getting a raise at work.

As much as I would love to learn to play a new instrument, here in the field of online education, I'm not going to make any more money for doing it.

What am I getting at?

Well, just by completing your degree and passing your NCLEX-RN you can get a job making up to $20,000 more each year.

While this may seem like a larger undertaking than learning a new instrument or foreign language, I want to assure you that it is not.

When you are learning anything new, how do you get better at it?

1. Practice
2. Practice
3. Practice
4. More Practice

If you are not spending at least 10 hours a week practicing guitar or French, how do you expect to retain it? 

What if you could finish your associate degree in nursing in 18 months solely by "practicing" 10 hours a week?

At The College Network, our online comprehensive learning modules have been designed specifically to make this a reality.

Many people that work on one of our courses spend about 10 hours a week and finishes one course in just over a month.

Now that's progress!

So what are you waiting for? Make 2013 the year you earn your degree, move up at work, and make an average of $20,000 more a year.

Ein Peck, Program Advisor

(800) 307-1006, ext. 4786

We're excited to launch Education Editorial — a new eMagazine from The College Network®. This edition is packed with valuable articles written by experts in nursing and healthcare. 

We are officially in the holiday season. It's a time that most of us look forward to seeing our family and friends, while enjoying the feeling of contentment we get from being around those we love. But it can also be really stressful. We try to manage our work, our shopping, our studying, our volunteering, our family--it's overwhelming at times.  

Because of everything going on in your life, you might think that it's a great time to stop studying, put aside your online education and take a break.  I want to encourage you not to do that.  Be sure that as you are scheduling your holiday get-togethers, you are also scheduling your study time.

Why not take a break?

Here's why. You will get to the first of the year and wish that you had studied so that you were further ahead in your associate degree in nursing or your RN to BS in nursing program. We want you to reach the first of the year, look back at 2012 and be happy with how much you accomplished. If for some reason you feel like you won't be able to do that--call us. 

The College Network's academic support team can work with you to help you get back on track and move forward. We can make sure you have a study plan and help you chart your course to make your degree attainable--for you. We know that you can do it, and everyone needs some help now and then. 

You can reach our academic team at 800-634-1443. Or call one of our program advisors at 800-395-1014 to learn more about our other online programs and what is the best fit for you. 

Although the unemployment rate increased slightly in October-going from 7.8% to 7.9%-the United States still added 171,000 new jobs. Amongst the top industries contributing to these new jobs was health care with 31,000 new positions added.

If you are unemployed or just looking for a more stable career, health care is an excellent choice, and The College Network can help get you started down this new path. We have several different programs for you to choose from to earn an online degree in the health care field:

Associate's Degree Programs

• LPN/LVN to RN
• Paramedic to RN

Bachelor's Degree Programs

• LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• RN to BS in Nursing
• Health Care Administration
• Health Information Management
• Healthcare Management

Master's Degree Programs

• RN to MS in Nursing
• MS in Nursing

The College Network offers academic support for our portion of these degree programs from leading universities, so when you enroll with us, you are never alone. Your success is just as important to us as it is to you, and we will work with you as much as you need our help to ensure that you master the knowledge you are learning. There has never been a better time to begin a career in the healthcare industry, so if you would like more information on our online degree programs call 1-800-395-1014.

There are quite a lot of customers at The College Network who have taken advantage of the EARN program. But, there are also quite a few that haven't yet. And, if you don't know about it--let me tell you the ways that it can help you with your degree program.

The EARN program helps customers create their own study communities by referring their friends and coworkers. There are some of our customers who work together that will meet in the cafeteria every week for a study group.  It helps motivate them and gives them a support system. I think It's always helpful, when you don't quite understand a concept, to hear someone explain something to you from their perspective.  

The EARN program also benefits customers by supporting their education. You see, as a customer of The College Network who is obtaining an associate degree in nursing or working towards a bachelor's degree, you will receive $200 for each person that you refer to The College Network when they enroll in a degree program. And, when you reach your sixth referral--The College Network portion of your program loan will be paid off!  

Need more motivation?  I recently worked with a customer on her success story. She just reached her loan payoff by referring her friends at work. To help them succeed in their program, she gave them the $200 she had received for the referral so they could use it to pay for their first exam. She is motivating them to succeed by inspiring them with her success. And, she has earned every part of it!

Call us today at 866-567-6150 to make a referral or you can also go online--create your own study group and support your education.