Registered Nurses Program

The College Network partners with Regis University to offer an online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program that can help you become a leader in the nursing industry. In fact, the program focuses on leadership in healthcare systems. Become an MSN-prepared nurse, and you'll be qualified for a number of leadership positions, including chief nursing officer, nursing director, and nurse administrator.

NurseTogether recently published an article that discusses principles for practical nurse leadership. If you're interested in earning your MSN and becoming a nurse leader, you should keep the following tips in mind:

1. Exemplify the behavior you encourage in your subordinates. As a nurse leader, it's important for you to set a good example for your subordinates and to stay humble in your leadership position. You should never feel that you are above picking up trash in a hallway or helping a lost patron. Leading by example will help you earn the respect of patients, subordinates, peers, and superiors.
    
2. Surround yourself with employees who are willing to grow with you. If you have subordinates who are unwilling to put in the effort required to meet team goals, you must be ready and willing to make a change. You cannot be successful as a leader if you are unable to get all employees working toward the same goals.
    
3. Remember where you started. To be an effective leader in the nursing industry, you must stay on top of the day-to-day tasks performed by licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and other members of your healthcare team. It's a good idea to periodically walk through a shift with someone in a position you once held in order to get a true understanding of the changes that have taken place in areas like patient care.
    
4. Recognize and spend time with star employees. Low-performing employees often occupy a great deal of a leader's time because low performers are more willing to take time away from work to chat, and low performers also require more coaching. As a result, high-performing employees are often ignored. If you want to be an effective leader, you must find time to converse with and recognize high performers. These star employees bring a lot of value to the company, and you don't want to risk losing them to a leader who reaches out and recognizes that value before you do.

A study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that nurses believe cost, family/children, and lack of time are the three most significant barriers to their pursuit of advanced education. The study is part of the RN Work Project, which is a 10-year research project that began in 2006 and seeks to uncover information about the turnover, attitudes, and intentions of new registered nurses (RNs). The project collects data from nurses in 34 states who live in both rural and metropolitan areas.

According to the study, many nurses who reported cost and lack of time as barriers to educational advancement also reported feeling challenged by the idea of trying to schedule their classes around their work schedules. One of the lead investigators for the study—Christine T. Kovner, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor at the New York University College of Nursing—stressed the importance of making advanced nursing classes available to nurses at more convenient times and in more convenient places. The College Network (TCN) offers these conveniences and more with our online nursing degree programs.

By giving nurses the opportunity to earn online degrees from top universities, The College Network breaks through the barriers that deter nurses from completing traditional, campus-based nursing programs. With online education, nurses can complete their courses whenever and wherever it is convenient for them. They can work at their own pace and set their own schedules for studying and taking exams so that they won't miss out on family time or compromise their positions at work. Additionally, TCN programs can save nurses up to 50 percent over the cost of campus-based college degree programs. (See "How can I pay for my college education?" on our FAQ page for information on financing.) Nurses can also receive financial rewards for referring others to TCN programs through our EARN referral program.

Call The College Network today at 1-800-395-1014 to talk to a Program Advisor and learn more about tearing down traditional educational barriers through our online degree programs. Also, check out this post on The College Network Blog to read more about the benefits of an online education.

Nursing has long been a female-dominated profession, but the number of males entering the field is on the rise. A recent study conducted by the United States Census Bureau found that male representation among registered nurses climbed from 2.7 percent in 1970 to 9.6 percent in 2011. The percentage of male licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses also increased—climbing from 3.9 percent in 1970 to 8.1 percent in 2011. This is good news for men looking to break the gender stereotype in nursing.

There are a number of compelling reasons for males to become nurses. An article recently posted on the Minority Nurse Blog details many of these reasons. The article says men should consider joining the nursing field on the following grounds: 

• Men can help decrease the current nursing shortage.
• Nursing includes a technical component that often appeals to men.
• The nursing field offers a variety of specialties, which gives men the ability to pursue specific areas of interest (e.g., emergency, trauma, or pediatrics).
• Nursing organizations have been created that specifically support male nurses (e.g., American Assembly for Men in Nursing).
• Nursing offers the competitive wages and financial stability that many men seek.

If you are a male considering a career in nursing, The College Network wants to help you get started! Click here to learn more about our online nursing degree programs. Don't wait to join the movement and break the gender stereotype in nursing!

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. 

You’ve graduated from nursing school and now you are ready to hit the ground running in your new career. Congrats! It is a great time to be a nurse. Despite ongoing changes in the job market, over 32,000 new health care jobs were created in the month of February.

So, what supplies do you use during a day on the job? The items you carry may vary depending on your area of specialization. If you have specific questions on which supplies you need, be sure to check with your supervisor. In the meantime, here are some helpful tips for staying prepared. 

On Your Person:

While each nurse has their own personal preference for what to carry during the workday, there are some essentials that you need to have. Here are some common supplies that you’ll likely use on the job: 

1. Stethoscope


2. Penlight


3. 2 pens


4. Hemostats


5. Tape


6. Scissors


7. Alcohol prep pads

In Your Locker:

1. Lotion: Washing up repeatedly can be taxing on your skin. Keep lotion in your locker to help sooth your hard-working hands.  


2. Hand sanitizer: Though there are probably plenty of opportunities to sanitize on the floor, it never hurts to be prepared.


3. Ibuprofen: Let’s face it—a long shift can sometimes be a headache.  


4. Energy bars: For a quick energy boost during your shift, keep a box of granola bars or energy bars in your locker. These snacks are a good source of protein. Though there are countless brands to choose from, some of the healthier options include Clif Bars and Nature Valley.


5. Vitamin Packets: No matter how hard you try, you’ll still be exposed to some nasty germs on the job. Since you are probably already drinking water during your shift, try mixing a vitamin packet like Emergen-C® into your drink. Crammed with nutrients, these flavored packs will make your water a little less boring.

If you are interested in becoming a registered nurse, there’s never been a better time than now. If you are an LPN or RN seeking to further your nursing education, The College Network can help. To learn more, call us at 800-395-1014 to speak with a program advisor. Or, view a full list of our degree programs for nurses or request more information here. Good luck!

Since the 2011 release of The Future of Nursing report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthcare researchers have continued to justify the push for more baccalaureate-level registered nurses. One of the most powerful testaments to the power of baccalaureate education lies in the fact that facilities with more BSN-RNs have better patient outcomes.

The most recent evidence of improved patient results comes from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who reviewed outcomes from 134 Pennsylvania hospitals. The resulting study showed that a 10-point increase in the percentage of bachelor’s-level RNs was directly linked with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every 1,000 patients.

The report is the University of Pennsylvania’s most recent piece of evidence in an ongoing effort to emphasize the link between baccalaureate-level education and improved care. In 2008, the University partnered with the Journal of the American Medical Association to release a similar study, which revealed that a 10 percent increase in the number of BSN-RNs on staff led to a 5 percent decrease in the risk of patient deaths.

In order for healthcare facilities to improve their bachelor’s degree-level nurse ratios, more nursing students will need to start choosing baccalaureate degrees over associate degree programs.  In 2011, 60 percent of candidates who passed the NCLEX-RN^® exam held an associate’s degree, while only 40 percent held a baccalaureate degree. In today’s workforce, only 45 percent of U.S. nurses hold a bachelor’s degree. The number of nursing students entering BSN programs will need to increase significantly if the industry hopes to meet the IOM’s recommendation, which states that 80 percent of RNs should hold a bachelor’s degree by 2020. 

If you are interested in earning your bachelor's degree in nursing, now is the time. The College Network offers a variety of options for LPNs and RNs who are interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree. To learn more, you can view a full list of our degree programs for nurses or request more information. Or, call us at 800-395-1014 to speak with a program advisor. 

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.  

I have seen quite a few postings on Facebook lately about what people are thankful for at this time of year. Personally, I think it's a great practice to develop. So many times we don't think about being grateful for the little things we have in our life. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hectic schedules that we try to keep up. Work, exercise, school, kids, parents, friends...the list never ends. 

I encourage you to take a moment today to be thankful for the education that you have. It has brought you to where you are. If you think about education as building blocks in your life, you can see how far you have come. We learned to read, then write and then figure out if the sum of y is equal to or greater than x. (I still haven't figured that one out and as an English major, I hold little hope that I will.) Once we have those in place, we moved onto a more career-focused education. 

Many of you have completed your training and are now LPNs. It was this building block that allowed you to move forward and become a working nurse. Are you now ready to talk about your next building block?  The College Network offers a way for you to earn an Associate of Science in nursing degree to provide the education requirements necessary to become a registered nurse.   

Through our partnership with Indiana State University, we are also able to offer the only NLNAC-accredited LPN to BS in Nursing degree program that can be completed entirely through distance learning. This self-paced program allows you to work as an LPN while working toward your degree.  

Call us today at 800-395-1014 to learn more about our nursing programs.  It's time to think about the next building block you need to move forward. You will be thankful you did. 

In today’s economic conditions, there are very few career paths that guarantee job stability. But, according to a 2012 report from Newsweek’s The Daily Beast, nursing graduates have the best chance of being hired upon graduation. Nursing ranked as the #1 most useful major on the website’s recent list of the “13 Most Useful College Majors,” followed by mechanical and electrical engineering.

According to the report, the unemployment rate for recent nursing graduates is 4%, a league above the current national unemployment rate of 8.3%. At 1.9%, the unemployment rate for a nurse with previous field experience is even more promising.  This means that nurses who choose to return to school in the near future have a greater chance of landing a job upon graduation than students in any other profession in the country. For nurses who’ve been considering going back to school for a higher credential, the numbers show that now is most definitely the time.  

This isn’t the only time nursing has ranked #1 for job stability; registered nurses ranked first on U.S. News’ “25 Best Jobs of 2012” report. At a time when our country’s economic future is uncertain, it certainly pays to be a nurse.

If you’ve been thinking about earning your RN with an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in nursing, don’t put it off any longer. Here at The College Network, we’ve created programs that make earning your degree simpler than ever before.   Contact The College Network at 800-395-1014 to speak with one of our knowledgeable Program Advisors and get started today.

A recent joint UK and South African study shows that nurses taking over duties for HIV patients resulted in no negative impacts and actually showed patient benefits, including improvement in tuberculosis detection rates, increased weight and white blood cell count, and better compliance with the treatment program. This could open the door to shifting responsibility from physicians to registered nurses, and serves to underscore the increased importance of nurses in the changing global healthcare system.

Becoming an RN today includes new challenges, opportunities and career paths that only serve to increase in the near future as the nursing role becomes more prominent. “Our findings show that with very little extra training and support nurses can deliver HIV care that is just as safe and effective as that provided by doctors,” said joint lead author Professor Max Bachmann, of Norwich Medical School at University of East Anglia. Read the entire article here, and continue to seek updates in the ever-evolving field of nursing on The College Network Nursing Blog. 

The College Network has exciting news for Texas LVNs! We are now making it possible to complete an LVN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program entirely through distance learning. This program, available through Indiana State University, will enable you to sit for your NCLEX-RN exam in Texas.

As you know, registered nurses can make significantly higher salaries and have increased job opportunities. It is more important than ever before to advance your education by becoming an RN and earning a BS in Nursing considering a recent report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine that calls for 80 percent of RNs to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing by 2020.

Indiana State University partners with The College Network to provide you with a way to continue your education while you continue working full-time as an LVN. We will work with you to ensure you have the education and training you need to advance your career right away without the need for long waiting list.

Please contact The College Network at 1-800-395-1014 to learn more about this program!

Very best regards,

Joel Kimzey

Many people I have the pleasure of talking to on a day-to-day basis ask me to help differentiate The College Network from Excelsior College® in obtaining their Associate of Science in Nursing Degree.  For your information, I'd like to go over a brief synopsis of what roles we each have in this process.

If you are a nurse, you most likely have heard of the call by The Institute of Medicine that by the year 2020, 80% of nurses hold Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.  It is a call to action for the nursing industry to respond to the changing needs of the healthcare system.

Hospitals have also started requiring their registered nurses hold a BSN--especially those hospitals who are attempting to be awarded Magnet status.  This change has happened in the last several years.  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 struggle to find BSN nurses to hire and because of this have developed policies to address this.  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 are an RN who would like obtain a Bachelor's degree in nursing.  

We partner with Indiana State University to offer the only LPN-BSN online program.  This 3 phase program allows you to work through your general education and prerequisite courses with The College Network and then enroll with Indiana State for your nursing transition courses and final nursing courses with concurrent clinical hours.  Everything is online and there is no waiting list.  You can get started today.

For those registered nurses who are seeking their Bachelor's degree, you can obtain your degree through our partner, Regis University.  You can complete your upper-level core nursing courses in 12-20 months.  You can decide to work through a fast-track progression or a standard progression--depending on what works best with your busy lifestyle. 

Call us today at 800-395-1014 to learn more about these programs and find out which one is the best fit for you. Your Bachelor's degree is waiting for you.  

Did you know as a Paramedic, you can earn your Associate Degree in Nursing degree in as little as 18 months and continue to work while you do it?    

As a paramedic, you are used to working long hours.  Oftentimes, you might be on call for 24 hours straight.  Being an registered nurse will afford you the opportunity to work on a set schedule and usually 40 hours a week (some nurses work more hours if they want to pick up extra shifts).  

Now, let's talk about your salary.  Registered nurses earn on average twice as much as paramedics. While according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics both fields will grow between now and the year 2020, as a paramedic to RN you have more job opportunities and will be able to earn more.  

I spoke to one of our customers about his experience, as a paramedic who earned his associate degree from a leading university using The College Network to move into a nursing role. It gave him a great foundation and helps him in his current role as an emergency room nurse working with critical patients.  You can read more about William's story here.  

If you want to learn more about the paramedic to RN program, please check out our website.  Or you can always call one our Program Advisors at 800-395-1014 for more information. 

Did you know that moving to a new city can mean a big raise in pay? If you're an LPN/LVN or RN, keep in mind that certain locations offer higher salaries than others. Of course, it's always wise to do your research before a move -- your final pay depends largely on the cost of living in your new city and the type of healthcare institution you are looking for. Salaries tend to decrease as you move away from major cities. 

With the help of Scrubs Magazine and PayScale.com, we've dug up some stats on the highest-paying destinations for nurses. The country's major cities hit the top of the list -- but a few of these high-paying places might surprise you:

  LPN/LVNs (Annual Salary): 

Thursday June 14, the American Nurse's Association (ANA) hosted the 2012 Healthy Nurse Conference in Washington, DC. The theme of this year's one day event was "Nurses as Models of Wellness in Action."

The purpose of the event was to strengthen nurses' knowledge of healthy lifestyles so they may be inspired to integrate those habits into both their RN careers and personal lives. Registered nurses are continuously educating others on healthy habits, but often times they forget about the importance of implementing these behaviors into their own lives. The 2012 Healthy Nurse Conference and others like it help nurses remember to take care of themselves while they care for others. 

If you are thinking about becoming an RN and would like more information on how to get started, call The College Network today and speak to a Program Advisor at 1-800-395-1014.

This post is the first in a series about in-demand jobs today, the hottest job sectors and their related college and educational requirements.  

Higher Education is about learning and learning is about curiosity and growth. Learning new information and skills helps us all respond to the changing landscape of our world. At The College Network® (TCN) we provide the framework, but the curiosity to learn and grow comes from within.

In these challenging times of high unemployment and the need for many to earn nursing or other college degrees in order to advance their careers, we invite you to explore The College Network.  The College Network has been and is a great resource helping hundreds of thousands of people like you pursue their educational goals.

There are many lists of the most in-demand jobs, but we found that the "25 Best Jobs of 2012"  published by U.S. News & World Report has the most comprehensive method of ranking. A summary of the top 10 jobs from this list follows.

1. Registered Nurse

2. Software Developer

3. Pharmacist

4. Medical Assistant

5. Database Administrator

6. Web Developer

7. Computer Systems Analyst

8. Physical Therapist

9. Computer Programmer

10. Maintenance and Repair Worker

Follow the link above for more details including median salaries, the growth rate and the total number of jobs available through the year 2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Please be sure to research The College Network as you learn about the kind of high-value, cost-effective education programs that we offer to help you realize your personal goals.

Thanks for reading our Blog and good luck in your pursuit of a better future!

The Staff at The College Network

I need inspiration. I find myself pondering over and over--"what should I write my blog about?" So, my inspiration for my blog is just that--finding inspiration.  

Oftentimes adults who are pursuing their online degrees, need some inspiration to study and move forward in their programs.  Inspiration is a hard thing.  It tends to sometimes be fleeting. But, when it is with you, you find that you have an energy and focus that is hard to deny.

So, let's talk about some ways you can find inspiration.  For me, I look at blogs that I have written, articles on the internet and think about the experiences of the past week.  Maybe I can help you find some inspiration by connecting you with others who have also completed online degree programs or certificates.  

First of all, meet Reme Prusynski, who was in the business world for 30 years before she decided to go back to school to become the nurse she had always wanted to be but had never thought she could.  Or Jean Brennan, who decided to become a registered nurse because of 9/11. Karen Renick had been laid off, and it was then she decided start a paralegal studies program in hopes of securing a new position.  She went on to start her own paralegal business.  

Feeling inspired yet? If not, and you need more--just check out other success stories to find someone who is like you.  And when you're ready, call The College Network at 800-395-1014 and we'll help turn your inspiration into a reality.  

Are you nearing the end of your nursing degree program? If so, you've probably began thinking about taking the NCLEX-RN exam. This is the exam that is required by all nursing school graduates in order to earn your license and practice as an RN. Because of the importance of passing this exam to your future in nursing, it is no wonder so many people are nervous to take their NCLEX.

Although there is good reason to be nervous, the pass rate statistics for the NCLEX-RN are pretty reassuring. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the percentage of first time US Educated students who passed their exam, so far in 2012, is 91.23%.

If you're unfamiliar with how the NCLEX-RN testing process works, the NCSBN lists the following steps to be completed before taking the exam:

1. Apply to your board of nursing to receive an authorization to test (ATT) and then register with Pearson VUE. It is recommended you begin this process well in advance of your target test date.
2. Locate your test site. Test centers may fill up quickly.
3. Learn about eligibility and apply for licensure with your board of nursing.
4. Register with Pearson VUE and pay the testing fee.
5. Schedule your exam.

If you're planning ahead to take your NCLEX-RN exam, The College Network has developed a Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Exam Preparation Package to help our customers prepare to test. This is the only comprehensive exam preparation package that has been developed with the National League for Nursing. You will be fully prepared to take your exam because the package features cutting-edge technology and provides in-depth study resources.

For more information on our exam preparation package including a pdf and product demo, click here.