Nursing School Programs

A recent study released by the Florida Center for Nursing shows that there is a serious shortage of nurses in Florida. There is a vacancy rate of 9 percent overall hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, public health departments and hospices, the study found.

No-one is surprised that there’s a nursing shortage in Florida or anywhere else. Schools do not pay nursing teachers enough; most nursing teachers need to have at least a master’s degree, and an experienced registered nurse with a master’s degree can make a heck of a lot more money working for a private employer than they can for a school

And if there aren’t enough nursing teachers, then not enough students can be taught. While employers are desperately trying to hire nurses, nursing schools are turning away qualified students. In Florida in 2007, an astonishing 60 percent of qualified applicants to bachelor’s of science in nursing programs were turned away!

Although this is bad news for employers, it’s good news for nurses who want to practice in Florida. And if you’re not a nurse yet but you want to be, then use our suggestions to get past those nursing school waiting lists, and then go get your dream job!

A recent study by the company of Martin, Fletcher showed that hospitals are really rolling out the red carpet in their efforts to hire new nurses. 88 percent of hospitals offered a substantial sign-on bonus, in the high thousands of dollars, the study on health compensation showed. Other benefits offered by hospitals hoping to recruit new staff include generous relocation packages (average over $5,000, the study showed), tuition reimbursement deals, and payment for continuing education.

However, nurses should investigate the hospital that they are considering working at; is there a high turnover rate? If so, why? Is it in a neighborhood/city that the nurse wants to be in for at least a few years? (Generally when a hospital offers a financial incentive to come work for them, they require the nurse to stay for a certain agreed-on period of time in exchange for it.)

The fact that a hospital is offering a lot of incentives to work for them, though, does not necessarily mean that they are a bad place to work. There is such a severe nursing shortage everywhere that even great facilities are scrambling to recruit new nurses.

When you are looking at schools that offer an online nursing degree program, how can you be sure that the school is legitimate? After all, everyone is jumping into the nursing education business these days, to take advantage of the fact that traditional nursing schools have huge waiting lists.

Online nursing schools are often more expensive than traditional nursing schools, and you don’t want to throw aware your precious time and hard-earned money.

Well, here’s the key: the most important thing for you to do is to contact your state Board of Nursing and make sure that they accredit your program. There are some very good online nursing degree programs that are accredited in some states and not others. If your state’s Board of Nursing does not approve that online degree program, then there is no point in attending, because when you graduate you will not be able to sit for the NCLEX-RN (the all-important test that you MUST pass in order to be licensed as an RN.)

If your state Board of nursing does approve the online nursing program that you are interested in, than you are good to go!

Registered nurses in Califoria have a huge advantage over many other states. The state has a law that limits the number of patients that can be assigned to a registered nurse. This protects both the patient and the nurse. Not surprisingly, hospital administrators lobbied vigorously against the law, because it cuts into their profits. Oh well, so sorry, is all we have to say. We’re glad that law was passed, because it’s made California one of the best work environments available for registered nurses. And all other states should follow suit.

Here’s the problem with NOT having a law mandating nurse-patient ratios: If you, as a registered nurse, take on an assignment with too many patients and something happens to one of those patients because you failed to provide them with care…it’s considered to be your fault. And if you don’t take on the assignment you’re given, how long do you think you’ll keep your job? It creates a very unpleasant Catch-22 for nurses who work in understaffed facilities. Take on more patients than is safe and pray that nobody dies on your watch while you are attending to another patient, or lose your job.

Texas does NOT have a patient-nurse ratio, although they have unsuccessfully lobbied for one in the past. Here is what the Board of Nursing has to say about a nurse’s legal responsibilities:  “Standard 217.11(1)(T) holds the nurse accountable to accept only those assignments that are within the nurse’s education/training/experience, as well as his/her physical and emotional ability. If a licensed nurse accepts an assignment, he/she is responsible for the care delivered.”

If there is a nurse’s lobbying group in your state and they are pushing for a law that would mandate nurse-patient ratios, you should definitely consider joining in, signing petitions, and doing whatever else it takes to get that law passed. Your license, and your patient’s lives, may depend on it.

Nurseweek and Nursing Spectrum recently honored ten outstanding nurse heroes. These are nurses who risked their lives to help others. During car accidents, storms, terrorist attacks, and other disasters which would send many people fleeing to safety, these nurse heroes remained calm and helped those in need. The Nurse Heroes are recognized every year in December, as an appreciation of their efforts and an inspiration to nurses everywhere.

Of course, everyday nurses are heroes too. And nurses risk their health and safety on a regular basis by working with patients who have communicable diseases, or who may be violent or aggressive, under the influence of drugs, or otherwise pose a danger to those around them.

As you prepare for nursing school, be sure to click on the link above to be inspired by the heroism of these nurses, and know that one day you too will be an everyday hero.

According to a press release on PR Newswire, nursing students looking for scholarships in North Carolina have a great opportunity coming up. Approximately 400 scholarship awards to both undergraduate and graduate nursing students are expected to be made this year through the North Carolina Nurse Scholars Program. And these nursing scholarships are quite generous; they’re in the range of $3,000 to $6,000, depending on a number of factors.

All recipients must be legal residents of North Carolina, and the scholarhips require the recipients to practice nursing for a certain period of time in North Carolina after graduating. Grades are a criterion, but financial need is not. Click here for more information about these great nursing scholarships.

But the deadline to apply is Feb. 28. What are you waiting for? And if you’re not from North Carolina, here are some more general resources to help you pay for nursing school.

The State of California seems to have come up with a novel way to lure registered nurses to their state - improve the work environment for nurses.

In 2004, a law was passed in California regulating the patient-nurse ratio - the law limits the amount of patients that can be assigned to each nurse. This seems so obvious, it’s astounding that every state in the country does not already have this as a law, but many don’t. Of course, when a nurse is assigned too many patients, the patients health and safety is at risk, the nurse’s stress level and job dissatisfaction rises, and the turnover rate of the nursing staff is much higher.

This means that the nurses with experience leave, which means patients are going to be cared for by less-experienced nurses.

But since this law passed in California, 80,000 new registered nurses have come to work there. Other states which are struggling with nursing shortages should take heed.

A Licensed Practical Nurse, or in some states a Licensed Vocational Nurse, works under the direction of a Registered Nurse. Click this link for a description of LPN responsibilities. Registered nurses have more managerial duties. Click this link for a description of RN responsibilities.

So which course of study should you pursue?

Click here to continue reading »

There are several different entrance exams which nursing schools give to their prospective students. Many nursing schools require you to take either the NET or the TABE test. These are tests of your basic ability in math and English. Unless you are confident that you are a whiz in these areas, you would be well advised to ask the school if they sell a specific study guide for their entrance tests. It also wouldn’t hurt to go online and brush up on any areas where you think that you might be weak. We have gathered some internet resources that you can use as free study guides as you get ready to ace those nursing school entrance exams! (And be sure to call the admissions office of the nursing schools that you are interested in to find out which entrance exam they give.)

www.studyguidezone.com offers a study guide for the NET test.
www.testprepreview.com offers study guides for the NET also.
www.testpreparationca.com offers study guides for the NET test.
www.testprepreview.com will also help you with the TABE.
www.studyguidezone.com also is a good place to brush up on your TABE skills.

To brush up on your math skills, we like purplemath.com
Another good math website is www.quickmath.com.

According to a 2007 article in the Birmingham business journal, the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Nursing has received a $1 million gift which will be used to help create a master’s degree program.

45 new nursing students are expected to graduate annually.

The great thing about the two- to three-year master’s degree program is that it is geared towards anyone, from any field, who has a bachelor’s degree. Students who fit this nursing school’s criteria and live in Alabama should definitely check this program out.

The UAB School of Nursing currently graduates more than 250 students a year through its bachelor’s and master’s programs. And they are looking for people to apply to for nursing school scholarships, so click that link and see what they have to offer!