As a CNA you will not be able to specialize in a certain field. The first step to obtaining nursing specializations is to become an LPN or an RN. This can be done through CNA to LPN or CNA to RN bridge programs. Once you have completed a bridge program you will be able to study further to specialize.

CNA To LPN And CNA To RN Specializations

It is very important that you take the time to get either your LPN qualification or your RN qualification before you choose to pursue nursing specializations as a CNA because you will find it very difficult to do so without a more advanced qualification.

The CNA To LPN Option

To become an LPN form the starting point of a CNA the following things need to be kept in mind:

• The course will take about a year to complete. Make sure that you are aware of the entrance requirements for the particular course that you are interested in as well as for the particular state that you wish to practice in as these requirements can differ substantially.

• Ensure that the course that you enroll in is appropriately accredited and that it covers all of the necessary coursework for successfully completing the required examination.

• You will be required to do theory as well as clinical training.

• You will be taught the nursing basics.

• After you have completed the course you will be required to sit the NCLEX-PN examination that will qualify you to be a licensed LPN with the right to practice in the health care industry under that title.

The CNA To RN Option

The CNA to RN option will take longer as you will need to, at the very least, complete an Associate’s degree. It should take anything from two to four years to complete, but once you have an RN qualification there will be a large number of nursing specializations open to you. The course that you take must prepare you to write the NCLEX-RN examination so that you can become a fully licensed RN with the right to practice in the healthcare industry under that title. It must also be accredited by the relevant bodies.

The Most Popular Nursing Specializations

Critical Care Nurses

Main Duties: In this line of work you will be responsible for taking care of patients who are very seriously ill and that require a high level of care. In addition you will be responsible for the emotional well being of their families. This is a highly intense, as well as stressful and complex nursing specialization for you to choose.

Skills Needed: Vigilance and Advocacy will stand you in good stead.

Cardiac Nurses

Main Duties: Here your job will be to deal with patents that have heart ad cardiac problems. This could mean before surgery or during a surgical procedure. In addition you will take care of the patient after surgery as well.

Skills Needed: You will need an advanced knowledge of medical equipment as well as the procedures related to the heart, such as:

• Transplantations
• Heart pumps
• Mechanical-assist devices

Medical/Surgical Nurses

Main Duties: With a nursing specialization in this field you will be required to really stay ahead of the game by providing state of the art care to patients who are seriously ill and assist them all the way to the recovery stage.

Skills Needed: It is absolutely essential that you be aware of the most recent advancements in technology in the health care industry and that you constantly improve ad advance your knowledge in this regard.

Oncology Nurses

Main Duties: Oncology refers to cancer, so with a specialization in this area you will be required t work with patients who are suffering from cancer as well as with their families. Part of your job will be to educate people about:

• Screening
• Prevention
• Detection

Skills Needed: You will need to be empathetic and be able to appropriately counsel people (and their families) who are facing potentially terminal conditions.

Orthopedic Nurses

Main Duties: IN this specialization you will address the musculoskeletal problems of your patients. You will be required to be active in this field in terms of:

• Education
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation

Skills Needed: You will need to have an advanced understanding of the bone structures and functions within the body as well as of the treatment procedures for conditions relating to those structures as these forms the cornerstone of your work.

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses

Main Duties: In this specialty you will be involved in:

• The assessment of people’s mental health issues
• The diagnosis of people’s mental health issues
• The planning of people’s mental health issues
• The implementation of people’s mental health issues
• The evaluation of people’s mental health issues

Skills Needed: You will require advanced training in psychiatric health issues and you will need the right personality for the job.

Rehabilitation Nurses

Main Duties: Rehabilitation involves assisting a patient in returning to their full level of health. You will be required to:

• Provide healthcare
• Prevent complications
• Advocate
• Manage cases
• Counsel
• Educate

Skills Needed: You will require patience as these processes can take a long time. In addition you will need to show empathy and understanding to your patients as well as to their families as they get through this difficult time.

Addiction Nurses

Main Duties: This is quite a difficult and challenging nursing specialization to choose as it involves working with patients that have an addiction of some kind to drugs or to alcohol or some other substance.

Skills Needed: You will need to be prepared to work n potentially dangerous situations and you must have a strong personality and a positive outlook on life to prevent this job form getting the best of you.

Correctional Nurses

Main Duties: Again this can be an extremely dangerous specialization as you will be required to work within a prison offering primary healthcare to the inmates that live there.

Skills Needed: ON top of all of the general nursing skills that all nurses you need you will also require some specialized knowledge of how to deal with dangerous patients as well as those suffering from issues related to prison life.

Emergency Nurses

Main Duties: Emergency nurses work in an emergency room in a hospital. Their job is to assess and treat a patient in the crucial seconds that they have when they are brought into the emergency room.

Skills Needed: You will need to have:

• A very broad knowledge as you cannot know ahead of time what sort of ailments will be brought in.

• The ability to think quickly under pressure and to keep your head.

Geriatric Nurses

Main Duties: This is a great specialization to get involved with because there is a large portion of the American population who are currently reaching their elderly years. Nurses that specialize in this area work with the elderly and advocate for their rights.

Skills Needed: You will need to have a broad understanding of things related to the elderly patient population and you need to know how to broach subjects such as death and dying tactfully.

Hospice Nurses

Main Duties: This specialty involves providing care to patients who are dying and can therefore be highly stressful and emotional. Often you will work in the patient’s own home or in a hospice facility designed for the purpose.

Skills Needed: You will need the skills to:

• Help the dying and their families come to terms with the illness
• Treat symptoms
• Provide the best medical treatment possible for a specific individual

Neonatal Nurses

Main Duties: This is one of the more popular specialties as it involves looking after babies form the moment they are born until they are 28 days old. It also includes caring for the mother of the baby as well.

Skills Needed: You will need specialized knowledge about how to care for a baby. A love for children will also help.

Pediatric Nurses

Main Duties: This involves working with child patients. In this line of work you may deal with all range of illnesses and it can be stressful when a child under your care dies.

Skills Needed: You will need a love for children as well as an ability to relate to them. to a certain degree you will require objectivity so as not to be too emotionally drained by the work.

Because there are so many different nursing specialty options to choose form it is highly likely that you will find it easy to find something that suits your personality and your skill set once you have advanced from being a CNA to being a, LPN or RN. Generally speaking RNs are more likely to specialize than LPN’s so the best first step for you to take would be to do a CNA to RN degree bridge program so that you will stand the best chance of being allowed to specialize in your chosen area of nursing.

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A certified nursing assistant, known also as a CNA plays an important role as part of a medical team and they assist licensed practical nurses and registered nurses with a variety of tasks. It makes sense that the longer you remain in the field of certified nursing assistance, the more sought after you will be because of your broad experience and your salary can only improve. If you have completed your training at a highly reputable nursing school or college, your salary would also be higher than the average salary of someone who did their training at an unrecognized college. Some CNA positions also pay more than others, and if you are working in an ICU of a well known hospital, you would also get more before of the intensity of the work. The type of medical facility that you work in will also impact the amount that you earn. Yes, CNA salary by state do differ and your salary in New York for instance will be at about $30,000 to $50,000 while in one of the small towns you could be looking at $20,000 to $30,000.

When you are hired to work as a certified nursing assistant, make sure you  receive a job description so that you know exactly what you will be required to do in exchange for the salary you receive. CNA salary by state will also be determined by the setting you find yourself in.

Accredited Training Institutions In New York Equals Better Salaries

Manhattan Institute for instance offers a certified nurse assistant course with the convenience of studying during the day or evening. They offer life-time job placement assistance for all CNA graduates, and the beauty of it all is that their course tuition is low. The Manhattan Institute is a New York State licensed and accredited institution with licensed practical and registered nurses. They offer the best certified nurse assistant training in the industry,making use of classroom, hands-on, and audio video training. When you take into account that CNA salary by State vary because of what each one offers, you can see that by putting Manhattan Institute on your CV, it is going to increase your chances of getting a better salary, because they are highly recommended as an accredited and reputable training institute in a big city.

Salaries For CNA Differ From State To State

The certified nursing assistant salary will definitely vary from city to city and state to state, but the more courses you have completed and the longer you are employed, the better your salary will be. For those interested in knowing what the earning per hour would be, you are looking at earning from $12 to $20 per hour. If you want to learn more about the salaries and jobs of certified nursing assistants, payscale.com is an excellent resource in that they have been providing salary and career data for millions of people and cover thousands of job titles in different countries. According to Payscale.com, CNAs employed at hospitals made a yearly salary of $28,753 in 2011. Nursing homes offered CNA professionals a wage of $23,422 per year in 2011 according to PayScale.com.

• work area – it makes sense that the more specialized the work area is the higher your salary will be.A certified nursing assistant working in an emergency room will get a higher salary than a certified nursing assistant who works in the ward. Employers look at the qualifications and characteristics of the CNA and then decide where to place certain staff. Sometimes a certified nursing assistant will be placed in a specialized area in a hospital and may receive compensation pay for the time they are assigned to a particular work area. They may even receive hazard pay if they are required to work in dangerous areas where their stress levels go up considerably. Certified nursing assistants are sometimes called upon to fill dangerous positions in correctional facilities or in military settings, and they can receive $5,000 more than a CNA in a general hospital setting. Your salary might also be higher if you work as a traveling certified nursing assistant, because you are compensated for being on the road so often. You may not receive the same financial packaging as a general certified nursing assistant, but you will be entitled to a higher hourly wage.

• location – a certified nursing assistant who is working in a home care setting will be earning less than a certified nursing assistant who works in a large and well know hospital with every kind of facility for patient care.

Nursing Facilities Recognize The Value Of Their CNAs

Many nurses enter the nursing industry simply because they love the work and want to help others in their need. Because the medical care field rates nursing assistance as entry level, the pay is lower when compared with licensed practical nurses or registered nurses, and cause nursing assistants to feel somewhat unacknowledged for the type of work they do. The median salary for a nursing assistant in the US is $24,383, but the sum will depend on your experience as well as the locality of your job. Most certified nursing assistants who have a passion for nursing and who want to change their earning capacity as quickly as possible, start looking towards becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse as soon as possible because they will be looking at a salary in the region of $45,000. These nurses certainly have a lot more responsibility and far more training.

Many hospitals and nursing facilities recognize that nursing assistants put in a lot of hours taking care of the more menial yet highly necessary tasks in keeping the facility running smoothly, and they do everything they can to make the working conditions for their certified nursing assistants as attractive as possible and they know too well that a good nursing assistant is hard to come by. They would rather raise the salary of a quality nursing assistant than have to go through the process of looking for new staff and having to train them from scratch.

Experience and Certification Increases Your Chances of Better Pay

A certified nursing assistant is an entry-level health professional and duties are always performed under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. For anyone wanting to start a career in this industry, certification is required. A certificate program is offered by community colleges and require that students complete prerequisite courses before going into a certified nursing assistant program which will include learning things like CPR, nutrition, basic computer knowledge, infection control, medical terminology, the human body and well as first aid. Students will learn how to care for and meet the needs of patients and get training in real life settings in hospitals. Students have to complete the recommended hours for certification, and at the moment the federal government requires at least 75 hours of nursing assistant training.

The requirements for becoming a certified nursing assistant will vary from state to state. Once you get your certification, you are able to start working in the state where you are registered. In every job, experience is always a strong benefit and a nursing assistant with five years of experience may earn in the region of $20,000 while those who have been closer to ten years will be looking at $35,000.

The Cream Of The Crop Always Stand A Better Chance

Because of the shortage of nursing schools and community colleges as well as qualified nursing educators, many hopeful candidates are turned away, and to streamline the selection process, applicants with the highest points and who will are likely to complete the nursing program successfully are given top priority. During training, the certified nursing assistant will get theoretical as well as hands-on patient care. Some of the tasks of the CNA include caring for patients, massage as well as basic physiology, anatomy and nutrition. Maine Medical Center for instance, offers a certified nursing assistant course of 180 hours, after which students take the State Certification Examination. Their course covers some of the following:

• CPR and basic life support
• communication skills
• patient care
• infection control
• age specific care
• mobility skills
• nutrition and the importance of it for health
• common health problems

There are several things that will affect salaries of CNAs. CNA salary by state and there are a number of things that will affect the type of salary you earn:

• your education level
• having your own transport
• your years of experience
• day or night shifts your professional certifications

Different Health Settings Offer Different Payment Scales

Certified nursing assistants work in many different health care settings, and while specific duties vary depending on the type of facility in which you work, the tasks are geared towards helping patients with their ablutions and to settle them for the day. They also perform basic medical tasks like taking vital signs like blood pressure or temperature. Any changes in a patient’s condition are reported to the doctor on duty or the registered nurse.

Becoming a certified nurse assistant should improve your salary from that of when you are a nursing assistant. Gaining on-the-job experience is a way to earn higher wages. Doing as many courses as possible will certainly increase your salary. If you are wanting to apply for a better position, the more education you have, the better chances you have of getting a well paid job. For instance, having
complete a basic life support course will certainly help to influence your salary.

Do Nurse Salaries Really Vary From State To State?

The job of nursing assistants comes with attractive financial benefits, and unlike other industries that know good and bad times, the nursing industry is infallible and no matter how the economy suffers, the demand for nurses, especially with the burgeoning population, is always going to be great, and in fact the demand for certified nursing assistants in particular states like Arkansas and Ohio for instance is increasing.

While the salary varies from state to state, the salary of the CNA doesn’t go below $15,000 in any of the states, and can actually rise substantially where the demand for nursing assistants is particularly high and the chances of employment are good. Make sure as a certified nursing assistant, that you register with the State Nursing Board so that you can move to another state where there are better salaries.

Conclusion

Certified nursing assistants or CNAs can get jobs in hospitals, doctor’s rooms, clinics, nursing homes or in home care. The bottom line is that working as a certified nursing assistant is not going to make you particularly wealthy, but it will certainly provide you will a respectable salary to afford you a comfortable lifestyle. To become a certified assistant, they would have undergone a number of training programs which always vary from nursing school to nursing school. . Once you have completed your programs, you will need to pass the examinations required to actually become a certified assistant, which will certainly give you a salary advantage.

You can’t get away from the fact that the best way to increase your salary is to educate yourself from an accredited nursing college. It pays to get your training from a reputed college. Because you are working with the lives of people, people who want to make a career in the medical field need the very best education and certification. An advanced certified assistant salary is better than the salary of regular certified assistants.

There is a real need for certified nursing assistants and if you want to become a CNA there are certainly benefits and compensation for you. CNA salary by state vary considerably and they take into account where you got your training, Bear in mind that there are also highly reputable training facilities for you to get your certification online, and you can also complete the correct training hours and criteria. The certification program provides a nurse with the required skills and knowledge about nursing, and the nurse feels more confident in practicing with the required skills. Certification brings financial benefits and also recognization in the medical care industry.

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What Is A Neonatal Nurse (NICU)?

A neonatal nurse is a nurse that works specifically with newborn babies. The first hours of a newborn child’s life can be essential and there are so many things that could go wrong. The neonatal nurse is responsible for the care of the baby as well as his or her mother and cares for healthy as well as sickly babies in their first few hours and days in this world.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

There are three levels of neonatal nursing with different tasks involved. At the first level of neonatal nursing you will be required to look after all of the healthy babies that are born and ensure that nothing goes wrong in their first hours of life. The second level of neonatal nursing involves looking after premature babies and babies who for some reasons get sick after birth. The last level is the most intensive and requires the highest degree of personal strength of character as it involves taking care of babies that are severely ill or born with serious conditions. This is one of the more heartbreaking aspects of neonatal nursing and a nurse working at level 3 needs to be prepared to deal with loss on a relatively frequent basis throughout her career.

Employment

Based on the levels mentioned above we can split the locations in which neonatal nurses are employed into two categories:

• Neonatal intensive care units, or
• Mother-baby or newborn nurseries taking care of healthy newborns

You will either work in an area where you are dealing with health babies or in an area where you are dealing with mildly to severely sick babies. Many hospitals have maternity wards, which is where you will be employed if you choose to work in a hospital as a neonatal nurse. There are also a number of other settings where you could be employed such as special maternity hospitals that specialize in this line of work. Employment options are good but, as it is a popular area to work in, the competition can be relatively stiff for a position.

Neonatal Nurse (NICU) Requirements

Although you will definitely need an RN license, apart from this requirement there are very few other stipulations for neonatal nurses. To a large degree the requirements depend on the facility that you plan to work in. some facilities require that you have experience as an RN once you have graduated from an RN program. In these cases you may find it helpful to work as an RN in just about any setting for about a year before reapplying for a job as a neonatal nurse. Other institutes will hire you straights after you leave your RN school. This usually depends on the demand for neonatal nurses at a facility as compared to the number of nurses available. This is one of the easier nursing specialties to become involved in as the requirements are not stringent.

Personality Traits

The personality traits for a neonatal nurse are as follows:

• You must have excellent people skills for dealing with your patients, the families of your patients, and the colleagues that you will work with such as the obstetrician.

• You must have empathy so that you can show your patients and their families that you understand their situation and that you are part of their world.

• You should also have a clear and intelligent understanding of the needs of newborns.

• You should not have a personality that is easily clouded by your emotions.

• Because of the many health care professionals involved in birth you need to be able to work well with a team.

• You must also have excellent and quick critical thinking skills and an ability to work under pressure.

Educational Requirements

The first step in terms of your education is to become an RN. To do this you will need to attend an RN degree program. The two more popular degree programs are the associate’s degree in nursing and the bachelor’s degree in nursing. Both of these will allow you to sit the NCLEX-RN examination (which is the national licensing exams for RNs) and get your license. After that you can return to graduate school and earn a master’s degree which will allow you to be a neonatal nurse practitioner. In between degrees you should get some experience as a neonatal nurse so that you can decide whether or not it is, in fact, the course of action that you would like to take in terms of furthering your career form that point.

Licensure

To be a neonatal nurse you need an RN license. In order to get an RN license the following steps must be taken:

• Firstly you need to attend an RN program. These programs are offered by universities and colleges and last for 2 to 4 years depending on the degree that you work towards.

• Once you have graduated from the program you will need to apply to your state board of nursing for licensure. Note that different states have different licensing laws, so you will need to look into those carefully before applying.

• Once you application is accepted you will have to set a date to write the NCLEX-RN examination. Passing this examination will earn you RN licensure.

• The license needs to be renewed periodically and depending on the license renewal requirements of your state.

How To Become A Neonatal Nurse (NICU)

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

To maintain your NR license you will need to do a certain number of continuing education at set intervals in order to maintain it. Once you have met all of the necessary requirements for being a neonatal nurse it is a good idea to focus all of the continuing education that you do from thereon out on neonatal aspects. Some states require that your continuing education is done in very specific areas, but in those states where you can choose your continuing education credits it is always a good idea to focus on the area of nursing that you have chosen to specialize in which is, in this case, neonatal nursing. You have to these credits anyway so it is in your best interests to choose credits that will boost your skills and confidence level in your job.

Source An Accredited Education Program

When you do your RN training it is essential that you do it through a program that is accredited. If the program is not accredited you will waste your time and money as you will be required to do the program again from scratch. There are a number of ways to check accreditation:

• Find out where current nurses did their training as they cannot be RNs unless the school they trained at was accredited.

• Enquire with your state board of nursing and have a look through the list of accredited schools that they provide you with.

• The school itself should be open and forthcoming about this information, but be wary because there are false schools (especially ones that offer online training) that may blatantly lie about their accreditation status.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree is the lowest level of education that you need in order to be an RN by writing the RN examination. To obtain an associate’s degree you will firstly need to find a school in your area that offers an associate’s degree program in nursing. Once again your state board of nursing is a great resource to turn to if you want to find a list of accredited schools. Consider the options. Some schools will be more expensive than others; some will be further away, and so on. Choose your top options and apply for the associate’s degree program. Then you simply have to work hard and complete the course to earn your associate’s degree. These degrees take a few years to complete. This degree allows you to write the NCLEX-RN exam.

Obtain Your Licensure

There are no additional licensing requirements to being a neonatal nurse other than the RN license, but it will make things easier for you if you have a nurse practitioner license. To get a nurse practitioner license you will have to return to school and get your master’s degree in nursing. You can do you master’s degree with a focus on neonatal nursing and all topics related to babies. This will make you, at the end of your course, a neonatal nurse practitioner. This is essentially a higher position and you may be eligible to earn more money if you have this advanced qualification. Requirements for nurse practitioner training and certification vary from state to state and it will be up to you to research the requirements for your particular state.

Online/Distance Education Programs

To a certain degree you can become a neonatal nurse through online study. However, when you consider the basic education requirements that you need, in other words, your RN qualification, it should become apparent to you that the degree cannot be complete entirely online. This is because the degree consists of two main parts:

• A theory section which is made up of textbook knowledge that you will need to learn.

• A clinical practice section which requires that you get hands-on training in a health care setting.

This second aspect of the training program cannot be done online. Most online courses will inform you that you need to make your own efforts to complete the clinical coursework yourself. Any course claiming otherwise should be treated with deep suspicion. Some online courses have agreements with healthcare facilities, and these are the better options to choose.

Job Outlook

The health care industry in general and the nursing industry in particular, are on the increase in terms of the number of jobs that are available. While other industries suffer due to economic hardships, the medical industry stays strong. Increases in the number of RN jobs that will be available are expected to be huge over the next year. In addition RNs that have a specialization in neonatal nursing will be able to benefit from the fact that there has been an increase in the number of premature babies born, the number of multiple births that have occurred and an increase in fertility treatments, all which lead to the conclusion that there is a growing number of babies that need your skill and your care.

Earnings

A neonatal nurse can earn between $46,166 and $100,755 a year. If you add the potential bonus that they can receive a year of $0.00 – $10,122 it brings the total to $45,207 – $113,531. Your level of education can affect how much you are paid as a neonatal nurse:

• A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) will earn you $64,053 – $101,699 a year.

• A Bachelor’s Degree will earn you $30,521 – $76,562 a year.

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will earn you $38,884 – $81,389 a year.

• A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Neonatal Nurse Practitioner will earn you $70,000 – $86,110 a year.

Popular cities that pay well are:

• Denver, Colorado
• Houston, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Seattle, Washington
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The main thing to remember about being a neonatal nurse is that working with children is great, but the tragedies, when they occur (and they will), will hit you a lot harder than if you are working with adults. Consequently strength of character is required for this line of work and, if you feel that you do not have the required strength of character, you should consider an alternative line of work. Another important thing to remember is that you can work in NICU if you do not have certification, but becoming a neonatal nurse practitioner will improve your career and you salary and earn you a higher degree of respect.

The post How To Become A Neonatal Nurse (NICU) appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

There are certainly many CNA career opportunities available for certified nurse assistants simply because of the nature of their jobs. One of the good things about becoming certified is that you will always have plenty of employment opportunities. You will hardly find a nursing facility that doesn’t rely on the services of nurse assistants. The number of people in need of health care is growing, not to mention the number of people with disabilities, and this provides an endless number of exciting and challenging job opportunities as a certified nursing assistant.

For anybody wanting to become a CNA, you may believe that working in a nursing home is your lot, but it is very far from being your only option. Yes, many do work in nursing homes, but there are plenty of other job opportunities. Certified nursing assistants are in demand for providing basic nursing services, even though these services are under the supervision of a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse. The courses that they do focus on things like wound prevention, restorative care, nutrition, skin care as well as dementia care, and career opportunities center around what the CNA has been trained in.

CNAs Can Take On Specialty Care Responsibilities

After successfully completing training, CNAs can take on specialty care responsibilities. Many certified nursing assistants decide to study and advance from CNA to LPN positions. They can be found in a number of settings, providing many nursing tasks to make life in the nursing home, physician’s office, hospital or private nursing setting more efficient and lighter for more senior nurses. Certified nursing assistants are increasingly in demand and according to US Labor Bureau statistics, more of these nursing personnel will be needed than ever before.

CNAs do not have the same responsibilities and powers of a registered nurse, nonetheless their duties are broad; some of which are observing patients and reporting anything out of the ordinary to the supervising nursing staff. They feed and bath their patients, set up meal trays, and make records of the food and fluid intake of their patients.

Administrative- And Physician Office Careers

CNAs also fill administrative positions. They perform certain administrative requirements where they are taught how to manage billing and to also complete other administrative responsibilities. Many medical facilities prefer to hire certified nursing assistants to run the reception office. On top of that they may be required to have a driver’s license because as a travel nurse as well, they drive patients around or visit them in nursing homes and in home care environments. They will need to keep health care records of their findings in terms of their vital signs. In a physician’s office they assist with preparing the patient for medical examinations. They are taught to sterilize instruments and prepare medications , alter dressings of wounds, take electrocardiograms and so on.

Nursing Restrictions For CNAs

CNAs cannot provide health care without the supervision of a registered nurse. A CNA employed by a staffing agency that provides home care nursing will be required to take certain courses and be certified as a Home Health Provider, and even then, they are still under the supervision of a more senior nurse. Sometimes the agency will provide a more senior nurse to check in every once and again on CNAs in home health care positions. They provide health-related services like administering prescribed medications or they will be able to check the patient’s temperature. Mostly their services are related to housekeeping and personal care such as changing bed linens and helping the patient in and out of bed. They are not permitted to change wound dressings or catheters as well as attending to other more complex medical procedures.

Certain Training Is Required To Fulfill Career Critera

With CNA career opportunities you need to make sure that the training you have received meets the requirements of the state you are in. Each state has different requirements for the number of hours of training a nursing assistant must complete, and your state’s department of health can provide you on more information. The federal government stipulates that the minimum training hours for nurses in a nursing home for instance will be 75. Because the CNAs scope of practice is less than that of a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse, the salary is also less. Many CNAs opt therefore to work and study at the same time towards becoming a licensed practical nurse, where the scope of practice provides more responsibilities and more pay.

Certification for a CNA will differ from state to state but generally it can be achieved within six months, and once the program is completed, the graduate will do the certification exam in order to be able to use the title of Certified Nursing Assistant. Although the job only requires a high school diploma, some US states may require more qualifications. In most states, a high school diploma is sufficient to become a CNA.

Writing Exams Opens Up More Career Opportunities

Different states have different requirements for the number of credit-hours to be completed. For any queries regarding eligibility for certification, you can check with your state Board of Nursing. The CNA will need to do written test and a practical exam. Without this exam your career opportunities are nil. There are many programs available and the cost of the program, whether it is done at a college or on-line, will all contribute to the qualities and training of the can in preparation for the variety ofjobs up for grabs. As the primary caregivers for millions of different age group patients, CNAs must be well trained and prepared to do their jobs well. CNA career opportunities are abundant and they fill many positions in settings where the LPN or RN can supervise them. With more training, CNA career opportunities mean more advancement and you too can go on to become a licensed practical nurse or a registered nurse.

The Certified Nursing Assistant Can Advance Their Career

To further your career to an LPN, you can expect to get a much more generous salary. CNA to LPN programs are offered by community colleges, universities and nursing schools and this bridge program takes about one year to complete and covers fundamental nursing knowledge, preparing the CNA for the license examination. The beauty of these bridging programs is that you can take the CNA to LPN program part-time and still carry on working. To qualify you should be at least 18 years old and have graduated from high school with your diploma.
With a CNA to Registered Nurse Program, you will have to take a two-year associate’s degree in nursing to prepare you for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. After examination, there will be just that many more job opportunities awaiting you.

Lots of Exciting Career Opportunities For The CNA

There are nursing agencies who specialize in matching qualified certified nursing assistants to the job best suited to them and in a variety of different locations. They prefer their nurses to have technical training beyond that of high school as well as a number of hours of relevant continuing education to maintain CNA registration. There are a variety of career opportunities open to certified nursing assistants and some of these are:

• psychiatric care
• acute care
• care of geriatrics
• private clinics
• correctional services
• hospital nursing
• schools
• home care… and others

CNA career opportunities don’t extend to merely making beds and taking daily care of patients. They are also trained to take care of those with mental problems like in a nursing home that would have a unit for alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative cognitive disease, and the fact that it affects millions of people around the world, it is important to have caring nursing staff with the knowledge in the care of Alzheimer’s patients.

Working With The Mentally Impaired Is A Rewarding Career Opportunity

Often the nursing staff with the most direct contact with Alzheimer’s patients is the certified nursing assistant who assists these patients. The registered nurse in charge of the dementia unit relies heavily on CNAs for their assistance during the day and the ability to report changes in the patient’s condition. Certified nursing assistants who care for Alzheimer’s patients will try to assist the patient to achieve as much independence as possible. The CNA will assist the patient with mobility and take part in activities with the patient that will stimulate the mind. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient is mentally and physically demanding, Nursing care facilities rely heavily on the limited but essential nursing care which the certified nursing assistant provides to those with Alzheimer’s disease as well as other memory impairments. Nursing homes are always looking for CNA applicants who enjoy working with the memory impaired and who have an interest in making a difference in the lives of these patients.

Career Opportunities In Home Health Care

Many people are deciding to keep their loved ones at home; and in fact the trend toward individualized care is demanding more from CNAs, and with appropriate training and support, these nurses and the patient both thrive in these home care environments. Take Bayada Home Health Care as an example. They were founded in 1975 and they provides nursing, rehabilitative, therapeutic and hospice care to adults and children in their homes. They employ thousands of nurses, social workers and therapists who serve many different communities. They value the work of certified nursing assistants, and employ them to fit into many different home care nursing jobs. A typical advertisement for a certified nursing assistant which was recently posted on their website read like this:

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Bayada Home Health Care needs certified nursing assistants to help in these specific area and they offer excellent pay and benefits for a certified nursing assistant applying for these jobs. They invite certified nursing assistants to review all their CNA job openings for positions that will suit their interests and qualifications. Some of the outstanding benefits that full time CNAs can expect are amongst others:

• paid holidays
• medical insurance
• life insurance
• disability income protection
• retirement program

Conclusion

Around the world, apart from the hospitality industry, there isn’t another career that offers so many employment opportunities as nursing. Hospital and nursing homes are permanently full with young and old people suffering from all manner of illnesses and injuries. From certified nursing assistants to licensed practical nurses to registered nurses as well as psychiatric nurses, nursing personnel work in many different settings whether it is research, administration, education or in the health care system. Most nurses work in hospitals but CNA career opportunities extend to working in clinics, schools, research institutes, correctional facilities, health care organizations and nursing homes and clinics as well as home care.

Providing basic nursing services to patients is the main requirement of most CNA jobs, but these jobs are found in a variety of settings and descriptions. There is no hard and fast rule of a typical CNA job because each health care job will have its own set of characteristics which will determine whether it becomes popular with the certified nursing assistant or not. It is true that the certified nursing assistant must also perform tasks that are unpleasant like emptying bedpans, but then no experience is eve wasted and it may be the motivation the nurse needs to investigate further studies to advance to a more senior position and different career opportunities.

There are plenty of opportunities for the certified nursing assistant to further their careers and study to be an LPN, RN or to specialize. Nurses start with the basic high school diploma and acquire additional training to take on increasingly more exciting jobs with more challenges and responsibilities.

The post Exciting And Stimulating CNA Career Opportunities appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse?

Psychiatric mental health nursing involves working with patients who are experiencing psychiatric problems. The term ‘patient’ in this context can refer to a single individual as well as to groups of people, families, and, in some cases, entire communities. The job is intensive and complex and requires many years of training. Consequently this is not the best line of work for all nurses.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

Psychiatric mental health nurses have a wider scope of practice than the average RN. Firstly they are permitted to develop their own diagnoses of patients within the mental health patient population. Like RNs they can develop a plan of care for the patient and implement the nursing process, but in this case it is specifically in relation to mental health patients. You will be able to offer primary care services to members of the mental health population. In addition you can diagnose, assess and treat patients as well as entire families and groups who you feel are at risk for developing mental disorders and that already have such disorders. You will also be permitted to prescribe psychiatric medications as well as administer psychotherapeutic techniques in order to facilitate the recovery of your patient.

Employment

As a psychiatric mental health nurse the primary places where you will find employment are:

• Mental health institutions and facilities
• Hospitals
• Private practice

Because of the level of education needed to be a psychiatric mental health nurse you will find that this job will bring with it a level of autonomy that you will not get in most other areas of nursing, even in many of the other nursing specialties. Consequently you can branch off and start your own private practice where you will, essentially, be self-employed. Even working in a facility brings with it a degree of autonomy as it is assumed that you will be able to handle the various issues that may (and do) arise on a daily basis with the greatest of ease given your skills and standing in the domain of psychiatric mental health nursing.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Requirements

There are a number of requirements for entering this profession. First and foremost you need an RN license. An RN license can be achieved by earning an associate’s degree. In order to move forward, however, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. A bachelor’s degree will allow you, after you have written the licensing exam, to enter a master’s degree program. This is the level of education needed to become a psychiatric mental health nurse. In some cases you will be required to have a certain amount of experience as an RN before you will be permitted to enter a master’s degree program, specifically in areas where you may come into contact with mental health patients. Completing the program earns you the right to complete the psychiatric mental health nurse certification exam.

Personality Traits

These are the personality traits required:

• Because communication is a key element in ensuring that a patient receives the care he or she requires, good communication skills are a must.

• Empathy, or an ability to place yourself in another person’s position, is also required.

• Nurses in all area of the profession need to possess and display genuine caring.

• In order to maintain the level of control needed in a psychiatric mental health setting you must exude confidence.

• A sense of humor will keep you positive in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations.

• Because this is a line of work that can be depressing and taxing on the psychiatric mental health nurse herself, it is essential that you seek professional help when.

Educational Requirements

The educational requirements, to begin with, are very similar to those for most other nursing specialties. You need a high school diploma or an equivalent thereof, such as GED. Once you have graduated from high school a degree in nursing must be earned. Although you can become an RN with just an associate’s degree you will need a bachelor’s degree to move forward with a career in psychiatric mental health nursing, so that is the degree you should aim for. It will take about 4 years to complete. Once you have completed this degree and have an RN license you will need to go back to school in order to earn a master’s degree in nursing, majoring in psychiatric mental health nursing. All of these educational qualifications will include required practical experience and clinical work throughout.

Licensure

To be a psychiatric mental health nurse you need to be a licensed RN. An RN license can be earned by following these steps:

• Firstly you need to complete an RN program. If you have a career as mental health nurse in mind you should complete a bachelor’s program to facilitate your progress.

• Graduating from this program will allow you to apply for licensure form your state board of nursing. Make sure that you know what all of the licensure requirements for your particular state are before applying.

• If your state board of nursing confirms your application you will be able to make an appointment to write the NCLEX-RN examination.

• Passing the examination means that you will receive your license. This license must be renewed regularly depending on the rules of your state.

How To Become A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

There are a number of specific areas within the field of psychiatric mental health nursing that you could choose to specialize in, including child and adolescent mental health nursing, gerontological-psychiatric nursing (this is psychiatric mental health nursing for the elderly), forensics, substance use disorders (you could also choose to specialize as an addictions nurse in order to deal with this aspect of mental health), and collaborative, integrative health care with primary care providers. When you complete your master’s degree in psychiatric mental health nursing you can choose to focus on one of these specialties or to approach the subject form a broader perspective. This is an ideal way to advance as an RN as there are few other nursing specialties that come with the degree of autonomy that psychiatric mental health nurses receive.

Source An Accredited Education Program

An accredited nursing program is one that is approved of by your state board of nursing. Non-accredited programs will waste your time and your money as you will be unable to continue with your current career path if the program you attend is not accredited. There are three main sources of information that will help you source an accredited training program:

• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
• The National League for Nursing
• The website of Psychiatric Nursing Graduate Programs at www.apna.org

The AACN and the National League of Nursing are the two bodies that accredit nursing programs and will therefore be able to provide you with information regarding whether or not the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs you are interested in are in fact legitimate options to choose.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

This is one of the nursing specialties where earning an associate’s degree will not be enough to become an expert in the area. However it is a good way to enter the nursing profession and a good stepping stone to use on your educational journey to becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse. Locate accredited program in your area that offer the degree and create a shortlist of your favorite programs that best meet your career goals. Apply for each of these program (applying for more than one program broadens your chances). Each program will have its own entrance requirements which you will have to adhere to. A mistake at this point of the process may cost you approval. Choose a school from among those that accept you and complete the program through hard work and dedication to earn your associate’s degree.

Obtain Your Licensure

Once you have obtained your RN license you need to work towards becoming certified as a mental health nurse. To do this:

• Complete the necessary master’s degree program in mental health nursing.
• Pass the credentialing examination that will allow you to become certified as a psychiatric mental health nurse.

It is important to remember that there are a number of different subcategories in mental health nursing. In many cases these subcategories require their own special form of certification. Take note of what certification you would like to receive and be sure to adhere to the certification requirements for that specific subcategory. Information about the different levels and the different requirements for each level can be found by visiting the website of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Online/Distance Education Programs

When searching for the degree programs necessary for becoming a psychiatric mental nurse you will realize that there are several schools that offer these programs online. However it is important to remember that the clinical sides of these degree programs must be completed in a healthcare setting where you will be able to get hands-on experience. Consequently there is no such thing as a nursing degree that can be completed entirely online. In addition online study does not suit everyone who wants to be a nurse. Not all students have the high level of motivation and self-discipline required to get through a degree course on their own and without a lecturer spurring them on. In addition you will not benefit from the valuable interaction with other students that can be so helpful in the learning process.

Job Outlook

There are a number of very compelling reasons why becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse is a good career move:

• The job prospects for all RNs are improving dramatically with each passing year.

• In addition, the job prospects for advanced practice nurses specifically are increasing at an even faster rate.

• With a growing acceptance for the mental side of ailments across the country, more and more jobs for psychiatric mental health nurses in particular are becoming available.

You will benefit from all of these factors as a mental health nurse. You will have general RN training, allowing you to work in general RN jobs. Your certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse means that you are an advanced practice nurse, so you will benefit from that aspect of future projections as well.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Earnings

Psychiatric nurses earn quite well. ON average their hourly rate is anything from about $20 to about $40 an hour. In addition they can expect annual bonuses in the region of $0.00 – $2,068 a year. The total salary that they are eligible to earn is between $43,000 and $85,000. The industry you work in will affect your pay. This is a list of popular industries including the pay you will earn when working in them:

• In Healthcare you can earn about $22.50 – $38.19 an hour
• In a Psychiatric Hospital you can earn about $22.25 – $37.26 an hour
• In a General Hospital you can earn about $22.88 – $38.74 an hour
• In Community Mental Health you can earn about $20.80 – $34.77 an hour
• In an Acute Care Hospital you can earn about $23.28 – $39.38 an hour

Different states and different cities offer different salaries. The top paying cities tend to be:

• San Diego, California
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Phoenix, Arizona
• New York, New York
• Seattle, Washington
• Denver, Colorado
• Richmond, Virginia
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Chicago, Illinois
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Rochester, New York
• Portland, Oregon
• San Antonio, Texas
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Kansas City, Missouri

A career as a psychiatric mental health nurse can be a very stressful one in terms of the mental pressure you will place on yourself. A decision must be made at a personal level regarding whether or not the salary and other benefits are worth the emotional strain.

The post Facts About A Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is Transplant Nursing?

Transplant nursing is the area of nursing that involves working with patients that are either donating an organ or receiving a donated organ. In addition to simply caring for the physical needs of these patients before and after the transplant surgery takes place, it is also necessary to discuss the risks involved with both parties and prepare them emotionally for the surgery. Finding donors is also part of your job. Transplant nurses sometimes also assist during the transplant procedure.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The following are the main duties you will perform as a transplant nurse:

• You will need to take medical histories for both the recipient and the donor as part of ensuring that the procedure can go forward safely.

• In the case of organ transplants the donor and recipient need to match in terms of their DNA. As a transplant nurse your job will involve ordering lab tests to confirm these matches.

• Once you have assessed the donor and the recipient thoroughly you will be able to give the go-ahead, declaring that they are fit for the transplant surgery.

• After surgery both the donor and the recipient could experience negative side effects that may be severe. Consequently you will be required to carefully monitor their vital signs in the recovery room and after.

Employment

As a transplant nurse you will only be able to work in areas where transplants are performed. However, in addition to that, you can work in areas where RNs are employed with no specialties, provided you keep your RN license and training up to date. The most common places to find transplant nurses are in hospitals where these procedures are performed as well as at special facilities that are aimed at furthering the research into transplant technology and where special transplant procedures may be performed. In some cases transplant nurses are hired specifically to speak to potential donors about donating an organ of some kind, such as their corneas, after death, or while they are still alive (as several transplant procedures can occur between living patients, e.g. kidney transplants, liver transplants).

Transplant Nursing Requirements

The basic requirements that you will need to meet to become a transplant nurse are as follows:

• You will need to earn an RN license by completing the necessary training degree programs and passing the NCLEX-RN examination.

• You will then need to get experience working as an RN. The best areas to get experience in are critical care, in intensive care, or in medical-surgical nursing as these will all provide you with some of the basic skills you need to be a transplant nurse.

• Once you have worked for the number of years required by your state as an RN you will be eligible to take the Transplant Nurse Certification exam through the American Board for Transplant Certification.

• Completing this exam will certify you to work as a nurse with transplant nursing expertise.

Personality Traits

In order to be a successful transplant nurse you must be thick-skinned. This will come in handy when talking to patients or their families about what will happen to their organs after death. If you work in a transplant research center a thirst for new knowledge will be invaluable. Generally this is a good trait to have in any nursing profession. Because transplant nursing involves a large degree of uncertainty as well as multiple occurrences throughout your career that you will be unable to plan for, you will not be suited for this job if you are tied down by routine and prefer everything to be carefully planned out. A positive attitude and an undying positive energy will stand you in good stead as you help your patients face the daunting process of having a transplant.

Educational Requirements

The following educational requirements are necessary when becoming a transplant nurse:

• You must have a high school diploma or GED before you can enter RN training
• You need to have a Nursing Diploma, OR
• You need to have an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), OR
• You need to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• You need to take elective courses in medical-surgical nursing during your nursing training
• You must take it upon yourself to find educational resources that will prepare you to take the certification exam

In short, you need to become an RN before you can become a transplant nurse. The different degrees mentioned above will take varying lengths of time to complete. The higher your qualification, the longer it will take, but the better your resume will look.

Licensure

The license that you need to hold in order to work as a nurse with a specialization in transplant nursing is your RN license. To earn your RN license you will need to attend an RN program. If you are already an LPN there are a number of LPN to RN training programs that you could take advantage of that will speed up you’re the achievement of your RN qualification. Once you have completed the accredited RN training program you need to apply for licensure form your state board of nursing. Often there is a fee involved in this. Once your application is confirmed you write the NCLEX-RN examination. Passing the exam means you are licensed. Your license must be renewed at set intervals (determined by your state board of nursing).

How To Become A Transplant Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

There are several qualifications that you can earn in the field of transplant nursing, all of which are offered by the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC). These are:

• You could consider becoming a Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (CCTC)
• You could consider becoming a Certified Procurement Transplant Coordinator (CPTC)
• You could consider becoming a Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN)

A coordinator will be in charge of transplant operations at a facility where such procedures are performed. If you are a procurement coordinator your job will involve finding sources of organs to be used in specific transplant cases that are urgent, or just building up a list of future possibilities. Lastly you can simply be a certified clinical transplant nurse which involves all of the general transplant nursing tasks mentioned here.

Source An Accredited Education Program

An accredited program is essential if you want to be guaranteed that you will be able to complete your qualification and become a nurse with specialty in transplant nursing. Your state board of nursing will be able to inform you regarding which programs in your area are accredited and which are not. This is more reliable than asking the schools themselves for accreditation information. The bodies that accredit schools of nursing are also useful resources to turn for and there are many websites on the internet providing lists of accredited schools. One reliable way of finding an accredited program is by asking current registered nurses where they studied – they can only be nurses if the program they studied through were accredited, making this one of the best sources if information possible on the topic.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

There are several degrees that you could choose to complete on your path to becoming an RN with a specialty in transplant nursing. These are:

• A bachelor’s degree in nursing
• An associate’s degree in nursing
• A master’s degree in nursing, and
• A doctoral degree in nursing

The associate’s degree is one of the more popular options. To earn an associate’s degree you will have to look into what nursing degree programs are offered in your area and choose one based on whether or not it meets your criteria. Apply for the program by adhering the application procedures and requirements of that particular school. Completing your program will take a few years and will require hard work and effort. Successful completion of the program results in an associate’s degree allowing you take the licensing exam.

Obtain Your Licensure

The only license that you need to be transplant nurse is an RN license. However there is a certification examination that you can pass in order to receive certification in the specialty of transplant nursing specifically. To do this you will first need to achieve the required number of years of experience in the field of nursing in the capacity of an RN. In addition to this you should focus on continuing education credits that will be useful in transplant nursing. You then need to apply to the American Board for Transplant Certification to write the Transplant Nurse Certification exam. There are a number of courses offered online and offline for the specific purpose of preparing you to make a success of this examination. Passing the exam will earn you transplant nursing certification.

Online/Distance Education Programs

Online distance education programs are possible for both aspects of your training, namely:

• Your RN qualification, and
• Your Transplant Nurse Certification exam preparation

However it must be noted that, when it comes to your NR qualification, it can only completed partially online. An RN program consists of a theory side as well as a clinical side and you need to complete both in order to become qualified. Clinical hand-son training cannot be done online. Consequently you will at some point be required to find a facility where you can complete your clinical training

You Transplant Nurse Certification exam, on the other hand, is merely a preparation course to write the theory-based exam and can therefore be completed entirely online. It is not even a requirement, just a suggested method of ensuring that you pass the exam first time.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for transplant nursing is excellent as there is a significant growth in the number of people who require organ transplants each year. In addition, advances in medical technology are making it possible for more and more complex procedures to be performed. As a result of this a nurse with a specialization in transplant nursing will be in increasingly greater demand as the years pass. Nursing in general is growing at a very fast pace, affecting all nurses for the better. Because transplant nurses are required to engage in the same RN training as general RNs, they are also able to work in general nursing settings, expanding their job options even further. For stability and room for future growth and advancement, this is one of the best industries to choose.

Transplant Nursing Earnings

The median salary for nurses working in transplant nursing is about $76,522 a year. This can vary greatly, however, as you can see below:

• In the tenth percentile nurses earn $63,536 a year
• In the twenty fifth percentile nurses earn $69,725 a year
• In the seventy fifth percentile nurses earn $83,752 a year
• In the ninetieth percentile nurses earn $90,333 a year

However even at the bottom end of this range the salary is fairly impressive and makes the job of a transplant nurse seem highly attractive. Other things that can affect the salary that you are eligible to earn in this specialty are the level of education you have, the state that you work in, and the industry in which you are employed as a nurse with a transplant nursing specialty.

The fact that you can earn a fairly good salary as a transplant nurse is one of the main factors that this line of nursing has in its favor. In addition, as compared to other nursing specialties, the education path to becoming a transplant nurse is not as intensive. That being said not all nursing specialties are suitable for all nurses. Before choosing a career in transplant nursing or any other field of specialization you need to think carefully about the pros and cons of the field before determining whether or not you have the personality, skills, and will to complete the necessary steps to becoming a specialist in that area and to leading a successful career in that area.

The post Facts About Transplant Nursing appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is An Occupational Health Nurse?

An occupational health nurse is a Registered Nurse that holds the relevant RN license and that has additional training to be employed in a work/business environment in order to:

• Identify situations that will place the workers in that environment at risk of incurring injuries or illnesses.

• Treat any injuries or illnesses that may arise in the workplace where the occupational health nurse is employed.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

There are a number of duties related to this nursing field. As an occupational health nurse one of your primary goals is to recognize as well as prevent potential workplace hazards (which is done through careful assessment of the working environment in order to identify anything faulty in the way the environment is maintained) as well as treating any injuries or illnesses suffered by workers. In addition you will need to educate employers and employees on a number of topics, including personal protective equipment, common workplace illnesses and injuries, and the law in relation to Occupational Health. Ensuring that everyone is informed of potential hazards as well as their rights if something were to go wrong are essential parts of your job. It will be your responsibility to carefully document all injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace.

Employment

There are a number of settings in which occupational health nurses can find employment:

• Occupational health nurses can work in schools
• Occupational health nurses can work at construction sites
• Occupational health nurses can work at factories
• Occupational health nurses can work in hospitals
• Occupational health nurses can work in offices
• Occupational health nurses can work as independent consultants
• Occupational health nurses can work for the government

One of the any benefits of the job is that you will have better working hours than most other nurses because you will be subject to office hours rather than to the shifts that nurses working in hospitals have to endure. There are, in addition, plenty of employment opportunities for nurses interested in this line of work.

Occupational Health Nurse Requirements

To become an occupational health nurse you first need to become an RN. To enter an RN training program you need to hold a high school diploma or an equivalent GED. There is quite a lot of competition for entering RN training programs, so it is important that you work hard in order to stand out from the crowd during high school. If you are still in high school now remember that it is helpful in terms of getting into nursing school to take subjects like biology, math, and science. There are a number of different RN programs that you can complete, but in order to be an occupational health nurse you will need to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Consequently this is the qualification you should strive towards form the beginning. You also need an RN license.

Personality Traits

The personality traits required in an occupational health nurse are very similar to those required by most other nurses:

• Empathy: Because you will work with people in difficult health positions every day, you need to demonstrate empathy in order to support their emotional needs in addition to their physical needs.

• Communication Skills: on a daily basis you will communicate with many different people in the work environment. Clear communication could mean the differences between the health and illness of the workers under your care.

• Attention to Detail: Assessing a work environment for potential hazards requires a close attention to.

• Flexibility: There are a variety of different issues that you may face in this occupation, so flexibility and an ability to deal with them all is necessary.

Educational Requirements

There are a number of educational requirements involved in becoming an occupational health nurse. As previously discussed you need a bachelor’s degree in nursing. This requires you to attend an RN program, for which you first need to have a high school diploma or GED. Once you have completed the basic nursing requirements you will have to engage in additional training that will result in you becoming a Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN), a Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist (COHN-S), a Certified Occupational Health Nurse/Case Manager (COHN/CM), a Certified Occupational Health Nurses-Specialist/Case Manager (COHN-S/CM), a Certified Occupational Health Nurse/Safety Manager (COHN/SM), or a Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist/Safety Manager (COHN-S/SM). There are different requirements in terms of the education needed for each of these qualifications from state to state, so consult your state board of nursing for specific information.

Licensure

As an occupational health nurse you must be:

• A licensed RN
• A licensed occupational health nurse

The first is achieved by completing an RN training program and applying for licensure through your state board of nursing. If your licensure is approved you will be allowed to write the NCLEX-RN examination and receive licensure. The occupational health certification must then be obtained after completing the necessary training and then writing the certification exam. Your state board of nursing provides information on the licensing procedures and laws tend to differ from state to state so be sure that you know exactly what is expected of you in your state. Your state board of nursing can only license you to work as an RN in that particular state so additional licensing requirements are needed if you move.

How To Become An Occupational Health Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

The training path to becoming an occupational health nurse is a fairly simple one to follow. To start off with you must complete the required bachelor’s degree in general nursing through an accredited school. Completing the program and meeting all of the program and state requirements is essential in order to receive your certification. Completing the course will allow you to write the NCLEX-RN examination and receive licensure as an RN through your state board of nursing. A master’s degree in nursing is then required, on top of your bachelor’s degree. This master’s degree should specialize in occupational health nursing. Technically speaking there is no actual license to become an occupational health nurse, but you do need certification of some kind through an organization like the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses.

Source An Accredited Education Program

It is extremely important that you source an accredited RN bachelor’s program as well as an accredited occupational nursing master’s program when working towards these qualifications. This is because you will be unable to be licensed and certified if the program that you attend is not accredited by an appropriate accrediting body. There are a number of ways to find accredited programs:

• Your state board of nursing usually provides a list of the program options that you have in your area. You can also ask them about specific schools and programs that you are interested in attending.

• Schools are required to advertise their accreditation status on their websites, but this is not always reliable.

• Current nurses will know of accredited programs as they will have completed one in order to be where they are today.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree is a popular first step to becoming an RN. It is shorter than a bachelor’s degree program and most associate’s degree programs allow you to write the NCLEX-RN examination once you have completed it. It must be kept in mind that, if your final goal is to become an occupational health nurse, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree. Consequently your associate’s degree is only a stepping stone. To earn an associate’s degree compile a list of the accredited nursing schools in your area offering the qualification and create a short list based on your personal preferences. Research the application requirements for each and, if you meet the requirements, apply for at least three schools to keep your options open. Completing the course will warn you the degree.

Obtain Your Licensure

Although a master’s degree in nursing is one of the more popular methods through which to become eligible for occupational health nursing certification, there are actually two main paths open to you. You can either:

• Work 3,000 hours in 5 years in health nursing, OR
• Complete a master’s degree program in occupational health nursing

However it must be noted that in order to get the above mentioned experience an employer may require you to have a master’s degree in occupational nursing in any case, so this is still the most sensible option. Re-certification must occur regular as per your state’s requirements (which can vary significantly between states) and requires you to complete:

• 3,000 hours of occupational health work experience
• 50 Continuing Nursing Education hours in occupational health practice

Online/Distance Education Programs

Studying online can be very convenient, but it does not suit everybody. A large degree of self motivation is required. In addition you must not forget that for most nursing programs hands-on training is also required, meaning that it is not possible to complete your entire training program online. There are some good online schools that offer these programs. Oakland University School of Nursing which offers the Occupational Health Certificate, the University of North Carolina Online which offers the Master of Public Health in Occupational Health Nursing, UNC Gillings School of Public Health which offers the Occupational Health Nursing Certificate and the University of South Florida which offers the Occupational Health Nursing qualification are some of your options. However this requires careful thought and consideration before a decision to study online is made.

Job Outlook

There are three main reasons why the job outlook for occupational health nurses is extremely good:

• The nursing profession in general is growing at a faster rate than any other profession at the moment.

• Nurses with advanced qualifications in general are in higher demand in the current medical climate.

• Health and safety regulations in working environments are becoming stricter every year, increasing the need the for occupational health nurses in particular.

Because occupational health nurses also have general nursing qualifications they are also eligible to work in any area where RNs are employed and where special certification in a nursing specialty in not a requirement. Consequently occupational health nurses benefit from all of the aspects mentioned above with no exceptions. Job stability is one of the main attractions of this line of work.

Nurse Earnings

Overall, occupational health nurses earn about $47,459 – $77,932 a year. If you include the potential for a bonus (usually between $0.00 and $5,078) and the potential for profit sharing (usually between $972 and $2,849), the potential total comes to $44,091 – $79,351. The industry that you choose to work in as an occupational health nurse can also affect your earnings:

• In Healthcare you can earn between $45,022 and $79,342 a year.
• In Manufacturing and Distribution you can earn between $46,055 and $80,093 a year.
• In a Health Clinic you can earn between $43,894 and $77,644 a year.
• In Health Insurance you can earn between $46,464 and $78,142 a year.
• In Food Manufacturing you can earn between $46,647 and $81,056 a year.

The cities that are popular to work in because they tend to pay slightly more are:

• Columbus, Ohio
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Joliet, Illinois
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Houston, Texas
• Durham, North Carolina
• San Jose, California

The main pro related to becoming an occupational health nurse is the autonomy that you will have as well as the salary that comes with that autonomy, while the main con is that the educational requirements for this line of work will take you many years to complete. Many nurses have this occupation as an end goal for their career path and take their time slowly working their way towards it. Other nurses go straight for the master’s degree from the start, doing the minimum amount of practical work required along the way. The path you take depends on your personal preferences.

The post How To Be An Occupational Health Nurse appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is A Certified Nurse Midwife?

A certified nurse midwife is a nurse that is trained at caring for women who are pregnant and in assisting those women in giving birth when the time comes. In addition they perform other duties, such as gynecology exams and provide advice on such issues on the best methods for family planning. It is a very specific area of nursing that has been in existence for an extremely long time with a strong history.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The following tasks fall within the certified nurse midwife’s scope of practice:

• Diagnosing patients
• Taking a medical history
• Doing a physical assessment
• Ordering laboratory tests and procedures
• Managing therapy
• Outlining care
• Providing prescriptions (which is allowed in some states, but not others)
• Coordinating consultations and referrals
• Promoting women’s health
• Reducing health risks in women
• Managing common illnesses in adults (not the main focus of this line of work)

Consequently a number of the tasks that certified nurse midwives perform are very similar to those performed by regular nurses in every day hospital settings. The difference is that, to a large degree, these nurses are focused on providing care for pregnant expectant mothers and women in general rather than the general patient population.

Employment

There are a number of areas in which a certified nurse midwife can be employed. They can be employed in private practices where they can either work by themselves or alongside a physician. There are also a number of underserved populations in rural areas or inner-city settings that require the services of a skilled midwife in order to ensure the health of their women and children. Popular places for midwives to work are birthing centers where newborn babies are the order of the day. Certified nurse midwives can also work in hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and health departments. Employment tends to be limited in this particular nursing specialty as you will only be able to work in those areas where you are likely to come into contact with pregnancy and birth on a regular basis.

Certified Nurse Midwife Requirements

According to www.allnursingschools.com the following requirements apply for nurses who want to enter midwifery:

• Master’s degree in nursing from an accredited nursing school (if the school is not accredited you will be wasting your time and your money).

• An active registered nursing license (RN) in the state where the school is located (this is because different states have different licensing rules).

• Some work experience in labor and delivery, generally up to a year

• Completion of the GRE with satisfactory score

• Completion of a statistics course with a satisfactory grade

• Letters of recommendation

• A statement of purpose describing why you want to become a certified nurse-midwife (this is your chance to stand out from the crowd and display what makes you an ideal candidate to study this area of nursing).

Personality Traits

These are the personality traits that will help in this line of work:

• You will need a personality that enjoys being busy all the time.

• You will need to have good interpersonal skills and be outgoing as you will meet new people on a daily basis.

• Because there are a number of different things that you will need to do each day, multi-tasking skills are essential.

• A certified nurse midwife has to be able to handle the sight of bodily fluids related to childbirth and have a strong stomach.

• A love for physical labor will help you in this line of work.

• Although you need to be caring and empathetic, you also have to combine this with objectivity when something goes wrong and professionalism.

• A personality that want to learn will also help.

• Because unexpected things happen all the time in terms of childbirth you cannot be someone who is tied down by routine.

• Having an undying positive energy will also help in this line of work.

Educational Requirements

There are a number of educational requirements that you need to meet in order to become a certified nurse midwife:

• Firstly you need to have a two-year Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN). Generally speaking to enter these courses you must already hold a high school diploma or GED equivalent thereof, another educational requirement. In the past a master’s degree was not required, but it is as of 2010 for all new nurses who want to be midwives.

• The second and last educational requirement is that you earn a CNM designation from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).

As a master’s degree can take many years to earn you may find that this is a nursing specialty that is more time intensive than many other nursing specialties.

Licensure

The license that you need to hold in order to become a certified nurse midwife is the RN license, which must be valid for the state in which you wish to train to become a certified nurse midwife. To earn the RN license you need a master’s degree in nursing. In the past such an advanced degree was not a requirement, but recently it was decided that all new nurses entering the field must have a master’s degree. After completing the degree program you must apply for licensure form your state board of nursing. When your state board of nursing approves your right to be licensed you will need to make a date to write the NCLEX-RN exam. Passing the exam will earn you your license which you will need to renew on a regular basis.

How To Become A Certified Nurse Midwife

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

Training is divided into two sections, namely theory and clinical, and both sections are necessary in order to complete your program and become a certified nurse midwife with the right to practice as one.
Theory
According to another website the following theory topics will probably be covered:

• Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology
• Breastfeeding
• Genetics
• Gynecology
• Health and Social Policy
• Health Research
• Laboratory Medicine
• Management and Advanced Practice Nursing
• Management of the Antepartum, Intrapartum and Postpartum Periods
• Newborn Assessment and Care
• Pharmacology principles
• Primary Care of Women
• Reproductive Health Care Management

Clinical

• Practical experience managing patients before the delivery of a baby
• Practical experience managing patients during the delivery of a baby
• Practical experience managing patients after the delivery of a baby

Source An Accredited Education Program

There are a number of questions that you must ask yourself when looking for the right midwife training program, but one of the most important questions is “Is the midwifery school accredited?.” The school absolutely must be accredited by the appropriate body or else you stand the risk of:

• Losing your money: as you will need to complete a completely new program to become accredited you will have to pay for two programs, a big financial burden.

• Wasting your time: because you will have to start another program, it will take you twice as long to complete your midwifery qualification as you would like.

Your state board of nursing is an excellent place to begin your search for an accredited program as well as being the most reliable source of this kind of information.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

Although a master’s degree was not required in order to be a certified nurse midwife in the past, it is a requirement now, and one that cannot be ignored. Consequently, although it is a good way to get your foot in the door of the health care industry, and associate’s degree will simply not be enough to earn you certification in the field of certified nurse midwifery. To earn a master’s degree in nursing you will have to attend one of the many nursing programs offered at schools, colleges, and universities. In some cases you may be able to complete the master’s program with a specialization in midwifery, although not all schools offer master’s degrees of this kind. The course will consist of both theory and clinical training, both of which you need to be proficient in.

Obtain Your Licensure

Once you have your RN license and you have achieved the appropriate amount of clinical experience, you need to earn your certified nurse midwife qualification. There are two main steps involved in this process:
Attend a college offering a certified nurse-midwifery (CNM) program
Sit for an exam offered by the American College of Nurse-Midwives in order to earn your certification and become a certified nurse-midwife
There are about 50 different colleges that offer this qualification across the country so you should have very little trouble finding one near you. The exam is a necessity, but if you attend a course and have the relevant experience you will not find that the questions are too difficult for you. This is the certification required to practice as a certified nurse midwife in the US.

Online/Distance Education Programs

It is possible to earn your certified nurse midwife qualification online. There are several schools that offer this possibility, including:

• East Carolina University
• The Frontier School
• Philadelphia University

However it must be noted that these courses are not complete. Because there is always clinical experience and hands-on training involved in any nursing qualification, you will also need to make provisions for this aspect of your training if you want to study online. A school that claims that your qualification can be completed entirely online must be treated with suspicion as this is simply not possible. Although online study is convenient you will also lose out on the important interaction with other students that can be so valuable in terms of helping your retain the information learned in class.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for certified nurse midwives is extremely good. All registered nursing careers will experience an increase of about 26% in terms of how many job openings there will be from 2012 to 2013. Nurses that have a specialist qualification of some kind can expect an even higher rate of growth for their particular industry as they will be able to bring skills to the table that will make them sought after assets in the nursing profession. in addition to being able to be employed as a nurse midwife in the employment sectors mentioned earlier in this article, nurses with this qualification have also gone through general nurse training and are therefore also eligible to apply for jobs in sectors of the healthcare industry where a specialist qualification is not required.

Earnings

The average salary for a certified nurse midwife is about $54,111 – $99,706 a year, but when you figure in the potential annual bonus amount of $0.00 – $9,169 as well as potential profit sharing of $3,250 – $5,057 a year, you can expect to earn something like $51,440 – $103,369 annually. The popular industries with their respective salaries for certified nurse midwives are:

• Healthcare = $48,334 – $98,527 a year
• Obstetrics & Gynecology = $54,075 – $101,945 a year
• Hospital = $48,522 – $100,341 a year
• Medical Services = $47,134 – $99,372 a year
• Family Planning, Women and Children Healthcare Centers = $41,261 – $91,421 a year

Salaries differ from state to state and city to city. The top paying cities are:

• Atlanta
• Denver
• Chicago
• Boston

This job is a very rewarding and meaningful one as it involves bringing new life into the world. However it must also be noted that this can be a very stressful job in that it is common for babies to be lost at this stage in their lives. You need to be someone who loves newborns but who can also accept that sometimes tragedies happen and move on from there with their careers.

The post How To Become A Certified Nurse Midwife appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is Addictions Nursing?

Addictions nursing is a type of nursing where you will work with people suffering from an addiction of some kind, usually an addiction to a substance, such as drugs or alcohol. In addition you may work with the patient’s family as well as with anyone else who feels that they have been negatively affected by the addiction that your client has. Sometimes the patients will see you on a voluntary basis, while other times it will be against their will.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The main duties that you will perform as an addictions nurse are as follows:

• You will work with your patients to promote their recovery from their addiction
• You will also provide addictions therapy to your patients
• You will provide addictions counseling to your patients
• You will educate patients and their families about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse
• You may need to run group therapy sessions for groups of addicts and sometimes their families as well
• You will work closely with other members of the health care industry and public to promote general addiction awareness as well as the individual well being of your patients
• You will spend long periods of time with individual patients, as opposed to brief care in many hospital settings

Employment

This is not a particularly popular area of nursing to be employed in. for one thing it can be dangerous. You may, for example, be employed in a correctional facility, such as a prison, where you will be faced with treating hardened criminals. Usually you will deal with the fresh inmates who need to be detoxified and helped through the cleansing and rehabilitation process. Even in other employment settings, such as hospitals and rehabilitation centers, you may be in danger. However, although addicts have a reputation for being dangerous and willing to do anything to get what they want, this is usually not the case and in many situations they are willing to cooperate in order to overcome their addiction and move forward with their lives in a proactive way.

Addictions Nursing Requirements

There are three main requirements that you will have to meet in order to become involved in the domain of addictions nursing:

• You must hold an RN license: This means that the first step on your journey involves entering an RN training program and completing a nursing degree which will prepare you to write the NCLEX-RN examination.

• You need to have experience in addictions: Once you have received your RN license you will need to find employment in an addiction setting in order to get the necessary experience for certification.

• You must have a Certified Addiction Registered Nurses (CARN) qualification, which is approved by The National Nurses Society on Addictions (NNSA): Experience, as well as theory training, needs to be completed before you can write the exam to receive your certification as an addictions nurse.

Personality Traits

Different areas of nursing require subtly different personality traits in order to make a successful career out of that specialty. When it comes to addictions nursing the real challenge lies in balancing your sympathy for your patients with the fact that you need to be objective and not give in to any manipulative strategies that your patients may employ. In addition to this you should also be hard working, non-judgmental and sympathetic. If you feel that you either lack these skills or that you will be unable to develop these skills, this may not be the ideal area of nursing for you to specialize in. Fortunately, there are many different nursing specialties that you can become a practitioner in that will suit the personality that you have. Not all nurses are suited for all areas of nursing.

Educational Requirements

The educational requirements for being an addictions nurse are as follows:

• You need to have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent thereof.

• You need to have completed an RN degree qualification. You can earn a diploma, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree in nursing and the more advanced your educational qualification is the better your employment outlook will be. The program must be offered by a school or college that is appropriately accredited in your state.

• You need to complete the CARN certification. This will include, among other things, theory questions based on the following topics: Addiction Therapies, Biochemical Basis of Addiction, Care of Patients with Addictions, Drug Abuse‚ Withdrawal and Pain Management, Eating Disorders and Addiction, Elderly and Incarcerated with Addictions.

Licensure

The only license you need, technically speaking, to be an addictions nurse is your registered nursing or RN license. This is earned by firstly completing one of the RN degree programs mentioned above. It will help if you focus on addictions nursing as far as possible when doing this training. Then you will have to apply for licensure with your state board of nursing. There are different licensing requirements in different states, so you need to know ahead of time what your particular state requires of you when you make this application. Once your application has been confirmed you can set an exam date for writing the NCLEX-RN exam. Passing this exam will earn you your license which you will have to renew every few years while providing proof that you have done continuing education.

How To Become An Addictions Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

Training for addictions nursing, as in all other aspects of nursing, consists of two main sections:

• Theory, and
• Clinical

The theory training will be covered in your nursing degree. During your degree you may have the option of selecting courses and electives that focus on addictions nursing. There will also be additional theory training provided for taking the CARN certification exam.

Clinical experience, on the other hand, will require you to be active in an addictions treatment setting. The most common way for nurses to receive the relevant amount of experience in this regard is by engaging in an internship that their school or training program approves of for a set period of time. You may not get paid during internships, but the experience that you will gain will be invaluable for your exam as well as in your career.

Source An Accredited Education Program

The program that you attend to earn your RN degree must be accredited. If it is not accredited the degree that you earn will count for nothing. There are two main ways in which you can determine whether or not the program you are interested in is accredited:

• You can enquire about the accreditation status of the program with your state board of nursing.
• You can do some of your own research on the school and check its website for this accreditation information.

The first method is far more reliable because there are, unfortunately, a number of schools out there that are not genuine and that may even go as far t mislead the general public about their accreditation. Online schools are especially important to watch out for.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

In order to enter the field of addictions nursing you need to have an associate’s degree. Although many other nursing specialties require you to have a bachelor’s degree, and associate’s degree is what you will need in order to become an addictions nurse. However remember that the more advanced your degree is the better your resume will look and the more job opportunities you will have. An associate’s degree can be earned at any school or college that offers training in how to become a nurse. It will consist of theoretical and clinical training and you are required to complete both aspects of the degree course before your associate’s degree will be awarded. An associate’s degree is often seen as a stepping stone to greater things in the field of nursing and there is room for advancement.

Obtain Your Licensure

These are the requirements for becoming a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN):

• You must be a certified RN who graduated from an accredited program with a current RN license that has no limitations on it.

• You must be able to show proof of 1 year or 2000 hours of experience in an addictions nursing setting within the 3 years preceding your application for addictions nursing certification.

If you can show that you meet the above mentioned requirements, you will be then be allowed to sit the necessary certification exam for becoming a nurse with a specialty in addictions nursing. Certification will mean that you will be a sought after asset in the addictions nursing setting and you will always be sure of finding a job in your chosen area of nursing specialization.

Online/Distance Education Programs

For nurses who are concerned that they will not have the time required to study for the Certified Addiction Registered Nurses (CARN) exam, it is important to note that there are a number of online study options and resources available for nurses in this position. These resources will allow you to study for the exam in your own time and at your own pace without having to worry about compromising your career while you learn. However you must remember that the clinical experience needed in addictions nursing in order to be certified cannot be completed in an online setting and it will be your responsibility to ensure that you find the appropriate balance between online theory study and hands-on clinical experience. It is extremely important that both aspects of the program are attended to.

Job Outlook

All areas of the nursing profession are experiencing growth in terms of the number of jobs that are available. Across the board we are in the process of experiencing a 22% increase in the nursing sector. Addictions nursing certification will ensure that you have a very strong job outlook because:

• There are many people who need help with their addictions form a professional with the relevant qualifications – this number also seems to be growing all the time.

• With a qualification in addictions nursing you will be one of the first candidates considered for any position in an addictions nursing facility.

In addition, because you will also have basic nursing training, you will also be able to work in any regular hospital setting where specializations in nursing are not a requirement.

Earnings

As an addictions nurse you can earn about $30,000 a year more than what an average RN can earn. The average salary for an addictions nurse is something in the region of $45,000 per year but can be as much as $70,000. This is not a bad salary at all, and it must be noted that not many areas of nursing will pay as well as this. According to simplyhired.com this salary can vary based on a number of factors such as “company, location, industry, experience and benefits”. The biggest factor is the state in which you work. By this stage you have probably realized that different states offer different salaries to their nurses, and that some simply pay substantially more than others. To find out more about salaries for addictions nurses in your particular state you will need to engage in some research of your own.

Addictions nursing is one of the tougher areas of nursing, and it will take a very special personality to be able to cope in this area. However it can be very rewarding, in the same way that traditional hospital nursing can be rewarding, in that you too will be able to see improvements and changes in your patients for the better. However, just like with patients that suffer from physical illnesses and injuries, there will also be times when your patients do not recover at all, and you will need to have the frame of mind that can deal with that, accept that, and not let it prevent you from doing your job well.

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What Is An Emergency/Trauma Nurse?

If you are looking for an area of nursing to specialize in, emergency/trauma nursing is only recommended if you are a person who can handle highly stressful situations easily. This is because the main purpose of your job will be to work in emergency healthcare settings, such as emergency rooms at hospitals, where every second counts and where patients may well be experiencing life or death situations.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The following duties are performed by emergency/trauma nurses on a regular basis:

• Responding quickly to a patient in an emergency situation – you will usually be one of the first people a patient will see when they come to the hospital.

• Based on this initial interaction with the patient it will be your job to assess the patient’s situation and determine the degree of care he or she needs.

• When necessary you will need to be actively involved in stabilizing the patient so that he or she is in no immediate terminal danger.

• You will need to prepare any equipment that you deem the doctor will find necessary when he or she sees the patient.

• Communication with the patient’s family regarding the patient’s condition is also part of your job.

Employment

Employment opportunities in this line of nursing are fairly stable in that there are always emergency situations occurring across the country that require the expertise of an emergency/trauma nurse to deal with them. Because the skills you will have are aimed at emergency response, you will primarily find employment in hospital emergency rooms as well as in ambulances that respond to the scenes of occurrences such as accidents as well as to the scenes of unexpected health issues. Consequently you will find yourself being employed alongside paramedics, EMTs, and other individuals with an active involvement in emergency care. Whatever the setting that you are employed in may be, you can be guaranteed that it will be fast-paced and carry with it a high degree of stress, especially as patients can be lost on a regular basis.

Emergency/Trauma Nurse Requirements

There are various requirements that are involved in becoming an emergency/trauma nurse and it is very important that you are able to meet these basic requirements. The basic requirements include:

• A minimum level of education: You need, at the very least, to have completed a training program that allows you to practice as a licensed Registered Nurse.

• A minimum number of years of experience: This can vary slightly from state to state, but in order to be certified as an emergency/trauma nurse you will need to have a certain number of years of experience in trauma nursing.

• Personality requirements: Because not everyone is suited for this line of work there are a number of personality requirements that you need to have. These personality requirements will be discussed later in more detail.

Personality Traits

A nurse working in emergency/trauma nursing needs to have the same personality skills as nurses working in other segments of the health care industry. There are a few skills that will, however, prove to be slightly more useful in this setting than in others. For one thing an ability to think quickly and clearly about how best to treat a patient is vital in an emergency care setting. In addition you will need to be able to balance objectivity and compassion and not let your emotional response to your patient’s condition get in the way of your ability to adequately treat that patient. A certain amount of attention to detail will be necessary to accurately diagnose and assess your patient and ensure that he or she is receiving accurate care in the health care setting.

Educational Requirements

As with any nursing qualification there are a number of educational requirements that you will have to meet in order to be an emergency/trauma nurse:

• Get your high school diploma
• Enter an LPN program and become a licensed and qualified LPN
• Enter an RN degree program and become a licensed and qualified RN

An RN program is on that will earn you a diploma in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, or a master’s degree in nursing. The more advanced your educational level is the better your resume will look when it comes time to search for a job. In addition you will have more skills which will also means that you will feel more confident in your work. Additional certification to be an emergency/trauma nurse is also necessary.

Licensure

The license that you need in order to be an emergency/trauma nurse is an RN license. This license can be earned by attending one of the RN programs mentioned above. The program will consist of theory and practical training, both of which are necessary for this qualification. Once you have graduated from the program you will need to apply to your state board of nursing for licensure. If you are approved the next step is to set a date to write the NCLEX-RN examination. Passing the examination will earn you your license. This license will have to be renewed regularly. The renewal period depends on the state that you are licensed in. When renewing your license you may also, according to the laws of each state, be required to present proof of continuing education.

How To Become An Emergency/Trauma Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

Emergency/trauma nurses have a few advancement options open to them. For example if you stay in the job for long enough you could advance to a position where you are in charge of the entire emergency room. The training required for this line of work is the same as basic nursing training. You can train to be an emergency/trauma nurse by:

• You can do a four or five program at a college or university, or

• You can do one year of training to become a Licensed Practiced Nurse (LPN) before doing an LPN to RN bridge program, or

• You can do a two year program in a junior or community college, combined with some hospital training before doing an LPN to RN bridge program, or

• You can do a three year program run by a hospital or school based on nursing

Source An Accredited Education Program

It is very important that the program that you attend on your way to being an emergency/trauma nurse is accredited by either the Emergency Nurses Association or the Society of Trauma Nurses. If it is not accredited you will be effectively wasting your time and your money as your qualification will count for nothing and you will have to start your studies from scratch. These two associations can provide you on information about any specific programs that you are interested in attending and it will be in your best interests to confirm the accreditation status of any program before you make a final decision regarding whether or not you desire to attend that program. The school itself should also be able to give you this information.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree is one of the educational levels that you can achieve in order to become an NR. This degree will allow you to sit the NCLEX-RN examination, which is the national licensing exam for registered nurses. An associate’s degree can take a while to complete as it is usually about a two year program. Consequently you need to be prepared to devote the necessary time to the program. Many schools have an associate’s degree in nursing although some may offer only a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Technical schools, vocational colleges, community colleges, and some universities all offer this qualification. There are also a number of online options but clinical experience is a necessary prerequisite for an associate’s degree, so you need to complete that side of your training in some way as well.

Obtain Your Licensure

There is no special license for being an emergency/trauma nurse. You will need to hold an RN license, but that is all. There is a certification exam that you will be required to pass. Once you have your RN license the following steps must be followed:

• You need to get on the job training and perhaps some theory training will need to be completed.

• You will have to work in the ER and sit the exam to become a Certified Emergency Nurse.

• You will need to train to become a trauma nurse through the American Emergency Nursing Association course (the Trauma Nurse Core Course).

When all of the above requirements have been met you will be in a position to declare yourself as a specialist in the area of emergency/trauma nursing.

Online/Distance Education Programs

Although it is necessary to do a certain amount of practical training in n actual emergency setting before you can become an emergency trauma nurse you are able to do the Trauma Nurse Core Course online in order to receive your certification. Note that this method of study can be a lot more convenient in that you will not need to attend classroom based lectures and will therefore not have to give up your job. It must be noted, however, that not all of the many online training programs are accredited and that you may not have the right personality for online studying as it requires a high degree of self-motivation that does not come naturally to all students. Careful consideration must be made of all the factors and options surrounding the question of online study.

Job Outlook

A career as an emergency/trauma nurse is a good one to choose if you are concerned about job stability. There are two reasons for this:

• The nursing industry in general is growing at a fast rate, faster than all other industries, meaning that there will be more jobs for all nurses.

• In addition, with a specialty in a certain nursing domain your skills will also be in higher demand, meaning that you will have additional employment opportunities.

• Because you also have basic nursing training you will not only be able to work in the emergency/trauma sector, but also in any other facility where nurses are not necessarily required to hold a specialization of any kind.

As jobs go, this is one of the more secure options for you to consider.

Earnings

The average salary that you can earn as an emergency/trauma nurse is about $43,404 to $86,694 a year. The variations depend on the level of education that you have as well as what area you work in. different states tend to offer different rates of pay, and even within states you will find that there are significant differences between cities in terms of how much you can earn as an emergency/trauma nurse. The cities that pay the most are:

• Oakland, California
• San Francisco, California
• Sacramento, California
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Modesto, California
• Orange, California
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• New Bedford, Massachusetts
• Fresno, California
• Portland, Oregon
• San Diego, California
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Phoenix, Arizona
• New York, New York
• Riverside, California
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Los Angeles, California
• Washington, District of Columbia
• Long Beach, California
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Although being an emergency/trauma nurse can be highly stressful, there are a number of advantages to choosing this career, such as the high rate of pay and the sense that you are achieving something meaningful on a daily basis. It is up to you, at a personal level, to weigh up to possible cons with the possible pros of the position. Employment in this area of nursing does not have to be your final stop – because you will have general nurse training you will always have the option to leave the emergency arena and train in another specialty or work as a general nurse.

The post How To Become An Emergency Trauma Nurse appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

A CNA, or certified nursing assistant, needs to complete a CNA clinical on her path to becoming fully qualified in this entry-level aspect of nursing. CNA training consists of two sides:

• Theory training, in which you will learn the coursework required to complete this qualification

• Clinical training, during which you will get the required hands-on experience needed to be a nurse assistant

Because nurse is a very practical job, many people see the hands-on training section of the course as being the most important.

What Is A CNA?

A CNA, or certified nursing assistant, is a health care worker that works on the frontlines of patient care. The tasks they perform involve basic day-today care for a patient’s immediate needs. CNAs cannot function autonomously and require strict supervision form qualified nurses in all that they do. A CNA is actively involved in the following day-to-day tasks:

• Personal Hygiene: One major task of a CNA is to assist patients in maintaining their personal hygiene by brushing their teeth, helping them shower/bath, washing them in bed, and keeping their hair clean.

• Infection Control: Germs spread easily and quickly in a hospital setting. As a CNA you need to keep up with the latest development in germ spread prevention technology and procedures and implement those procedures efficiently.

• Dietary Care: Another main function of a CNA is to ensure that your patients are eating enough of the correct food to facilitate their personal recovery.

• Administering Treatments: There are a few limited treatments that a CNA can administer or help administer.

• Reporting: Accurate reporting of the patient’s vital signs and condition forms a big part of the job.

• Emotional Support: Patients in a health care setting require emotional support tin addition to physical care.

What Is A CNA Clinical?

CNA clinicals have the following features and purposes:

• They are the equivalent of internships and residencies for doctors in that they give you real life hands-on experience

• They give you a chance to work with real patients in a supervised setting before being forced to work on your own as an RN

• Your clinicals count towards your grade, and sometimes make up your entire grade, as teachers use them to evaluate their students

• In a CNA clinical training course you will be rotated through a variety of departments, thereby getting a feel for the different areas of nursing

• You will work alongside trained nurses and other health care professionals, giving you a feel for how a health care team works in reality

• Although you will also receive training in a classroom setting, this theory knowledge merely supplements your clinical training and cannot replace it

• You may also be given the opportunity to practice your clinical knowledge in simulated settings where no one’s life is at risk

• Your CNA clinical training can be very stressful and intensive, especially at first, but you will be very glad of it once it is over

Reasons For Doing CNA Clinicals

Completing the CNA clinical portion of your training program is extremely important. The reasons for doing these hands-on training programs are, for the most part, self-evident. Nurses who look on their clinical training as an unfortunate trial that they have to get through in order to be certified may want to reexamine their motivation for becoming a nurse. The clinical part of your training should be seen as the most important as well as the most exciting portion of your educational journey to becoming a CNA. As a CNA you will be required to engage in a number of very practical tasks throughout your career that cannot be adequately taught through theory work. As the job of a CNA is in itself a very practical job, the brief CNA training you will go through will consist mainly of CNA clinical work. If you do not have the time for your clinical tasks you will also struggle to find the time to do a job as CNA as the fast-paced, work-intensive career comes with inconvenient hours and low pay. If you do not love the clinical side of the job, you will not be a very happy nurse’s assistant.

Satisfy Program Requirements

CNA courses are substantially shorter than many other nursing courses, such as those that LPNs and RNs complete. However, a large portion of this course consists of practical training which must be completed in order for your qualification to be approved. Thus your CNA clinical work is part of the program requirements that you have to meet in order to be a CNA. The hands-on portion of your training will prepare you for all of the work that you will have to do in your CNA career. Some CNA training programs allow you to receive your hands-on training while engaged in the theory side of your coursework. However the usual rule is that you have to complete the required amount of theory training before you will be able to begin your CNA clinical training. The clinical portion of your training will be carefully supervised by an expert in the field, usually an LPN or an RN. This will help you prepare for the fact that you will need to take order from LPNs, RNs, and other health care professionals once you are qualified to work as a CNA.

Experience Different Work Environments

Certified nursing assistants are needed in practically every health care facility out there. Consequently there are a number of different working environments that you can be exposed to as a CNA. During your CNA clinical training you will be given the opportunity to work in a variety of vastly different healthcare settings, each of which has its own methodology and procedures. Different patients are treated differently. For example you do not treat newborn babies with the same methods as you would treat adults or elderly patients. Consequently there are a number of different work environments available to you and your CNA clinical training is a good way to get your first taste of what employment opportunities are available.
If you plant to advance your nursing career by becoming an LPN or an RN you will find that the more experience you have in a wider selection of settings at CNA level, the better your chances of receiving a job in a good facility once you are qualified as a licensed practical nurse or as a registered nurse. A wide variety of nursing environments will help you as a CNA, but it is also a good way to advance your nursing career in general.

Gain Hands-On Experience

Because being a certified nursing assistant is a very practical job, hands-on experience is the main purpose of a CNA clinical course. Some of the advantages of gaining hands-on experience are that:

• You will have the opportunity to engage in interaction with doctors, patients and other nurses, giving you an idea of the CNA field and allowing you to become comfortable with the communication and interaction patterns used in a healthcare setting.

• You will begin to develop an understanding of how the health care team functions and what your correct place, as a CNA, is in the hierarchy of that health care team.

• You will be given insight into the expectations of nurses.

• You will be given insight into the demands of the profession.

• You will be given insight into the proper work etiquette and attire.

• You will begin to develop an understanding of how to interact with patients appropriately without overstepping your boundaries as a CNA.

• You will, most importantly of all, be given the opportunity to practice and apply all you have learned throughout your coursework, which is extremely important as theory work cannot replace actual real life experience in nursing.

How Can I Be Prepared For A Clinical Course?

There are a number of ways in which you can prepare for you first CNA clinical day in order to make it substantially less frightening for you. Firstly you should always be prepared. When you come to class on your first clinical day, and on every other day after that, bring your drug book, care plan, stethoscope and a pen and paper so you can jot down any useful remarks that the instructor makes. It is essential to always be on time for your clinical. If you are not, you will give your instructor a bad perception of you that can affect your final score. You will also need to be on time in your career as a CNA, so now is a good time to start practicing. Before you start your first CNA clinical you will be informed of the dress code. Follow this code exactly as you do not want to draw unnecessary negative attention to yourself. Read up on the skills that you may be expected to show in the first few days of clinical training and think of ways in which you can subtly show your instructor that you have prepared. You should be very careful not to trust people on your first few days and to only do what your instructor, and nobody else, tells you. There are many things that CNAs in training may not do. Do not go beyond the scope of practice or limits the instructor has set. It does not matter if you have been an LPN for 15 years and have been passing meds during that time. If the instructor says you cannot give meds without her supervision, don’t. Never look unprofessional.

Where Can I Get My Clinical Experience?

CNA Clinical Training In Hospitals

Because CNA training is intensive in practical experience, an actual hospital setting is one of the best places to earn your qualification as a CNA. The CNA clinical work will be a good reflection of what you will do in your actual job.

CNA Clinical Training At Vocational And Community Colleges

These are very popular options for studying to become a CNA< but it must be noted that the CNA clinical training that you do will not be done at the college itself, but rather at a nearby participating health care facility.

CNA Clinical Training In Nursing Homes

Community and vocational colleges are the most popular places to receive CNA training, but for a strong focus in CNA clinical training nursing homes are good bet. They often offer free hands-on training in order to combat staffing shortages on the condition that you work for them for a certain period of time after qualifying.

Red Cross CNA Clinical Training

According to cntraininghelp.com “Red Cross offers one of the best training options available in the United States. Through its chapters located throughout the country, it offers one of the most thorough and properly recognized CNA course available today”.

The Problem With Online Training Schools

Studying for your CNA qualification online comes with one very specific problem: there is no way at all to complete clinical training in an online setting. This means that you can only complete the theory training section of your qualification in this way. A website that claims to offer a full qualification entirely online must be treated with suspicion as 1) it probably isn’t accredited, and 2) it is not being honest with you. That being said there is nothing wrong with completing y9our theory work online as long as the school is an accredited one and as long as you do your clinical training in a real health care setting after you complete the online course.

CNA clinicals are a necessary part of your training, and you will enjoy the more if you look on them as the main purpose of your training. Nursing is, after all, a very practical and hands-on career, so you should not begrudge the hours of clinical training that you are obligated to receive as your CNA clinical is that you need to be well prepared for your career.

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What Is Ambulatory Care Nursing?

Not all nursing care needs to take place in a hospital setting. In fact there are frequently times when pain management for patients with chronic injuries or illness, or general health education for patients with chronic injuries or illness needs to occur outside the hospital setting. In these cases ambulatory care nursing becomes necessary. Ambulatory care nurses are nurses that move to where they are needed.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

Generally speaking you will, in ambulatory care nursing, perform many of the same tasks as you would in any other nursing setting. The main differences is that the environment in which you provide care may vary frequently. Usually you will be required to provide healthcare to patients with varying illnesses or injuries, promote healthcare and health maintenance to patients, educate patients on how to manage their injury or illness at home, provide healthcare either face to face with patients or over the phone or internet, and assist patients preventing and managing illnesses. The two main tasks are, then:

• Providing care to the patient regarding their ailment
• Educating the patient in terms of the ailment that they are suffering from and how best to deal with that ailment in a way that promotes speedy recovery

Employment

Ambulatory care nursing involves moving from location to location, usually outside of a traditional hospital setting. Consequently you may find that you will be employed in ambulances, day surgery units, ambulatory care surgeries, physicians office, community centers, schools, workplaces, in home care environments, and clinics. In addition to these more ‘traditional’ locations you could also seek employment in a few areas that you may not have thought of before:

• Health Insurance Companies where you will be expected to provide health care advice via telephone or the internet

• The Government where you will be expected to provide health care advice via telephone or the internet

This kind of nursing provides you with vast experience, making it easy to settle down in one particular nursing discipline in the future if you so desire.

Ambulatory Care Nursing Requirements

As with any discipline there are a number of basic requirements that you will need to meet before you will be able to work as an ambulatory care nurse. To begin with you must be a qualified Registered Nurse (RN) and you must have a minimum of two years of experience working as an RN. These are really the only requirements that you will need to meet for the position. There is no additional training to become an ambulatory care nurse, but it is recommended that you pursue certification as many employers prefer, if not require, candidates to hold this certificate. Certification can be gained by documenting 2,000 hours (1 year full-time) experience in Ambulatory Care Nursing within the last three years and by completing 30 hours of Ambulatory Care Nursing Continuing Education within the last three years.

Personality Traits

There are a number of personality traits that we expect all nurses to have, including things like natural empathy and an ability to work well in a team and take orders when necessary. There are two main personality traits that are specifically useful for those nurses who would like to specialize in ambulatory care nursing. The first is interpersonal skills. If you have great interpersonal skills you will have every little trouble working with the many different people who you will come into contact with on a daily basis. In addition you will also find that an ability to stay calm and rational under pressure will be very helpful as, in an ambulatory care setting, you may not always have other experts to draw on and may be required to make life or death decisions yourself.

Educational Requirements

The most basic educational requirement for the post is that you have a high school diploma. During high school it will be helpful if you focus on subjects like math, science, and biology. Once you have completed high school you can go on to earning one of the following:

• A diploma in nursing, OR
• An associate’s degree in nursing, OR
• A bachelor’s degree in nursing

If you are interested in becoming certified you will then need to complete continuing education units in appropriate topics. These will prepare you for a career as an ambulatory care nurse. After working for two years as a Registered Nurse with 2,000 hours of clinical practice in ambulatory care and 30 hours of continued education you can take the certification exam that will allow you to ‘officially’ be an ambulatory care nurse health care specialist through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Licensure

To become an ambulatory care nurse you have to hold an RN license. To receive this license you must begin by completing an accredited RN training program at a vocational school, college, or university. Completing the program will allow you to apply for licensure through your state board of nursing. Once you have received confirmation that you are indeed eligible for licensure, you will be able to set a date to write the licensing examination through Pearson VUE, the company which administers these exams. Passing the exam will allow you to become licensed. Your license may need to be renewed periodically depending on what the rules of your particular state’s board of nursing are regarding this matter.

How To Become An Ambulatory Care Nurse

Training, Advancement and Other Qualifications

As a nurse you will frequently have the option of advancing your education and training in the area of ambulatory care through continuing education units. These are often a requirement for re-certification or the renewal of your NR license, so you may as well select units that will be beneficial to you as a nurse. Some of the topics that you may find useful are:

• Phlebotomy
• IV therapy
• ECG
• Triage and telephone advice
• Teaching

Even if continuing education is not a requirement in your state it is still advised that you pursue continuing education units related to your line of work. This will result in the possibility for further job advancement. In addition it will make you more positive in terms of your jobs and your abilities to do your job well.

Source An Accredited Education Program

It is incredibly important that you complete an RN training program that is accredited with your state board of nursing. If it is not you will be wasting your time and your money on the program. There are three main ways in which you can determine the accreditation status of a school:

• From the school itself: Schools have to publish this information, but it is always better to double check all claims that the schools you are interested in make in this regard.

• From current nurses: RNs who are currently employed as such in the field of ambulatory care will be able to point you in the direction of accredited schools.

• From your State Board of Nursing: Your State Bad of Nursing is the most reliable source of information on accreditation.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

Earning an associate’s degree in nursing is an excellent place to start if you want to be an ambulatory care nurse. Earning an associate’s degree, which can be done through any university or other educational institute that offers the qualification, will allow you to apply for licensure with your state board of nursing, and can therefore allow you to become licensed. However many employers prefer to hire ambulatory care nurses who have a more advanced qualification. It is easy enough to return to school after working for a while to obtain a more advanced degree, and earning your associate’s degree is still the best starting point as you will still be able to start working fairly soon after you have graduated from the associate’s degree training program through which you choose to study.

Obtain Your Licensure

Apart from the RN license there is no additional licensure that you have to obtain to become and ambulatory care nurse. However you do have the option of becoming certified. Certification will:

• Provide you with more job opportunities
• Allow you to ask for a raise

In some states certification may even be mandatory, and it is important that you are well aware of what the conventions in your state are before making any commitments one way or the other. Certification can be gained by documenting 2,000 hours (1 year full-time) experience in Ambulatory Care Nursing within the last three years. Additionally certified ambulatory care nurses must also have completed 30 hours of Ambulatory Care Nursing Continuing Education within the last three years. As nursing specializations go, this is one of the least intensive to join.

Online/Distance Education Programs

To a certain degree a nursing qualification can be completed online. However it is important to note that nursing is a highly practical line of work, and consequently there is a high concentration of practical learning in your training course in addition to the theory that will be covered in the prescribed textbooks. It is simply not possible to complete your clinical experience online. There are online schools, however, that are either part of a brick and mortar school, or that are affiliated with actual health care facilities and that therefore provide ways in which you can complete your clinical training in a real-life setting, while completing your theory training online. If this is the course you would like to take, make your decision very carefully as it will affect the rest of your career.

Job Outlook

Nursing is generally one of those lines of work that is improving at a very fast rate in terms of the number of jobs available. The stats are:

• Nursing in general will increase by 22% over the next few years.

• More technology is being used, meaning that ambulatory nurses with skills in this technology will be in greater demand.

In addition there is a rising elderly population and an increased emphasis on preemptive health care, both factors which will contribute to an increase in the number of jobs available for ambulatory care nurses in the very near future. In addition ambulatory care nurses are also trained in skills that can be transferred to more traditional hospital settings, which means they have the opportunity for employment in those settings in addition to ambulatory care settings.

Ambulatory Care Nursing Earnings

The national average salary of an ambulatory care nurse is $50,000 a year, but this figure may be slightly lower or slightly higher depending on several factors including where the job is located, and how much previous experience a potential candidate may have. In addition you will find that some states simply tend to pay more or less than others, which means that you may find yourself earning far less or far more than a friend in another state. In some cases your gender may play role, but the main factor is location, and this includes the employer you work for and the specific industry that you work in. Overall the salary is fairly good, making this one of the better job options for a nurse to consider. Working as an ambulatory care nurse has been known to be more lucrative than working as a regular RN.

People who do not line to be tied down to routine and the same work settings day in and day out may find that employment as an ambulatory care nurse is for them. There are a number of nursing specialties that you can focus on, each which brings with it an increase in prestige and respect that you will receive professionally speaking. However, ambulatory care nursing is one of the easier specialties to become involved in and it also provides you with many opportunities to be exposed to different working environments, thereby enhancing your skills set remarkably.

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What Is A Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse?

Cardiac catheterization lab nurses:

• Have specialist knowledge related to the cardio system in the human body.

• Have intimate knowledge regarding the treatment procedures for dealing with the various ailments that can affect that system.

Consequently it is seen as one of the more advanced nursing specialties that you could choose to pursue as you move forward with your healthcare career.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The role of a cardiac cauterization nurse is a diverse one that carries with it a high degree of responsibility. Consequently this is a line of work that requires great expertise and years of training. The roles that a nurse with this specialty may perform include: providing care in a number of different settings, including Intensive Care Units, Cardiac Care Units or ICU, CCU or the Cardiac Catheterization Lab itself; ad ministering treatments necessary, including intravenous therapy when the patient needs this type of treatment (consequently earning your IV therapy certification can help you on your way to becoming a cardiac catheterization lab nurse); and following the instructions given by the patient’s doctor or physician in terms of administering medication. In addition the cardiac catheterization lab nurse is actively involved in educating the patient about his or her condition.

Employment

When looking for employment in this sector the best three places for you to start looking are in however, Cardiac Catheterization Labs of hospitals, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and Cardiac Care Units (CCUs). There are a number of things to keep in mind in terms of employment opportunities in this sector of nursing:

• This is a fairly narrow field of nursing so you may find it a little difficult to get work.

• However, because you first must undergo general RN training before you can become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse you will be able to additionally seek employment in areas of nursing that do not require you to have a specialty of any kind.

That being said, there are many specific cardiac catheterization lab nurse jobs available at the moment.

Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse Requirements

As with all other nursing specializations you will need to have an RN license that is not limited in any way and that is current and active in order to be a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. There are also a number of legally recognized equivalents for the RN license that can be obtained in other countries. If you hold one of these you can also become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. In addition to that you will need to have worked as an RN for a period of no less than two years, you will need to have completed at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice in cardiovascular nursing within the last three years, and you must have must have 30 hours of continuing education (CE) in cardiac vascular nursing within the last three years.

Personality Traits

There are three main personality traits that are of pivotal importance in anyone who would like to become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse:

• You need to be able to conduct yourself professionally at all times while remaining alert to any signs that something is not write in your patient’s health or demeanor.

• You need to be able to make decisions based on very little information simply by observing your patient.

• You will also be required to think on your feet and make life saving decisions on the spur of the moment when it is required of you.

An underlying personality trait here is ability and willingness to take control and responsibility for the well being and the lives of the patients in your care and to do what is necessary to help them.

Educational Requirements

The most basic educational requirement is that you must have a high school diploma or an equivalent thereof if you want to eventually become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. This is because a high school diploma is necessary for entry into a training program. The training programs that you should focus on are those that will allow you to become an RN. These are usually degree programs that can take two to four years to complete. Comprehensive programs will include courses in anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, nutrition, diagnostic techniques, and other basic nursing techniques. The more advanced the degree is that you choose, the better placed you will be to become certified and to find the perfect job in cardiac catheterization nursing once you have graduated as a nurse with this specialization.

Licensure

To be a cardiac catheterization lab nurse you need to have an RN license. An RN license is earned in the following way:

• You will firstly need to enroll in and complete and accredited RN training program and a school or university.

• Completing all of the course requirements will allow you to apply for licensure form your state board of nursing.

• Note that there are different application rules between states, so be sure that you know what is expected of you in your particular state before you apply.

• Once your eligibility is approved you will be able to set an exam date with Pearson VUE in order to take the NCLEX-RN examination.

• Passing this examination will allow you to become licensed through your state board; they will send you your licensed by mail.

How To Become A Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

As an RN you will need to engage in continuing education in order to maintain your RN license. This is the perfect opportunity for you to expand your knowledge in areas related to the cardio system. In addition you will be required to undergo an internship as a cardiac catheterization lab nurse so that you can gain the hands-on experience required in order to become properly certified in this line of work. The topics that you will need to focus on include the anatomy, physiology, diseases and treatments of the heart. This highly specialized knowledge simply cannot be adequately learned from a book and in clinicals and so an actual internship is required in order for you to become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse as you move forward with your nursing career.

Source An Accredited Education Program

Accredited RN training programs are an essential first step in achieving this specialization as you first need to become an RN before you can become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. Accredited programs can be found by:

• Visiting the website of your state board of nursing and viewing any lists that they may have of accredited schools; you can also make enquiries about specific schools that you are interested in.

• Speak to friends who are currently employed as RNs as they must have gone through an accredited program to be where they are today and can therefore point you in the right direction.

• The school itself will provide this information on its website, but this is not always the most reliable source of information regarding accreditation status and should therefore be double checked.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree is enough to get you started on your path to becoming a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. (Note: although this degree is sufficient you may find it easier to seek employment with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing). To earn this degree compile a list of the schools in your area that meet your basic requirements and that offer an associate’s degree in nursing program. Ensure that you have a full understanding of the application procedures for each of the schools in question and apply for them accordingly. You should apply for at least three different schools as this will increase your chances of acceptance. Choose a school from among those that accept you and complete all of the necessary course requirements. Graduating from the program will earn you your associate’s degree in nursing.

Obtain Your Licensure

Your RN license is not enough in order for you to work as a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. There is, in addition, a certification that you must obtain to be registered as a professional in this regard. Here is a summary of what this entails:

• The Cardiac Credentialing International (CCI) certifies Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialists (RCIS), which is the title you will hold once you have become certified. CCI also places nurses on a registry list upon completion of the required examination. To get this certification you must have a high school diploma, provide proof that you completed an accredited nursing program, and provide proof of your work experience in a cath lab

Consequently it may take a fairly long time to gain this certification, but once you are there you will be able to reap the benefits.

Online/Distance Education Programs

There are a number of advantages to completing a program online, such as the flexibility of your schedule and the possibility of paying less in tuition fees. However you must remember that you need to complete both clinical training in your RN degree as well as internship in order to become a cardiac catheterization lab nurse. As a result it is essential that you attend an online program that is accredited and that makes provisions for you to do your hands-on training at real facilities. This is of paramount importance. Online schools with good reputations and which are either part of or affiliated to brick and mortar schools are always a better option over the more obscure online schools that you may come across when looking for somewhere through which to do your training.

Job Outlook

There are a number of reasons why the job outlook for nurses with this specialization is good:

• The advancements being made in the technology used in this line of nursing means that the specialization certification counts for more and indicates an ever increasing degree of proficiency and skill.

• Because you will also have trained as an RN before becoming a cardiac catheterization lab nurse, you will also be able to seek employment in areas of nursing not requiring a specialization.

In order to improve your career outlook further it is recommended that you complete continuing education credits that are in line with your chosen specialization in order to boost your resume and make you a more attractive candidate for nursing jobs in this particular area of the nursing industry.

Earnings

Because of the high degree of skill and training involved cardiac catheterization lab nurses are paid extremely well. In fact they are eligible to earn in the region of $90,000 a year, which is 27% higher than the overall average salary for all other jobs across the country. The actual amount that you earn may vary depending on a number of factors. For example different states tend to pay different salaries to their nurses. In addition different cities, industries, and employers within the same state may also pay different rates to cardiac catheterization lab nurses. The amount of experience that you have will affect your salary as well as the benefits that you are eligible to receive, and in most cases you will be eligible to earn more money if you have a higher degree. In some cases your gender may affect how much you earn.

This is one of the most advanced nursing specializations that you could choose to pursue as a nurse as it requires a great many years of study and experience before it can be achieved. Being a cardiac catheterization lab nurse is not for everyone. The level of commitment and self-motivation required to complete all of the necessary steps calls for a very special kind of personality. If you have what it takes, however, this is the ideal line of work for you to try to get into as the salary as well as the many other benefits you will be eligible for a extremely good.

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What Is A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist?

A certified registered nurse anesthetist is a nurse who functions in the operating room in the same way as an anesthesiologist. In other words he or she is allowed to administer anesthesia to patients. This is one of the most advanced nursing specializations that you could choose to pursue, and, because of the high degree of responsibility involved, it is also one of the most highly paid.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

A certified registered nurse anesthetist’s main task is to administer anesthesia to patients when it is required. This may be necessary before, during, and after surgery. In many cases certified registered nurse anesthetists also provide anesthesia to women in labor in order to assist with the birthing process. It is interesting to note that certified registered nurse anesthetists have the ability to be largely independent in their roles as in many rural areas and other locations where a n anesthetists is too expensive to employ, certified registered nurse anesthetists work on their own in an operating room and are therefore entirely in control of the anesthesia process. So although the duties that you can perform will be limited, you will be in high demand in many areas because of your skill set.

Employment

The impression that you may have so far is that this is a fairly niche area of nursing in which you will be quite limited when it comes time to seek employment. However anesthesia is used in a number of different ways in a number of different settings. Essentially you will be employable in any healthcare setting where pain needs to be dulled. Consequently there are certified registered nurse anesthetists employed in all of the following places:

• Hospital operating rooms
• Ambulatory surgery centers
• Pain clinics
• Physicians’ offices
• The U.S. military

Another aspect to consider is the fact that you need to complete general RN training before you can become a certified registered nurse anesthetists, and this training will make you employable in general nursing settings as well as in operating rooms.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Requirements

The first requirement that you must meet in order to become a certified registered nurse anesthetists is a bachelor’s degree in nursing or in another major which is deemed to be appropriate by the school where you would like to study to become a nurse anesthetist. In addition to that you will not be able to enter a certified registered nurse anesthetist program unless you already hold an RN license. Consequently you will need to go through all of the training and study necessary to become an RN and earn your license before moving on to being a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Generally speaking you will need to have at least 1 year of acute nursing care experience as a registered nurse. “Acute nursing care experience” is defined and determined by each school offering the nurse anesthetist program.

Personality Traits

The main personality trait that will serve you well as a certified registered nurse anesthetist is a desire to learn and to strive towards improving your knowledge and skills. In the field of surgery and anesthesia new advancements are made fairly regularly, which means that, in order to serve your patients effectively, you need to keep up to date. In addition to this personality trait you should also have the other skills that characterize good nurses:

• A natural ability to be compassionate
• The tendency to pay close attention to detail
• A good spirit
• The natural tendency to be helpful in most situations
• Excellent communication skills for interacting with diverse people
• Last but not least, a general love for working with people from all walks of life

Educational Requirements

To begin with you will need to hold a high school diploma in order to enter a registered nursing training program. At the very least you must earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing or in some field that is related to nursing or that is deemed to be acceptable. A master’s degree is not a prerequisite for entering a certified registered nursing course because you will be awarded with this qualification once you have completed the certified registered nurse anesthetist program. In short the educational requirements for entering this particular nursing specialty are fairly intensive and may take you a fair amount of time to complete. You must also remember that a certain amount of experience as an RN is also necessary in order to enter a master’s program that will prepare you for this role.

Licensure

To become a certified registered nurse anesthetist you need to hold an RN license. This is one of the basic requirements for the job. The procedure for earning your licensure is simple enough to understand:

• Begin by applying for licensure with your state board of nursing.
• Once they have confirmed your eligibility to become licensed, apply to take the licensure test with Pearson VUE for a cost of $200. This test is called the NCLEX-RN.
• Passing the test will allow you to become licensed. Patience is required as your results will be sent to the board and they will inform you in a few months f you are licensed or not.
• Your license may need to be renewed periodically depending on the rules in your particular state.

How To Become A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

This is an extremely intensive aspect of nursing that requires you to have a high degree of both theoretical and practical knowledge and skill. Consequently it will be necessary to complete additional training in the form of a master’s degree program. This is one top of your basic RN training. Generally speaking these programs take about 24 to 36 months to complete depending on the school you attend and whether or not you are enrolled full-time or part-time. The topics that you will be required to become skilled in during this advanced training program include the following: anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, pharmacology, principles of anesthesia, and management and advanced practice nursing. Mastering these topics and completing all necessary coursework will allow you to graduate from the program and become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Source An Accredited Education Program

The importance of ensuring that the program you enroll in is accredited cannot be stressed enough. When it comes to master’s degree programs in nurse anesthesia you need to be aware of the following accrediting bodies:

• The National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC)
• The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA)

The NLNAC accredits all types of nursing education programs including master’s, baccalaureate, associate’s and diploma the CCNE accredits programs that offer only master’s and baccalaureate level nursing degrees, and the COA accredits nurse anesthesia programs at the certificate, master’s and doctoral degree levels. If the program that you enroll in is not accredited appropriately you will find that in effect you are wasting your time and your money on that school.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

As mentioned previously it is necessary for you to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing to enter a master’s degree program that will allow you to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. However, as it is also necessary that you hold an RN license, an associate’s degree is not a bad place to start as it can serve as a stepping stone in your nursing career that will bring you that much closer to the highly acclaimed and envied position of a certified registered nurse anesthetist. When looking into such programs in your area, remember to apply for more than one, and remember to adhere to the specific application guidelines that each school would like you to follow. This will broaden your chances of being accepted speedily into an appropriate associate’s degree program.

Obtain Your Licensure

In addition to RN licensure you will need to become certified with the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists in order to use the title of certified registered nurse anesthetist in your career. There are a number of prerequisites you will need to meet before you will be allowed to take this exam. You must provide:

• A valid registered nurse license
• Completion of the required forty credits of continuing education
• Proof of practice of anesthesia during the two year period preceding application
• Absence of any problems, mental or physical, that would be detrimental to the practice of a nurse anesthetist

On top of that it is necessary to renew the certification regularly, once every two years. When renewing you will provide proof of continuing education credits as well as of hands-on experience.

Online/Distance Education Programs

Completing the theoretical potion of your master’s degree program online or through distance education can reduce the burden many students experience at this advanced stage of their studies. Online programs are often cheaper, alleviating the financial strain placed on students. In addition they also tend to be far more flexible. Although some master’s degree online programs will be synchronous (i.e. you have to be online at certain times), others will be asynchronous (i.e. there are no set times at which you must be online). Other programs combine these two aspects. Generally speaking, however, you will have more freedom and the ability to work in your own time and at your own pace at all times throughout your training program. Your hands-on training will need to be done in an actual health care facility even if you complete your theory training online.

Job Outlook

There are a number of factors that lead us to believe that the job outlook for nurses in this specialty is extremely good:

• There will an increase in the number of jobs for RNs in general of 26 percent increase in employment from 2012 through 2020.

• Certified registered nurse anesthetists provide the same services as anesthesiologists, but at lower rates, meaning that they are more and more likely to be employed.

• This is one of the most advanced nursing specialties, meaning that your skills will be in very high demand.

• Because you will also have completed basic nursing training in order to earn your RN license you will also be employable in general nursing settings where no specialties are necessary in order to provide patient care.

Earnings

This is one of the nursing specialties that come with the best salary options. In general you should expect to earn around $77,792 – $169,583 a year. However there are also additional earnings you may receive, such as a bonus of between $0.00 and $15,351 a year as well as the potential for profit sharing of around $1,449 – $19,678 a year. This brings your overall potential earnings to $78,202 – $184,291 a year.

This is one of the nursing professions where almost as many men as women are employed. Certified registered nurse anesthetists are approximately 55% female and 45% male. However it is interesting to note that men can earn slightly more than women in this line of work:

• Women can earn about $103,212 – $150,382 a year as a certified registered nurse anesthetist

• Men can earn about $119,578 – $160,302 a year as a certified registered nurse anesthetist

The level of education you have achieved will obviously play a role in your salary expectations:

• With a Bachelor’s Degree you can expect to earn around $59,800 – $194,100 a year

• With a of Science in Nursing (MSN) you can expect to earn around $91,089 – $157,049 a year

• With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Anesthesia you can expect to earn around $82,602 – $197,324 a year

• With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) you can expect to earn around $61,277 – $168,860 a year

• With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Nurse Anesthesia you can expect to earn around $110,494 – $168,479 a year

The post About Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Careers appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is PeriAnesthesia Nursing?

PeriAnesthesia nursing essentially involves working with patients who are in the process of recovering from surgery. The primary objective of a PeriAnesthesia nurse is to ensure that patients who have adverse reactions to the anesthesia are properly cared for, and consequently they are trained to look out for specific warning signs. In addition, a PeriAnesthesia Nurse will work with a patient before they go in for surgery, and will provide them with tips regarding how to expedite their recovery once they are sent home.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The main duties of a PeriAnesthesia nurse are as follows:

• They must provide preoperative and postoperative care to patients who have undergone anesthesia
• They take patient’s medical histories
• They perform patient examinations and assessments
• They monitor vital signs
• They prepare patients for surgical anesthesia
• They explain the procedure
• They help patients relax
• They monitor patients while under anesthesia
• They report any abnormal observations to doctors
• They monitor patients as they return to a normal state to make sure there are no adverse reactions to the anesthesia

Employment

There are three main settings in which you can expect to find employment as a PeriAnesthesia nurse:

• Hospitals
• Ambulatory surgical units
• Physicians’ offices

Hospitals where surgeries are habitually performed and ambulatory surgical units are the most common places to find employment with this specialty. However, there has been a huge increase in the number of PeriAnesthesia nurses employed in physician’s offices, and this number is expected to continue growing.

PeriAnesthesia Nursing Requirements

These are the requirements for becoming a PeriAnesthesia nurse:

• To begin with you will need to earn a Nursing Diploma, an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited nursing program.

• During this program you should take courses specifically in anesthesia-related care (some courses may have a PeriAnesthesia concentration that you can choose).

• Then you will have to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) that will allow you to hold a registered nurse license.

• Next you should receive at least 1,800 hours of experience in PeriAnesthesia before applying to take your certification exam through the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing.

• Finally you will need to pass the Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse exam (CPAN) OR the Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse exam (CAPA) so that you can be a Certified Perianesthesia Nurse.

Personality Traits

There are a number of personality traits which are beneficial for all nurses to possess. However, in order to be a PeriAnesthesia nurse there are a few traits that can be more useful than others. For example, it is very important that you have social perceptiveness. This simply involves being aware of the reactions of other people (including patients as well as the doctors and other health care professionals who you will work with on a daily basis) as well as possessing a clear understanding of why people react in the ways that they do. In addition, in order to ensure that you fully comprehend the effect that anesthesia has had on your patient, you will need to engage in active listening. This involves giving the patient your full attention when they report on how they feel, taking the time needed to fully understand all of the points that your patient is making regarding his or her condition, asking questions when it is appropriate to do so, and not interrupting the patient. One of the key nursing skills that you will need to possess is communication, in that you will need to be able to effectively communicate the course of action to your patient, as well as to effectively communicate information regarding your patient’s condition to a doctor.

Educational Requirements

To become a PeriAnesthesia nurse, you need to meet certain educational requirements. To begin with, you need to complete an RN training program which will allow you to become a non-specialized nurse. Your primary options here are to complete a diploma, an associate degree, or a bachelor degree program. These programs will consist of both theory knowledge as well as intense hands-on experience. Once you have completed your accredited program, you will sit the NCLEX-RN examination. After that, you will sit the necessary certification examinations to become a certified PeriAnesthesia nurse. Regular continuing education is required in order to maintain your license and certification, as well as to keep up to date with advancements in the field.

Licensure

In order to be a PeriAnesthesia nurse you will need to first earn an RN license. Entering an RN training program requires you to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. You also usually need to be 18 years of age or older (although some states only require you to be 17, while others require you to be 19 before you can enter a program of this kind). Ascertaining that the program is accredited is essential before enrolling. The program that you attend must include both a theory aspect as well as clinical hands-on training. Hands-on training is a prerequisite before you will be allowed to sit the NCLEX-RN licensing examinations. The theory work that you will learn in the classroom-based scenarios during your training program will be the work that is assessed on the licensing examination. Once you have completed the training program, you can apply for licensure from your state board of nursing. Before actually registering to take the examination you will need to receive confirmation from the board that you are indeed eligible to become licensed. Once you have received this, you can set an exam date through Pearson VUE, the examining body, and complete the computer-based assessment. There are revision textbooks and study guides that you can buy to prepare for this, as well as a number of very useful online resources that you could make use of. Passing the exam will mean that you are licensed, which your State Board of Nursing will confirm in the months following your test. Depending on the rules of your particular state, you will also be required to renew your license at specified intervals.

How To Become A PeriAnesthesia Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

In some cases, there may not be specific PeriAnesthesia programs for you to focus on at the school of your choice. In that case, there are a number of related majors that you could take instead. The top five majors that will be helpful in becoming a PeriAnesthesia nurse are:

• Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
• Clinical Nurse Leader
• Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Critical Care Nursing
• Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing

Source An Accredited Education Program

http://www.mymajors.com provides a long and comprehensive list of schools that you could attend if you plan to become a PeriAnesthesia nurse. However, it is extremely important that the school you eventually choose is actually accredited appropriately. If it is not accredited you will be wasting your time and your money as your qualification will not be recognized by most employers. Your State Board of Nursing will be able to provide you with information regarding whether or not a school is properly accredited.

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

An associate’s degree in nursing is a good way to begin your career as a nurse. Although there are other, more advanced, degree options available, an associate’s degree is all you need to become an RN, following which it is easy to become a PeriAnesthesia nurse. The steps involved are as follows:

• Begin by compiling a comprehensive list of the educational institutes offering associate’s degrees in nursing in your state or city
• Create a short list of the options that best suit your needs
• Apply for a minimum of three schools in order to increase your chances
• Make sure that you adhere to the specific application procedures of each individual school
• Choose your favorite option from among those schools that accept you
• Graduating from the program earns you your associate’s degree

Obtain Your Licensure

Technically speaking, the only license that you need for this specialty is your RN license. However, it is also required that you become certified as a PeriAnesthesia nurse before you will be allowed to practice as one. To do this, you will have to earn either the Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) qualification, or the Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA) qualification through the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification (ABPANC). Both of these qualifications are properly accredited. Both exams consist of 165 questions. However, only 140 of those questions will actually be graded and count towards your final score, as the other 25 are simply being tested for suitability for inclusion in a test. You will not know which questions are graded and which are not. Sylvan Prometrics administers the tests online and you will need a score of 450 to pass. Exam fees are $285 for ASPAN members or $385 for nonmembers.

There are a number of requirements that you will need to meet to become certified. The main requirement is that you have 1,800 hours of direct experience as a registered nurse in PeriAnesthesia during the two years prior to application. This could be completed in the form of:

• Direct care
• Bedside interaction with patients or with their families

Your certification must be renewed every three years. To do this you must:

• Retake the relevant exam, or
• Participate in ABPANC’s continual learning program, and
• Have a minimum of 1,200 hours of PeriAnesthesia nursing practice

Online/Distance Education Programs

Although online or distance education may seem attractive due to its flexibility and low cost, it is important to remember that nursing is a very hands-on discipline and it is therefore essential that you engage in hands-on training. This cannot be offered online or through distance education, so you will need to make your own provisions to meet this requirement.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this line of nursing is excellent. In relation to other industries, the medical industry, specifically nursing, is growing at a far faster rate in terms of the number of jobs that are becoming available. For example, we expect to see an increase of 48% in the number of jobs available for PeriAnesthesia nurses in physician’s offices between the years 2008 and 2018. This is a significant increase in job opportunities and serves as a sign to prospective students in this discipline that the industry is doing well. In addition, advanced technology means that more and more ailments and illnesses can be treated surgically. This in turn means that there has been, and will continue to be, a significant increase in the demand for PeriAnesthesia nurses.

Earnings

Although salaries for PeriAnesthesia nurses can differ significantly based, for example, on the state that you work in, the following figures are a useful guide for determining how much you may be eligible to earn once you have become certified in this specialty (numbers taken from http://anesthesiologysalary.com/1/1/salary/Perianesthesia-Nurse-Salary):

Yearly Perianesthesia Nurse Pay Statistics

• Average Yearly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $38,080 – $57,120
• Starting Yearly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $31,360 – $47,040
• Top Yearly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $44,800 – $67,200

Monthly Perianesthesia Nurse Pay Statistics

• Average Monthly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $3,173 – $4,760
• Starting Monthly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $2,613 – $3,920
• Top Monthly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $3,733 – $5,600

Hourly Perianesthesia Nurse Pay Statistics

• Average Hourly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $17 – $26
• Starting Hourly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $14 – $21
• Top Hourly Perianesthesia Nurse Salary = $20 – $30

The employment and salary opportunities inherent in becoming a PeriAnesthesia nurse make this career path a very attractive one indeed for most prospective nurses to pursue. There is a high degree of patient interaction involved in this line of work, which means that it is important that you meet the personality requirements for success in this job.

The post Being Involved In PeriAnesthesia Nursing appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is A School Nurse Practitioner?

A school nurse practitioner is a nurse who provides care to children and young adults at their school or college. As nursing specialties go, this one is slightly less intensive than most others, as it usually involves dealing with minor injuries and illnesses with a greater focus on overall well being rather than on emergency medical situations. Nurses who prefer to work under less pressure and who also enjoy working with young people are ideally suited for this line of work.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

The following are usually considered to be the main duties of a school nurse practitioner:

• In addition to simply caring for individual children and students, school nurse practitioners are also responsible for developing an overarching health care plan for the entire institution.

• School nurse practitioners are responsible for ensuring that all other school staff are trained in dealing with common medical situations that may arise, such as first aid and first response skills, as well as how to deal with Epilepsy and asthma.

• They also tend to have an active role in educating students and teachers on different healthcare issues.

• School nurse practitioners do not only deal with physical ailments but are also responsible for providing help and support to any students who are suffering from mental health problems, such as depression or substance abuse disorders.

• A school nurse practitioner must also work closely with other Community Groups and Social Workers and refer the students under her care if and when necessary.

• Nutrition and exercise are closely linked to the health status of children, and it is therefore the school nurse practitioner’s job to educate parents and students on this aspect of their well being.

• Last but not least, the school nurse practitioner is responsible for testing hearing and eyesight and monitoring the weight and height of the children under her care.

Employment

School nurse practitioners are either employed full-time at a school, or are required to serve a number of schools in a specified geographic location. In cases where the nurse is a full-time employee, they will work out of an office within the school and be available at all times during the school day. If, on the other hand, they are required to serve a number of different schools, their visits will be intermittent (although they could follow a set schedule). Because school nurses tend to keep to school hours, they have more free time and a more convenient lifestyle than many other nursing professionals. In addition, depending on the school that they work in, they stand a higher chance of being employed in a well ventilated and lighted facility.

School Nurse Practitioner Requirements

There are a number of requirements that you need to meet in order to become a school nurse practitioner, but the main ones are as follows:

• You must have completed an RN training program and hold an RN license
• You must have a pediatric nurse qualification

Pediatric nurse practitioners are nurses who are specifically trained to care for the needs of babies, children and adolescents, which is why this qualification is essential for working in a school or college. Young people and children have different medical needs and are at risk for different medical conditions than adults or geriatrics, so it is essential that, before applying for positions in a school, that you have the necessary knowledge and qualifications for becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner.

Personality Traits

Certain personality traits will make your job as a school nurse practitioner substantially easier:

• You need to have well-developed communication skills in order to effectively communicate with children as well as with adults

• You must have the ability to observe accurately and make decisions accordingly as mistakes can often be serious and even life-threatening when it comes to children

• You must be able to work with patients who are sometimes reluctant to cooperate, especially if you are working with teenagers in a high school

• You must be willing to work with a team as you will need to interact with other school employees as well as outside agencies

• You must be able to supervise others

• You must be emotionally stable and have a sympathetic disposition towards children

Educational Requirements

The educational path to becoming a school nurse practitioner is a fairly lengthy one as you are required to first earn a pediatric nurse practitioner qualification:

• Firstly you need to become a qualified Registered Nurse and receive several years of experience as one, preferably working with children in, for example, a pediatric ward.

• These programs are usually about two years in duration and earn you a Master’s Degree in Nursing.

• Once you have completed the pediatric nursing program, you must apply for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) certification exam and licensure in the state in which you wish to practice.

RN programs can vary in length from about 2 years to 4 years, depending on the qualification you pursue. By adding the pediatric nurse practitioner qualification you will need to devote 4 to 6 years of your life in total to meeting the educational requirements for this specialty.

Licensure

The only license that you really need in order to become a school nurse practitioner is your RN license. This process involves enrolling in an accredited RN training program. These programs can take 2 to 4 years to complete, depending on the type of qualification you plan to earn. A bachelor’s program will take 4 years to complete and provide you with more career advancement options than an associate’s degree or a diploma. However, an associate’s degree can take as a little as 2 years to complete while a diploma will take about 3 years. Completing a program and meeting all of the theory and clinical course requirements will make you eligible to apply for licensure with your State Board of Nursing. Once the board confirms that you meet the requirements for becoming licensed, you can set a date to write the NCLEX-RN, which is the national licensing exam for registered nurses in the US. Pearson VUE administers the exam for a fee of $200. Your results will be passed on to your State Board of Nursing. If you pass satisfactorily, you will receive licensure. Licensure must be renewed regularly, although the specific time periods and requirements for achieving this may differ depending on the state in which you are licensed in.

How To Become A School Nurse Practitioner

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

It is interesting to note that, because you need to hold a pediatric nurse practitioner qualification in order to be a school nurse practitioner, there is plenty of room for advancement in this line of work. The bottom line is that you will not be limited to working in schools and you will have the opportunity to branch out and expand your knowledge in the area of pediatric nursing specifically, if that is what you choose to do.
Continuing education credits with a focus on pediatric care will stand you in good stead and improve your career advancement opportunities in this line of work.

Source An Accredited Education Program

It is important that the school through which you complete your pediatric nurse practitioner qualification is accredited. If it is not accredited, you may find yourself in a situation where the program that you invested so much time and money in is worth nothing. Some examples of schools you could consider attending are:

The Catholic University of America
620 Michigan Avenue Northeast
Washington, DC 20064
202-319-5000
cua.edu

University of California at San Francisco
400 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
415-476-2342
ucsf.edu

University of Virginia
202 Jeanette Lancaster Way
Charlottesville, VA 22903
434-924-0141
virginia.edu

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

As you have already noted, in order to be a school nurse practitioner you must hold a pediatric nurse practitioner qualification. This is, essentially, a master’s degree. However, earning an associate’s degree is a very useful first step in the process as this will allow you to receive an RN license, a requirement for entering a pediatric nurse practitioner program. Begin the process by noting all of the schools in your area offering associate’s degrees in nursing. Create a shortlist of the options that are most closely aligned with your personal needs. Apply for at least 3 different schools in order to improve your chances of being accepted. Each school will have its own application procedures that you should take careful note of. Choose the best school from among those that accept you and enroll. Completing the program will earn you your associate’s degree.

Obtain Your Licensure

In order to be a school nurse practitioner you must, in addition to earning your RN license, become certified by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), which is affiliated with the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBSCN). This process involves taking and passing the NBSCN national school nurse certification examination. There are a large number of schools that offer programs that will prepare you for this. A comprehensive list can be found at http://www.education-online-search.com/programs/nursing_school/school_nurse_certificate_programs, although you need to ensure for yourself that these schools are appropriately accredited.

Online/Distance Education Programs

Because you need to complete a certain amount of clinical hands-on training for any nursing qualification, it is simply not possible to complete a qualification such as this entirely online. It is possible to complete the theory portion in this manner, and this can certainly alleviate the burden placed on your shoulders, but your clinical work must always be completed in a face-to-face situation. When selecting online schools, choose one that also has a brick-and-mortar presence as well as a good track record. Schools that provide resources through which to complete your clinical training should also be prioritized.

Job Outlook

Some nurses worry about where their money will come from during vacation time if they do choose to pursue a career as a school nurse practitioner. Because of your pediatric qualification it is possible for you to seek temporary positions as a pediatric nurse practitioner during these time periods. This also implies that you could leave school nursing altogether if you chose to do so. School nurses are also on the front lines of healthcare in that they have a great deal of interaction with the community. This also implies that there is potential for nurses with this qualification to branch out into community nursing should they be interested in doing so.
Job stability is always guaranteed in the health care industry as this is the only industry that stays strong no matter what. In addition, it is the industry that is growing at a faster rate than any other.

Earnings

School nurses, with their pediatric nurse qualifications, are eligible to earn the following:

• Average Salary = $61,676 – $94,383
• Bonus = $0.00 – $7,465
• Profit Sharing = $507 – $19,727
• Total Pay = $63,996 – $102,228

School nurses are not limited to working in schools, and it is therefore interesting to note what other pay options a nurse with this specialty may have:

• In Healthcare you could earn about $58,819 – $94,359 an hour with this qualification
• In a Pediatric Office you could earn about $59,254 – $94,223 an hour with this qualification
• In a Hospital you could earn about $59,905 – $96,324 an hour with this qualification
• In a Medical Office you could earn about $57,726 – $93,395 an hour with this qualification
• In the Medical Services you could earn about $58,571 – $95,578 an hour with this qualification

The educational path to becoming a school nurse practitioner is fairly lengthy, but the career and salary opportunities that characterize this specialty make it a worthy option to consider. The primary qualification is that you have a genuine love for children and a passionate interest in their well being.

The post Being A School Nurse Practitioner appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

Travel nursing is one of the fastest-growing trends in nursing in the United States and many other countries today. It is not sure whether this is because of the nursing shortage or the fact that some nurses are rather underpaid in some parts of the world. It may also just be due to the fact that the wanderlust is getting to dome individuals and the advent of travel nursing makes it easier for them to get around. Whatever the cause, it is gaining in popularity and said to do so for many years to come by the looks of it.

Many nurses say that they became travel nurses because they wanted to see more of the country and possibly even of overseas countries. According to them, travel nursing also encourages personal and professional growth as they are faced with different problems than what they normally face in a clinical or hospital situation.

What Exactly Is Travel Nursing?

Travel nursing is basically very similar to the old-fashioned “temp work” that has been done by administrative employees for many years. With the nursing shortage hitting all parts of the country and various segments of the nursing profession, managers of healthcare facilities are challenged to find personnel. This is very prevalent in the rural areas, and in areas which are rather out of the way, as they cannot attract sufficient full-time nurses and very often cannot afford to pay full-time nursing staff.

This has led to the advent of travel nursing, which essentially means that a nurse takes on an assignment for a specified amount of time, very often far from her home town. These assignments are generally awarded by agencies that specialize in travel nursing. The agency generally supplies the travel nurse with travel and housing and expenses, helps with required licensing, and provides benefits and payroll services.

Travel nurse assignments can last anything from 8 to 26 weeks, but can be renewed and lengthened should the need occur and the agency and client come to an agreement on this. Most assignments last between 8-13 weeks. Sometimes an agreement is made with the agency that allows the position to be converted to a full-time position should all parties agree on this.

Reasons To Consider Becoming A Travel Nurse

There are various reasons why one should consider doing travel nursing, and according to those that have done it and the experts, here are some of them:

Expand Your Skills And Knowledge Base

Travel nursing makes better nurses because no matter where the assignment, as a travel nurse, you would be constantly exposed to different ways of viewing nursing practice and will inevitably acquire new knowledge and skills that will add to what you have previously learned as well as adding to your curriculum vitae.

Travel nurses have access to a variety of assignments, from those in tiny rural clinics and hospitals where there are but a few beds and where a nurse is expected to be Jill-of-all-trades, to the most modern large hospitals and urban teaching centers where you will be able to specialize in the area of nursing that most interests you.

Each of these experiences will serve to challenge you and help you to grow as a nurse, as you could be learning the latest technique in negative-pressure wound therapy at one hospital one moment and teaching it to staff nurses unfamiliar with the technique at another hospital on the next assignment. This is the type of experience and growth that you may not have the opportunity to experience should you remain in one healthcare facility for many years.

Take Control Of Your Own Career

If you feel that you are getting nowhere in the position that you currently occupy, and are stagnating with no challenges, no hope of moving up in the ranks and too many hospital politics, then it may be time for a change. Travel nursing could offer you the opportunity for a change of scenery, the chance to experience some challenges and take control of your own career by deciding what assignments you want to take.

One of the greatest factors that travel nurses enjoy is the flexibility of the job, as they can change to a different practice setting, e.g. from a hospital-nurse setting to a skilled-nursing facility, a managed-care organization, or even an ambulatory care center. You can choose to work in a slow-paced facility with more patient-contact; a larger more modern, facility where you will have access to sophisticated, high-tech monitoring equipment; home-care, where you basically deal with a single patient one-on-one; or somewhere where you will be exposed to advanced, cutting-edge procedures. This way you can tailor your assignments according to what your personal preferences and professional goals are.

Financial Benefits

In most cases, those who do travel nursing find that the pay scales are comparable to and often better than most staff nursing positions. There are also many opportunities to earn bonuses for recruiting other travel-nurses, assignment completion, working during the Christmas Holidays, etc, depending on which agency you are signed with. This easily translates into earnings of between 10% and 15% more than a staff nurse.

There are also various attractive benefits linked to travel nursing, such as medical and dental insurance coverage, and once again, depending on the agency;

• Free housing
• Travel reimbursement or a travel allowance
• 401 (k) and matching contributions
• Free or low-cost continuing-education courses
• Licensure reimbursement
• Various types of insurance such as disability, life, and professional liability

Broaden Your Children’s Horizons

If you have been worrying about the fact that you have children and what will become of them, you can stop worrying, as most travel nursing recruiters are more than willing to accommodate just about any situation. Finding suitable accommodation for travel nurses with children is no problem for them, and this means that you could take your children, and even your spouse, with you on assignments, or at least some of them. This exposes your offspring to different parts of the country, different communities and different lifestyles, which is invaluable in forming a holistic world-view.

If you prefer to not move your children around, then it is possible to request assignments with an easy commute during the school-term and take on other longer, distance assignments during the school holidays, which solves the problem of giving the children something exciting and different to do and experience during holidays and still allows you to work and be with them at the same time. This is a definite win-win situation!

Travel nursing is a wonderful way to take you out of your comfort-zone and teach you what you can do. After a few days of orientation on each assignment you will be ready to draw on the confidence that your previous learning and experience has given you and find yourself fitting in just perfectly whilst learning many new things at the same time.

Who Can Become A Travel Nurse?

Although there are some positions available for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN/LVN) to do travel nursing, the positions more often than not call for a Registered Nurse (RN), so this could be an incentive for you as an LPN/LVN to study further and get your licensure as an RN.
There are various full-time and online programs available for LPNs to study to become RNs, including some fast-track programs that only take a few months to complete.

Travel With A Friend

Many travel nurses prefer to travel with a friend so that they do not feel so lonely on their assignments, and it is a wonderful way to travel and see the country with someone who can share your experiences. Depending on the skill set that you and your friend possess, and the needs of the hospital, this can often be arranged. There are even lots of husband and wife teams that travel together.

What About Licensing?

As per law, you are required to be licensed in each state in which you work, but his is not a problem if you decide to do travel nursing, as the agency will help you with this process. The process is not that difficult or onerous for those who already have licensure in the state in which they live. Your agency representative will be able to give you all the necessary information regarding licensure in the state in which you would like to practice, and will assist you with whatever you need to do to acquire said licensure.

How To Find A Travel Nursing Agency

Before just jumping into travel nursing, it is important that you find a suitable agency, and there are some important factors that you should keep in mind when doing your research. Remember the reasons that you decided to do travel nursing, and make sure that the agency with which you sign up can provide and meet all those reasons. One of the easiest ways to find a good travel agency is to go to the travel nursing website, where you will find a list of agencies. Click on one of the banners to go directly to that agency’s website, where you can find out more and get all your questions answered.

Make a list of your expectations, what you want from travel nursing, and what your priorities are, and then find the agency that can offer most, if not all, of them. Your list should include some of the following:

• Excellent pay rates – money is not everything, but you should be paid according to your experience.

• Free Insurance – one of the benefits should be that you get free medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage for yourself, and also for dependents, should you have any.

• 401K with employer contribution – some agencies will pay 100% of your 401k, but some may only pay 50%; you will need to decide what priority this takes.

• Completion Bonus – competition between the agencies is fierce, and many of them offer a completion bonus for each assignment; this can make for some nice savings.

• Direct Pay – is it important to you that your salary be deposited in your bank account via an electronic transfer, or don’t you mind getting a check which you then need to either deposit or cash yourself?

• Travel Reimbursement – some companies will reimburse fully, whilst others offer a travel allowance, which would you prefer? Also check whether they only pay for your travel to and from the assignment or will also pay for any travel you have to do during the assignment, especially if it is a ling assignment.

• Continuing Education – this is important to any nurse, and it is important for you to check whether the travel nursing agency will pay for CPR, ACLS, and PALS if required for an assignment, and whether they offer any financial assistance for other further study, including CEUs.

Travel nursing offers two main benefits that are not available to nurses who practice as full-time nurses in one facility; being able to manage your own career how you see fit, and flexibility as to when and where you work.

Travel nursing will allow you to enjoy a flexibility and freedom that is not generally associated with a staff position; it allows you to take off between assignments to visit family or friends or go on holiday, with no limits on how long you can take off. You can also leave time between assignments to explore the area in which you have just been working more fully, or so that you can visit and take in the sights on the way to your next assignment.

Travel nursing with definitely test your mettle and draw on every bit of knowledge and experience that you have, but it will also offer the chance for growth, both professionally and personally. Becoming a Travel nurse will allow you to challenge your perceptions about yourself, your capabilities and abilities, and open yourself to new experiences along the way. Travel nursing will also allow you to make many memories that you would never have had the chance to make had you stayed in one place.

The post A Detailed Explanation About Travel Nursing appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

What Is An HIV Nurse?

According to http://www.discovernursing.com, “HIV Nurses are trained to provide care for patients infected with AIDS, a deadly, incurable disease that attacks a patient’s immune system. These nurses help patients cope with and manage the different emotional and physical symptoms that come with having their disease. Many HIV/AIDS Nurses work in community or public health, educating at risk groups about safe sex and the dangers of sharing needles”. As a result we can see that there are multiple aspects involved in HIV /AIDS nursing. For one thing it is clear that you have to attend to the emotional and psychological well being of your patients in addition to simply providing them with healthcare services. In addition there is quite a strong focus on prevention in the field of HIV / AIDS. This involves attempts at preventing the spread of the disease before it becomes a serious problem. This is achieved through education and other community-based methods.

Nature Of The Work/Duties

There are a number of job duties that you would be required to perform as an HIV / AIDS nurse:

• Firstly you will be directly responsible for providing healthcare to patients with HIV/Aids on a daily basis.

• In addition to merely providing care to your patients, you will also be responsible for educating patients and their families about living with HIV/Aids safely and in the most optimal way.

• HIV / AIDS treatment is generally addressed from a multidisciplinary approach, which means that you will be working closely with other healthcare professionals.

• As an HIV / AIDS nurse you will be directly responsible for monitoring a patient’s condition on a continual and ongoing basis.

• It will also be your responsibility to refer a patient to other healthcare professionals if you think that it is necessary because you are unable to assist that patient any further.

• Last, but certainly not least, you will be responsible for ensuring terminally ill patients are as comfortable as possible.

Employment

There are a number of settings in which you are likely to find an HIV / AIDS nurse working. These include Hospitals, Home Health, and Community Care Centers, Physician’s office, Outpatient care clinics and Hospices. Essentially, as an HIV / AIDS nurse you will be able to work in any setting where patients suffering from HIV or AIDS are located.

HIV Nurse Requirements

The basic requirements for being an HIV nurse are as follows:

• Firstly you have to earn a Nursing Diploma, an Associate of Science in Nursing, or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This must be done through an accredited school offering an approved program.

• Once you have earned your basic qualification you will be unable to practice as a nurse until you have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

• At this point you can start working as a registered nurse, which is highly recommended because of the experience you will develop in this way.

• Following that it is ideal that you receive two years of experience working in an HIV/AIDS related field, but this is not required.

• Next you must pass your AIDS Certified Registered Nurse exam (ACRN) in ordered to become an AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN).

Personality Traits

There are a number of personality traits that may be specifically useful when working with HIV / AIDS patients:

As an HIV / AIDS Nurse you need to be able to care for the patients, while leaving your feelings at work when you go home. There are many feelings that come up as an HIV / AIDS Nurse as the job is highly intensive from an emotional perspective. As a professional you will need to be able to separate your work life from your personal life adequately. Worrying about your patients while you are at home will only increase your chances of experiencing burnout. In addition you will find it challenging to deal with your personal problems as well.
As HIV / AIDS Nurse you must not judge the patients. Many people assume that the HIV patients knew they were exposing themselves to this disease, although this is not the case and all the patients deserve the same level of care as those who are dying from other terminal illnesses.

You will need to balance caring with a professional attitude as you show the patients compassion although not care to much to let it bother you personally.

Educational Requirements

In order to be an HIV nurse, you must be currently licensed as a registered nurse in the USA or hold an international equivalent nursing degree. This means that you need to meet the educational requirement of having completed an accredited nursing program that led to your ability to take and pass the NCLEX-RN examination. In addition to this you must also have a minimum of two years experience working in a HIV related area such as research, education or clinical practice. This second dimension is only strictly speaking required if you intend to become certified as an HIV nurse. It is highly recommended that you do so as this will greatly improve your employment opportunities. The AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN) examination is sanctioned by the Association of Nurses in Aids Care (ANAC) and the HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB). Certification is voluntary but highly valued and provides recognition of expertise in the area of HIV and AIDS. It also proves that the HIV/AIDS nurse has shown commitment and dedication to his/her career.

Licensure

To be an HIV nurse you must earn an RN license:

• Complete an RN training program through an accredited school
• Apply for licensure with your state board of nursing
• Once approved, apply to write the exam with Pearson VUE
• Pay the examination fee and set an exam date
• Study for the exam using the many resources provided online and by various nursing schools and nursing organizations
• Sit the exam
• On passing the exam your state board of nursing will send you your license which could take a few months after actually writing the test

How To Become An HIV Nurse

Training, Advancement And Other Qualifications

You can be an HIV nurse simply by meeting the training requirements that any RN has to go through. However you have the opportunity to advance your career in the area of HIV nursing by becoming certified in the profession. Certification can be achieved through taking the AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN) examination. Preparation for this examination is offered at many schools as well as online. However your years of experience in HIV nursing will be the best form of preparation that you can possibly hope to find before taking the examination.

Source An Accredited Education Program

In order to become an HIV / AIDS nurse you need to attend an accredited training program. If the program that you attend is not accredited you will essentially be wasting both your time and your money as your qualification will not be taken seriously and will most probably not result in employment. Here are some schools for you to consider:

Vanderbilt University
School of Nursing
Godchaux Hall 207
461 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37240
615-322-3800
1-888-333-9192
http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/

University of California – San Francisco
School of Nursing
2 Koret Way, #N-511L
San Francisco, CA 94143
415-476-6702
http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/www/spec-anp.htm#cour

Hunter College of the City of New York
Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing
425 East 25th Street
New York, New York 10010
212-772-4000
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/nursing/admissions/graduate

Earn Your Associate’s Degree

There are a number of education options that you could choose in order to eventually become an HIV / AIDS nurse. One of the more popular options is to earn your associate’s degree which can be done by enrolling in any nursing school that offers the qualification. When applying, apply to at least three different schools to increase your chances. To graduate from the program you will need to meet all of the course requirements, including the theoretical and practical dimensions. When this is achieved, you will graduate with an associate’s degree that will allow you to sit the exam.

Obtain Your Licensure

The only license that is really required for this line of work is an RN license. However HIV / AIDS nurses can voluntarily seek to become certified. This involves taking an exam. IN order to qualify for the exam, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must possess a valid and current registered nurse license
• You must have a bachelor of science in nursing, associate degree in nursing or diploma in nursing
• You must have achieved a satisfactory passing score on the National Council for Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN)
• You must not have any restrictions barring practice from any nursing or health regulatory board
• You must have at least two years of HIV/AIDS-related practice experience in the form of clinical practice, research, education or management

Online/Distance Education Programs

There are a number of RN programs that offer training online. However it is very important that you ensure that the program you choose to enroll in is in fact accredited. In addition there is no way to escape the compulsory hands-on training that all nurses must achieve, so if the program does not make provisions for this dimension of your education, you should consider an alternative program. Online programs are more likely to be dishonest and offer a lower level of tuition than face-to-face programs, but this is not true in all cases and studying in this way is cheaper and more convenient.

HIV Nurse Job Outlook

The outlook for the nursing profession in general is extremely good at the moment, and there is an even higher demand for nurses who specialize in specific areas, such as HIV / AIDS. This indicates that, as professions go, this one is a good option to choose as the future looks stable. Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Earnings

The average salary for an HIV / AIDS Nurse is between $49,000 and $51,000 approximately. However there are many other similar job titles that you could hold as an HIV / AIDS Nurse so it is interesting to look at what similar nurses earn:

• As a Registered Nurse II you can expect to earn in the region of $55,000 a year
• As a public health informatics / GIS specialist you can expect to earn in the region of $47,000 a year
• As a community health nurse you can expect to earn in the region of $45,000 a year
• As a public health nurse you can expect to earn in the region of $46,000 a year
• As a public health nurse III you can expect to earn in the region of $54,000 a year

There are a number of factors that can affect a nurse’s salary These include the number of years of experience you have, what certifications you have (being an ACRA can lead to higher salaries), what region of the U.S. you live in, and whether you are working in a metropolitan or rural area. Advanced practice nurses (who are trained at the master’s level) also earn significantly higher salaries on average.

There are a number of benefits to entering this profession, not least of which is the fact that you will be able to play an important role in combating a very real and severe epidemic. It is important to note that although certification as an HIV nurse is not a requirement, it is highly recommended that you seek certification of this kind as it can significantly improve your chances of being employed within your chosen specialty in the nursing profession.

The post What You Need To Know About Being An HIV Nurse appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

As the name would imply, a Certified Nursing Assistant or CNA, helps patients and doctors in completing their daily tasks and routine in a hospital. They may do anything from helping a patient get dressed or eat to helping doctors with their administration. They are also responsible for checking vital signs and documenting the care that the patient is getting.

Becoming a CNA means completing a course, either at a college or community college, and then working under a doctor or registered nurse to see to the basic needs of every patient. As a CNA, you will have a lot of duties, some of which may include practical work while others may include administrative work. You need to be prepared though, for just about anything. Whether you attend a community college or a technical school to compete your qualification, there are some skills that you will learn at college and some skills that will need to be based on your common sense.

A really good CNA is able to look at the environment in which they work and determine, intuitively, what needs to be done. This is not easy, especially in a hospital where there is a lot of running around and seeming chaos, but it a good CNA is one that keeps their head in the game and gets the work done.

The Working Environment

A CNA may have to work at any time of the day or night depending on the shifts required, but many of them do not work more than a standard 40 hour week. Depending on the environment, a CNA may be called upon to work with just one patient for a few days, such as in a hospital, or with a patient for a few years, such as in a nursing home. They will need to assist patients with walking and dressing, often having to physically exert themselves in instances where the patient cannot.

As a CNA, you may need to care for those who cannot care for themselves, and this means bathing patients, helping them eat, escorting them to the bathroom and helping them get dressed. In some cases, where the patient cannot move at all, the CNA will have to collect the patient’s bedpan and even give them sponge baths. You may have to empty catheter bags, collect specimens and samples and even clean wounds. Basically, any job that qualifies as caring for the patient needs to be done by the CNA and sometimes this is a little grisly, such as when infected wounds need to be bandaged and re-bandaged.

The working environment obviously differs depending on where you choose to work, and some of the workplaces can include: hospitals and short term care centers, long term care centers, prisons and schools and even community centers.

Why Choose To Become A CNA?

A CNA is a specialised worker who has a nursing qualification from a community college. This means that there is not much need for years of study in this field, but for many who cannot afford to go to college, it is a great stepping stone to becoming a Licensed Practicing Nurse or a Registered Nurse. Depending on the state you live in, you may have to complete your qualification and then still do clinical hours to become a CNA, but this depends also on the place you work. The federal government has regulated these hours to an extent.

As a CNA, your scope of practice and responsibilities will not be as much as a registered nurse for example, and the hourly rate of pay will reflect this. This is why so many CNAs choose to work and study at the same time. However, being a CNA comes with its own rewards, not the least of which includes making a big difference to people’s lives. You will find as a CNA that not only will you meet many people, but you will also see many people develop and grow, and this is a reward in itself.

What Is A Scope Of Practice?

The term scope of practice is used to refer to the tasks that a CNA needs to complete on a daily basis in order to do their job. If you know your scope of practice, then you know what to aspire to, which is why so many institutions insist on goal setting sessions for their staff. However, just because you know your scope of practice does not mean you know how to complete the tasks assigned to you. This is why it is vital for a CNA to determine what they should be doing and why.

Knowing your scope of practice will protect both the CNA and their patient, and in some cases, the employer too. If there are any errors on the part of the CNA, the patient is protected based on the scope of work given to the CNA and vice versa. If a CNA does something that is not in their scope of work, the hospital is within their rights to dismiss them or at least issue them with a warning.

The scope of practice for a CNA includes tasks such as:

• Basic daily patient care – this includes doing all of the things for your patient that they cannot do themselves. These tasks are classified as ADLs or activities of daily living and are called this because they need to be done daily. This includes activities such as bathing, eating and dressing, but also smaller things such as grooming. You may be surprised to see how many patients who are bound to their beds want to do small things to feel normal, such as putting on makeup or attending to their hair.

• Movement – a CNA will need to assist with bed transfers, mobility and even ambulation depending on the patients they have been assigned to. This does involve special training which those CNAs will receive in their education.

• Exercises – a CNA may have to, as part of their daily routine, assist patients in exercising, especially when they are bound to their beds. This can include giving Range of Motion exercises that assist them in keeping their blood flowing and their muscles in use, as well as providing massages with the same objectives. They will also learn about skin care for the bedridden as well as the basic anatomy and nutrition requirements.

The scope of work does depend on where the CNA is employed. In a hospital where there are emergency situations constantly, there is a need for CNAs who can cope with the stress and the pressure. In an old age home however, there won’t be any dramatic situations and so the CNA will need to help those in the home with their basic daily activities.

To become proficient as a CNA, you will have to go through training within your workplace, and this training is also something that the falls into the scope of practice. For some CNAs working in specialised facilities, there is a need to complete training so that they can do their jobs better. Some of this training may include:

• Mental health – dealing with those patients who have mental deficiencies or mental health problems is not the same as dealing with someone who is bed ridden. In this case, the CNA will have to have endless patience to be able to determine what the patient needs and how they can give it to them. In some cases, the patients will be unable to communicate well or at all, and if this is the case, some intuition may be needed.

• Specialist facilities – a CNA may sometimes work in a hospital or institution where the patients have special needs, such as Parkinson’s Disease or other mobility limiting afflictions. In this case, they need to do all of the daily activities mentioned above, while also assisting the patient with any other activities.

• Child care – dealing with children is not the same as dealing with adults. In many cases, the children are scared and feeling alone. This means that there is a need to emotionally bond with them, and make them feel more comfortable in the hospital or treatment facility. This is often difficult because of the patience required and the need to communicate on the child’s level.

• Prison facilities – even in a prison infirmary there is a need for a CNA. This specialist is often allocated the same tasks they would be in a hospital, but they are dealing with criminals, some of whom may be violent or have mental difficulties.

What Does It All Mean?

All things considered, the amount of duties that a CNA has to perform may seem very confusing. To deconstruct this is quite simple though. All of the CNA’s duties will be allocated by the facility they work in. Some of these activities may need to completed daily, while others will be long term duties that need to be carried out once a week or even once a month. The duties based on time limit include:

• Daily – on a daily basis, you will be expected to provide patient care based on needs. Some of the needs include eating, bathing and dressing, while with other patients, you may need to clean wounds and apply ointments on a daily basis, especially in the cases of burns or infections. Some of these duties may also be administrative, such as updating patient charts on a daily basis and checking for any deviations from the norm, which may include spikes in temperature, bed sores or any other afflictions the patients may be suffering from.

• Weekly – some of the weekly activities for a CNA include updating charts and giving out immunizations. They can also include clinic work and any other assignments from a registered nurse.

• Monthly – generally, a CNA will not have many monthly tasks to perform, but they may be asked to assist in stock take, or to help with reordering files and other administrative tasks, all of which are done on a monthly basis.

Some of the duties included here make the work of a CNA sound unappealing, but it is important to remember that with the day-to-day scope of work of a CNA, there is also a long term goal, or a bigger picture. For those CNAs who are willing to do this job, there is a lot of reward in the personal interactions and in seeing people grow and heal. There are also a lot of opportunities for development, and it is easier to become an LPN or RN once you have worked as a CNA.

Part of the scope of work of a CNA will include teaching others, so when you have a few years of experience on the job, expect to take other less experienced staff under your wing.

One thing that cannot be argued is that there is a real need for more CNAs, especially those who can competently do the job. Unfortunately though there is a lot of demand, there is not enough supply. Many who study to become CNAs quickly change careers when they see that the benefits are not as quick in coming as they may have thought. But this is a vital career and for some, a real calling. In many cases, a CNA will stay in their job for many years, based on the rewarding feeling of helping others.

Many CNAs are older and more experienced people who have attended a community college while engaged in another career path. This is because though the work is not easy and the payment is not the best, this is a more rewarding job than they may already hold. In these cases, the transition to becoming a CNA is quite easy, and the rewards may be more than just monetary.

For those who want to enter this field, it is important to note that your first job may not be an easy one. To complete your clinical hours you may be called upon to work in those hospitals that do not have enough resources, but this is all part of the joy of helping others.

The post Scope Of Practice For A Certified Nursing Assistant appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

Since Nursing has undergone such a thorough growth in terms of their duties, and the general increased necessity for them in the health care sector, many duties have been delegated to a variety of people, all with the title of nurse, in some form or another. The existence of the Certified Nurse Assistant role is indicative of how demanding nursing really is. Such is the weight or need for care givers that even they have sought the help of an assistant. In this instance it’s the CNA which is the assistant to the Registered Nurse (RN), but that term assistant is somewhat misleading. Caring, communicating and comforting patients may seem like a fairly basic outline for the CNA but those words involve a lot more than what it lets on, and it takes a special kind of person to carry out those duties.

Often you’ll hear that the Nursing Aid is the bottom rung on the nursing ladder, and it largely is. That bottom rung though is filled with many of its own unique challenges and the nature of the work is relentless in its demands of the person tasked with performing them. It’s for this reason that anyone considering pursuing a career in nursing should be completely aware of all that comes with the position. It has been known that there are some people who study and go through the apprenticeships earning their certification, licensure or registration, and still find the going too tough. It’s a case of being prepared till a certain point as training can only equip you so much, but once you find yourself in the heat of things, working the hospital or care facility floor, things can take on a whole new complexion and push you to your limits.

Finding people that are capable of doing the work is rare, but it’s an even more uncommon occurrence to find people who are capable and willing to do the work.

Here we take a look at what it takes of the person to do the job as well as the actual CNA job description. Firstly though, we look at a few of the considerations one needs to make prior to any thoughts or inclinations toward a Nursing assistant course.

The CNA Course Requirements

• Educational requirements: There are a number of universities and colleges offering courses for prospective Nursing Aid certification programs, even a great number of CNA online programs. Every course will require the student to possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency. There’s a slight divergence between various states where credit-hours are concerned, but each student can expect the CNA course to last from six to twelve weeks. The respective Departments of Health or Nursing Aid Registry of each state will carry the exact requirements pertaining to their region. The final Exam should consist of two main parts, namely the written test and the practical Skills test. The written side of things of course looks at the scope of knowledge of each prospective nurse, while the clinical Skills test is a veritable trial to judge the students competency in performing certain tasks and putting their acquired knowledge into practice. Once certification has been earned and your name entered into the states CNA registry, some states may require you to undergo/enter constant competency and perhaps enhancement programs on a fairly regular basis. Although CNA’s have become a mainstay in the health care team, many look at it as a stepping stone to more in-depth courses and a vital checkpoint on the road toward being a full Registered Nurse, and perhaps even earning their degree, masters or doctorate.

• Physical requirements: Nurses are expected to be of sound mind and body; they’ll be required to lift objects/patients, push gurneys/wheelchairs and assist people who have trouble walking on their own, thus they need to have a general semblance of decent-to-good fitness. Bear in mind that CNA’s will be required to be on their feet for great parts of the day, standing and walking as they care for residents.

• Individual requirements: the Certified Nursing Assistant job is a demanding one that often requires them to seek reward in the little things as it can often be a thankless toil. Those who are Nursing Aids, or are looking to be one, are invariably immensely selfless people who are very direct in their ways with a good dose of compassion. The work can not only be taxing on the body, but on the mind as well, as they will need strong scruples to handle the really intense and unpredictable situations. Needless to say the qualities required of the person doing the caregiving is special indeed, and as we’ll find out, apart from the physically (as in bodily) messes they have to deal with on a daily basis, there’s also the other human element to consider, that of “handling” patients’ loved ones and communicating with both them and their own superiors (which, in any given hospital, could well be just about everyone on staff, baring other CNA’s of course).

The Certified Nursing Assistant Job Description

As one can expect, when looking at the core subjects of the CNA training, which should include Anatomy, Primary care, First Aid, Communication skills and Computer literacy, the actual CNA job description covers quite a variety of tasks. Although CNA’s will not be doing any diagnosing or unsupervised patient treatments, their roles are still quite specified. A couple of hugely important aspects of the job are cleanliness (personal as well as surrounding hygiene) and safety. Safety issues can often stem from the little details as they can often be a predetermining factor in maintaining a certain level of comfort for the patient one is attending. This of course includes being attentive to the residents requirements and desires as they try to ensure the optimum comfort for all concerned. Details in these regards can also be a major stumbling block for those doing the clinical final skills test.

The following is a list of CNA duties also expected of any Nurse Aid:

• Taking vitals, like the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. The frequency at which the vitals should be taken will be dictated by the specific nature of the patient and their condition. For instance, vitals might be taken on routine checks by the CNA as they do their rounds during a shift, or the patient’s condition – due to their illness or a medical procedure they’ve been through – may require constant monitoring.

• Assisting patients with every day activities (for the patients that are unable to carry out their normal undertakings like post-operation residents, elders or terminally ill)). This falls under Primary care and includes duties like washing patients (which may involve brushing their teeth, shaving, combing their hair and dressing them). Also included in this role is feeding residents who are unable to, and supplying them with water if needs be. Some patients who need assistance with going to the toilet will also require the aid of the CNA.

• Acquiring and relaying lab samples and reports that do not require specified laboratory staff (this may also be at the discretion of the CNA’s supervisor).

• Informing and assisting patients with prescribed medical equipment for their treatment – this may include instructing the patients loved ones as well if the patient is being discharged. Included in this area of aid is helping patients and transporting them from one department to another for tests or procedures and treatments.

• Infection control. There are very stringent procedures and protocols that every CNA is required to follow to maintain sanitation and prevent the transmission of any diseases or bacteria. Since Nursing Aids are constantly dealing with patients, practically always with hands-on assistance, the chances of spreading germs and infection is greatly increased (hospitals are known to be very unhygienic as the fight for infection control is an everyday battle). This category is also very prevalent in ensuring that the Nurse assistant themselves is protected against infection and illness.

• Monitoring patients. As a CNA, you’ll be required to be very attentive to the needs of the residents and to log and report on any changes. This will be included in the duties of all CNA’s – the ability to “read” patients and identify certain signs or indicators of certain conditions, like symptoms of low blood pressure. The primary concern for the CNA, in this instance, is the well-being of their patient/s, even if this means protecting them from themselves.

• Recording patients statistics in their respective files – this will comprise the patients physical condition or attributes, like their weight and height, as well as logging and recording their medical history (crucial to this aspect of the job is ensuring that factors like allergies and chronic illnesses, as well as medication that the patient may already be taking, is well noted and recorded).

• Under the correct supervision, some CNA’s may also be allowed to administer medication, like blood transfusions or inserting IVs.

• If requested or required, some CNA’s may be required to administer some basic massage therapy for patients who are laid up and unable to exercise sufficiently, or have temporarily lost mobility (accident victims)

From this list it’s easy to see that the CNA’s job description covers a wide range of things, but for those looking for even more detail, you can simply have a look at some of the CNA practice tests online. In the test you’ll find a number of atypical (for most of us) scenarios that the Certified Nurse Assistant may find themselves in. these scenarios will include instances where they will be required to make certain fundamental decision’s based upon their training in dealing with unruly patients or those with mental illness. Some patients may suffer from temporary mental illness or perhaps Alzheimer’s, in which case they’ll have to handle patients with the utmost care. This applies to those who are experiencing grief as well, whether due to the loss of a loved one or the receiving of news that the patient themself is suffering from a terminal illness.

Included in the CNA job duties is the ability to deal with sometimes awkward scenarios, like finding patients roaming the hallways unattended and assisting them to where they want or need to be, as well as how to handle patients suffering from certain illnesses like Cancer for instance.

The Consummate Care Giver

In addition to all the clinical responsibilities of the CNA, communication and comfort are major aspects as well. Being a good Nurse Aid means ensuring that all the patient’s needs are taken care of, and in the case of comfort, that even some basic factors are seen to that will make their life easier. Factors such as maintaining a clean and comfortable living space for the residents and ensuring that their bedding remains clean and dry, and that user equipment is at hand – like making sure that the call button or TV remote is close at hand.

Communication is a vital cog in the healthcare wheel; if certain information is not relayed timeously or at all, lives could be lost or permanently harmed. So part of the Nursing Assistant job description is maintaining a solid and open communication link through all channels; be it via Nurse to patient or CNA to superior or replacement staff. For instance, it’s essential that necessary patient information is transferred across shifts so as to maintain a seamless change, ensuring that patients receive the best care.

It’s clear to see that the Certified Nursing assistant needs to be a very special kind of person (as one can state for every nurse), to not only be compassionate, but also empathetic to the patients cause. The Nurse Aid may find themselves helping someone who is experiencing, veritably the worst days of their lives, so supporting them through this intense time is an unparalleled duty, and essential to the process of healing.

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