If you’re just starting out on the road to becoming a nurse, or if you’re a registered nurse (RN) or licensed professional nurse (LPN) looking to advance your career with an advanced degree, there are hundreds of nursing programs from which to choose. And, with the nursing shortage reaching critical levels, more and more nursing schools are practically bending over backwards to accommodate your needs.

For example, if you’re a working RN looking to earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, you may want to look into the many online nursing programs most nursing schools and colleges that offer the BSN now offer. An online program will allow you to continue working as a nurse while earning your BSN. You’ll be able to take your classes at a time that is convenient for you, your family and any professional demands upon you. Many RN to BSN programs require that you do some work in a medical setting with a preceptor but, again, you’ll be able to perform this work while still on the job.

If you’ve just graduated from high school, check out the many colleges and universities that offer a four-year BSN program. Some of them have accelerated programs that will allow you to graduate with your degree in three years or so. You’ll then be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination, which will award you your RN designation.

If you’ve already graduated college and now are thinking of becoming a nurse, there are many accelerated nursing programs that will allow you to study to become a registered nurse in less than two years!

As you research nursing programs, you’ll want to find out if the school is accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), which accredits nursing programs at all levels (ASN, hospital diploma, BSN, MSN, etc.) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which accredits nursing programs at the BSN or MSN level. Attending an accredited school is important because you will know that the program has passed a stringent set of requirements set by the accrediting bodies. You also will be eligible for federal financial aid programs if you attend an accredited school.

You’ll also want to see if you can sit in a class or two or, at the least, visit campus and speak with current students. You also may want to ask the school’s admission office if you could contact graduates of the program so that you can hear what they think of their alma mater.

Research your choice of nursing schools well. You are about to embark on a life-changing journey, so you need to be sure you will be receiving the best nursing education for you. After all, your patients will be counting on it.

Moving From an RN to a BSN

The medical profession is in a state of constant change. New information and technologies appear on almost a daily basis and the healthcare industry is having a difficult time staying in sync with all these advancements. RNs have been the backbone of the nursing industry for years, but the need for additional education to fill management and business roles has never been greater. Nurses who choose to enroll in online BSN programs are not only increasing their medical knowledge, they are immersing themselves in leadership training as well as a solid liberal arts education. A BSN opens new doors within the healthcare industry. Patients may not know the difference between an RN and a BSN, but in terms of educational advancement and employment opportunities there’s a huge difference.

In order to enroll in an online BSN program, a nurse needs an associate degree in nursing from an accredited National League of Nursing school and the nurse should have character references from reliable sources like work supervisors or teachers.

Is an online BSN or MSN worth it?

Nurses who work full time and have family responsibilities may find it hard to pursue a BSN or an MSN; there are only so many hours in a day, but the benefits of enrolling in a BSN or MSN program are well worth the inconvenience. The great part of online study is you do have flexibility in terms of time. A self-paced online program is designed for nurses who have family responsibilities and other personal commitments. The rewards of earning a BSN degree can increase dramatically if an RN is interested in business or management.

RNs certainly perform a great service and can enjoy a long-term career without thinking about a BSN, but for any nurse who is interested in a leadership position within the nursing profession a BSN is a must. Head nurses, assistant directors, directors and other management positions require a BSN. Nurses with a BSN can pursue a career in research, teaching and consulting, just to name a few. They can focus on business and manage a pharmaceutical company, a private clinic or an insurance company. Some nurses with a BSN degree manage home health clinics as well as other healthcare service related businesses. Nurses who earn a BSN degree increase career opportunities, which results in better benefits and compensation. It’s hard to put a price on the personal satisfaction a BSN or MSN degree gives every nurse who earns one.

What’s involved with online BSN programs?

Online programs can be self paced programs where the nurse studies at a pace that fits into an existing schedule or they can be structured like a traditional classroom where there is a specific start and end date. Most nurses like the self pace option for obvious reasons; time is a valuable commodity for everyone and flexibility is important tool in managing time.

The online classes are designed to be simple. A nurse logs on to the online study website with a password and then checks the latest posts that show lecture material for specific subject matter. Bulletin boards are available so the nurse can post questions and comments about the material and can interact with other nurses who are studying the same material. The instructor usually schedules a personal one-on-one chat session at certain times so each nurse is able to discuss issues and ask questions. There is a deadline established for the course work and when it’s complete it is sent to the instructor by email. The clinical work is done at local hospitals who host visiting instructors or have staff nurses who act as instructors. Most of the time a nurse can complete the clinical part of the course where they work.

Is it easy to find a BSN or MSN online program?

A recent study indicated that there are almost 700 RN to BSN programs online. There are hundreds of MSN programs as well. Most healthcare facilities offer some sort of tuition reimbursement for nurses who are pursuing advanced degrees, which is an additional incentive to further education credentials. When all the options are considered earning a BSN or a MSN is an excellent choice for an RN who wants to continue to advance in the research, business or management aspects of the healthcare industry.  For additional information on a nursing education online visit DegreeFinders.com, your online guide to a nursing job or travel nursing jobs.

By Terry McDermott

As is painfully obvious to members of the travel nursing industry, the demand for travel nurses has declined significantly. This downturn in demand is directly related to the current economic conditions which has forced many nurses back into the workforce and prompted many travel nurses to seek permanent positions. Consequently, there are less job openings and less need for travel nurses to fill gaps during the hiring process or during seasonal upswings.

This situation is a relief for hospital staffing administrators as the pool of available nursing candidates expands and openings are filled quickly and with high quality personnel. But the apparent easing of the ongoing nursing shortage could be a smokescreen that worsens the situation down the road.

According to an article in Modern Healthcare, more than a few healthcare executives are concerned that the current abundant pool of nurse candidates could present a false sense of security among administrators and send the wrong signal to those who aspire to a nursing career.

A quote from the Chief Nursing Officer of Providence Health & Services provides keen insight into the challenges facing healthcare employers.  Said Deborah Burton, CNO at Providence, “To those who don’t take the long view in workforce planning, it looks like everything is better—when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.”

The article cites numerous statistics that make it very clear that the current situation is better but the nursing shortage is far from being solved. In fact, the significant decline in job openings for nurses could have the effect of worsening the problem in the long run. Those nurses having difficulty finding a position could leave the profession and students hearing about the lack of opportunities may decide to pursue a different career. This could prove disastrous given the demographic trends in both the general and nursing populations.

The simple fact is that the baby boomers will be taxing the healthcare system as they age. And with the average age of an RN pushing 50 years old, it is not hard to project that patient census will be going up and the nursing population will be going down as more nurses hit retirement age.  If the current employment situation discourages students from pursuing a nursing career, there will be major challenges in the future.

I strongly encourage you to read this article in Modern Healthcare. Our feeling is that, even though it is more challenging finding travel nursing jobs right now, the nursing shortage has just been temporarily camouflaged and may be worse than ever when the economy turns around.

To quote Cynthia Kinnis, president of the healthcare staffing division at Clinical One, “Administrators who have been around for a long time will know that it always comes back with a vengeance.”

Bad news for healthcare administrators. Good news for travel nurses!  Pursue a career as a travel nurse and find your travel nursing job today!  Or take a minute to learn more about the nursing shortage.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20090518/SUB/905159977

Terry McDermott is VP of Marketing for Travel Nurse Source, a recruiting company for traveling nurses. Travel Nurse Source is affiliated with Allied Travel Careers, a recruiting company for traveling physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists. For more information on what we do, please visit our websites.

By Erica Ronchetti

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is becoming increasingly demanding for nurses and traveling nurses, who must now care for the rising numbers of aging baby boomers and other health care demanders.  In contrast, the number of prospective nurses and nursing students who will become professional nurses and travel nurses is decreasing, despite the growing community of people who require health care and medical assistance.  Travel nurse agencies have been a remedy for this widening gap between patients, nurses, and travel nurses.  They provide nursing staff for hospitals and other healthcare services, and fulfill both patients and facilities needs.

Many schools and universities are experiencing a significant shortage of students who are studying to become professional nurses.  There are insufficient numbers of these students compared to the increasing demands of the United States population and their projected healthcare needs.  Over past years, there has been little to no maintenance of nursing student enrollment levels, and now 73% of Americans acknowledge that this shortage of nurses is a concern, and one that is on the rise.

Companies like Travel Nurse Source and other travel nursing agencies have been developed to address this growing need for healthcare professionals and provide solutions for nurses who are interested in traveling and healthcare facilities who need to fill staffing gaps. Travel Nurse Source operates with the nursing shortage directly in mind, staffing hospitals and facilities across the country to prevent the worsening nursing shortage in the USA. Travel nurse agencies are not a new occurrence; they’ve been in existence for almost two decades with the aim to solve staffing shortages, mainly in facilities that have employee and population turnover based on the seasonal changes.

In light of the nursing shortage, pursuing a career as a travel nurse or finding travel nurse employment has become a good opportunity for stability and professional growth.  Travel nurses can travel all over the US and nursing assignments last from 90 days up to six months, depending on the specific contract.  The travel nursing job can be in a variety of states or regions and facilities, and that is up to the nurse to choose.  Salaries for nurses who choose a travel nursing career tend to be on average, higher then nurses who stay in one location or healthcare venue.  Excelling housing benefits go along with the competitive salary, as well as health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits that travel nurse agencies offer.

Companies like Travel Nurse Source are indeed valuable assets for the healthcare industry.  To learn more about travel nursing jobs and travel nurse employment, visit our website!  Travel Nurse Source offers exciting travel nursing employment opportunities, such as travel nurse jobs Hawaii, California travel nursing, Florida travel nursing, New York travel nursing, and travel nursing in Alaska!

Erica Ronchetti is Account Manager for Travel Nurse Source, a recruiting company for traveling nurses.  Travel Nurse Source is affiliated with Allied Travel Careers, a recruiting company for traveling physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists.  For more information on what we do, please visit our websites.

By Erica Ronchetti

A travel nursing job is unlike any other form of business traveling assignment.  Generally, if you are traveling for any other business purpose, there is not much time for relaxation, sight-seeing, dining out, shopping, or other enjoyable activities.  You’d be expected to spend most of your trip sitting in on important business meetings or getting the latest information about your industry at a trade show or convention. Travel nursing is altogether different, as your job allows for plenty of free time to experience your destination’s beauty, culture, and unique charm. Why? Because when you accept a travel nursing job you actually live for an extended period of time in the area you select.

Another aspect of a travel nurse employment that nurses find enjoyable is the opportunity to combine travel nursing with a traveling mindset, specifically meeting new people.  Other nurses enjoy the challenges presented by working in different locations.  In addition to meeting new people and enjoying different locations, active travel nurses have the chance to experience many great nursing opportunities in many different facilities around the United States. By embarking upon a travel nurse career, you not only gain extremely valuable nursing experience in different settings and different working environments, but also begin to develop a broad mind set and excellent nursing skills.  Travel nursing will take you to some of the top medical facilities in the United States.  Many travel nurses feel it is important to share their skills, knowledge, and compassion with people from all over the country.  Seeing the country and making a difference in people’s lives, in addition to gaining a quality and diverse nursing education, are reasons to consider a travel nursing career and contact a recruiting agency.

A travel nursing career is the best idea for fulfilling your love for travel and love for nursing.  Popular destinations include California travel nursing, travel nurse jobs Hawaii, travel nursing Alaska, Florida travel nursing, and New York travel nursing.  During time away from the facility you work at, you can roam around and soak up local culture, shop, and experience fantastic local sporting events and entertainment.

Now is an excellent time to learn more about the many wonderful opportunities travel nursing has to offer you and your career.  Visit www.travelnursesource.com for more information.

Travel nurses, what other travel nursing advantages can you think of?

Erica Ronchetti is Account Manager for Travel Nurse Source, a recruiting company for traveling nurses. Travel Nurse Source is affiliated with Allied Travel Careers, a recruiting company for traveling physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists. For more information on what we do, please visit our websites.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Raise your hand if you also used medical dramas as study tools during nursing school.  Depending on the era in which you attended nursing school, the shows that peaked your medical interest may have included shows like M*A*S*H, or for today’s nursing students, Grey’s Anatomy. For my nursing class, the study tool of choice was ER.  Our instructors even took note of the educational value of the show, prompting in-class discussions about various episodes and clinical scenarios.  The timing could not have been more perfect when ER’s Emmy award winning “DIC” episode aired during our obstetrics clinical.

A few years after nursing school I was fortunate enough to be cast as an extra on Julianna Luisa Margulie’s (Nurse Carol Hathaway) final episode.  Still working as a nurse at a local Burbank hospital, I found it both fascinating (and slightly irritating) that the equipment on the show was better than what I was used to on the floor.  It was also interesting to watch the bevy of medical and nursing technical advisors working with the cast between takes, ensuring that important medical terms and procedures didn’t get lost in translation.

Many nurses in the Los Angeles and New York areas, where television shows are usually filmed, have been employed as technical advisors for shows like ER, while continuing to work their “day jobs” at area hospitals.  Two new medical dramas that specifically focus on nursing may increase the demand for nurses and travel nursing jobs, to act as technical advisors on the shows.  On NBC, “Mercy”, a medical drama centered on nurses has received the industry greenlight for the 2009-2010 television series.  On HBO, former “Sopranos” star Edie Falco will star as “Nurse Jackie,” a series that is reportedly based on the journal of a Manhattan ER nurse. It looks like media coverage of the nursing shortage has crossed over to a new medium that will no doubt continue to inspire nursing students as nurses take center stage in Hollywood.

Nurses and travel nurses: How realistic do you find medical and nursing dramas?  Have you ever worked as a technical advisor in television?  Would that be an appealing career move for you?

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Just as little kids mull over the possibilities of what they want to be when they grow up, nursing students custom design their dream career. A few years on the med-surg floor first, then perhaps a move into the ER or ICU, followed by a return trip back to school for a Master’s degree and later on a nurse practitioner career. Nurses with a wandering spirit are more likely to map out a career as a travel nurse, combining medical specialties with coveted work destinations. The beauty of travel nursing jobs is that they are listed the same way. Are you a skier or a surfer? Would you rather be a travel ER nurse in Denver or traveling CCU RN in California? Are you into bright lights big city or the quiet relaxation of a smaller town setting? Your dream career might be as an ICU nurse in Dallas or a labor and delivery nurse in Alaska. If you’re having trouble making up your mind then travel nursing is definitely the right field for you. Short assignments and diverse staffing needs around the country make indecisiveness a perfectly acceptable trait in a travel nurse. How many other fields is this true for?

In a tight economy and even tighter job market, few people have the luxury of custom designing their dream job. Even with the budding nursing shortage, travel nurses have to be savvy about signing with the traveling nurse agency that best represents their interests and consistently following up on potential assignments.

If you need reassurance, remember that a career in nursing still has more flexibility and options than most other fields of work right now. Nobody is ever handed their dream job on a silver platter, especially in tough times. But that doesn’t mean you need to stop dreaming and stop seeking the nursing career that you mapped out for yourself in nursing school. As a travel nurse you might even get from point A to point B a little bit faster.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

A significant contributing factor to the nursing shortage is the nursing school bottleneck. It’s not that the high schools aren’t producing enough graduates with career aspirations of nursing or travel nursing for the free-spirits with a passion for seeing the country. The shortage in nursing schools starts at the front of the class. A nursing education is not suited for a mass lecture format, particularly during clinicals when several students are working on one often anxious instructor’s license. Therefore, not enough instructors means a painfully high number of rejection letters to qualified nursing school applicants.

The New York City Council announced earlier this year that the City University of New York is working with several NYC hospitals on a guest faculty program aimed at providing nursing school professors, even if temporarily. The program will identify experienced nurses already working in the city’s hospitals who wouldn’t mind a temporary teaching assignment. A major benefit of the program is that the hospital nurses don’t have to quit their jobs or lose their benefits. The ten guest nursing faculty positions are projected to allow 100 new nursing students to enter the program each year.

Although technically this program attempts to remedy one of the root causes of the nursing shortage by creating a minor shortage of NYC hospital staff, the intention is a good one. If this type of program succeeds and is implemented in other cities, two possible opportunities for travel nurses may result. First, as temporary replacements for the hospital nurses turned professors. Second, experienced travel nurses might consider contacting participating schools between assignments and during down time, to apply for some of the guest faculty positions.

Solving the nursing shortage is going to be a complex undertaking that is unlikely to be solved by signing on the dotted line of a massive stimulus bill. With an estimated half a million nurses needed by 2016, the health care industry will have to look at every resource available, from foreign trained nurses (as they have been for years) and travel nurses to unclogging the nursing school bottleneck and graduating more nurses. Travel nurse agencies and other travel RN recruiters now have the opportunity to fight on behalf of their travel nurses. They can remind hospitals that using travel nurses is an excellent solution to short staffing, and that it’s a solution available now.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

In recent blogs, I have been exploring the ramifications of a statement made by President Obama in his recent health summit. The president expressed concern over the apparent need to bring additional foreign trained RNs into the country to help with our nation’s nursing shortage. Following are some highlighted training requirements for registered nurses overseas. It should be noted that all nurses recruited to work in the U.S. must pass the standard NCLEX board exam.

United Kingdom: Registered nursing is regulated by the ‘Nursing and Midwifery Council’ with 3-4 years of training divided 50/50 between classroom and clinicals. Unlike in the U.S. the nursing student chooses a specialty area while still in school (adult, child, mental health or learning disabilities nursing). As the council name indicates, the nursing student who specializes in adult nursing can make the transition to midwifery by completing an 18 month program. Students also receive a financial stipend from the government to support them during the training period.

India: India offers a four year program, similar to the U.S. BSN program as well as a three year program for basic staff nurse employment.500 nursing schools accept nearly 10,000 new students per year. In addition to standard classroom and clinical work, students attend lectures by specialists in various medical fields.

Philippines: Studies show that the U.S. recruits a greater number of nurses from this country than any other primarily because of the curriculum similarities, use of the same textbooks and that Filipino nurses speak English (versus language barrier issues experienced by some nurses from Japan and Korea for example) . The main difference that makes for a period of adjustment for these nurses, is becoming familiar with equipment used in U.S. hospitals

In many ways, recruiting foreign nurses is the ultimate example of long distance travel nursing. Hospitals typically pay a 5K-$10K fee to the recruiting agency, per travel nurse for a 2-3 year assignment (versus the standard 3 month U.S. travel nurse assignment).

RNs and travel nurses, I want to hear your voice on this. Regardless of the equivalency between foreign and U.S. based nurse training programs, how do you feel about the strategy of bringing additional foreign trained nurses into America to remedy the nursing shortage?

Data Sources: Wikpedia, http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/23/3/78

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.

By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN

Yes, nurses are in high demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that 500,000 new RNs are needed by 2016. Every single media story about job opportunities in the recession broadcasts nursing careers at the top of the list. This does not lessen the value of continuing education and skill advancement. Travel nurses in particular are attuned to the rapid progress of the healthcare industry. With each new hospital assignment, travel RNs are exposed to new facets of procedures, technology and medicine in locations across the country. As the economy lags, the nurse’s commitment to furthering their education and adding value to their existing RN license, should not.

Education Opportunities for Nurses:

• RN to RN, BSN transition; A BSN degree means higher pay, additional opportunities such as in home health and hospice and a broader foundation of clinical knowledge that earns increased credibility in the clinical setting.

• A Master’s degree offers higher pay, opportunities to specialize as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist or nurse practitioner. RN, MSNs are also needed by nursing schools as instructors.

• Specialty training such as ACLS, dialysis and oncology certifications also build on the nurse’s interest in favorite clinical areas and again, provide opportunities for salary increases and career opportunities.

Well-publicized shortages of nursing instructors in nursing schools may be deterring some existing nurses from continuing their education.  Many hospitals and colleges, however, offer continuing education and transition programs for existing nurses. Some of these courses are online, adding a welcome aspect of convenience to the learning process.

Contact your state board of nursing for educational opportunities and referrals to local colleges and programs. Also check with your hospital employer for in-house programs and contact local community colleges and universities in your area directly for course schedules.

Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.