Nursing School Students: Is An Online Degree The Right Choice For You?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:39:15 +0100

Prospective nursing school students, are you considering an online nursing degree as one of your options? Well, we've got good news and bad news for you.

You can already imagine the many advantages of online courses: setting up a schedule that's convenient for you, no commute, no parking hassles, saving on gas money or public transportation costs, and being able to work and go to school at the same time.

However, it is not possible to get every type of degree online - and there is no such thing as a Licensed Practical Nursing Degree or Associate's Degree in nursing that can be obtained entirely online. This is for good reason: one of the most vital components of a nursing student's education is to gain practical real world experience in a hospital or other medical setting, under the observation and direction of a registered nurse.

To our knowledge, there is only one nursing school program in the country which allows its students to complete even the majority of their course study online to get an R.N. degree - the Online Accelerated Nursing Program at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. It is intended for people who already have a bachelor's degree. The school's online program accepts only a very limited number of students. You must have numerous prerequisite courses completed, and have excellent grades in those courses, before you can even apply. Many states do not offer the clinicals that students must take, under the supervision of an RN, in order to complete the course, so students who live in those states can't take the program. Also students must go to the Oshkosh campus several times in order to do clinicals and take various tests there.

So what kind of nursing degree can you get online?

After taking a one-year course at a community college, vocational school, or private career college, to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, and after getting licensed as a practical nurse, there are many online LPN to RN programs, and they are becoming more popular as the demand for registered nurses grows greater.

There are also online paramedic-to-RN courses, and there are online respiratory therapist-to-RN courses.

In all three of these cases, it is vitally important to contact your state Board of Nursing to make sure that they accredit the school that is offering the online degree.

If they don't, then even if you successfully complete the course, you can not take the NCLEX-RN and work as a nurse in your state. Some states will accept online LPN to RN programs, but not other types of online nursing programs. Some states will accept certain schools' online LPN to RN degree programs, but not other schools.

There are also online LPN to Bachelor's Degree of Science in nursing programs, online RN to Bachelor's Degree of Science in Nursing Programs, online Master's Degree in Nursing Programs...so there is a lot that can be accomplished with online nursing schools. However, you can not get all of your nursing training online, and that's actually a good thing. Think about it. Would you want to be cared for and have your life in the hands of a nurse whose only training was online?

Relate link;
how long does it take to become a nurse

Forensic Nursing Careers

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:39:20 +0100

Forensic nursing is fairly new in the industry given that this was only recognized as a specialty of nursing in 1995. Unlike other nursing professions where you have to take a state licensure exam, you are not required to get a job. However, many believe that passing the test adds credibility to the job.

This is very important especially when you have collect evidence from a victim and have to offer this testimony in court. Everything you say should be objective because the evidence presents the facts themselves.

For you to become a forensic nurse, you must have at least be a resident nurse and complete the training regimen. This includes specialized training in the classroom as well as 40 hours of didactics and 40 hours of clinical work.

For those who want to specialize to become a SANE or sexual assault nurse examiner, part of the training focuses on handling and collecting evidence like fibers, hairs and fluids which are collected for DNA testing. You will also need to learn how to use the equipment. It can be very basic like a digital camera to an Omnichrome or a colposcope which can detect bruising underneath the skin’s surface.

When a victim is brought in to the emergency room, you spring into action and then talk to the person. Working with law enforcement officers, you will be able to comfort the victim, get details and then get the person who did it. This normally takes 3 to 4 hours.

Another forensic nursing career could be that of a nursing forensic examiner. This job will also involve collecting evidence but most of those brought in are victims of interpersonal abuse. This includes child or elder abuse, domestic violence, near fatal to fatal traumas, shootings and stabbings.

In cases of stabbing and shootings, the most important thing to get is the bullet and any other items that are left on the victim. They will also remove the clothing so this can be examined by preserving this in a special wrapping before transporting this to the lab.

Should the victim die, then the forensic nurse examiner will work with the medical examiner by answering questions about what he or she saw before this person died.

If you want to go into private practice, one subspecialty is that of forensic psychiatry. Here, you don’t have to collect evidence but you have to evaluate the mental capacity of the person to see if she or she is fit to stand trial in a jury of their peers.

Since you evaluated that person, you may be called in as an expert witness in both criminal and civil proceedings. For this, you need to complete a basic certification course.

Forensic nursing has a lot of potential given that it is something new. Statistics show that there will be a demand for more trained professionals in the next 10 years and with that goes to the wages. This means you are sure to find a job in a community health center, hospital, public health department, law firms and correctional facilities.

But is a forensic nursing career all about money? Certainly not because as a healthcare professional and from a legal perspective, you are able to help not only the victims but also their families coping with what happened especially when what you do helps catch whoever is responsible for it.

Relate link;
how long does it take to become a nurse

become-a-nurse

Nursing School Students: Is An Online Degree The Right Choice For You?

Forensic Nursing Careers