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When I was decided to become a nurse, one of the most appealing aspects of the career was the stability. Unless there is a Zombie Apocalypse, as a nurse you should pretty well be able to find a job somewhere. (And even in a Zombie Apocalypse, you’re gonna have one for a while… you know until they kill off most of society and you have to make a run for it) If nurses start becoming unemployed in large numbers that would certain be a scary scenario, with or without Zombie involvement.
There are several ways to start out on your journey depending upon your academic and financial standing right now. If you’re not sure if you’re ready to jump right into a traditional 4-year Registered Nurse (RN) program you can get an Associates Degree in Nursing (ARN) at a Community College, which takes about 2 years, or start out as a Licensed Practical Nurse (or Licensed Vocational Nurse in California and Texas). LPN programs can run as short as 12 months and make a great place to get your feet wet and possibly work while you go back to school to get a higher degree. To be honest, with the high interest rates of student loans and tough admission standards, starting out by getting your LPN or ARN is a good way to see whether or not you truly want to be a nurse, make a little money while you’re going to school, or even get your job to help subsidize your tuition for further education.
The following infographic does a great job of illustrating the cost of various surgeries as well as detailing how many of that operations are performed in a year.
IT’s worth noting that cost for these procedures vary by region and also from facility to facility. What would be ideal was if a surgery cost $x.xx amount no matter where you had it or who performed it. But unfortunately that is just not so. Hospitals and insurance companies are constantly renegotiating their agreed upon allowances and changing what they determine is “reasonable and customary.”
New grads are entering the field during the perfect storm of a bad economy, job shortage, and nurse retirees who are back to work because their retirement portfolios are no longer robust enough to support their retirement. So, the problem becomes how to stand out in the sea of applicants?
Let’s face it. Some managers will just toss any new grad’s resume right in the trash, no matter how concise, how detailed, or how well-thought out. Well, if they’re that biased, you didn’t want to work for them anyway, trust me. So don’t worry about the no-callbacks (easy to say, hard to do, I know). DO worry when they call you back, and you’re up for an interview. That’s when the pucker factor can really kick in, because now you can no longer hide behind a piece of paper…it’s show time!
I’m ruined.
Yep. My blogging career is over.
Wordpress is going to corrupt my database. Studio press is going to take away my Genesis theme. ICANN is going to take away my domain name. The Nerdy Nurse will die a bitter death in the nursing blogosphere.
On Avoid Medical Errors you can find a wealth of material related to staying healthy and becoming an educated consumer of healthcare. Her time spent working on medical malpractice cases can help you become informed of your rights an standards as a patient. She has a variety of patient education materials available to help you avoid the risk that can be associated with receiving medical care.
If you are a nurse and are reading this, lets not forget, we are all patients.
Avoid Medical Errors has much information that is available on the blog free of charge. There are also inner circle modules that are specific educational materials. You can sign up as a member and dive into well researched and vetted materials. There are new materials added to these modules every month and include exclusive interviews with medical professionals, inside tips, and special reports to help you better navigate the medical world.
If you’re scheduled to work the night shift as a nurse, you better start saving up on that sleep and getting ready for long nights that will switch between being arduously boring and tremendously busy, seemingly at random. Unlike the day shift in hospitals and medical clinics, the night shift often sees a less steady flow of traffic, though things can get really messy and hectic should an emergency occur overnight. Below, read through 10 tips that can be helpful to you as you prepare for the night shift routine, so you’re not instantly overwhelmed whether you’re rotating from the day shift or starting a brand new position entirely.
There are many expenses associated with attending nursing school. Some of these include text books, uniforms, clinical supplies, meal, testing and licensing fees, transportation costs, and general living expenses. If you combine this with the fact that often times a nursing school schedule leaves little time to work and earn income, your budget can become quite stretched during your years of nursing education.
Thankfully there are many ways that you can save money while going to nursing school. Not only can you save money on the books and supplies you will need for your education, but also on other necessities and living expenses that you might not have thought of that are involved with your nursing education. Below you’ll find some useful resources to help you save money while getting your nursing education.
As part of Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing’s Future, a group of nurses were asked a series of questions and in recorded their own video responses. I was honored to be asked to participate in the promotion of nursing. I’ll refrain from making this another post about the fantastic things that Johnson and Johnson are doing, but I will say that they honor and uplift nurses and for that I am very thankful.
These are the 2nd in the webisode series in which nurses where asked “What do you love most about nursing.” You’ll find the answers below. I encourage you to share yours with us in the comments section below as well.
Nursing is a fantastic career for a multitude of reasons. One of my favorites is the possibilities and flexibility available in the profession. There are thousands of things you can do with a nursing degree and nearly as many ways to get you there, in terms of education, certifications, and specializations. What is right in nursing for you may not be right for everyone.
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