So, what is skilled nursing?

Skilled nursing involves complex medical care provided by licensed healthcare professionals. These include registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). They perform tasks that require medical training. This care is often needed after hospitalization or for chronic conditions.

Skilled nursing services include:

1. Wound care2. Intravenous (IV) therapy3. Injections4. Physical therapy5. Occupational therapy6. Speech therapy7. Monitoring vital signs8. Medication management

These services require specialized knowledge and go beyond basic daily living assistance. Skilled nurses can identify subtle health changes. This early detection can prevent complications.

IMPORTANCE IN ELDER CARE

Aging often brings complex health issues. Skilled nursing addresses these challenges effectively. It helps manage chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. This specialized care can improve outcomes and reduce hospitalizations.

Skilled nursing provides personalized care plans that adapt to changing health needs. They ensure seniors receive appropriate treatment. This tailored approach enhances overall well-being.

Proper medication management is crucial for seniors. Skilled nurses ensure correct dosages and timing. They monitor for side effects and interactions. This precision helps avoid medication-related complications.

Rehabilitation is often necessary for elderly patients. Skilled nurses work alongside physical therapists. They help seniors regain strength and mobility. This collaboration speeds up recovery and promotes independence.

Wound care is another critical aspect. Seniors are prone to slow-healing wounds. Skilled nurses use advanced techniques for wound management. This care prevents infections and promotes healing.

Skilled nursing also provides emotional support. Nurses build relationships with patients. They offer comfort and reassurance. This emotional connection contributes to mental well-being.

IN FACILITIES

Many nursing homes offer skilled nursing services. These facilities provide round-the-clock care. They cater to seniors with complex medical needs. Skilled nursing facilities offer a safer alternative to home care for some seniors.

In these settings, nurses coordinate with doctors. They implement treatment plans effectively. This teamwork ensures comprehensive care. It addresses both medical and personal needs.

AT HOME

Skilled nursing is also available for home-based care. This option allows seniors to remain in familiar surroundings. Home health nurses provide medical care and monitoring. They help seniors maintain independence while receiving necessary treatment.

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Skilled nurses undergo rigorous training. They must pass licensing exams. Continuing education is required to maintain their skills. This ensures they stay updated on medical advancements.

Specialized training in geriatric care is typical. It equips nurses to understand age-related health issues. This knowledge improves the quality of care for seniors.

CHALLENGES AND THE FUTURE

The demand for skilled nursing is growing. An aging population increases the need for specialized care. However, there’s a shortage of qualified professionals. Addressing this gap is crucial for future elderly care.

Technology is changing the field of skilled nursing. Telehealth and remote monitoring are becoming common, extending the reach of skilled nursing services. They improve access to care for seniors in remote areas.

Skilled nursing is indispensable in elderly care. It provides complex medical support and enhances quality of life. As the population ages, its importance will only grow. Investing in skilled nursing ensures better health outcomes for seniors and allows them to age with dignity and proper care.

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A program like the University of Saint Xavier’s Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Administration Online is designed to meet nurses where they are. It offers all the online coursework and focuses on leadership skills and administrative management.

Benefits of an Online Master’s in Nursing Administration

MSN in nursing administration teaches nurses how to handle healthcare’s financial and human resources aspects. This degree is valuable for those interested in taking on management roles as a nurse leader, allowing them to expand their impact and reach within the field.

The flexibility offered by programs available online at Lamar University is one of the most significant benefits of completing an online master’s in nursing administration. This option allows students to balance schoolwork with their work and life commitments. Unlike traditional on-campus degrees, which often require commuting and living costs, online programs typically cost less.

As a result, earning an online master’s in nursing administration can be a financially sound decision for those interested in leveling up their careers without interrupting their current lifestyles. With a growing demand for healthcare leaders, completing this degree can offer professionals increased career opportunities in an expanding industry. This is especially true for those who decide to become nurse administrators, who are often in charge of budgets and staffing.

The Coursework

Unlike undergraduate nursing programs focusing on the theories, models, and research behind healthcare, master’s degree programs in nursing administration equip nurses with the tools to run and manage their facilities effectively. Whether you work in prison healthcare, hospitals, or community agencies, the skills and knowledge gained from this program are highly marketable and valuable to employers.

When choosing a master’s degree program, choosing one accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is essential. This will ensure that employers will take your coursework and credentials seriously.

With the demand for healthcare services constantly rising, registered nurses who can provide leadership and management skills are in high demand in today’s marketplace. An online Master’s in Nursing Administration is a great way to advance your career and add value to healthcare facilities nationwide. Designed to help you develop the managerial and administrative expertise needed to establish effective organizational procedures, this program combines classroom learning with hands-on clinical experience in a natural healthcare setting.

The Flexibility

The best online nursing administration master’s programs allow you to work on your degree at a pace that works for your lifestyle and commitments. This is a significant benefit, as traditional on-campus programs might be more restrictive when you study and complete coursework.

Nurse administrators are found throughout the healthcare industry, from hospitals and clinics to insurance companies and higher education institutions. Their responsibilities include recruiting and managing staff and developing and implementing policies.

If you want to transition from direct patient care into a managerial position, earning an online master’s in nursing administration can help. These degrees are available from several schools; some offer accelerated courses that let you finish your degree in as little as 18 months. Make sure that CCNE or ACEN accredits any program you choose to ensure it offers a rigorous academic experience. Also, consider whether tuition and other fees will be manageable given your lifestyle and budget.

The Cost

For nurses, a master’s degree can be expensive. Unlike undergraduate programs, which can often waive application fees, graduate school has many associated costs for students to bear. In addition to tuition, nursing students may incur additional costs for textbooks and equipment. Some programs also require on-campus internships and clinical practicums, which can add to travel expenses and lodging. Students can reduce out-of-pocket expenses by exploring nursing scholarships, grants, and assistantships.

The University of Saint Mary, for example, offers an affordable online Master’s in Nursing Administration track that is designed specifically for current healthcare professionals looking to take on management roles. Its curriculum includes courses like Informatics in Nursing, Leadership Theory, and Health Systems Management. Students can earn the degree in two years and still work full-time. The site also ranks programs by mid-career pay for graduates, student retention rates, and SAT scores. It provides links to dozens of top online nursing degrees.

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Respect for autonomy

Respecting patient autonomy is vital in nursing, and this is one of the main ethical principles nurses embody. To respect autonomy is giving patients a degree of responsibility over their care and letting them make decisions. Nurses keep patients informed by describing what is happening to them at all stages, educating them about their condition, and discussing the potential outcomes of treatment options in terms of risk and reward. In respecting autonomy, nurses must respect the wishes of patients, even if they disagree with certain decisions. It’s also important for nurses to respect beliefs and cultures, which also influence patient decisions.

Beneficence

This refers to charity, kindness, and a dedication to patient welfare. Nurses embody this principle by always acting in patients’ best interests, only taking actions that improve health and wellness. This means using the best evidence available to guide decisions and actions to achieve the best outcomes for patients. Beneficence also includes looking out for patients by protecting them from potential harm. Nurses perform risk assessments to identify hazards and make environments safe for patients. They also closely monitor patients for complications and adverse medication effects so they can intervene where necessary.

Non-maleficence

This concept is closely related to beneficence but is slightly different. Non-maleficence is an obligation not to harm others, clearly an essential nursing principle. Nurses are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of patients, so a commitment to doing no harm is evident. This principle guides action when administering medications, for example, as the nurse must ensure medications will not interact with each other in dangerous ways. It also means taking steps to minimize risks wherever possible.

Justice

Justice in the healthcare sector relates to things like resource allocation, fair and equal treatment, and showing respect to patients. Nurses must be just in all their patient interactions, which can mean being aware of one’s biases and taking steps to mitigate them. For example, if a nurse knows a patient personally, they may be tempted to give them special treatment. The principle of justice would ideally prevent them from doing this, as justice demands that all patients be treated equally. Justice also means opposing discrimination based on age, sex, race, or religion.

Honesty

Nurses must be honest when communicating with patients, ensuring patients clearly understand their situations and can decide what’s best for themselves. This means being honest when communicating the nature of illnesses and potential treatment options, even if the truth is difficult. Honesty and integrity are also essential for ensuring accountability in nursing. For example, if a nurse administers the wrong dose of a medication, they must inform someone immediately so the situation can be addressed.

Why do we need Ethical principles in nursing?

Ethics are very important in the healthcare industry as a whole, as medical professionals deal with a huge variety of sensitive issues and pieces of information. As such, all professionals within the industry must have strong moral compasses and a commitment to the ethical principles of nursing. Most medical professionals learn about these principles during formal education or through an online ABSN program, which is an accelerated path to nursing for bachelor’s degree holders. Here are some of the main reasons why ethics are so important in this profession:

Patient protection

These principles help to keep patients safe and enforce ethical standards throughout the healthcare industry. Nurses have a duty to prevent harm, and a code of ethics supporting this end helps protect patients. Ethical principles act as frameworks for decision-making, so if nurses are unsure about how to proceed, they can refer to these principles to make decisions. This increases the effectiveness of decision-making because decisions that align with the principles are likely morally sound.

Accountability

As well as decision-making, ethical principles help to guide behavior in general. If a nurse’s conduct is unacceptable, a manager can refer to the code of ethics to demonstrate how the nurse’s behavior deviates from it. They can then correct the behavior or suggest improvements using the ethical code. Principles can act as a code of conduct, allowing managers to set expectations across organizations and drive better outcomes on a large scale. Specific principles like honesty also help keep nurses accountable when things go wrong.

Patient-centered care

Ethical principles help healthcare organizations deliver patient-centered care because a dedication to patient autonomy, respect for beliefs, and other key principles combine to produce treatment plans that put the patient first. The principles exist to protect patients regarding their physical, mental, and emotional health, and dignity. This means that all actions and decisions that healthcare providers make are optimized to produce the best outcomes for patients, both subjective and objective.

Summary

Ethical principles are important in most sectors, but especially so in nursing. This is because ethical principles act as decision-making frameworks. They protect patients, enforce professionalism and accountability, and help organizations establish codes of conduct. Nurses must embody these principles in the performance of their work to ensure the best outcomes for themselves, their employer, their patients, and their patients’ families.

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In today’s age, a nurse’s role has evolved immensely and has become increasingly administrative and diagnostic. Moreover, the nurse leader’s role has emerged as one of the essential pillars in any healthcare organization.

Nurse leaders are vital in assuming command over various nursing units and ensuring that all staff members deliver high-quality care. They’re also responsible for overseeing patients and administrative tasks simultaneously.

Being a nurse leader thus requires the individual to have specific skills and qualities which allow them to fulfill the duties of this role. If you want to learn about some of the essential skills and qualities of nurse leaders, keep reading below.

1.   Firm theoretical knowledge

Being a nurse leader is a role that requires immense responsibility and dedication. The stakes can be incredibly high in this profession, and without a firm foundation in the theoretical aspect, it can be hard for you to adjust practically.

Education and continued learning are thus vital aspects of succeeding as a nurse leader. With the right qualifications, you can be better equipped to advance your career and have better skills to take care of your patients.

Several degrees will allow you to get a specialization alongside developing the skills necessary for a nurse leader. One of the best options is an online CNL nursing program. This is a program that is incredibly detailed and covers a host of topics to help you excel in your role.

A CNL program also allows you to specialize in adult gerontology, which can help you deal with vulnerable patients in acute settings. Moreover, the degree can help you hone your leadership and organizational skills, helping you develop a firm footing in organizational efficiency.

2.   Excellent communication

Inarguably, after having a firm footing in the theoretical aspect, a nurse leader’s most important quality has excellent communication skills. Without effective communication, it can be incredibly challenging for nurse leaders to communicate with all stakeholders and staff members and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Nurse leaders must communicate effectively with doctors, other paramedical staff, administrative units, and patients and their families. They need to ensure that everyone in the system feels like their concerns are being heard and that they can get solutions for their issues.

Moreover, effective communication is vital to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding treatment protocols, diagnoses, and more. This can ensure that there is no chance of any misinformation being spread and no risk of any errors in treatment.

3.   Task delegation abilities

As a nurse leader, you will spend as much time delegating and overseeing tasks as you will work on the ground yourself. If you’re not adept at task delegation, adjusting to your role as a nurse leader can be pretty challenging.

As a nurse leader, you will be delegating tasks not just to nurses working directly with patients but also those acting in a more administrative capacity.

Task delegation abilities are essential to hone because they can help you ensure that you consistently deliver quality care. If you can effectively delegate, you can ensure that no one team or individual feels like they’re bearing the brunt of the burden when it comes to working.

Additionally, you can also ensure that all units are performing to the best of their capabilities and are as efficient as possible. Moreover, task delegation can ensure that everything in the hospital or clinic runs as smoothly as possible and that care delivery has no hitches.

4.   Empathy

As a nurse leader, empathy is one of the most critical yet underrated qualities.

Empathy is vital for your team and clients if you want to succeed in this profession and ensure that everyone can develop as they should. In senior roles, it can be easy to become desensitized to many situations one can witness in the healthcare sector. Whether it’s patients experiencing distress, death, or grief, or staff members dealing with challenging cases, it is always essential to maintain your empathy.

Your team members will look to you for cues on handling the most stressful situations. If you can stay empathetic towards your patients and offer them comfort and support, your team members will do the same.

Doing so can help you ensure that all your clients feel supported. Additionally, it is also vital to remain empathetic to your team members. Junior-level staff, in particular, can have difficulty adjusting to fast-paced and stressful healthcare environments.

5.   Stamina

Stamina is again one of the most underrated qualities essential to an effective nurse leader. It’s common knowledge that nursing shifts can be pretty exhausting, which applies even more to nurse leaders juggling several tasks simultaneously.

You can alternate between wards, departments, teams, and patients on any given day to ensure everything works seamlessly.

If you have low stamina, you can find it hard to stay energized through the long shifts. This can impact your leadership skills and make the rest of the team fall apart. It can also affect the quality of care, as you won’t be able to give high-quality care.

To improve your stamina, nourish yourself with healthy food throughout the day. Additionally, keeping yourself fit and active is integral to strengthening your body and powering through even the longest shifts.

Conclusion

Working as a nurse leader can be an incredibly rewarding job, allowing you to grow in leaps and bounds both personally and professionally. However, to succeed in this role, certain qualities are vital.

These traits can help you become a powerhouse in the healthcare sector, keeping your team motivated and your patients satisfied.

We hope you learned something from this article. If you’d like to add your two cents, please do so in the comments below.

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While the majority of nursing homes offer high-quality care, some fall short of the minimum requirements. You might be wondering what you can do if your loved one has experienced abuse or neglect. Even if you might be reluctant to sue the nursing facility, you should be aware of your rights. You can obtain the money you are entitled to and hold the accountable parties by working with an experienced attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse.

In order to help you cope with a situation that calls for tact and a prompt, forceful response, this blog post will go through the five reasons you should employ a nursing home abuse attorney. Let’s be clear about abuse and neglect in nursing homes before going into further detail about the topics. Nursing home abuse, also known as nursing home negligence, is the term used to describe when a caregiver injures a vulnerable person in a nursing home.

Nursing Home will never give you Favor

The primary goal of the nursing home as a business is to make money. They will not disclose any incidences of abuse or neglect that occur in their facilities. The house will use every available means to conceal these happenings. Because covering up is common, you must have a lawyer on your side who can investigate the situation and gather evidence of abuse or neglect. It’s important to remember that specialized lawyers have expertise with many different types of cases and have a thorough understanding of the subject.

Someone must be by your Side

You need a lawyer on your side who is familiar with the legal system and knows how to uphold your rights when dealing with the effects of nursing home abuse or neglect. An attorney with experience representing victims of nursing home abuse will be able to navigate the legal system and fight to obtain you the compensation you are entitled to.

You Require a Capable Investigator

As we already stated, the nursing facility will not be open about any instances of mistreatment or neglect. You must look into what transpired because there is a chance that the nursing facility interfered. An experienced attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse will be able to perform a thorough investigation and compile data that can be used as evidence in court.

Someone who is Familiar with the Law is Required

Cases of nursing home abuse are complex, and often require the assistance of an attorney who is knowledgeable about the pertinent laws. A knowledgeable attorney who specializes in representing victims of nursing home abuse in court will know how to build a compelling case.

You Require a Champion to Stand Up for you

Having a lawyer on your side is essential when dealing with the fallout from nursing home abuse or neglect. A skilled nursing home abuse attorney will do every effort to secure the verdict that you, your loved ones, or both of you are entitled to.

To Come Closure

You require a person who can aid in your resolution. Families frequently struggle financially in addition to dealing with the emotional impact of abuse or neglect. A knowledgeable attorney who specializes in representing victims of nursing home abuse will battle to get you the money you need to make up for lost wages, pay for medical expenses, including pain and suffering, and give your family some closure.

Obtain Justice

You can obtain justice with the help of the best lawyer. The purpose of bringing a lawsuit is to secure monetary compensation and hold the guilty parties accountable. The nursing facility will be held responsible for its conduct, and justice will be served, thanks to an accomplished attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse cases.

The choice to hire Los Angeles nursing home abuse lawyer is undoubtedly important. However, if you or a loved one has experienced abuse or neglect, you must take immediate action and contact a lawyer who specializes in nursing home abuse.

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Everyday Assistance

As we get into our later years of life, we often lose a lot of our independence when it comes to everyday tasks. Things that we take for granted like getting up and walking, feeding ourselves, and getting into bed can all be extremely difficult tasks for the elderly. Whether it be from injury, sickness, or both, the elderly struggle a lot to maintain their independence. Although many don’t want to give up their independence, living in a nursing home ensures the elderly get round-the-clock care and help.

Highly-Trained Care

Perhaps the most important reason elderly people love living in a nursing home is due to the highly-trained care they receive. There’s a variety of highly-trained professionals in nursing homes, including a slew of doctors that can give the elderly the care they need. In addition to these doctors, most nursing homes also have trained nutritionists and other specialists that can help the elderly with their health. In terms of trained care professionals, a nursing home is one of the best places the elderly can be.

Community Feel

Another great aspect that nursing homes can provide elderly patients is a community feel. In most nursing homes, residents are surrounded by people of the same age. This provides residents with a chance to make new friends with people that may have similar interests and experiences. There are often several community events in nursing homes, events such as bingo, card games, and arts and crafts. Having friends and a sense of community can do wonders for your quality of life, especially in your later years.

Safety

When elderly person is in a nursing home, they are safe both from everyday threats and criminal threats. If an elderly person lives independently, major accidents can happen with no one around to help. Due to their fragility, something as small as falling down the stairs can be a life-threatening experience for an elderly person. While in a nursing home, the elderly are watched almost all the time, so the risk of an accident like this occurring is extremely low. As mentioned before, nursing homes can also be a shield from potential criminal threats as well. The elderly are often slow to react, making them easy targets for criminals. Being in a nursing home keeps the elderly safe from a lot of threats, meaning their loved ones can relax more.

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An advanced degree in nursing can be a valuable investment as it offers higher salaries, more career advancement opportunities, research opportunities, and better work hours. A terminal degree in nursing can also make you eligible for leadership roles in the industry and qualify you to become an educator and train the next generation of nurses.

Several colleges offer various advanced nursing degrees across the US. Online degree options can be ideal for nurses already practicing their profession. The University of Texas offers an RN to MSN Program online, which allows you to either work as a nurse administrator or a nurse educator. Apart from career advancement opportunities, an MSN also improves your work-life balance.

In this article, we will discuss how a master’s in nursing can help to improve work-life balance.

What is A Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance is the level of priority that you give to personal and professional activities. The definition of a healthy work-life balance can vary from person to person. However, for most people, it can mean giving an equal amount of time and attention to all aspects of life. Basically, a work-life balance is not letting your work commitments consume your entire time or vice versa. A poor work-life balance can affect you in the following ways;

·       Physical and Mental Impact

Not having enough time to look after yourself can result in several physical illnesses, leading to mental health problems. Nurses with a poor work-life balance are more prone to heart diseases, strokes, anxiety, and depression.

·       Social Impact

The social impact of a poor work-life balance means not being able to spend quality time with friends and family. It can break friendships and weaken familial bonds. A healthy social life is vital, and not having a healthy social life can ultimately impact your mental and physical health.

·       Negative Impact on Patients

The negative impacts of a poor work-life balance can affect the performance of nurses at work resulting in poor quality patient care.

Maintaining a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Completing your tasks at work and making time for friends and family at home while also taking care of yourself by eating and sleeping well represents a healthy work-life balance. It also involves not worrying about work at home.

Nurses have hectic work routines, and it can be more difficult for them to leave work behind when they come home. Therefore, people in the nursing profession should make even more effort to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Some ways that an advanced degree can help nurses to improve their work-life balance are;

1.    Better Work Hours

New nurses with BSN degrees or registered nurses generally work 30-40 hours per week. They may also receive fewer benefits and low hourly wages, which pushes many nurses to work part-time jobs elsewhere. Therefore, maintaining a social life or taking time out for yourself can become challenging with such a demanding career.

An advanced degree like an MSN or a Ph.D. can help nurses become specialized in a single field of nursing. Working in a specialized role can help reduce their workload. Moreover, with a terminal degree, you may qualify for leadership positions, which can increase responsibilities but also provide you more control over your time. If you choose to work in academia after graduating with an advanced degree, you will work minimum hours but, you will also receive plenty of benefits including, a higher salary.

Therefore, we can conclude that an advanced degree in nursing provides you with the freedom to work limited hours, and in return, you receive several benefits. With more control over your time, you can spend your free time with your family, hang out with your friends, or pursue your hobbies.

2.    More Job Opportunities

Fresh BSN graduates have limited job offers. They don’t have much say in their job conditions. Their main priority is to get hired. However, an advanced degree in nursing makes you more marketable, and you can accept or decline job offers accordingly.

More job opportunities allow you to choose a workplace that allows you to maintain a healthy personal and social life outside of work. Moreover, if a job is affecting your work-life balance, you can always resign and apply for another job.

3.    Higher Salary

An advanced degree can increase your earning potential. Employers are mostly impressed by the extra knowledge and skill that you obtain from a master’s degree. Nursing administrators, managers, and professors can expect to earn a six-figure salary.

A higher salary gives you peace of mind, and you can relax after work instead of working a second job like many nurses with a BSN degree do at the start of their careers. A higher salary also improves your lifestyle and allows you to spend more quality time with your family. You may also use your free time and hard-earned money to pursue your hobbies.

4.    More Authority

Advanced degrees make you eligible for leadership roles, providing more opportunity and authority in your industry. Nurses in leadership roles can help introduce reforms that will regulate the job conditions of all nurses.

They can help introduce new policies that provide staff at a lower level with more benefits for increased job satisfaction and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The Bottom Line

Nurses often find it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. However, leading a happy and healthy physical, mental, and social life is extremely essential. A poor work-life balance can negatively impact all aspects of a nurse’s life, resulting in the provision of low-quality patient care.

An advanced degree can offer several benefits like better work hours, higher salary, more authority, and better work opportunities, which can help nurses to improve their work-life balance. Hopefully, this article will help you understand how a master’s in nursing can improve your work-life balance.

The post How Can a Nursing Master’s Improve Your Work-Life Balance? appeared first on littlelioness.

Furthermore, as a nurse who has completed online nurse practitioner programs, you will provide patients with life-saving care and moral support in the treatment of various conditions, making your role an incredibly important part of the caring profession.

However, with so many different medical fields that you can specialize in and different routes into nursing as a career, you can easily become overwhelmed when exploring your options.

To help make things that bit clearer for you, this article will first look at the various paths to becoming a registered nurse, such as enrolling in online nurse practitioner programs, before considering some of the specializations you could take. So, read on to discover how to excel in your nursing career to give patients the top quality care they deserve.

There are two main educational pathways to becoming a registered nurse: an associate degree in nursing and a bachelor’s of science in nursing. Both pathways have pros and cons depending on your particular situation.

Associate degree in nursing (ADN)

An associate degree in nursing is heavily vocational and aims to provide a more holistic educational experience. ADN programs provide very good hands-on clinical training, giving you a solid work experience base in a nursing environment during which you will deal with real-life situations and circumstances upon which you can apply your academic knowledge.

This vast clinical experience is backed up with advanced nursing classes to provide you with the educational knowledge and skills needed to translate to your own nursing care. Classes taught in an ADN include microbiology and immunology, nursing management of patient care, and nursing care of patients with complex needs.

An ADN is a great pathway for students who want to get into the nursing profession as quickly as possible and do not have the time or financial resources to complete a bachelor’s degree or online nurse practitioner programs. Look for an accredited ADN program that will provide you with the education necessary to pass your state registration exam. However, although an ADN provides a solid vocational base for nursing training, there are some drawbacks. For example, suppose you are planning on specializing in the future in a specific nursing field, such as geriatric nursing. In that case, you will need to complete a master’s degree or online nurse practitioner programs, many of which have a bachelor’s degree in general nursing as a prerequisite. Furthermore, many healthcare providers favor employing new nurses who have a bachelor’s of science in nursing. You can have a perfectly satisfying and fulfilling career on an ADN level; however, you should also seriously consider the option of studying for a bachelor’s degree in nursing and studying online nurse practitioner programs.

Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN)

The traditional academic route of a bachelor’s of science in nursing is becoming an increasingly popular route into becoming a registered nurse, with an increasing number of healthcare facilities favoring applicants who have a BSN.

The syllabus for online nurse practitioner programs includes rigorous academic classes to provide you with a solid educational and theoretical knowledge on which to base your nursing care. Classes taught include public health nursing, the healthcare of women, and the basic scientific principles for nurse anesthesia, as well as the basic principles of nursing and human biology.

Furthermore, many BSN programs provide students with clinical experience to boost their hands-on experience and knowledge, giving them an opportunity to apply their theoretical nursing knowledge in real-life situations. Online nurse practitioner programs will provide you with the flexibility to successfully pursue your nursing degree alongside a full-time job and other family and life commitments. Accredited online nurse practitioner programs will provide you with the correct experience and knowledge to successfully pass your state registration exam to become a registered nurse.

Master’s of science in nursing (MSN)

After you have completed your BSN and passed your state license exam to become a registered nurse and have had a few years’ worth of clinical experience, you might decide that you want to specialize in a particular area of nursing, such as pediatric care. If this is the case, then furthering your education with a master’s of science in nursing in that particular specialism is a must. Look for online nurse practitioner programs at master’s level for the flexibility to pursue your master’s degree while also working full-time in your current nursing role.

Another option, if you have yet to start your bachelor’s of science in nursing but have your heart set on working in a particular area of nursing, is to look for online nurse practitioner programs that offer a BSN to MSN track. This will enable you to earn your BSN in general nursing and then go straight into an MSN program to develop your specialization. MSN programs offer various different options for nursing specialization, such as psychiatric mental health nursing, family nursing, and pediatric nursing. However, bear in mind that even if you are pursuing a BSN to MSN track, you will still be required to pass the state license exam in order to become a registered nurse in your state. 

Passing the NCLEX-RN examination

After you have completed your initial nursing training program, whether an ADN or a BSN, or online nurse practitioner programs, you will need to become licensed to practice as a registered nurse in your state by passing the NCLEX-RN examination. This is a computerized test that consists of an average of 119 questions that must be answered within six hours. The national average pass rate for the NCLEX-RN examination is 70-75 percent, but you must wait at least 45 days before re-taking the exam if you fail.

It is important that you enroll in an accredited program or online nurse practitioner programs to ensure that you are being thoroughly taught the correct information to give you the best chance of passing this exam. After you have passed the NCLEX-RN exam, you will be successfully granted a license to practice as a registered nurse in your state. Bear in mind, however, that you will have to keep renewing your license every couple of years to continue working as a registered nurse. Each state has different renewal requirements, but these usually include evidence of refresher courses and further training and a set number of hours of proven professional practice.

As you can see, training to become a registered nurse does require a lot of hard work and dedication; however, the rewards in terms of fulfillment and career progression are huge.

So, what can you do with your nursing degree and license? The field of medicine is a large one, are there are a great many specialist areas that you could go into. Here are some examples of the nursing specialisms that you can progress to with a master’s of science in nursing.

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner

Over recent years, the issue of mental health has been a hot topic in the media, with people becoming increasingly more aware of and comfortable with the fact that looking after your mental health is as important as looking after your physical health. Mental health nurses play an important role in helping people suffering from mental health conditions to recover and manage their condition so that they can lead a fulfilling and enjoyable life. You will work with patients who have been diagnosed with a range of mental health conditions, from personality and eating disorders to addiction to drugs and alcohol and anxiety and depression. You will assist in promoting and supporting a person’s recovery, monitoring their condition so that they are empowered to have more control over their condition.

You might believe that you will only be able to find employment as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in a specialist psychiatric hospital or clinic dealing with specific mental health disorders. While you can most certainly have a very fulfilling career in these facilities, there are a number of different locations where you can practice as a mental health nurse. For example, you could work in a rehabilitation facility providing expert psychiatric nursing to people struggling with addiction; or in a retirement community providing expert support for people with dementia.

Family nurse practitioner

You might want to provide expert nursing care to every generation of the family, from newborn babies to the elderly. If you want to care for people throughout their lifespans, then taking a master’s of nursing as a family nurse practitioner is the ideal specialization for you. As a family nurse practitioner, you will provide your patients with direct and preventative healthcare, such as treating acute and chronic illnesses like arthritis, developing treatment plans, and performing physical exams.

Once you are a family nurse practitioner, you can decide to specialize further in a subspeciality, like post-partum or cardiac nursing. This specialty provides a more holistic approach to nursing, aiming to consider the patient as a whole and work with them with the aim of managing their own health so that they are empowered to maximize their own health.

In rural communities or communities that are underserved by healthcare providers, as a family nurse practitioner, you might be the only consistent source of health care and information. As such, it can also be an exceedingly stressful role at times as you will have to make life-saving or life-altering decisions for your patients. However, the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment you will gain by making a real difference in the lives of your patients will be unbeatable.

Geriatric nurse practitioner

People are living increasingly longer lives: the US life expectancy in 2021 currently stands at 78.99 years, a remarkable increase from the 68 years expected in 1950. Furthermore, the aging baby boomer generation is now approaching an age at which they will need an increasing amount of health care.

As such, the next few years are likely to see an increasing need for specialist geriatric nurses who are experts in the care of older patients. As a geriatric nurse, you will provide compassionate care and support for older adults and help them with their daily needs like washing and dressing.

As you will be working with people towards the end of their life cycle, you will be regularly faced with upsetting situations, such as the death of a patient, so you will need to be able to deal with stressful situations while presenting a cheerful demeanor to patients and taking care of your own mental health.

You could choose to specialize further into a particular type of senior care, such as providing nursing care and support to people diagnosed with dementia and their families. As a geriatric nurse practitioner, you can work in several different settings aside from a hospital or clinic – there are so many people starting senior care franchise companies these days that you will find yourself with plenty of settings to choose from. For instance, you could provide nursing care to residents in a retirement community or care home or work independently carrying house to house calls on elderly patients who are unable to make regular trips to the hospital for check-ups.

These are just three nursing specialisms that you could go into; there are many more besides working with children as a pediatric nurse or enrolling in the military to become a military nurse providing essential care to soldiers. When choosing which area of nursing to specialize in, consider your personal qualities and past experience.

If you have come into nursing after having spent many years caring for an elderly parent who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, for instance, you might be an excellent fit for a geriatric nurse. The same considerations also apply when deciding on which route into nursing would be best for you. If you are short on time and money, an ADN will provide you with a great amount of clinical experience for an excellent start to nursing. Alternatively, online nurse practitioner programs at either graduate or postgraduate level will provide you with the academic rigor to further specialize in a particular area of the nursing profession.

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