Ready to work in Healthcare

Nursing Articles : Ready to work in Healthcare by Sally Marks

Students who recently earned certificates or degrees from Apollo College will be honored at a graduation ceremony to recognize their achievement at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16 at the Benson High School at 546 NE 12th St. in Portland. "This is an exciting time for our students," said Bruce Capps, executive director of Apollo College's Portland campus. "They have taken the first and most important step by becoming educated in a new career. Together, we look forward to the next step as they prepare to serve the community as skilled healthcare professionals."

Apollo College's Portland campus offers nine to 24 month programs leading to a diploma or associate degree in the areas of dental assisting, dental hygiene, medical assisting, medical assisting with limited X-ray, medical billing and coding, practical nursing, pharmacy technician and veterinary assisting. Enrollment for the 2009 academic year is currently open. Interested students should call 503-761-6100; visit online at www.apollocollege.com; or stop by the campus. Apollo College is a leading provider of career-focused, outcome-based postsecondary education in healthcare and related fields. The school has nine campuses throughout the Western U.S., which offer its graduates a practical, real-world education and hands-on experiences. The nine Apollo campuses are located in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. For more information about Apollo College, visit www.apollocollege.edu.
Apollo College is a division of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services. ###

About the Author
Sally Marks is the president of Marks Public Relations and the co-author of the upcoming book, Erase Negativity and Embrace the Magic Within. You can check out her blog at www.erasenegativity.blogspot.com.

Source: Nursing articles at goarticles.com

Important Information to Know before Entering Nursing School

Nursing School Articles : Important Information to Know before Entering Nursing School by arianna jordan

Are you considering a career in nursing? Before you enter nursing school, there are a few things you should know. Most of them have to do with getting to know yourself, and a few have to do with understanding the nursing profession. If you are thinking of entering nursing school, here are some of the things you should be considering.

What nursing field do you want to specialize in?

There are many different fields within the nursing profession, and most of them have very specific requirements for education and licensing. If you're dreaming of being a Public Health nurse, for instance, there are licensing requirements and special courses that you'll need to take. Knowing those things will make your decision of where to go to nursing school far easier, you can eliminate any nursing school that doesn't offer the required courses.

If you do not know what kind of nursing you want to do, or even whether you really want to be a nurse, there are many different ways to get some practical experience in nursing before you start nursing school. Volunteer in a hospital or nursing home to see what nurses do first hand. Talk with neighbors and relatives who are nurses and learn more about their jobs. Ask specific questions. Find out what they like about their positions, and what they would like to see improved. Becoming knowledgeable about these aspects, yourself and about the career as a whole will make it easier for you to start planning your education and your career.

What are your short term and long term career goals?

One of the advantages of choosing a career in nursing is that you can often work your way up the career ladder while you gain more advanced degrees. Setting up a plan to do that will make it far easier to take advantage of opportunities like tuition reimbursement. It's fairly easy these days to get an Associate's Degree in Nursing, which is your first step on the career ladder. That ADN will be your main requirement for a job in nursing, which will often include tuition reimbursement and other assistance from your employer in pursuing a more advanced degree. That kind of advance planning can help you decide which schools to attend, which ones your company will reimburse, and which courses to take. You may also find that your job experience gives you a leg up on your practicum that's required to advance in some nursing courses.

Do you intend to get an advanced nursing degree?

If you already know that you intend to get an advanced nursing degree, find out what is exactly required to reach that level before you start your nursing school education. It is far easier to map your education from the end backwards, so to speak, because you will be able to plan your courses and classes to fulfill as many requirements along the way as you can. You can also use that knowledge to try to arrange work in the field where you want to end up. If you know that you'll need to do a turn on a med-surgery floor as part of your requirements for a degree next year, you can try to arrange that in advance through your work. If you know that a class you want to take in two years has a prerequisite, you can try to take it before you even enroll in nursing school.

The three major nursing degrees are:

LPN - Licensed Practical Nurse - An LPN program is a diploma program that takes about a year. As an LPN you'll be able to do some patient care under the direction of doctors and registered nurses.

ADN - Associates Degree in Nursing - An ADN typically takes about two years to complete and is generally given at a community college. As an ADN, you will often be able to apply for licensing and registration in your state and will be able to do direct patient care in most settings.

BSN - Bachelor of Science in Nursing - A BSN is a four year program that prepares you to work in most care settings. If you intend to eventually get a Masters in Nursing, or would like to get into nursing management, a BSN is your best choice.

What kind of nursing degree do you need to do the work you want to do?

Find out the requirements for the kind of nursing that you want to do. Will you need a BS in Nursing? Can you learn what you need in a hospital certificate program? Is an LPN course right for you? Once you have figured out which degree you want to get, you can start looking at nursing schools that offer that degree. Some things you might consider when choosing are:

- Am I academically equipped for this program? - Can I get financial aid for nursing school? - Can I get tuition reimbursement from my employer for nursing school? - Is the school you're considering accredited? - Do you want to attend nursing school online?

About the Author
Arianna Jordan is a freelance writer who writes about the nursing profession, often writing about specific items used in nursing such as nursing scrubs.

Source: Nursing School information at goarticles.com

How A Lot Of LPNs Advance Their Careers

Nursing Articles : How A Lot Of LPNs Advance Their Careers by James Williams

In these difficult economic times most people who have a job are grateful and hope they can hold on to it. Of course many folks would like to increase their salary as well, but that is kind of on the back burner at the moment for many folks. However there are some careers where just a little (relatively speaking) investment of time (and money) spent getting some additional education may add up to a big increase in pay.

Most individuals have heard that there is a nursing shortage. In fact a lot of people are going back to school in order to become a registered nurse or an LPN. For those who are already working as an LPN who are interested in an increase in pay and advancing their career they may be in luck.

One reason is there may be more demand for a registered nurse's then LPN's in some areas and therefore many LPNs are returning to college to complete LPN to RN programs to take advantage of the opportunities. Many folks can complete one of these programs in less then two years time and may get an increase in salary of $15K or more per year.

Going back to school to increase ones education can be a huge time commitment. However with the Internet and online college degree options people today have a lot more flexibility then people used to have. Now they can structure their study and learning time around their work and family schedules. Yes it still takes a large commitment but it can be well worth it.

In addition to potentially earning more money by becoming an RN, a former licensed practical nurse's job will also change with respect to new responsibilities. Although many individuals do enjoy working as a licensed practical nurse many do decide later in their career to return to school because they want to do something different. So if you are a licensed practical nurse and looking to advance your career now may be the time to go back to school.

About the Author
Ready to advance your career? Find out more about LPN to RN program at www.lpntornprograms.com.

Source: Nursing education at goarticles.com