According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are more than 2.5 million practicing nurses in the country; overall, nurses make up the largest workforce in the healthcare industry. In the field of nursing, there are many different career options and types of nursing jobs to choose from. For many registered nurses, job security and level of compensation are very important considerations that affect their decision on what nursing job or career path to pursue. Because nursing can be a very taxing and demanding job, it helps to get paid a lot so that all your efforts and landau scrubs free shipping are worth it in the end. Those starting out in the nursing profession (newly graduates or less than a year of experience) will inevitably have to start at the entry-level but after a few years of experience you can set your sights to higher paying jobs and advance your nursing career.
A high-paying nursing role requires advanced education and training compared to other types of nursing roles. The top three highest paying nursing jobs (excluding management and supervisory levels) are advanced practice or clinical practice nursing.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Receiving one of the highest salaries in the nursing field, a nurse anesthetist earns an average of over $100,000 a year. To become a CRNA, you have to take further studies in addition to your nursing degree. If you are already a registered nurse, you will have to finish a graduate degree program and pass an examination to be a licensed nurse anesthetist. One of the main responsibilities of a nurse anesthetist is delivering anesthesia during surgery and works with an anesthesiologist. It is an ideal option for those who are less inclined to patient interaction (since patients will be unconscious most of the time) and are more interested in technical skills or surgery. This requires a more impersonal role in contrast to most nursing duties especially since you are unlikely to see the same patient twice in the surgical field.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
A nurse practitioner usually works under the supervision of a licensed physician and administers mid-level patient care. NPs are usually authorized and qualified to do some minor procedures and examinations, depending on the regulation imposed by the state. Some states allow NPs to practice independently of physicians while some states legally require NPs to practice under supervision. Those who are allowed to work independently may prescribe medications and provide primary care. Salaries of NP may vary from state to state but may approach the same level as CRNAs. Unlike CRNAs, NPs care for patients directly and often build long-term relationships with patients.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
A clinical nurse specialist assists in specialized research, advocacy, education, and even management. It is an advanced practice that requires a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing and a CNS certification for the particular field of interest (i.e. oncology, psychiatry, cardiology, etc). This type of job is ideal for those leaning towards scholarly pursuits as it requires rigorous research, critical thinking, gathering of data, and other academic engagements. The average salary for CNS is $70,000-$80,000 a year but can easily approach to over $90,000 with experience.
Are you a working nurse who is not satisfied with your current state of affairs in terms of career position and even pay? You like many other health professionals could be here and you just do not have time to study and give yourself a chance of moving up. In order to move up you probably need a degree and just how do you get one you may ask. Worry no more, now a genuine nursing degree online is possible and you do not have to give up your paycheck to get it, you go at your own comfortable pace and the benefits are the same.
Moreover, what are the benefits of a nursing degree? There are endless benefits. Today there is a shortage of even the less qualified nurses the world over so a very qualified nurse is marketable worldwide and the remuneration benefits are immense. If you need to jump start your flagging career, benefit from a bigger pay or take your first steps to management level , a nursing degree online could be what you need and you can still be working as you study. With a nursing degree, your life and career will definitely change for the better and if interested, it can even be a stepping-stone to a career in medicine or pharmacy.
The health and medical fields have been among the slowest in accepting online degrees. Be sure you are dealing with a properly accredited university. Nursing happens to be a very practical course so one cannot really get a credible degree without having satisfied in some practical and that is why even the so-called online degrees in nursing must incorporate some practical lessons to have any credibility. Nursing courses are available at all graduate levels so if you confirm the college you are dealing with is a good one, go for it. Many doors will open for you with a nursing degree of any kind and online nursing degree program makes that ever so easy. Therefore, for the busy professional or already working nurse, this is your solution.
With layoffs looming and the economy slowing, many job seekers who want stability are turning to the health profession. The demand for nurses grows higher every year, with an aging nursing force retiring and not enough new nurses coming into the profession. Nurses are needed in public and private schools, hospitals, doctors offices, clinics, prison systems, psychiatric facilities, and many other areas.
A degree in registered nursing can open numerous doors. Registered nurses are paid well and can advance to even higher paying specialized professions such as that of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, which pays in the six figures.
Unfortunately, there are so many people who want to get into nursing school right now that it is creating a bottleneck of nursing students at many nursing schools. It can take several years to get into traditional four year nursing schools or into the two year associates degree programs offered by community colleges.
However, when you are applying for those rare, coveted community college slots or the four-year Bachelor of Science in nursing programs, there is another option they’re not going to tell you about. And it’s a great way to start working as a nurse much faster while finishing up your RN degree.
The trick: become a Licensed Practical Nurse first. It’s a one year program if you go full-time, one and a half years if you take a part-time program. Then while you are working and earning a salary as an LPN, take what is known as an “LPN to RN bridge program”. Many community colleges offer these bridge programs, in response to increased demand for registered nurses, and so do many online nursing schools. And at the community college level, there is a much shorter waiting list, sometimes no waiting list, for the LPN to RN bridge program.
Where can you get an LPN degree? Many private “career” colleges, technical schools, and community colleges offer programs in Licensed Practical Nursing.
Check with your local community colleges to see what kind of LPN programs they offer and what type of waiting list you might face. If they have a long waiting list, look for private career colleges or vocational colleges in your area. Your state board of nursing will have a list of all accredited nursing schools in the state that you live in, both public and private.
Here’s a tip: If you are considering an online LPN to RN degree , check with your State Board of Nursing to make sure that they accredit the online school you are interested in. Some online schools offer degrees that are accepted in some states but not in others. If your State Board of nursing does not accredit the online LPN to RN program, than no matter how great the program is, it is a waste of your time.
Online schooling is becoming increasingly popular. The benefits of studying at your own pace, in a scenario of your own choosing, are becoming known to more people who wish to attain higher levels of education, like trade certification and even college degrees. However, there are some jobs that one can’t train for simply by sitting in front of a computer and going online – and nursing is one of them. There is some concern that since more and more people are taking online CNA classes instead of actually physically going to school for them, more and more nursing assistants are missing out on adequate training.
Misconceptions such as these only lead us to believe people don’t actually know what online CNA classes are all about. Certainly some jobs can’t be learned in the armchair – or the computer chair, as is often the case in this modern age. But sitting around is the last thing that online courses are encouraging aspiring nursing assistants to do.
Online courses are not done to take the place of practical training – they are only there to supplement it, by providing the necessary research materials, and assigning the proper study aids for trainees who are preparing to take the certification exam. Most online nursing schools, for example, approximate the demands of real schools, requiring the students to turn in their exams and homework at specific times. Some online schools, however, are more lax with deadlines; students can still pass no matter when they decide to finish the course requirements, just as long as they are able to finish before the end of the course period.
And just like in a regular nursing school, different certification exams would require different kinds of training. Certification to become a nursing assistant would require research and practical training that is at least similar to what one would get at a good community college. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), people who wish to be trained as certified nursing assistants would need to complete at least 75 hours of training by a registered nurse. This training should be geared toward helping the CNA aspirant gain certification.
One thing must be remembered: online CNA classes are not meant to take the place of hands-on training! You shouldn’t trust anyone who says you can be a certified nursing assistant even without completing the necessary hours of practical application. Good CNA classes should only help you become more aware of the skills you need to get in order to become a good healthcare worker – they should not even try to take the place of practical training.
Nursing is a very stressful, hectic, and intense job; it is no wonder that a lot of new nurses get burned out easily. There are a lot of things that adds to the stressfulness of the hospital environment, particularly the nursing job, such as hospital protocol, staffing shortages, corporate rules, unpleasant co-workers, unreasonable superiors, competitiveness, clashing egos, insecurities, lack of sleep, and lack of confidence. For the new nurse in discount urbane scrubs, it can be impossible to handle the overwhelming pressures and stresses that come with the job and it is easy to feel miserable within a few months or a year’s time. Feeling disillusioned is a common reaction for the newbie where they start hating work and dread waking up everyday and going to the hospital. It is as if their only sustenance has become waiting for the paycheck. In no time, misery leads to depression and depression leads to fatigue and illness and the feeling that you need to quit to get your life back. This is what ‘burnout’ is.
One way to overcome burnout is to treat it like any other illness. And like any other illness, the first step to treating it is to recognize what it is and make an assessment and diagnosis. This means that the first step to cure burnout is to recognize that you have burnout. You need to have self-awareness. Some symptoms of burnout include feeling that every day is a bad day, feeling bored all the time, not caring about your work anymore and feel that it’s waste of time to think about it, feeling exhausted all the time, and spending your time on tasks that you find mind-numbingly dull or too overwhelming, and feeling that anything that you do will make no difference and will go unappreciated. Burnout from work also usually spills out into your personal life and home life. It can also lower your immune system and make you susceptible to flu, headaches, or a cold.
Once you have made a diagnosis of yourself and have confirmed that you are indeed experiencing burnout, it’s time to act on it to reverse its effects. To battle the symptoms, you have to work on your mental and physical state. You can feel and be more energetic by taking up a physical exercise, specifically cardio. You can try jogging to work or signing up for a Pilates, yoga, aerobics, or dancing class. All of these will help you breathe better, make your blood circulate better, and strengthen your immune system. Eating healthy will also contribute to a healthy body. And as you’ve learned, a healthy body affects a healthy mind.
Making changes in your routine is one way to break the dull and mundane cycle of your daily work. You can start with little changes such as eating in a different place or ordering other types of food that you don’t usually order. Try to be a bit more adventurous! Listening to music is also very therapeutic. You can listen to ambient music during your break times, or on your way home, or before going to bed. These are just some examples for battling burnout. Reading poetry, being inspired by art, finding beauty in humanity-all these are tools for making you love yourself and your work again.