Category: How To Become A Nurse

How to Become an Anesthesiologist

The future is bright for anesthesiologists. Because there will always be patients, the need for pain management, hospitals and surgical procedures, there will constantly be healthy career opportunities for anesthesiologists. The average anesthesiologist’s income is approximately $410,000.

Because an anesthesiologist is a bona fide physician, he or she carries the same credentials, schooling and training as an M.D. or D.O. This article contains the steps you need to plan for your career as an anesthesiologist.

Keep in mind, with the exception of voluntary efforts and high school electives, each step contains an associated cost. Depending on your state, costs will differ.

Here are some suggestions for pre-college preparation for the aspiring anesthesiologist:

High School:

Study advanced sciences like chemistry, anatomy, trigonometry, humanities, physiology, algebra, biology, geometry, and physics. Volunteer at a hospital in order to gain exposure to the healthcare industry.

College schooling requirements for a medical degree in anesthesiology are as follows:

1. Obtain an Undergraduate Degree (Bachelor’s Degree).

Four years of college. Includes inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, English and biology.

2. Be accepted into a university of medicine.

Includes completion of a rigorous premedical program at an accredited university. Premed students subsequently have to pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). This also involves personal interviews, applications, and additional qualifications testing.

3. Obtain a Medical Degree.

Four years of graduate school. Includes advanced classes in mathematics, chemistry, physics, healthcare practice, patient care laws and more.

4. Complete Residency Training

Four years of postgraduate training. Includes on-the-job training toward the American Board of Anesthesiology or the American Society of Anesthesiologists certification. Residency training is modeled to prepare residents as preoperative physicians who are totally responsible and accountable for patients who are scheduled for different types of surgical procedures.

An anesthesiologist must also accomplish the following requirements before being able to practice:

1. Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) exam.

A thorough and all-inclusive examination for practicing medicine in the United States. This exam takes place in three steps. Preparation for this examination is paramount to a college course in itself.

2. Secure a medical license in desired state of practice.

Involves collecting and submitting verifiable credentials and completing application forms applicable to the particular state.

3. Pass the Primary Certification in Anesthesiology upheld by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

A two-part exam that also contains a training component designed to acquaint M.D.’s with the contents of the exam. Each certification examination consists of 350 questions. The answers are multiple choice.

4. Keep a clean background, including no record of drug abuse, criminal history or malpractice.

This is the area where all your hard work can sink your opportunity for a great career and a lucrative lifestyle. Without fail, employers perform extensive background checks. Your background follows you everywhere.

International Stipulations:

It is important to note if the medical degree is an international degree, the aspiring anesthesiologist must pass the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) exam.

Find out about, “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)“

How to Become a Nurse With a Psychology Degree

A nurse with a psychology degree is often referred to as a “psych nurse” or mental health nurse. In the past, one need only become a registered nurse and then receive certification to work in the mental health field. By 2025, the rules and regulations surrounding this type of degree and job description will change. Nurses will have to have doctorates in psychology before they’re allowed to help those with mental illness. This stems from years of progressive change and the realization that people with mental illness need care professionals who understand mental disease better than just the labels its given.

  1. Choose an appropriate nursing school. While you can become a registered nurse through vocational schools and the degree is just as good, you will still need a BSN in nursing before moving on. That only comes from a four year qualified nursing school.
  2. Graduate with a BSN, and get on track early to get a Ph.D. in Nurse Practitioning. There are two paths here, and you’re going to want the one that doesn’t involve a clinical nursing focus. Psychology and research is the focus of the degree you want.
  3. The degree will require you to have at least four years under your belt of related field experience. State hospitals, while extremely stressful, will provide this experience adequately; otherwise seek this experience in a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s office, whichever is closer to the type of work you want to do once you’re finished. You can choose to wait to enter your graduate studies program while obtaining this experience or you can go part-time or full-time while working in the field. If you can handle the strain, you can get through the program a little faster by doing both at once. Not recommended for everybody, but it can be done.
  4. If you’re already a psych nurse who’s been in the field for years, the new laws and regulations do not apply to you. You’re very lucky, and you can share what you know with the new nurses coming in and onto your unit. Mentoring and finding a mentor is a great way to get your feet wet and learn about the different applications your job can have.
  5. Take your nursing exams seriously. How you do will dictate where you go to find work, even after you have a doctorate in psychological nursing. Be prepared to know and recall a lot about the different levels of anti psychotics, mood stabilizers, and other pharmacology as it relates to this field.
  6. Be involved in your non-violent crisis intervention training. You will be better prepared to handle out of the ordinary situations with patients and avoid malpractice lawsuits if you know what to do and when to do it.
  7. Graduate, and be sure to pay your registration and licensing fees. Keep them up to date as long as you practice.

Psych nurses have a very rewarding and intense career. It’s a fascinating line of work, but burnout does happen. Take care of yourself when you care for others with mental illness.

Test taking strategies for nursing students

Test taking tips for nursing students

It is considered a very important aspect of life to choose your career for the future in which you will be spending working and learning majority of your life and if one has the pre-notion regarding interests an individual hones and in case one seems to be confused, there’s nothing to take stress, several counselors and experts providing career guidance and assistance to students through different forms like face to face counseling, online counseling, telephonic counseling, internet counseling which includes blogs, posts and articles etc. Similarly, aspiring candidates hoping to make it through to the most renowned hospitals and clinics as nurses or medical pharmaceuticals, can seek advice from there senior colleagues, teachers or professional counselors and medical advisors who will reduce their burden up to some extent.

The best learning as been evicted by the former senior students and medical experts such as nurses or doctors consider practical training at labs better than theoretical lessons taught by teachers in classrooms as often these are considered boring, unchallenging and uninspiring. Those who spend more leisure time at labs gaining practical lessons will benefit more as they will get to know the practical ideologies and concepts involved in the field. Before going for clinical for gaining different levels of experiences one should assess in mind that focus should always be centered towards learning and experiencing not in idealizing how much you already know. If you face difficulties in remembering formulas, protocols or patient’s name, don’t feel shy make a note of them on a piece of paper to help remember them at the time when you need it.

  1. Don’t run away from books, find a peaceful environment and stay away from radio, television, internet, chit-chat with friends and any form of disturbances.
  2. Read more of magazines and journals relating to nursing and current articles which will complement your text.
  3. Use individual sheets or large index cards and put on them important diseases names and there precautions, etiology, signs and symptoms, interventions so as to remember them for present use as well as for future needs.
  4. Find an ideal place for studying, if you are considering coffee shops or library they are the best places where books can catch your attention.
  5. Take notes, outline them, turn course objectives into questions which will work for you as a guide.
  6. You can also form and study under group as these often turn out to be a good discussion time where everyone can put up there different views and one can always learn many new things from their mates.
  7. You can also take assistance of tech which is broadly considered as effective tool of learning today in the form of cassettes, CDs or using your e-mail account to communicate with others and also there are student forums where you can share your suggestions and take tips from seniors.
  8. There are also software and database programs which enables you to create template according to your specifications.

Don’t forget to check more tips for nursing students. Also We can show you, “how to find cheap used nursing textbooks“.

I am in 10th grade and I want to become a nurse

Want To Become A Nurse? Here’s How!

Right now, you’re just a sophomore in high school. You’re not really thinking about a long term future because you’re still, in some ways, a kid. Adult responsibility of career, bills, housing and food are light years away to you. But you really should give it some thought, because as any adult in your life will attest, time flies a lot quicker than you think. Three years from now is not the time to start thinking about major life choices.

So how about becoming a nurse? In this day and age, even male nurses are in demand, as a lot of men who seek care in a hospital or hospice setting would rather be cared for by a male than a female for obvious comfort zone reasons. Dominated by females, nursing is great as a career choice by girls too. The money you make as a nurse depends on the level of nursing and the education you pursue.

What Classes To Take To Become A Nurse?

In high school, right now, the best preparations begin with courses in biology and anatomy, and if you’re lucky and your school is in a major city, you might be able to take physiology too. Courses in chemistry and/or biochemistry are an added plus. Some mathematics are involved, as you will have to convert dry and wet items from the standard weights and measurements to the metric system in nursing ALL the time. Keyboarding and office applications classes are particularly useful as all documentation in the last ten years has moved to computer systems. Of utmost importance is your grades; high marks in all your courses and graduating from high school with a G.P.A. of at least 3.0 is necessary for you to enter into any nursing program in a local college, tech school or vocational college. Graduating with honors or high honors will guarantee you your school of choice.

How Long Does It Take To Become A Nurse?

Next, if you’d like to be a nurse’s aid, which is the bottom rung in nursing and generally means you do all the grunt work, a three week on site course in a nursing home or a six week course at the local technical college will give you the certification you need. Be aware that this means an hourly rate of $8-$12/hour once you find work. For a single person this isn’t bad, but it’s murder on your body and results in injuries if you’re not careful about rolling people over in bed, lifting them, or making other physical comfort adjustments for your patients. You will also come in contact with more urine, BM, vomit, oral unpleasantness, and genital areas than you ever wanted to see in your entire life. If you can stomach this and find a rewarding career in it, then you can stop here. The sad thing is, even though you provide the most personal care to the patients and are their first link in a long chain of healthcare professionals caring for them, you’re not considered a nurse by most of the nursing and medical professionals above you. This amount of disrespect is often flagrant and unpleasant, but your patients will tell you how much they appreciate all your help, and sometimes that really balances things out.

The next rung on the nursing career ladder is the Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN. An LPN gets their career training from a college program that usually runs about six months to a year, depending on where you attend. An LPN’s job involves passing meds, acting as the go between for nurses’ aids, making recommendations for care, and handling injections and other jobs not left for the nurses’ aids. More respect is given to an LPN because they pay to be licensed as a nurse in the state they practice in. They earn $14-$21/hour, which is quite a bit for a single person, but you will have many more responsibilities than a nurse’s aid that will not involve the unpleasantness of personal cares. You may even work longer hours or be required to work overtime.

The highest rung in nursing is the Registered Nurse. These ladies and gentlemen make the most money, before any specialization, than any other type of nursing. It requires between two years for an Associate’s Degree to four or more years for a Bachelor’s Degree to become a Registered Nurse. Registered Nurses tend to wounds, irrigate open, pus-filled sores, bandage areas of the body, assist doctors in emergency rooms, prep bodies for surgery, and a whole host of other major responsibilities. It is an extremely stressful career, and many nurses develop Alzheimer’s later in life because of Alzheimer’s link to jobs with extreme stress. However, you can make up to $35/hour in this line of work, so you have to decide if the trade-offs of mental health and potential degeneration are worth it. It is important to note, that Registered Nurses appear on state registries and have to pay for their registration and licensing every year, which can be costly. More importantly you can be sued like a doctor for malpractice if a patient deems you were negligent in their care, and many registered nurses carry professional insurance which is also costly. This position has the greatest respect though, so maybe if you’re a natural born leader it’s right for you.

LPNs and nurses’ aids both have to continue their education annually. That means they have to take more nursing classes every year to keep their licenses and certifications. Often that means twelve to twenty-four credits must be achieved, depending on the state you live in. Some employers are nice enough to reimburse you for this and even let you take days off to take classes, some are not. You just have to do your homework when it comes to accepting a job with an employer.

Lastly, any one of these basic nursing positions can be turned into a specialized field that pays more. E.g., a nurse’s aid can work in the cardiac area of a hospital and earn more respect and money. It’s worth considering.

Look for nursing scholarships for high school seniors here.

Most related articles:

1). How to become a psychiatric nurse

2). How to become a travel nurse

3). How to become a legal nurse consultant

How to become a legal nurse consultant

what is a legal nurse consultant?

A legal nurse consultant is a nursing professional who has expertise in the medical and nursing field. This professional helps you in matters that are between judicial litigation and medical responsibilities. A legal nurse consultant is a nurse who has expertise in the nursing field. They help assist in matters that are medical related. Being a legal nurse consultant is a good way to expand your knowledge between medical and judicial litigation.

How to become a certified legal nurse consultant?

The first step that you need to undertake is to work as a registered nurse in specified RN jobs in the nation. There are options that are available to the candidate in the form of a two year Associate’s degree, a three year diploma that is a hospital based one, a bachelor’s degree of four years or a Master’s degree or Doctorate for landing a good job. The nurse requires to be licensed by the individual medical state boards before they start practice in their jobs. Once the candidate gets the license it is advised that he/she gains relevant work experience within the nursing roles and the specialties before accepting the job responsibilities of a legal nurse consultant.

The American Legal Nurse Consultant Certification Board or the ALNCCB is an autonomous entity that awards certification in the field of legal nurse consulting and it is also accredited by The American Board of Nursing Specialties or the ABNS. The credentials that are provided is the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified or the LNCC and the candidate must have a current, unrestricted and valid license as a Registered Nurse in the nation. The candidate also requires to have completed over five years of full time practice and needs to show evidence of 2000 hours of LNC work in the last three years immediately before the application for certification.

There is another body in the USA that provides certification for legal nurses and that is The American Association of Legal Consultants or the AALNC. The Legal Nurse Consultant Certification is provided by The American Association of Legal Consultants or the AALNC that was founded in the year 1989. This Association is a not for profit membership body that is dedicated for the growth of registered nurses and their professional enhancement in the healthcare and medical field. These two bodies are the main bodies of legal nurse consultant certification in the nation.

The candidates who are eligible for the Legal Nurse Consultant Certification are required to appear for a 4-hour examination that comprises of 200 multiple choice questions that test their knowledge and understanding of the Legal Nurse Consultant. Those candidates who are successful enjoy the right to add the above LNCC credentials after their names for a fixed period of 5 years.

The Legal Nurse Consultant candidate requires renewing the certification again by taking the qualifying examination or by compiling to sixty hours of specified acceptable activities like the continuance of education, presentations or publications to a peer audience of certain relevant subjects, course work in specified subjects and more associated aspects.

Continue to “Scholarships for nurses” and explore “Jobs in nursing“.

Becoming a certified nurse midwife

How to become a certified nurse midwife?

The role of a nurse midwife is to assist pregnant women in childbirth. A midwife is a nurse who has basic knowledge of gynecology and is well trained to prescribe medicine if needed. Any health care needed by a pregnant woman, during and after childbirth, can be provided by a certified nurse midwife. This field of medicine is becoming increasingly popular in all parts of the world. If you are thinking about getting started with this career you have to first enlist yourself in a nursing school.

There are many accredited nurse midwifery courses that can be taken by certified nurse midwife aspirants. The first step to be a nurse midwife is completing a nursing degree. For getting started with this career path you can have two routes- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). If you aspire to get a BSN degree it will take you four years but at the end it would be more helpful for you in enhancing your career. Once you have made up your decision to go for either of the two degree programs you have to get yourself enlisted in an accredited nursing school.

A few certification tests are required for being a certified nurse midwife. All the candidates for a nursing degree have to undergo the NCLEX-RN exam. Upon clearing the exam the candidates become qualified as a Registered Nurse. They now have to study an accredited nurse-midwife program which is accredited by the American College Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) association. Under this training program a range of subjects like embryology, gynecology, neonatology, obstetrics, etc. are covered.

The final step in being a certified nurse midwife is earning certification from the American Midwifery Certification Board. Once you have completed the certification exam you have to provide conclusive evidence of graduating from an accredited nurse-midwifery training program. By performing this step you will get certified to offer your services as a Nurse Midwife. However you must bear in mind that your certification has to be renewed after a period of eight years by sitting for the certification exam.

Although you can find employment with your current qualification getting a master’s degree in nursing can make your job prospects brighter. This advanced degree will not only polish your nursing skills and knowledge but also give you a competitive edge over the other nurse midwives. With a MSN degree on your side you can get promoted to administrative levels and also get the opportunity to share your knowledge by teaching in nursing colleges universities. This is a field which was earlier reserved for women but these days seeing male midwives helping women in the child birth process is not an uncommon scenario.

The certified nurse midwives have bright career prospects as the demand for this profession is increasing over the years. These nurses can seek employment with hospitals, birthing clinics and public health centers. A Certified Nurse Midwife can earn an average salary of $85,000 per annul. This field is both financially and morally rewarding.

Continue to

Certified nurse midwife education requirements

Top 100 nursing schools in the united states

How to become a traveling nurse

How long does it take to become a traveling nurse

Have you been nursing for at least 18 months to 2 years in an acute care facility?  You are in luck if you’ve been considering the possibility of becoming a traveling nurse.  Being a traveling nurse is an adventure; it will give you priceless experience, and it will strengthen your resume’.  Perhaps, you simply enjoy traveling, and don’t wish to be strapped down to one area.  There are many great reasons to steer your career path in that direction, but how do you get there?  In this article, we will show you how to be a traveling nurse.  It may be a good idea to print out this article and use it as a checklist.

Traveling nurse requirements – How do you become a traveling nurse

There are a few steps to becoming a traveling nurse, which you will want to do in order, and as thoroughly as you can.  Traditionally, traveling nurses are called in when there are staffing issues or special care is required.  This is one reason nurses must have experience in an acute care facility.  These staffing agencies want top of the line nurses, because the level of responsibility is increased.

  • First, you will want to contact a traveling nurse staffing agency.  There are many places you can search, but the best place is on the Internet.  The reason the web is the best place is because most of these agencies operate on a national level.  From here, you can choose how much pay you expect to earn, benefit packages, different places you want to go, and many more options you may favor or choose against.
  • You will want to fill out all applications, and ready your references.  This part of the process is rather simple.  Just list your specifications and the people who will vouch for you, and send it in to an agency of your choosing.
  • Next, you will be talking with a recruiter.  This person will be able to guide you through all of the intricacies of how to become a traveling nurse.  They will also be there with you if you have any requests or questions while you’re on the road during your career.
  • After that, you’ll get to select your next destination.  Depending on how the agency is zoned, you can work anywhere from Sacramento, CA to Harrisburg, PA.  That depends on your preference.
  • It is time now for the interview.  Basically, it will be two part: First, they want to get a feel for who you are, and if you are up to the job of becoming a traveling nurse.  Second, they will break down the job and tell you how it works.
  • Sign on.  If you are here, then check the oil in your car, gas up, and hit the road.  You’re now on an adventure, doing what you love to do.

Find scholarships for traveling nurses here.