Category — Nursing

Guest article by Mari Gold

You’re thinking about becoming a doctor but are put off by the many years of education and the likelihood of emerging in debt; the increasingly high cost of insurance; demanding hours. Maybe you should consider a medical career as a nurse practitioner.

The demand for nurse practitioners is enormous. Nursing in general is one of the ten fastest-growing fields in the U.S, spurred by the increased emphasis on public health, the ageing of the baby boomers and the retirement of existing nurses. Most health care institutions and other settings can’t fill their slots fast enough.

If you think a nurse practitioner is a glorified doctor’s assistant, think again. Today’s nurse practitioners, known as NPs, give complete physical examinations; care for people of all ages; manage chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes; order and interpret X-rays and other lab tests, give immunizations and provide essential patient education. Nurse practitioners can prescribe medication in all states; in 25 states, they are no longer required to practice under the supervision of a doctor.

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Guest article by Mary Stasiewicz

The health industry is a wide ranging industry with a number of different options for those who are interested in pursuing a health related career. Just selecting a career in this industry can be overwhelming. Besides a number of different types of doctors, other careers in the health industry include nurses, technicians, laboratory employees, dietitians, nutritionists and even personal trainers. This is just a short list of the types of careers available in the health industry. However, before you even begin to narrow down your research to the type of career you wish to pursue and the educational process involved in embarking on this type of career, it is important to determine whether or not you are well suited for a career in the health industry. This article will discuss some of the important considerations you should think about before pursing a health career.

Your motivation for pursing a career in the health industry should be carefully examined. Wanting to help others is certainly a noble cause and a great reason for pursing this type of career but it is not the only worthwhile reason for pursing a career in this industry. If you are motivated by a love of math and science or even if you are drawn to the financial appeal of some careers in the health industry these can also be excellent reasons to investigate these careers. Basically, as long as you have the skills to excel in the career you choose and a dedication to succeed, any logical motivation is acceptable.

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Guest article by Lynsey Keep

Twenty years ago nursing students were recognized as being young, eager ‘new recruits’, in fact, relative ‘virgins’ to employment, least of all a career.

To become a nurse was something to be proud of, a vocation, and lifelong commitment to the caring profession. These people were innocent and impressionable and would be perfect candidates to join the healthcare profession.

To enter into a career choice that was renowned for paying a low wage, have high expectations for the student to embark on gruelling study, along with juggling awkward shift patterns and unsocial hours, was a vocation that these keen new-starters accepted without question

In the early nineties, nursing in the United Kingdom was taken by storm, by the introduction of a new innovation in nurse training. ‘Project 2000’ aimed to take the student away from bedpans and the sluice room, and instead place them in university classrooms, studying from behind a desk, as opposed to learning at the patients bedside.

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Guest article by Kristen Fischer

Should a recession occur, health services jobs are among a few careers that will stand on solid ground.

Even though economists say the U.S. is headed toward a full-blown recession—that would be the first in 16 years—almost half of the 30 fastest-growing jobs are in the health care industry. That’s good news for medical assistants, home health aides, physical therapists, physician assistants, medical record professionals and health information techs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says these jobs are more recession-proof.

All sources point to health care as the industry to be in, at least when it comes to job security these days. Figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics state that despite decreases in telecommunications, construction and retail trade jobs, health care employment continues to accelerate. The amount of health care industry jobs rose by 28,000 in December 2007 and by nearly 381,000 during the entire year. Of the growth, 51,000 jobs were in home health care, while 23,000 were in nursing homes—both on the lower-paying end of health care jobs.

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Guest article by Nichole Williams

The best piece of advice I can give anyone who wants to become a nurse or any professional within the healthcare sector is to fully educate yourself on how to get there. The main key in all of this is to get into a career that is some-what closely related to the one that you want. Great “stepping stones” or entry-level positions to obtain experience are by working as a nurse or medical technician. One of the wonderful benefits of acquiring this experience is the opportunity to work along with nurses and physicians to learn the trade. It’s certainly a good thing to learn as much as you can about the field and go to school for that profession of interest.

Although getting accepted to any nursing program can be a rigorous task, luckily some programs will love the fact that a person does have some prior experience within the healthcare field. Sometimes your experience can be substituted for a required course that’s needed in the program. When it comes to selecting the right nursing school, there are a few programs to be aware of and to consider. The three program options are Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Associate Science in Nursing (ASN) and the Bachelor Science in Nursing (BSN). The LPN route usually takes about a year to complete, the ASN program can be completed within two to three years and the BSN is a four-year program.

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