LPN to RN

Eleven nursing students of Prairie View A&M University, have been caught cheating on their comprehensive examination. They were text messaging with their cell phones about the exam questions while the examination was in progress. After being caught, they were presented in student court, they admitted guilt and were given the punishment of being required to re-enroll in the course and do a class in ethics as well.

This has raised a storm of protest with people saying that the University has been far too lenient with the students. However, it seems that what exactly happened, who did what, and how many people were involved is still something that is unknown. With such limited knowledge, I do not think that harsher punishment is really warranted. After all, in text messaging, I don't think there is much that they could have cheated with, now on the other hand, if a student with full intention to cheat is caught, with maybe a cheat-sheet of some sort, that may deserve more severe punishment.

If you have a bachelor's in a non-nursing field and are interested in switching streams to nursing, then the University of Indianapolis has the degree for you. It is an Accelerated Master's Program which will, in 27 months give you a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN). The first 14 months will be for the bachelor's coursework required to become a registered nurse, and the MSN work would will be completed online.

This program is of course, directed squarely at the individuals who have lately been laid-off due to the recession or to those who, after entering a career, feel that it isn't for them. These mid-career changes have really started to become more and more common, with many individuals opting for nursing as their new career. The reason is that nursing is a financially as well as personally rewarding career. The growth prospects of nursing are far better than most other professions and with degree programs like this one from UIndy, it is easier than ever before to become a nurse in no time.

Sure, everyone knows there is a shortage of qualified nurses in America. Many students are interested in pursuing a career in nursing, however there is one problem... there aren't enough schools to teach all the students. It has been estimated that about 42,000 students were turned away from nursing schools last year.

So, why are students being turned away when nurses are direly needed? Two reason, one is that the infrastructure in the schools needs to be upgraded, but that is not that big of an issue, you can upgrade the infrastructure in a year (assuming the funds are available) most of the time. However, the other issue is much greater, there is a lack of qualified nursing teachers and professors. Also, since many of them are of the baby boomer generation they will be retiring when they are needed the most.

The Canadian nurses are celebrating the centennial year of the nursing profession in Canada. They have taken this opportunity and media attention to talk about the diversity of the career: from emergency nurses on helicopters to nurses in schools, nursing is an integral part of our lives. There is also a drive to teach more about the prospects of a career in nursing to students.

Nursing itself, is much older than 100 years old. In America, Linda Richards graduated as the first trained nurse in 1873. But nursing not just as a profession but as an act of helping the sick and wounded goes much further back, to the first non-physician who helped bandage a victim of some violence or accident. Nursing is truly an integral part of everyone's lives, it is a shame that nowadays it is associated with the decline of healthcare services.

If you involved in nursing, I am sure you have heard about the nursing shortage. The causes are simply that nursing was not a profession that was in vogue and hence people started to go into other professions. Now, with the baby boomers aging, and many baby boomer nurses retiring with the added problem of the rest of the population aging, everyone is now rushing back into nursing.

So, what does this mean for your career as a nurse? Well, it means that you will have some great job security in the coming ten or so years. It also means that if you are willing to work hard, you will be able to reach the top of the career very quickly since many of the current nursing management and specialized nurses will be retiring when you will be coming up for promotions. In sum, it means that going from being an LPN to an RN is a very important decision and it holds many untold benefits that we are just beginning to see.

Arizona is one of the worst off states when it comes to the nursing shortage. Per person, it has one of the lowest counts of nurses. This shortage has led to employers, like hospitals, of healthcare professionals to start looking for solutions to their staffing problems. The shortage is only expected to get worse due to aging baby boomers.

One such company which operates five hospitals is Abrazo Health Care is collaborating with Franklin Pierce University in Goodyear, AZ. Abrazo is leasing its West Valley Learning Center which has the latest technology and educational tools to help educate students doing Associate's Degrees in Nursing. They will be starting with about 40 to 50 students and will work their way up to 80 to 100 students.

The Health Minister of Canada, Chris d'Entremont has proposed a novel idea to helping alleviate the nursing shortage. And, no, it is not to build new schools, or create new nursing programs or anything like that. Rather, he has proposed to hire clerks to do the paperwork that nurses have to deal with and porters to do any heavy lifting they have to do.

The goal of it is to simply reduce the extra, non-essential work that nurses do so that they they focus on the nursing tasks instead of the all the non-nursing stuff. Personally, I think this is a great idea from the perspective of a nurse. I don't know whether it will be financial feasible from a business perspective, but as a nurse I would have loved to not do all the paperwork and heavy lifting that we have to deal with normally. Of course, this has yet to be implemented, though it may just be the short term fix that the industry needs.

Well if you aren't a nurse yet, then you may not have heard of National Nurse Week. It is a week in which the nurses of the nation are thanked for doing such an integral job for society. National Nurse Week has brought the issues of nursing to light as well. There are quite a few issues as well, from the nursing shortage to new laws and educational problems, it's a dynamic field with much going on.

One of the most talked about issues this week has been that nurses are being overworked because of the shortage. Sure they overtime, but still they are human and they have families they would like to get home to sometimes. When someone in such a critical role is overworked it leads to possible mistakes that can be made, and in nursing a small mistake can have big consequences. There are laws being passed in some states to help out, but it is still just the beginning.

This is the first post, welcome to LPN to RN. This site has been created for LPNs like you who are interested in moving up in the nursing hierarchy. The benefits of becoming an RN are many, from better pay to more rewarding work and more respect from the community at large. Becoming an RN though is not as easy as it was to become an LPN. The training is in depth and the work entails more responsibility.

However, if you are motivated and have a little discipline you can move up very quickly. Usually management of hospitals consists of healthcare professionals like physicians and nurses and a few business types. Getting into management almost always requires being an RN and having a BSN or MSN will give you a better chance of being promoted. If you want to move your career forward, the best way is to go for an RN. I wish you good luck on your journey, and check back here for updates every week.