LPN to RN

Most people think you have to go to a four-year university to become a nurse. However the truth is that an LPN program takes about a year to complete and another year if they wish to continue with the RN program. The best is to undergo LPN to RN program to save time, money and energy. There are many colleges and universities that have now started offering LPN to RN programs so that it is easier for students to undergo the course while they are working.

The nursing shortage in the country was not a major problem a year ago. US government is trying to overcome the shortage but it seems there is still a need for more nurses. Nationwide the nursing shortage was estimated at 6 percent in 2000. However it is estimated to grow to an estimated 29 percent by the year 2020. The LPN to RN program allows students to get their Nursing Diploma since all states require Professional Nurses to be licensed.

Nursing is a profession which focuses on a wide range of human related responses observed in both sick and well persons. Nurses are highly respected and supported by the public. The LPN to RN Program are intended for those qualified LPNs who aspire to become Registered Nurses to do so within a minimum period of time and with a minimum duplication of course content and credits. There are hardly any nurses who are in this profession for not just money. Their hours are long and the pressure is tremendous and the pay is nowhere close to what it should be. Generally the LPN to RN program is for 36 weeks that makes it easy for you to carry on with your part time work. Graduates are eligible to apply to take the exam to become licensed as a registered nurse.

US President Barrack Obama has named a University of North Dakota rural healthcare expert to head the federal agency in charge of improving access to care in the United States. Mary Wakefield was chosen to head the Health Resources and Services Administration. She is a nurse who heads that university’s Center of Rural Health.

The agency’s main job is to improve access to healthcare services for people without medical insurance and others. Moreover they will also be improving health care systems in rural communities. People in rural areas always have poor access to quality health services because they live far from major hospitals. A survey shows that a total of 45.7 million people had no health insurance in 2007.

The North Dakota House of Representatives has helped the Richardton Health Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital with funds. A Bill was passed where the Bill would grant supplemental funding in the amount of $337, 000 from the federal government for its nursing home care. The Bill was passed by the House as an emergency measure so it would take effect the moment it was signed into law.

Jim Opdahl, administrator at the Richardton Health Center said the hospital has been in talks with the city of Richardton to take over the nursing home and then contract for management operating agreement with the Hospital.

Misericordia University nursing students are getting hands with experienced teachers in the classroom on the Dallas Township. Group of eight students and two professors are heading to the South American nation of Guyana at the end of the month as a part of the international service learning course.

The students are scheduling in conducting rounds with Guyanese students on the floors of St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Georgetown. They are providing support for the mobile clinics and helping treating various patients. Director if graduate nursing programs in Misericordia, is developing nation five times before, saying the nursing students and hospital medical staffs will appreciate educational opportunities.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital/Regis College Nursing Program has been awarded a simulation technology grant by the state Department of Higher Education. The grant award will provide the nursing program with a Laerdal SimBaby Patient Simulator. SimBaby is a mannequin that is the actual size of a baby.

The Lawrence Memorial Hospital/Regis College Nursing Program is one of only eight programs in the state to receive this grant award. The college was recently designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing (NLN). This is the first NLN Center of Excellence designation in New England and one of only 15 in the century.

Australian Rural Nurses and Midwives (ARNM) have officially merged with the Royal College of Nursing Australia to make new opportunities for a broad range of RCNA members. The college’s CEO, Debra Cerasa says that the former members of ARNM will be incorporated into a new rural faculty of the college.

The organization’s former CEO, Dr Marg McLeod will take up the position of Director of Research, Faculties and National Activities at the college. Outgoing ARNM President Dr. Jane Mills FRCNA is confident that this merger will be a success for both parties.

Louisiana’s nursing shortage has reached its limit. According to Louisiana Hospital Association total 4,663 positions are unfilled and there is also a shortage of nurse faculty. The only reason for this shortage is the lack of funds in Louisiana. Louisiana nursing schools had to turn away 1,690 qualified students last year.

The Louisiana health care officials hope to find a solution in the 2009’s Nursing Education Capacity Summit in Baltimore. The summit is sponsored by the Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in collaboration with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration and the US Department of Labor.

Australia has been in short of nurses since many days. The search and need for nurses has become so desperate that Catholic hospitals have started looking for backpackers as nurses. These nurses would work on short-term contract basis as offered by the Catholic hospitals. To add to this, even grey nomads have also been offered to work as nurses on contracts.

The private health clinics have even opted for online recruitments of nurses and midwives. There are 70 regional hospitals and clinics which need 100 or more places to be filled by nurses. Tammy Batten, from the St. John of God Hospital at Geraldton in Western Australia comments that this is a new way and tactic for recruiting nurses for the regions. She says that it is collaboration across different organizations to look for nurses online provided it is a Catholic provider.

Nursing is one of the professions which are in great demand in Florida. But according to a study, it has been revealed that 44 percent applications from qualified nurses to Florida nursing schools were rejected in 2007-08 academic year. Florida nursing school has enrolled 14,644 new students last year. It is stated that 12,564 applications from qualified nurses have been rejected by Florida nursing schools. This figure is nearly equal to the shortage of nursing positions in the state.

The common reasons that were given by the administration for rejecting the qualified applicants were not having enough clinical sites for nurse training, shortage of funds for adding new faculty and lack of enough qualified applicants for filling vacant faculty positions.

Northeast Community College wants to build a new nursing structure. For this they have to raise $12.9 million. The University of Nebraska Medical Center will share space in the building to train nurses. They have a goal to open it by 2010. NU officials are asking the state in their next two year budget request to help them in hiring faculty and support staff for Norfolk location.

UNMC also wants to build a $17.5 million nursing facility for its Lincoln-based programs. They believe the early they build the building the sooner the shortage of nurses can be overcome. As they too understand that gradually every year the shortage of nurses is increasing.