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Nursing Masters

Best Reasons To Get A Degree To Become A Nurse Educator

By Paul Mannet

It’s tough to choose from all the options out there when you’re considering a masters degree in nursing. Here’s a look at what nurses are saying about the reasons why to become a nurse educator on top nursing forums.

why become a nurse educator

A Way to Leave Burnout Behind:

It’s no secret that clinical nursing in a hospital environment in particular takes a real physical and mental toll. Nurses who have been caring for patients in a hands-on way for years say one of the top reasons why to become a nurse educator is to get time to recharge a bit and avoid any further burnout. Nurse educators often tend to work fewer nights than floor nurses.

Click To A Select List Of Online Masters in Nurse Education Programs

Nurse Education Can Be Fun:

There’s no guarantee you’ll love teaching, but many nurses report that they get real pleasure out of educating younger RN’s. It can be a nice way to use all the experience you’ve accumulated to help others who are new to nursing. Teaching or precepting can be a pleasure if you enjoy imparting wisdom.

A Graduate Degree is Often, But Not Always, A Requirement:

Many nurses feel it’s possible to be a great nurse educator with any master’s degree in nursing, or even with a basic BSN. But nurse educator degrees were developed largely to create some standardization in how young nurses area trained. As a bedside nurse, you may have ample knowledge to impart, but there are techniques that can help you be more effective in your teaching. The MSN in nurse education is designed to give you those techniques.

Faster Path To Certification:

In many locations, you are able to sit for your exam in nurse educator sooner – often with two years teaching experience – than if you have a general MSN degree without the education focus. It can often require five years experience to take the certified nurse educator exam if you don’t have the specialized degree.

If you love the idea of teaching, a nurse educator degree might open some exciting doors for you. What does it take to be a great nurse educator? Some key attributes include:

  • The ability to communicate clearly. Teaching is obviously all about communicating. It’s important to enjoy that process if you want to succeed in this specialty.
  • A love of learning. It’s not only important that your students get up to date. You need to keep your knowledge fresh if you want your students to respect you.
  • Compassion for the students. It can be tough to become successful as a new RN. Having empathy for your student’s problems can be a help.
  • Lastly: A sense of humor. Knowing how to have a good laugh now and then can make the teaching experience much more uplifting for your students – and for you as well.

Master’s Degree Programs Online In Nurse Education

Purdue University Global
A very large and well-known school with over 40,000 students on 11 campuses and in a large online degree program, and quality accreditation. Kaplan has kept its tuition fees in a relatively moderate range, and it accepts credit transfer for previous schoolwork:
Get free info on Purdue University Global’s Master’s in Nurse Education program

Grand Canyon University
A large private school offering online degrees at a relatively moderate price for a school with strong name recognition across the country. Grand Canyon offers bachelors and masters degrees in varied nursing specialties.
Get info on Grand Canyon University’s MSN Nurse Education program

Liberty University
Liberty is a large, well-known school that offers a variety of online degree programs at all levels in business, education, criminal justice, health care, psychology and more.
Get information on Liberty’s MSN: Nurse Educator Track program

Sacred Heart University: Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing Education

Click to search all Nursing Masters programs online.

Filed Under: Nursing Masters Tagged With: msn nurse educator, nurse education masters, value of nurse educator masters, why become a nurse educator

Review of Career Options with Masters in Nursing Education Degree

By Paul Mannet

nursing education masters online

What can you do with a master’s in nursing education degree?

If you want to move into one of the current jobs where you use your experience not just to manage other nurses, but also to teach them how to be more effective health care professionals, a MSN in education can be a strong option to consider.

Click To A Select List Of Online Masters in Nursing Education Programs

MSN Nursing Educator Skills Taught

A post graduate degree specialized in this specialty will provide you with advanced knowledge in instruction, curriculum development and other teaching skills, as well as study of broader topics like leadership, advanced administration and health policy. And while some of these subjects may be covered in a masters program with a more general heading like “healthcare administration,” the MS in nursing education will, among other things, communicate to employers that you have a strong interest and ability in teaching. Advanced nursing degree programs that are education-specific may also go under headings like MSN Healthcare Education, MSN in Contemporary Nursing Faculty or MSN Clinical Nurse Leadership.

Best Career Paths

Graduates with a will be prepared to teach the next generation of nurses and nursing candidates in a variety of settings, from educational institutions to hospitals and other health care facilities that hire significant numbers of nurses. (more discussion here on career benefits of a nursing in education masters.)

How Many Course Are Requireed To Earn A Nurse Educator Degree?

Some of the key subjects usually covered in the masters in nursing education curriculum include:

  • Advanced nursing practice
  • Fundamentals of research
  • Role development, policy, and financing
  • Educational techniques and trends
  • School law and classroom technology
  • Theories in educational instruction
  • Curriculum development

What Jobs Can I Get With An MSN Nursing Education?

Those who graduate with a master’s degree in nursing education should be able to find teaching positions in colleges, as well as public and private schools. They will also have the option of using their degree in such areas as creating nursing curriculum, becoming a department chair, or overseeing schools and programs in a variety of nursing education settings.

A variety of graduate and post graduate programs for a prospective nurse educator are offered online through established universities, as well as on-campus. Programs can usually be completed within two years of study, and most schools offer some form of tuition, scholarships and financial-aid assistance. (Read more here about increases in scholarships for nurses across all specialties) If you wish to continue your education even further, many nursing schools also now offer a post master’s certificate in nursing education. While there are some “RN to MSN” programs out there, the vast majority of nursing masters programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission.

Click for more on the value of a master’s degree in nurse educator specialty.

How Much Does A Nurse Educator Make A Year?

Clinical nurse educators can earn over $100,000 per year according to Indeed.com. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the median annual salary for nursing instructors and teachers is $71,260. In terms of job responsibilities, the MSN in nursing education can give you an opportunity to increase your salary and do new things, without necessarily leaving nursing practice to become a pure administrator. If you would like the get the credentials to move in this direction, your best start will be to gather information from several universities, to compare program offerings and find one that meets your specific needs.

Master of Nursing Education Online Programs

Purdue University Global
A very large and well-known school with over 40,000 students on 11 campuses and in a large online degree program, and quality accreditation. Kaplan has kept its tuition fees in a relatively moderate range, and it accepts credit transfer for previous schoolwork:
Get free info on Purdue’s Master’s in Nurse Education program

Grand Canyon University
A large private school offering online degrees at  a relatively moderate price for a school with strong name recognition across the country. Grand Canyon offers bachelors and masters degrees in varied nursing specialties.
Get info on Grand Canyon University’s MSN Nurse Education program

Sacred Heart University: Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing Education

Click to search all Nursing Masters programs online.

Liberty University
Liberty is a large, well-known school that offers a variety of online degree programs at all levels in business, education, criminal justice, health care, psychology and more.
Get information on Liberty’s MSN: Nurse Educator Track program

Filed Under: Nursing Masters Tagged With: masters in in nursing education, ms nurse educator, nurse educator degree, online nursing masters programs

Transferring Credits From One Master’s Program In Nursing To Another

By Paul Mannet

Click to List Of Nursing Master’s Schools That Accept Transfer Credits  |  Transfer MSN Programs After Failing Out  |  RN to MSN Bridge Programs Online  |  What Qualifications Do You Need For An MSN Program?  |  Top MSN Specializations  |  Can An MSN Count Toward CNL Certification?

transfer from one nursing masters school to anotherOnline colleges and universities today usually have very welcoming policies toward undergrad transfer students. But what if you’re in the middle of a nursing master’s degree program and want to transfer the credits you earned to another nursing school?

The good news is that many master’s and even doctoral programs in nursing accept at least some transfer credits for previous coursework at another school. However, you need to be ready to dig pretty hard to find out what the rules are for nursing programs that accept transfer students. Their websites often don’t make policies on graduate student transfer nearly as clear as those for bachelor degree students.

Nursing masters programs that accept transfer credits

Sponsored Schools
Grand Canyon University
GCU accepted courses from accredited schools if they are equivalent to a Grand Canyon MSN course and the school is deemed acceptable by GCU. You can transfer in 12 credits or 1/3 of the value of the total grad program if you earned your credits in another degree that you finished and got at a grade of at least B. You must take the first introductory course in the master’s program at GCU.
– M.S. Nursing Education
– M.S. Nursing Leadership & Healthcare Systems
– M.S. Nursing Healthcare & Patient Safety
– M.S. Leadership & Healthcare Systems Bridge Program (For RN’s with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing specialty)
Get Information on Grand Canyon University

transferring nursing school creditsClick to see our full database of online nursing master’s degree programs

South University
South’s acceptance of transfer credits to it’s nursing master’s programs is based on the discretion of the department chair, who you would need to contact directly. Programs include:
– MSN Gerontology
– RN to MSN in Nursing Administration
– MSN Nursing Informatics
– RN to MSN Nurse in Nurse Education
Additional MSN degrees offered online in Family Nurse Practice and other specialties.
Get Free Information on South University’s MSN Programs

Benedictine University
Benedictine accepts up to 12 semester credits in transfer toward MSN programs. You must have achieved at least a B grade and courses must have been taken in the last five years to transfer in. Benedictine’s nursing masters programs online include:
– Master of Science in Nursing
– MSN Nurse Executive Leader
– MSN Nurse Educator
– Dual MBA MSN
Get Free Information on Benedictine University’s MSN Programs

Chamberlain Transfer Credits

Chamberlain College of Nursing is one of the more widely-known schools for online nursing degrees. The rules on transferring credits into one of their graduate programs include:

  • You must have received a grade of at least “B” for any previous course you want to transfer in.
  • For most programs, you must have completed courses within the past 10 years for them to qualify for transfer toward a Chamberlain degree. But on certain master degree programs like Informatics and Family Nurse Practitioner, only coursework done in the past 5 years is eligible to be transferred in.
  • Finally, credits for any graduate certificates you may have earned will not be accepted for transfer.

The last point on certificate credits is an unpredictable one. Policies on applying certificate credits to master’s degrees definitely vary from one school to another. Purdue University Global, for example, makes a point of noting on its website that credits earned in any of its nursing certificate programs may be eligible toward a graduate degree – at least toward one of Purdue’s own graduate programs.

Limits on how many credits you can transfer in also vary from one nursing graduate school to another. Grand Canyon University, as an example, will accept up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements on master’s degrees, pending certain requirements. On the other hand, Western Governors University, which has some of friendliest policies toward adult students in the online degree world, simply does not accept any transfer credits at the master’s degree level. Among schools that do accept graduate transfer credits, it’s not unusual to find that 15 credits is the maximum accepted for previous learning. But there is no hard and fast rule. Ashford University accepts no more than 9 transfer credits on its Doctor of Nursing Practice grad degree, while Regis College will accept no more than 2 courses in transfer for grad school and famed Columbia University in New York accepts up to six credits or graduate or doctoral level courses from another school.

Remember that whether you’re looking at BSN or MSN programs, no matter how many nursing courses you have already taken, there will be a minimum number of credit you will have to earn at the school you are transferring into. That’s true at almost any school, regardless of what major you’re studying for.

If you can determine that a school of interest to you accepts graduate credits in transfer for master’s degrees in nursing, you then need to go through the same steps you would to transfer credits into a bachelor program. Generally, you will need to provide a syllabus for any course you took to prove that it replaces a particular course at your new school, supply a transcript of your grades and demonstrate that you have completed any required clinical work. If your school turns down transfer of a particular course, it can be worth asking them to reconsider. If you do some research and manage to prove that the content of a course you took previously really does match a course they want you to take again, you can often submit an appeal form. It’s less likely that they will accept core major requirement courses from another school than prerequisites, but you never know for sure until you try. It can be well worth the effort. Whatever approach you take, remember to get your transfer review process started as early as possible. Some admissions departments take several weeks to come back with a decision.

Switching Nursing Schools Halfway through a Program

The longer you study in one nursing school, the tougher it will be to transfer all the credits you’ve earned to another nursing program. That’s partly because courses, even courses with the same name, can vary a lot from one school to another. Because of this, if you’re not happy with a nursing program you’re in, it maybe a better idea to get out of it sooner rather than later so you can make a fresh start.

How many credits a nursing school will accept can be difficult to determine without talking to the school you’re looking to move to. Many school don’t make it clear on their websites exactly what the maximum number of credit transfers they will accept is. The type of courses you want to transfer makes a big different. BSN programs often don’t accept any clinical coursework, and some don’t accept transfer credit for any advanced level courses. BSN schools may insist that you have at least a B grade in any course at another school in order to transfer credit from it, but will allow credits for non nursing courses in the introductory phase of a BSN if you only earned a C. Additionally, many BSN programs will only accept you as a transfer student if you completed at least one year of study, or about 60 credits, at another school. On both nursing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, transfer credits are generally more complex than with humanities type degrees.

Can I Get Into Another Nursing Program After Failing Out?

Failing out of a bachelor’s nursing program can put you in a tough position. Many schools want to be able to say their graduates all pass the NCLEX exam, and if you have failed out of one school, they may not believe you’ll be able to finish their program and pass the test. It may be helpful if the transcript from the school you are leaving lists your failing grades as “W” for withdraw rather than as fails. But you will need to he honest when the admission counselor at your new school asks why you are jumping schools.

At the MSN level, the simple fact that there are fewer spaces open for students than at the bachelor level, so schools can be more picky. Many nurses who did well in their BSN program struggle when they get to graduate school because they have to balance their studies with a full-time job. Also, classes like advanced pharmacology you encounter in an MSN program are much tougher than what you run into as an undergrad.

If you failed to complete an MSN program at one school for any reason at all, you’ll need to talk to admission advisers at a school you want to transfer to. Because graduate nursing classes are quite specialized, you may find it hard to prove that classes at your first school completely match those at your new school, which will be an obstacle to getting transfer credits.

When you apply for transfer, it’s important to be armed with a good story about why you’re going to do much better at your target school. Transfers at the graduate level are considered closely on a case by cases basis, so your attitude and your ability to portray the work you did at your first school in a positive light can boost your chances of success.

RN to MSN Bridge Programs Online

If you’re an RN who has not yet earned aa bachelor’s degree, but you’d like to get a nursing job that a master’s might qualify you for, an RN to MSN program could be worth your consideration It can provide a fast track to a graduate level credential. These so called “bridge” degree programs, which allow you to compress your bachelor and master’s degree studies, can allow you to do both your undergrad and graduate program at one nursing school, without having to think about applying to an MSN program or transferring credits. program and tare fairly unique to the nursing profession. In recent years, RN to MSN online programs have gained in popularity, as new nursing specialties have sprung up that require nurses with more advanced qualifications.

While virtually all of these degrees are designed to help you earn a nursing master’s on an accelerated basis, they don’t all have the same admission requirements. Some RN to MSN online bridge programs can be completed in three years if you study at an intensive rate. By comparison, going to college for a full bachelor’s degree and then going to a graduate school to get your MSN can take you more than six years of full-time study.

What Qualifications Do You Need For An MSN Program?

The first question to research is what kind of credentials you need to enter a particular degree programs. Many of the top RN to MSN programs are designed for RNs who have an associate’s in nursing and at least two years of work experience in the field. But many will accept RNs who have a diploma rather than an associate’s. Still others are designed for RNs who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing specialty.

If you have completed some college study toward a BSN or any other type of bachelor’s degree, make sure to ask out about transferring credits from your old school toward your MSN. Since the basic idea of the RN to MSN degree is to accelerate the student’s studies, most schools that offer it tend to be friendly toward degree transfer. And because this type of program does include bachelor’s level study, which means a certain number of general education or humanities type courses, it’s very likely that at least some of your bachelor’s degree courses will be counted toward your MSN even if you were studying to be an English major previously.

Top MSN Specializations

The nursing master’s can qualify you for a management positions in a hospital or other health care facility, for certain clinical specializations or even, in some cases, to become an independent practitioner. Some popular specialties for MSN degrees include:

  • Nurse Midwifery
  • Nurse Practitioner
  • Nurse Anesthetist
  • Nurse Educator
  • Nursing Informatics Specialist
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult Health Care Nurse
  • Emergency Nurse Practitioner
  • Women’s Health Care (Title X) Specialist

It’s hard to provide exact earnings numbers for MSN degree holders because they work in so many different specialties. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, an advanced practice nurse coming out of school can earn up to $90,000. per year (Source: AACN), though salaries in small health facilities in rural areas can be less than half that. Nurse anesthetists are about at the top of the earnings ladder. According to a recent article on ExploreHealthCareers.org, they can earn well over $200,000. (Many advanced nursing specialties, including nurse anesthetist, require certification in addition to a master’s degree.)

Graduate Options If You Have a BSN

Be aware of two issues relating bachelor degree studies. First: if you enter an RN to MSN program with only an associate’s degree, you may not be eligible to go into all of the specialties that are open to BSN holders. Second: while most RN to MSN programs give you a bachelor’s degree along with your master’s, some do not. It’s not likely that the lack of a BSN will hinder you if you have an MSN, but it’s good to make sure that it doesn’t present an issue in the particular specialty or even the exact hospital you want to work in.

Why Not Just Get an RN to BSN?

RN to BSN programs have become extremely popular for nurses wanting to move up the career ladder. A BSN can certainly help get a nurse hired in many hospitals and clinics. But this type of degree doesn’t provide a background in leadership or management. If you’re a nurse who would like to eventually stop spending 100% of your time in direct patient care, which can become physically taxing as you get older, an MSN is more likely to qualify you for a managerial position than a nursing bachelor’s degree.

Can An MSN Count Toward CNL Certification?

Many RN to MSN online programs are meant to qualify the graduate to sit for the CNL (clinical nurse leader) Certificate Exam sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The CNL is a somewhat new role in healthcare. A clinical nurse leader will oversee the care of certain specific patients, generally who tend to have complex health issues. CNLs college info on patients and evaluate care outcomes, working with doctors, pharmacists, social workers and others in the clinical care environment. This is a senior role in direct patient care and not, strictly speaking a management position. However, it can be a more intellectually challenging role with a slightly higher salary and a basic nursing position. CNL jobs can also offer some upward mobility to nurses working in hospitals where budget constraints have cut down on the number of management jobs available.

For a fast alternative approach for early stage RNs, read about direct entry MSN programs and accelerated nursing master’s.

Hard Work That Pays Off

It’s harder work to find out about credit transfer at the graduate level, but it can be well worth the effort. Graduate degrees in nursing can be expensive, and getting credit for your previous work can save a great deal of time and money. It’s something you don’t want to overlook if you want to get to the next level in your nursing career quickly.

Filed Under: Nursing Masters Tagged With: transfer nursing certificate credits, transfer nursing credit, transfer nursing masters degree

Become An Advanced Practice Nurse In Critical Care, Nurse Anesthetist Or Nurse Practitioner

By Paul Mannet

advanced care nurse degrees

For many nurses, the best way to get more job satisfaction and earn a better salary is to get the training to become an advanced practice nurse (often called an “advanced practice registered nurse” or APRN. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular specialties, advanced practice nursing degrees and certificates, and what you can potentially earn in each type of work.

Critical Care Nursing

Work environment & skills: Critical care nurses, sometimes called “intensive care” nurses, deal with patients who are very sick, who are going through difficult surgical treatments or who are experiencing an emergency. They work in intensive care units (including specialized surgical intensive care units) and emergency rooms. In these environments, critically ill patients need a very high degree of attention from a nurse who knows how to operate cutting edge life support technologies such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices and ventricular assist devices.

Critical care nurses handle everything from wound dressing to monitoring vital signs and administering medications. However, they need to be comfortable handling both these basic jobs and the kind of emergencies that can arise frequently in the high-intensity environment of the ICU, Emergency or postoperative care unit, where decisions must often be made rapidly.

Training & Education Requirements: Strictly speaking, there is no certification required to work as a critical care nurse if you are already an RN. But there are several certifications that can make it far easier to gain employment in this specialty, and which can make you a more effective in critical care. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) offers a certification in for critical care nursing in pediatric, neonatal and adult care units. The AACN also offers more specific certifications in cardiac care, cardiac surgery and in clinical nursing for adult or child critical care. The tests for these certificates are tough, but the certification is important if you wish to work in a high-quality facility. Be aware however, that after you get an AACN certificate, you must still contact your state nursing board if you with to officially register in this specialty.

Salary Options: Because good critical care nurses are in short supply, hospitals sometimes often sign on bonuses, reimbursement for relocation or other bonuses. Depending on geographic location, salaries in this specialty range from about $52,000. up to $84,000. (more on APRN salaries here)

Nurse Anesthetist

Work environment & skills: Nurse anesthetists have a unique role in that they administer anesthesia to patients who are being operated on. It’s one of the oldest of all nursing specialties in the U.S., and it’s a very exacting type of practice where certification requires a high level of training. Nurse anesthetists can work not only in hospitals, but in dental offices, obstetrics practices, outpatient surgery centers and other facilities.

As in some other nursing specialties, the rules are not crystal clear in many states on exactly what nurse anesthetists can and cannot do independently. Contrary to popular belief, most states do not actually require nurse anesthetists to work under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. But they are, in most states, required to work with some oversight or “collaboration” with a physician or other licensed healthcare provider.

Given that anesthesia can be dangerous, it would be unusual in the U.S. for a nurse to be independently in charge of keeping a patient “under” on a long, complex operation. Many hospitals do, in fact, have their own requirement that an anesthesiologist oversee the work of a nurse anesthetist.

But a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist can operate with relative independence in a small community hospital, pain clinic or physician’s office. They play a very important role in military medical practice and in many public health organizations. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists currently has almost 40,000 members, who administer more than 30 million anesthetics in the US each year.

Training & Certification: In order to be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), you need to be a registered nurse with not just a bachelor’s degree, but also graduate education approved by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ accreditation council. The education requirement for this specialization is that you must be a licensed registered nurse, have completed a four year bachelor degree (usually in nursing or another science-type subject) and then have at least one year of work experience in an intensive care unit or other acute care type environment. You then need to get an accredited master’s degree in anesthesia education, which can take up to 36 months.

Overall, the training and education of a nurse anesthetist can take anywhere from eight to ten years to complete. (Some nurses go even further, obtaining a Ph.D. to move into teaching, administrative or research positions in this specialty). There is currently a move on by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to require that only Doctor in Nursing Practice or Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree holders be allowed to practice as nurse anesthetists. As this would require all practitioners to hold a doctorate level degree, it would make it tougher for new candidates to enter this specialty. The change is tentatively envisioned for 2015, though it is not clear at present if it will be implemented.

Salary Options: Nurse anesthetists often work quite hard, being on call for operations at all times of day and night and working on weekends. But they are well compensated. An average salary in this specialty is approximately $155,000. per year, making it one of the most highly paid medical practices next to being an actual physician. About 40% of all nurse anesthetists in the U.S. are male.

Informatics Nurse

Work environment & skills: Informatics is considered one of the “hottest” areas in nursing, due to the rising pressure on health care providers to be efficient, report outcomes well and handle every increasing information requirements involved in health insurance. The increase in government-paid healthcare that’s expected starting in 2014 due to recent legislation will only increase this pressure.

This is a field where you can get more involved in computers and technology, without completely losing touch with patients. Large health facilities in particular have their own unique needs in terms of computer systems and programs. You can potentially get involved not only in creating those assets, but also in training other nurses and doctors in a hospital to use them correctly.

Research facilities also have a need for informatics nurses who can collect and analyze data from tests, and help make sense of it. The broad range of knowledge you will gain if you go to school in this specialty will include statistics, research methodology, project management and probably some computer courses on health-specific software programs.

Training & certification: Nursing informatics can be pursued either as a full-tilt specialty or as an enhancement to your current job as a nurse or nurse administrator. If you would like to be a dedicated informatics specialist at a large hospital, its probably in your interest to get a masters in nursing informatics, which are available both from campus-based on online schools. If you would prefer to simply add informatics to you overall skill set, you might consider one of the many certificates that are available in the specialty.

Salary options: Nurse informatics specialists can earn in a wide range anywhere from about $57,000. to up to $91,000, though the current U.S. median salary in this specialty is about $74,000.

Oncology Nursing

Work environment & skills: Oncology nurses specialize in helping cancer patients deal with the wide variety of treatments, surgeries, medications and recovery issues that result from the disease. An oncology or “oncology/hematology” nurse, needs first and foremost to have good communication skills and an ability to empathize with patients and their families, who come under tremendous stress when there is a diagnosis of cancer. Pediatric oncology is a large area of practice where a nurse must have a particularly strong emotional makeup in order to deal with very sick children. It is, however, a specialty that is tremendously important today due to the prevalence of many different types of cancers, and one where medical advances are constantly going on.

Nurses in this specialty often spend a good deal of their time working with patients who come into the hospital as outpatients on a regular schedule for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, diagnostic procedures and discussions with the medical team about the course of treatment. Cancer patients who have been admitted to the hospital either for surgery or simply because they have become very sick will have their medications and even protective isolation (for patients with very low white cell counts) managed by specialized oncology nurses and doctors.

Some of the technical sub-specialties with oncology nursing include genetic counseling, radiation oncology, pain management and bone marrow transplantation.

Training & Certification: While it’s not a requirement in most states that a nurse be certified as an oncology specialist to work in an oncology center, the best hospitals and clinics look to hire nurses with specialized oncology training. The leading group in the specialty in the U.S., Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC), offers several types of board certification in oncology nursing. There are “basic” certifications offered by ONCC as an oncology certified nurse, a certified pediatric oncology nurse or a certified breast care nurse. Advanced certifications are given as oncology certified nurse, an oncology certified nurse practitioner or an oncology certified clinical nurse care specialist.

To practice as an oncology nurse, an RN needs to get one of these certifications. They are good for four years before a recertification test or a set number of continuing education credits are needed to keep the credential. Two of these advanced certifications, the Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner and the Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist, require a masters degree in nursing.

Salary Options: The aging of American society has increased demand for oncology nursing specialists, since older people are the ones more frequently diagnosed with cancer. Salaries for oncology nurses vary widely from small local hospitals, where this type of nurse might earn about $61,000., to a very large city hospital where an oncology nurse could get a salary of more than $80,000.

Perioperative Nursing

Work environment & skills: Perioperative nurses help patients through every aspect of being operated on, from the preparation on through the actual surgery and all phases of the recovery. This type of specialized nurse will make sure that all of a patient’s records of diagnostic tests, consent forms and allergies are organized for the surgical team to have easy access to. Some perioperative nurses do not actually participate in the surgery, but focus more on managing the operating room environment – making sure that all equipment is operating properly, providing the surgeon with information on the patient and more. Others, however, do actually “scrub in” for the operation and help the surgeon more directly. Some get certification as a registered “nurse first assistant” to specialize in this type of work.

Perioperative nursing requires good physical stamina, both for standing through long operations and pushing medical equipment around. More importantly, it requires an ability to work well with physicians and other medical specialists in the sometimes stressful environment of the operating room. The perioperative nurse also takes responsibility for handling the patient’s medical care through the recovery process.

Training & Certification: While you need to be a licensed RN to practice perioperative nursing, it is not a specialty driven primarily by certification. Many hospitals have programs designed to develop general practice nurses in this specialty. In larger facilities, you may be better positioned for acceptance into this type of program if you have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The credentialing institute of the The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) administers a test that can give you a certificate in perioparative nursing. A bachelor’s degree is not required for this, but it does have a prerequesite of a whopping 2400 hours of operating room nursing. The group also offers a more advanced certification for Registered Nurse First Assistants. Good luck; to our eyes AORN’s website is extremely confusing.

Perioperative nurses frequently specialize in handling a particular type of surgical cases such as cardiac, reconstructive and plastic, urologic, orthopedic, pediatric or dental, to name just a few.

Salary Options: According to AORN’s website, certified perioperative nurses earn significantly more per year more than non-specialized RNs. Their median salary in the U.S. is approximately $82,000. per year.

Nurse Practitioner

Work environment & skills: The nurse practitioner specialty came into being in the US the 1960’s, largely to fill a need for basic patient care in areas where there was no physician available. The specialty has expanded and developed a number of subspecialties. And while nurse practitioners sometimes operate their own free standing practices (unlike a physician’s assistant, they do not need to be associated with a specific doctor in all states), many provide high-end nursing care in hospitals nursing homes and other facilities. Overall, the nurse practitioner is seen as the first touch point for patients coming into the health care system. In many clinics, the nurse practitioner will handle many basic medical issues that don’t require a physician.

The most common jobs done by NPs include prenatal care and planning, diagnosing problems like high blood pressure, interpreting lab tests, assisting in minor surgeries and”giving critical care to patients who come in with acute problems. Some states also allow nurse practitioners to prescribe a limited number of drugs for patients. In addition to clinics, NPs can be found working in many schools, nursing homes and veteran’s administration facilities.

Training & Certification: Certification is fairly standardized on a national basis. The American Nurses Credentialing Center and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners both provide certification for NPs in specialties including pediatrics (and subspecialties such as pediatric critical care), psychiatry and mental care and occupational medicine. This type of certification, which virtually always requires a masters degree and in some cases requires a doctoral degree or post-master’s certificate, is required to practice as a nurse practitioner in every state. A variety of certifications are also available for nurse practitioners who want to specialize in acute care, geriatrics, holistic medicine or other areas.

Licensure is a bit more complicated. Nurse practitioners are generally licensed by individual states to practice. Because NPs often provide a level of care that comes close at times to medical practice, states tend to regulate them very closely. There are significant differences in what various state nursing boards require for an NP to become licensed and wide variations from state to state on what procedures they are allowed to perform.

Salary Options: Nurse practitioners earn an median of about $90,000. per year in the U.S., though some who work in the neonatal or surgical unit of a large hospital can earn over $100,000.
Find out if you would be happier becoming a doctor or a nurse practitioner.

Alternatively, you could consider becoming a gerontology nursing specialist.

Salary estimates are from Salary.com

Filed Under: Nursing Masters Tagged With: advanced nurse training, critical care nursing, intensive care nursing, nurse anesthetist careers, nurse practitioner career, nursing career, perioperative nursing

Becoming a Gerontology Nursing Specialist

By Paul Mannet

why gerontology nurses is a strong career opportunity

The aged population (those aged 65 and older) is growing at an exponential rate. Currently, about 1 in 8 Americans are over the age of 65, and this figure is expected to grow to 19% by 2030, meaning that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. will be seniors. As the number of elderly in our society increases, so does the need for degree-prepared nurses who understand the special circumstances and needs of this population.
Click To List Of Online Gerontology Degree Schools

What is Gerontology?
Gerontology is the study of aging and the elderly population. It’s a specialty that focuses on the physical, cognitive, social and psychological aspects of growing older. Gerontology nurse specialists need to have a broad and expert knowledge of what it means to be elderly in today’s society. The specialist in this category has to focus on not just the physical manifestations of aging, but also the social, legal, cultural and ethical impact that aging has today on individual patients and their families.

Where Can Gerontology Nurse Specialists Work?
Gerontology nurse specialists are in demand in a variety of settings. The most obvious is the healthcare sector, where they may work as managers and front-line leaders in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and long term care facilities. Hospitals also need gerontology nurses who can deal with older patients who spend shorter stretches of time in the hospital than they would in a nursing home.

There’s also opportunity for these specialists to work as managers, nurse educators or researchers in both public and private sector organizations. Public agencies and interest groups, for example, will often hire gerontology specialists for a variety of nursing, management and even public relations jobs.

Bachelor’s or Master’s?
There are many bachelor’s and nursing master’s degree programs available to nurses who wish to further their education in gerontology. Both levels of degree programs will include some study of the following core subjects:

  • Physical, mental and psychosocial development changes in the elderly
  • Social/public policy
  • Legal issues related to aging
  • Ethical issues in aging
  • Financial/economic issues impacting independence
  • Service delivery models
  • Demographics of aging
  • Diversity in aging
  • Impact of aging on families, communities and society as a whole
  • ultural attitudes towards aging

Although their training may be quite similar to a bachelor degree holder in this field, masters-prepared gerontology specialists tend to be more highly sought after in the public sector, as advocates for special interest groups, as government employees or as researchers for various entities. Bachelor-prepared gerontology nurse specialists are more likely to find work as managers or administrators in hospitals or facilities that house the elderly. And while you may feel qualified to teach with a bachelor’s degree in this specialty, many nursing programs prefer their instructors have a masters degree.

Choosing gerontology as your specialization requires a life-long commitment to this special population. It can be an immensely satisfying field, but it is not for the faint of heart. Working with this population means that you will not be able to “save” all of your patients. In gerontology, the focus is less on life-saving measures and more on quality of life.

Schools With Online Degree Programs In Gerontology

The University of Southern California
California’s public university system is a huge institution with thousands of students. It has moved into online teaching in a gradual, selective way. It’s two gerontology-focused programs online are Master of Arts in Gerontology, a treatment focused degree, and a Master of Aging Services Management, a graduate degree that leans a bit more toward management and marketing.
Get info on USC’s online degree programs

Ashford University
Ashford also offers a fully online Bachelor of Arts in Gerontology
Get information on all Ashford’s programs here
(Ashford University is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission, 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510.748.9001, www.wascsenior.org.) Certain degree programs may not be available in all states. For more information about on-time completion rates, the median loan debt of students who completed each program, and other important information, please visit: http://ashforddisclosures.com.

Click here if you would like to find other online gerontology degree programs

Filed Under: Nursing Masters Tagged With: geriatric nurse, gerontology masters, gerontology nursing, learn to care for aged, nursing career

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