Research on negotiating salary shows that up to 80 percent of job offers are negotiable but that only a small number of job candidates actually enter into negotiations of the job offer and salary with prospective employers. The main reason given is that candidates feel ill-equipped to negotiate and as a result are intimidated by the negotiation process. You don't have to be an expert negotiator to successfully negotiate a job offer. Knowing these basic negotiation strategies helps you to properly plan your salary negotiation and feel confident in the negotiation process.
Delay the salary discussion for as long as possible in the hiring process
The best time for negotiating salary is after a firm job offer has been made. Your negotiating power is at its peak when the company has been convinced of your potential value to them and has decided that you are the best candidate for the job. If the salary question comes up early in the interview process it is best to remain as non committal as possible and suggest that your salary requirements are "open" or "negotiable" until you have learned more about the job. If pressed to give an amount state a wide range within which your salary requirements fall. Avoid giving a specific salary figure on the application form and rather put "competitive" or "open to discussion".
Find out the value of your skills in the marketplace
Information is your greatest tool in negotiating salary. Research your competitive market value. What are other organizations in your field and geographical area paying for your skills and experience? It is much easier to persuade the company to agree with your salary request if your negotiation proposal is firmly based in hard fact such as what people with similar skills and in similar jobs are currently earning. You can research salary data in a number of ways including visiting various free salary websites, asking people in similar positions, calling professional and trade associations, asking recruiters and employment agents and looking at similar job postings.
Know what you are worth to this specific company
Understanding your company-value helps you determine your real bargaining power. What is your value to this particular company? Consider factors such as the supply and demand ratio of your skills and experience in this industry and area, the number of candidates the company has interviewed, how urgently the company needs to fill the job and the direct and indirect contribution to company profitability of this position.
Evaluate the entire compensation package
Benefits can contribute up to 30 percent of the whole compensation package. Include the benefits in your salary calculations to get a more accurate picture of the dollar value of the whole compensation package. Put a direct dollar value on benefits such as medical, dental and life insurance, company bonuses, profit sharing, direct expense coverage such as parking, phone etc, company services such as child care and paid overtime. Decide which aspects are important to you and what you can negotiate to balance the base salary.
Calculate a realistic salary range to negotiate within
Work out how much you need to earn to cover your expenses. For each expense work out the amount of money you need and the amount of money you would like. The total of each amount provides you with an acceptable salary range within which you can negotiate. You will use this data for your salary decisions. However during the negotiations it is important to base your salary request on your value to the company and your skills and experience and not on what money you need to earn every month. The employer is unlikely to be interested in your expenses. Begin negotiating at the top of your salary range to give yourself sufficient room for negotiation.
Always start your salary negotiations by thanking the employer for the job offer and highlighting your enthusiasm for the position and the company. Keep a positive attitude throughout the process of negotiating salary and make requests rather than demands. Know your true value and be confident of your ability to get the best job offer you can.
Go to Negotiating Your Salary for a complete guide to negotiating the job offer including free practical salary negotiation resources and tools.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598511_36.html
Earn strategies to achieve in the classroom and in your career.
If you are among the thousands of students attending college to develop skills and behaviors for your career, then consider this opportunity to develop a strong foundation for achievement in college, career and life. The Student Life Skills classes (SLS 1103 and SLS 0005) at Florida Community College provide the essential content needed for students to succeed for college and beyond. These courses have shown to significantly increase the academic success and retention of college students. Students who take these courses persist in college and succeed in completing their degrees more often.
How can you develop these skills? Add Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or Foundations of College Success to your next schedule. You’ll gain a unique advantage in the classroom and the workplace with the survival and success skills taught in courses offered at Florida Community College.
Topics of the course include:
* Goals and priorities
* Voice mail and e-mail etiquette
* Maintaining commitment
* Dealing with successes and failure
* Communicating with individuals at work and at college professors, superiors, subordinates and peers
* Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
* Teamwork and decision making
* Learning skills
* Conflict management and resolution
* Leadership styles and skills
* Financial and debt management
* Long-term planning for career, education and wellness.
You’ll find a tremendous amount of information delivered in an active, engaging learning environment. Not only will this class build your success skills for your college work, but it also will give you a foundation of behaviors, habits and skills that will enable you to succeed and thrive in the working world.
Your desire to succeed is the only prerequisite. Register for SLS 1103— Strategies for Success in College, Career and Life or SLS 0005 Foundations for College Success — or see your advisor for further details and information to help you decide which course is best for you.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
How to Boost Your Career in a Weak Economy
With companies in the United States laying off employees left and right, raising our unemployment rate to the highest it’s been since late 2004, working for a big company is no longer a guarantee of steady employment. Even workers who have dedicated twenty years or more to the same company, expecting loyalty in return for loyalty are being laid off in favor of less experienced, cheaper labor or in favor of offshoring those same tasks.
With gas prices soaring, many employees who haven’t yet been axed are opting to seek out employment alternatives that will allow them to work closer to home, or better yet, from a home office entirely. Then we have Generation Y, which has been tapped to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future. The face of the U.S. workforce is changing. We are rapidly becoming a culture of independent thinkers, shying away from traditional molds of what careers used to be. No longer is it common for a professional to stay with one company for the life of his or her career. Working for one company will typically get you a cost-of-living salary increase, and maybe a bit of a merit increase. By switching jobs, you can leverage your experience and negotiate a higher starting salary.
Given these facts, it is clear that the new focus is not on your employer, but on your talent and your career. Your first priority must be to seek out those opportunities which develop and challenge your skills. To this end, it only makes sense to lean more towards a model of contract employment. Workers can freely move from one project to the next, without having to worry about dealing with office drama or politics, gaining a variety of experiences that can be used to build an impressive portfolio. Job burnout can quickly be solved by moving on to a new project with a new company. Companies are alleviated from the burden of keeping employees on staff who are not productive for fear of being accused of wrongful termination, as well as not being responsible for offering extensive benefit packages to lure employees to work for them.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598759_36.html
Improve Your Career in Any Economy
Like many other areas of business, the tech industry has weathered the occasional slump over the past few decades. It's only natural that the fate of techies is closely linked to the tides of the business. However, in any economy, weak or strong, some people prosper and advance while others suffer the consequences. Understanding why can make all the difference, whether you're looking for a job, trying to keep the one you have, or are audacious enough to want to advance your career regardless of the climate.
The conventional wisdom, typically unspoken, is that when times are tough you just grin and bear it. Merely surviving is the best that you can hope for. Advancing is just too much to ask. To that, I offer my own bit of wisdom. Nonsense! (I actually had a more colorful phrase in mind, but discretion got the better of me.)
The principles of business do not alter based on a strong or weak economy, and people will always be people. What this means to those of us with careers to manage is that what works when business is good will also work when things are slow. In fact, in many cases, they'll work even better. In order to understand why, let's strip this down to the bare bones issues.
Getting Down to Business
Businesses exist to make a profit. People work at companies to make a living. Although enterprises are run by a class of creature known as management, it turns out that the ranks of management are, in fact, populated by people. As we've already observed, people work at companies to make a living. So, making money, both from a personal and corporate point of view, is a top priority that does not change based on market conditions.
Human nature is another constant. People have a desire for power, the need for personal fulfillment, and egos to maintain. When you add all of this up, you come up with some facts that are immutable constants in the business world. Of course, we'll be taking advantage of these to make sure that we continue to eat on a regular basis and have the spare money we need to keep our families happy and our compilers up to date. So, let's take a look at some of the more obvious points. The following actions will increase your value in the eyes of the company and / or your superiors:
* Increasing company revenues
* Decreasing company expenses
* Helping your superiors further their career
Source: www.sitepoint.com/article/improve-career-any-economy/
Business and Executive Coach
Listening to the news and many CEOs, you would think the country is in a depression. At a minimum, these reports put listeners into a depression. While I’m willing to let a few individual businesses slide because of what they do (e.g. residential real estate in Miami), if your company is not growing the way you want it to, and/or margins are shrinking, the problem is inside your company. If you believe otherwise, you are deceiving yourself. In many cases, even in sectors where the group as a whole is doing poorly, you should still be able to do better than you’re doing. Just like Warren Buffet does in the stock market, you need to jump on opportunities when the market is down and be aggressive, not defensive.
Some great examples:
*
I recently met with the Managing Partner of a mid-sized accounting firm who confided in me that he just came off a record year and did not believe his company could sustain the pace. He was already seeing a slowdown. However, one of his competitors, who also is my client, is having another record organic growth year.
*
In the fitness and health industry, many companies see a drop off in memberships and attribute it to people spending less on “extras.” I have a client whose year-over-year growth this summer was 49%, and gross margins have expanded as well.
*
Another client of mine has a business that services the airline industry. You would think they would be doomed. Yet based on their order backlog, they expect 33% growth this year.
*
Staffing industry executives tell me their industry is down 30%, and many are laying off staff and otherwise cutting costs “until things get better.” I know of one company in the same market that entered the staffing business and in the last 2 years. They are growing in the high double digits and opening offices in several new states, having identified and pursued a segment of the staffing industry that is booming.
Source: executivecoachhms.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/7-tips-to-boost-your-business-in-a-down-economy/
With gas prices soaring, many employees who haven’t yet been axed are opting to seek out employment alternatives that will allow them to work closer to home, or better yet, from a home office entirely. Then we have Generation Y, which has been tapped to be the entrepreneurial leaders of the future. The face of the U.S. workforce is changing. We are rapidly becoming a culture of independent thinkers, shying away from traditional molds of what careers used to be. No longer is it common for a professional to stay with one company for the life of his or her career. Working for one company will typically get you a cost-of-living salary increase, and maybe a bit of a merit increase. By switching jobs, you can leverage your experience and negotiate a higher starting salary.
Given these facts, it is clear that the new focus is not on your employer, but on your talent and your career. Your first priority must be to seek out those opportunities which develop and challenge your skills. To this end, it only makes sense to lean more towards a model of contract employment. Workers can freely move from one project to the next, without having to worry about dealing with office drama or politics, gaining a variety of experiences that can be used to build an impressive portfolio. Job burnout can quickly be solved by moving on to a new project with a new company. Companies are alleviated from the burden of keeping employees on staff who are not productive for fear of being accused of wrongful termination, as well as not being responsible for offering extensive benefit packages to lure employees to work for them.
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_598759_36.html
Improve Your Career in Any Economy
Like many other areas of business, the tech industry has weathered the occasional slump over the past few decades. It's only natural that the fate of techies is closely linked to the tides of the business. However, in any economy, weak or strong, some people prosper and advance while others suffer the consequences. Understanding why can make all the difference, whether you're looking for a job, trying to keep the one you have, or are audacious enough to want to advance your career regardless of the climate.
The conventional wisdom, typically unspoken, is that when times are tough you just grin and bear it. Merely surviving is the best that you can hope for. Advancing is just too much to ask. To that, I offer my own bit of wisdom. Nonsense! (I actually had a more colorful phrase in mind, but discretion got the better of me.)
The principles of business do not alter based on a strong or weak economy, and people will always be people. What this means to those of us with careers to manage is that what works when business is good will also work when things are slow. In fact, in many cases, they'll work even better. In order to understand why, let's strip this down to the bare bones issues.
Getting Down to Business
Businesses exist to make a profit. People work at companies to make a living. Although enterprises are run by a class of creature known as management, it turns out that the ranks of management are, in fact, populated by people. As we've already observed, people work at companies to make a living. So, making money, both from a personal and corporate point of view, is a top priority that does not change based on market conditions.
Human nature is another constant. People have a desire for power, the need for personal fulfillment, and egos to maintain. When you add all of this up, you come up with some facts that are immutable constants in the business world. Of course, we'll be taking advantage of these to make sure that we continue to eat on a regular basis and have the spare money we need to keep our families happy and our compilers up to date. So, let's take a look at some of the more obvious points. The following actions will increase your value in the eyes of the company and / or your superiors:
* Increasing company revenues
* Decreasing company expenses
* Helping your superiors further their career
Source: www.sitepoint.com/article/improve-career-any-economy/
Business and Executive Coach
Listening to the news and many CEOs, you would think the country is in a depression. At a minimum, these reports put listeners into a depression. While I’m willing to let a few individual businesses slide because of what they do (e.g. residential real estate in Miami), if your company is not growing the way you want it to, and/or margins are shrinking, the problem is inside your company. If you believe otherwise, you are deceiving yourself. In many cases, even in sectors where the group as a whole is doing poorly, you should still be able to do better than you’re doing. Just like Warren Buffet does in the stock market, you need to jump on opportunities when the market is down and be aggressive, not defensive.
Some great examples:
*
I recently met with the Managing Partner of a mid-sized accounting firm who confided in me that he just came off a record year and did not believe his company could sustain the pace. He was already seeing a slowdown. However, one of his competitors, who also is my client, is having another record organic growth year.
*
In the fitness and health industry, many companies see a drop off in memberships and attribute it to people spending less on “extras.” I have a client whose year-over-year growth this summer was 49%, and gross margins have expanded as well.
*
Another client of mine has a business that services the airline industry. You would think they would be doomed. Yet based on their order backlog, they expect 33% growth this year.
*
Staffing industry executives tell me their industry is down 30%, and many are laying off staff and otherwise cutting costs “until things get better.” I know of one company in the same market that entered the staffing business and in the last 2 years. They are growing in the high double digits and opening offices in several new states, having identified and pursued a segment of the staffing industry that is booming.
Source: executivecoachhms.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/7-tips-to-boost-your-business-in-a-down-economy/
How to become a Nurse or Midwife?
How to Become a Nurse
A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one's ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.
The simplest route to becoming a nurse is to enroll in a vocational nurse program. In Texas and California, the basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but in other states it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Most vocational nursing programs can be finished in one year which is a great choice for people interested in a fast track to a nursing career. LVN programs have different entrance requirements. Some programs require prerequisites courses such as math, English, and medical terminology; others require only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre - entrance exam.
After completing the LVN program, graduates receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. Finally, they are required to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Passing this exam ensures that a LVN is ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level.
Licensed vocational nurses can also advance their careers by applying their LVN certificate toward the Registered Nurse bridge program. It is important to keep in mind that most vocational schools do not offer college credits. Therefore, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, he or she will need to take additional college courses in English, psychology and anatomy.
So, when looking for a vocational nurse program, it is important to choose only those schools where students have transferable credits.
The next path into nursing is to obtain an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program has to be approved by the state's Board of Nursing and usually takes 2 years to complete. There is such a demand to attend this program at community colleges that in some cases there is a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program.
Requirements for entrance includes chemistry, psychology, anatomy, microbiology, college level English and math courses. There are many private schools for those who do not want to lose time. However, the cost of such nursing programs could be about five times higher than in the community colleges.
In order to earn an RN license, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Although an Associate Degree allows a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program has the best advancement opportunities in the job market.
For example, a graduate with a BSN degree can get more prestigious positions such as nursing administration, management, or even work at an insurance company. BSN programs are usually taken at four year colleges or universities.
The prerequisites are the same as for a nursing associate program plus a few additional classes, such as sociology, speech and statistics. Students who already have their Associate degree in nursing can get their Bachelor of Science degree through a bridge program.
A good schooling alternative is through online programs. There are no waiting lists, and online courses are not complicated. It is very convenient to do homework from a home computer whenever one has time. The flexibility of studying online doesn't interfere with a student's current job and gives him or her the opportunity to work, make money, and at the same time earn a Bachelor degree.
There are online accelerated programs offering Registered Nurse to a Master of Science in Nursing degree bridge programs without having first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree Some students complete the RN to MSN program in as little as two years! A Masters degree in Nursing gives one unlimited opportunities in the medical field including starting a private practice as Nurse Practitioner.
All in all, the health care market has experienced a nursing shortage, and one cannot go wrong by entering the respected medical professional regardless of which path to nursing is chosen.
Visit Best Medical Careers Top Medical Jobs for helpful information about Nursing Programs
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_613305_36.html
Information On Becoming A Nurse
As the population continues to grow, so does the need for educated nursing professionals. With such a strong need for nurses many would think it would be easy to get a nursing education. The fact is it may be harder than many people think. Today the United States also has a shortage of nursing educators and this makes many nursing programs hard to get into often with long waiting lists.
Even with all these hurdles in place, a nursing career is still a great choice as long as you select the correct carrer path. As with any career you choose, you want to create a plan and timeline so you can advance into a senior position in the future. Below we have provided some general information about how to get started with becoming a nurse.
Nursing Assistant vs LPN/LVN vs Registered Nurse
Many people in the nursing industry start their careers by becoming a nursing assistant or nursing aide. This is a great way to get started in the nursing profession and a nursing assistant usually only requires course work but no diploma. Becoming a nursing assistant may also help an individual get into a better nursing program down the line and provides employment while they are seeking bigger and better things.
Becoming a LPN/LVN or Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse usually requires a one year course of study from a vocational school or junior college. The LPN/LVN usually work under the supervision of a physician or RN and usually has more advanced skills than the nursing assistant but can perform less tasks than a registered nurse can. Again, most people who become a LPN/LVN are gaining the experience and knowledge that is necessary to become a Registered Nurse and may use this during future studies.
The next step is becoming a Registered Nurse. RNs require higher levels of study and almost all new nurses have a ADN or BSN degree.
Selecting an ADN or BSN Degree
Today two typical courses of study are available for registered nurses. The ADN or Associate Degree Nurse has to go through a two year degree program while the BSN or Bachelor of Science nurse requires a 4 year degree. Today the debate whether all nurses should require a 4 year degree rages on. The high demand for nurses has made a case for keeping the ADN programs around.
Today it is recommended to get the BSN because while experience plays a role, many hospitals will pay you based on your level of education. The BSN also will give you a stepping stone for further education into areas of specialization.
Source: www.studentdoc.com/become-a-nurse.html
How to become a nurse or midwife
There has never a more exciting time to join the nursing or midwifery profession. The number and variety of roles is huge. As a nurse it is possible to work in, among others, hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations that run hospices or residential care and the pharmaceutical industry. Nurses also work in the prison service, university education, on leisure cruise ships or for the armed forces.
Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.
Midwives are often the key health professional supporting, guiding and caring for the mother, baby and family through the months of pregnancy, during the birth itself and afterwards in the postnatal period.
Nurse and midwifery education
It is possible to take either a diploma or degree course to qualify as a nurse. Education is provided by universities, with placements in local hospital and community settings. The course is 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practical. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme, which will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. You will then specialise in either adult, children's, mental health or learning disability nursing. Full time diploma courses last three years. Degree courses last three or four years.
You will need to be resident in the UK for at least three years to be eligible to apply for a place on a diploma or degree course.
Midwifery education is also at diploma or degree level. You will learn the theory and practical skills required to care for pregnant women, delivering babies, educating and supporting parents. The social , political and cultural issues affecting maternity care are also covered.
Adult nursing
The number of opportunities for those qualifying in the adult branch of nursing is huge. It is possible to work in hospitals or the community - in peoples homes, attached to a health centre or in nursing homes. You will care for, support and educate people of all ages. Once qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care, women's health, accident and emergency, critical care, practice nursing, health visiting or school nursing.
Source: www.rcn.org.uk/nursing/becomenurse
A career in the medical field is a good choice nowadays. Due to increased demand for healthcare professionals, a career in nursing is especially popular. Nursing educational programs vary a great deal, and sometimes it is difficult to choose which program better fits one's ambition, age, or financial situation. Basically, there are three different nursing programs available: a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), an associate degree in nursing, and a bachelor degree in nursing.
The simplest route to becoming a nurse is to enroll in a vocational nurse program. In Texas and California, the basic nursing career is called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), but in other states it is called a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Most vocational nursing programs can be finished in one year which is a great choice for people interested in a fast track to a nursing career. LVN programs have different entrance requirements. Some programs require prerequisites courses such as math, English, and medical terminology; others require only a high school diploma and a passing grade in the LVN pre - entrance exam.
After completing the LVN program, graduates receive a certificate or diploma in vocational (practical) nursing. Finally, they are required to take the National Council Licensure Exam. Passing this exam ensures that a LVN is ready to enter the nursing field at an entry level.
Licensed vocational nurses can also advance their careers by applying their LVN certificate toward the Registered Nurse bridge program. It is important to keep in mind that most vocational schools do not offer college credits. Therefore, if a graduate of a vocational school wants to become a Registered Nurse, he or she will need to take additional college courses in English, psychology and anatomy.
So, when looking for a vocational nurse program, it is important to choose only those schools where students have transferable credits.
The next path into nursing is to obtain an Associates Degree in Nursing. This program has to be approved by the state's Board of Nursing and usually takes 2 years to complete. There is such a demand to attend this program at community colleges that in some cases there is a two to three year waiting list before one can enter the program.
Requirements for entrance includes chemistry, psychology, anatomy, microbiology, college level English and math courses. There are many private schools for those who do not want to lose time. However, the cost of such nursing programs could be about five times higher than in the community colleges.
In order to earn an RN license, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). Although an Associate Degree allows a student to become a Registered Nurse, the Bachelor of Science Nursing program has the best advancement opportunities in the job market.
For example, a graduate with a BSN degree can get more prestigious positions such as nursing administration, management, or even work at an insurance company. BSN programs are usually taken at four year colleges or universities.
The prerequisites are the same as for a nursing associate program plus a few additional classes, such as sociology, speech and statistics. Students who already have their Associate degree in nursing can get their Bachelor of Science degree through a bridge program.
A good schooling alternative is through online programs. There are no waiting lists, and online courses are not complicated. It is very convenient to do homework from a home computer whenever one has time. The flexibility of studying online doesn't interfere with a student's current job and gives him or her the opportunity to work, make money, and at the same time earn a Bachelor degree.
There are online accelerated programs offering Registered Nurse to a Master of Science in Nursing degree bridge programs without having first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree Some students complete the RN to MSN program in as little as two years! A Masters degree in Nursing gives one unlimited opportunities in the medical field including starting a private practice as Nurse Practitioner.
All in all, the health care market has experienced a nursing shortage, and one cannot go wrong by entering the respected medical professional regardless of which path to nursing is chosen.
Visit Best Medical Careers Top Medical Jobs for helpful information about Nursing Programs
Source: http://www.articleheaven.com/article_613305_36.html
Information On Becoming A Nurse
As the population continues to grow, so does the need for educated nursing professionals. With such a strong need for nurses many would think it would be easy to get a nursing education. The fact is it may be harder than many people think. Today the United States also has a shortage of nursing educators and this makes many nursing programs hard to get into often with long waiting lists.
Even with all these hurdles in place, a nursing career is still a great choice as long as you select the correct carrer path. As with any career you choose, you want to create a plan and timeline so you can advance into a senior position in the future. Below we have provided some general information about how to get started with becoming a nurse.
Nursing Assistant vs LPN/LVN vs Registered Nurse
Many people in the nursing industry start their careers by becoming a nursing assistant or nursing aide. This is a great way to get started in the nursing profession and a nursing assistant usually only requires course work but no diploma. Becoming a nursing assistant may also help an individual get into a better nursing program down the line and provides employment while they are seeking bigger and better things.
Becoming a LPN/LVN or Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse usually requires a one year course of study from a vocational school or junior college. The LPN/LVN usually work under the supervision of a physician or RN and usually has more advanced skills than the nursing assistant but can perform less tasks than a registered nurse can. Again, most people who become a LPN/LVN are gaining the experience and knowledge that is necessary to become a Registered Nurse and may use this during future studies.
The next step is becoming a Registered Nurse. RNs require higher levels of study and almost all new nurses have a ADN or BSN degree.
Selecting an ADN or BSN Degree
Today two typical courses of study are available for registered nurses. The ADN or Associate Degree Nurse has to go through a two year degree program while the BSN or Bachelor of Science nurse requires a 4 year degree. Today the debate whether all nurses should require a 4 year degree rages on. The high demand for nurses has made a case for keeping the ADN programs around.
Today it is recommended to get the BSN because while experience plays a role, many hospitals will pay you based on your level of education. The BSN also will give you a stepping stone for further education into areas of specialization.
Source: www.studentdoc.com/become-a-nurse.html
How to become a nurse or midwife
There has never a more exciting time to join the nursing or midwifery profession. The number and variety of roles is huge. As a nurse it is possible to work in, among others, hospitals, GP surgeries, clinics, nursing and residential homes, occupational health services, voluntary organisations that run hospices or residential care and the pharmaceutical industry. Nurses also work in the prison service, university education, on leisure cruise ships or for the armed forces.
Nurses focus on the needs of the individual, rather than specific illnesses or conditions. They help individuals and their families to live more comfortable lives by providing care, advice and counselling.
Midwives are often the key health professional supporting, guiding and caring for the mother, baby and family through the months of pregnancy, during the birth itself and afterwards in the postnatal period.
Nurse and midwifery education
It is possible to take either a diploma or degree course to qualify as a nurse. Education is provided by universities, with placements in local hospital and community settings. The course is 50 per cent theory and 50 per cent practical. The first year is a Common Foundation Programme, which will introduce you to the basic principles of nursing. You will then specialise in either adult, children's, mental health or learning disability nursing. Full time diploma courses last three years. Degree courses last three or four years.
You will need to be resident in the UK for at least three years to be eligible to apply for a place on a diploma or degree course.
Midwifery education is also at diploma or degree level. You will learn the theory and practical skills required to care for pregnant women, delivering babies, educating and supporting parents. The social , political and cultural issues affecting maternity care are also covered.
Adult nursing
The number of opportunities for those qualifying in the adult branch of nursing is huge. It is possible to work in hospitals or the community - in peoples homes, attached to a health centre or in nursing homes. You will care for, support and educate people of all ages. Once qualified, many nurses take extra courses to specialise in areas such as cancer care, women's health, accident and emergency, critical care, practice nursing, health visiting or school nursing.
Source: www.rcn.org.uk/nursing/becomenurse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)