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What is NANDA Nursing Diagnosis?

Nanda nursing diagnosis is a professional judgment grounded on application of clinical knowledge essential in determining the potential or actual experiences and responses to life processes and health problems. Nanda approved diagnosis is applicable to families, individuals or communities. The array of nursing diagnoses includes the commonly applied interventions which caregivers choose to implement to a particular patient.

The standardized NANDA nursing language is a set of terms commonly used in a profession understood in common. Use of these common terms promotes the safety of patients by allowing nurses to understand the patient’s needs aspects faster and efficiently. By using these terms, nursing staff can avoid sifting through long narratives and therefore easily determine the patient’s needs and also plans for the course of care.

A nurse is one of the primary caregivers in the hospital and other healthcare facilities. And in most cases he or she is the first person to interact with the patient and also the healthcare specialist that spends more time with a patient. Due to this fact, a nurse will play a crucial role in diagnosing the problem of the patient and also in the treatment. This fact is one of the key reasons that led to the development of the NANDA Nursing Diagnosis.

Different people may interpret nursing diagnosis in various ways depending on how they understand it. However, a nursing diagnosis is a clinical judgment about a community, family or individual responses and experiences with potential or actual health problems. The diagnosis provides a nurse, or any other healthcare gives in the same capacity with the basis for selection of the right nursing intervention to achieve the desired outcome for which the nurse will be accountable. Nursing diagnosis can also be defined as a judgment that is based on a nursing assessment (comprehensive assessment).

NANDA is the leading organization that defines, integrates, and disseminates standard nursing diagnoses globally. Although several other institutions in different parts of the world perform an almost similar role, NANDA is the oldest of them all, and it has come to be accepted and relied upon by millions of nurses across the world. NANDA (North America Nursing Association) is now an international body that is more popularly known for its annual and regularly updated nursing diagnosis lists.

Contents:

• What is NANDA Nursing Diagnosis?
• Purpose of the Nursing Diagnosis
• The Importance of Using the NANDA Nursing Diagnoses
• The Process of Conducting a Nursing Diagnosis
• Types of Nursing Diagnoses
• Five Labels /components of the NANDA Nursing Diagnosis
• The NANDA Nursing Diagnosis List
• The NANDA Diagnosis Care Plans
• Nursing Diagnosis Book from NANDA
• What Else You Should Know About NANDA Nursing Diagnosis

Purpose of the Nursing Diagnosis

There are several steps in the nursing process, and the steps start even before the patient enters the care of a nurse. Nursing diagnosis fulfills the second important step in the nursing process and without it, the other steps would not be efficiently performed and hence meaning that the patient would not be able to get the care that they deserve. Nursing diagnosis is a guiding methodology when planning for care and it helps to better the communication between the caregivers and their patients. It provides a standardized language to be used and hence prevents any assumptions and hence increasing accuracy in the practice.

Diagnosis also helps the nurse and other members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to understand the problems of a client entirely. And so its purpose is to ensure that the recipient or patient gets a patient-focused care rather than being given a nurse-focused or medical-focused care that is only based on symptoms or routine practices. Apart from care, the purpose of this diagnosis is to ensure that the patient will leave the health facility fully satisfied with the level and quality of service offered.

The Importance of Using the NANDA Nursing Diagnoses

Although the NANDA Diagnosis lists have been in use for some decades now, many people including some nurses and other healthcare professionals still do not understand the importance of using them. However, the fact of the matter is that no intervention will be effective without them in the world of today. And it will be very hard for the nursing role to be successful. Apart from this, the following are a few things that make the use of these diagnoses important for healthcare:

• The NANDA helps a nurse to establish an appropriate plan to take care of patients and hence ensures that they get the best care possible.
• It contributes to promoting global standardization of nursing care by encouraging the same quality of healthcare that you would get in developed countries like the USA in the developing or third world countries.
• NANDA nursing diagnosis also helps the important nursing functions to keep up with the changing times and changing needs of patients as more and different health conditions continue to come up.
• They provide a learning platform for new nurses, and they also act as an important source of reference in the nursing fraternity.
• NANDA nursing makes things simpler and faster because by being able to identify the problem of a patient within a short time a nurse will be able to serve more people in a day. This might not be the silver bullet that will help solve the global nursing shortage, but it helps significantly.
• Helps to eliminate the possibility of making errors in diagnosis since a nurse does not have to assume anything, especially when using the list.

The Process of Conducting a Nursing Diagnosis

Although there are different ways of conducting the diagnosis, there are certain things that the process has to cover to be considered useful. However, what matters is the result and not necessarily how it is done. But to ensure that you get the diagnosis right and to make it easier the following is the general process that is followed.

1. Nursing assessment: This is the first step, and it involves the collection of the data that is relevant in the caring of the intended recipient of the diagnosis that in this case can be an individual, family or community. Some of the data collected regard their response to actual or potential health problems.
2. Cluster and interpretation of data: It is important for the nurse to gather and assess the data before the nurse can plan or implement it.
3. Hypothesis/Alternative generations: The third step in the process involves the nurse coming up with some possible alternatives that can represent the observed patterns.
4. Planning: Planning is perhaps the most important step in the nursing diagnosis planning process, and it involves determining realistic outcomes and the interventions that will support the attainment of those intended outcomes.
5. Implementation and Evaluation: Implementation is putting the plan or the result of the diagnosis into action, and it is done in collaboration with the care receiver. Evaluation involves studying movement towards the intended outcomes and adjustments made where necessary to reevaluate the appropriateness of the diagnosis made.

This process might look quite complex and lengthy, but the list of NANDA diagnosis makes it simpler and more straightforward. In fact, most nurses do not have to go through all these steps as the lists simplify things by providing the nursing diagnosis for different conditions and nursing procedures.

Types of Nursing Diagnoses

Over the years, NANDA has developed several nursing diagnosis lists but even with the many lists currently available there are only four types of nursing diagnoses. And although some practices may categorize the diagnosis into more types or even fewer the following four encompass everything that should be covered in the diagnoses.

1. Actual: This type of diagnosis addresses the human response within a patient to a health condition, life situation or disease. A good example of this is hypothermia and pain. This diagnosis must be followed through the definition of factors that relate to the “actual” condition being diagnosed.
2. Health Promotion: Health promotion is a clinical judgment that entails a patient’s readiness, motivation or a desire for a better state of health or a factor than can lead to an overall improvement of their health. This kind of diagnosis will not require any current level of patient wellness.
3. At-Risk: This type of diagnosis will encompass likely or potential risk factors that a patient is faced with like, for example, the danger of getting an infection. An important thing to note with this type of risk is that NANDA does not allow “actual” diagnoses to be interchangeable with “at-risk” diagnosis for example “hypothermia” cannot be swapped for “at-risk of hypothermia.”
4. Syndrome: The fourth type is syndrome nursing, and it involves clustering many nursing diagnoses together. Nursing care should then be provided by applying similar interventions to the entire group or cluster.

Five Labels /components of the NANDA Nursing Diagnosis

NANDA provides comprehensive resources that cover all aspects of nursing, and they are always coming up with improvements to make things even easier for the caregivers. However, there are five important labels or components of these diagnoses that will always remain as they are. As a nurse, they are among the most important things that you should keep in mind even when using the diagnosis lists. The five components or labels are.

1. Diagnostic label. This entails the actual diagnosis that has been approved by NANDA, and it can include descriptors such as decreased, impaired, deficient and compromised.
2. Related Factors. It involves conditions or etiologies that can be treated through the intervention that falls within a nurses’ legal scope of practice. In short, this label defines the conditions that a nurse can and is allowed to treat legally, and they are also qualified for the same. The etiology or condition that a nurse can be able to treat through intervention is identified in the initial nursing assessment.
3. Definition. This is the human response characteristic that has been approved by NANDA. The label provides a clear and precise description that helps to delineate its meaning so that it can easily be differentiated from similar diagnoses.
4. Risk factors. Risk factors is a label that encompasses the factors that can and imposes vulnerability on the community, family or an individual. The risk factors include elements such as genetic, environment, and psychological or physiological factors.
5. Diagnostic statement support. This is the data that supports the nursing diagnosis and is vital to the success of the process. The data is collected during the assessment phase.

The NANDA Nursing Diagnosis List

The NANDA nursing diagnosis list is simply a list as the name suggests that is designed to guide a nurse in the diagnosis of different conditions and come with the right plan for intervention to offer the patient the required and necessary care. NANDA has prepared lists for most conditions, diseases, and nursing procedures. They have new lists every year, for example, there is NANDA nursing diagnosis 2013 and also NANDA nursing diagnosis 2014.

Although a list can contain some of the items or things from the previous years, it also has a plenty of updates and advancements that are in tune with the ever-changing nursing environment. There are also nursing lists that are made to cover a particular period, for example, the diagnoses list for 2012-2014. The lists come in different forms, and you can choose the entire list that contains all the NANDA diagnoses, a list for a particular condition or one for a particular domain such as Sexuality or Life Principles.

The approved diagnoses list includes:

1. Exchanges

• Excess nutrient: nutritional higher metabolic requirements.
• Nutritional deficiency: lower nutritional intakes which are below metabolic requirements.
• Risk of excess nutrition: chances of higher nutrient intake metabolic needs.
• Risk of infections: risk of pathogens contamination.
• Impaired body temperature risk
• Hypothermia: temperature below the normal limits
• Hyperthermia: body temperatures above the normal limits
• Ineffective thermoregulation: body temperatures fluctuation between hyperthermia and hypothermia
• Dysreflexia: non inhibition of influx of sympathetic nervous systems faces noxious stimuli which threaten life of a person with spinal cord up to D7 or even below.
• Constipation: changes in the normal bowel habits often characterized by decrease of stool and emission of hard and dry stool.
• Decreased cardiac output
• Ineffective airway clearance
• Ineffective mode of breathing: the mode of breathing doesn’t allow correct filling or emptying of lungs.
• Inability to maintain spontaneous breathing.
• Intolerance assisted ventilation cessation.
• Risks of accident
• Choking risks
• Risks of poisoning: higher risks of getting into contact with harmful substances in enough quantities to cause poisoning.
• Risk of trauma
• Aspiration suction risk
• Immobility syndrome risk
• Damage of tissue integrity risk to skin damages
• Disruption of energy field

2. Communication

• Impairment of verbal communication: inability or difficulty in understanding languages in interpersonal reactions.

3. Relations

• Social interaction disruptions: excessive, ineffective or inadequate social relations
• Social isolation
• Risk of loneliness
• Disturbance in role performance
• Disturbance in parenting exercise
• Sexual dysfunction
• Family dynamics disruption
• Failure in caregiver role performance
• Family dynamics disruptions
• Sexuality disruption: changes in sexual health.

4. Values

• Spiritual distress
• Spiritual well being: possibly updating.

5. Choice

• Ineffective individual dealing strategies
• Failure to adapt to health status changes
• Coping strategies defensive: the defensive system against things that seem to threaten positive self image and this results to systematic oneself overestimation.
• Denial not constructive
• Inefficient family coping strategies
• Ineffective community coping strategies

6. Movement

• Impaired physical mobility
. Peripheral neuromuscular dysfunction risk
• Injury risk in perioperative
• Intolerance to activity
• Fatigue
• Activity intolerance risk
• Sleep patterns disruptions
• Lack of leisure
• Total or partial disability to eat
• Partial or total swallowing disability
• Interrupted breastfeeding
• Partial or total disability to wash
• Total or partial disability to use a toilet
• Growth and development disturbance
• Behavioral disorganization in infants

7. Perceptions

• Body image disturbance: changes in how a person view his body image
• Self esteem disturbance
• Disturbance of personal identity: inability to distinguish between oneself and the outside world.
• Altered sensory perception
• Loss of hope
• Feeling of powerlessness

8. Knowledge

• Lack of knowledge
• Environment misinterpretation syndrome
• Acute confusion
• Chronic confusion
• Operation of thought alteration
• Memory problems

9. Sensations and emotions

• Acute pain
• Chronic pain
• Mourning – grief – dysfunction
• Mourning in advance
• Violence risk against oneself and others
• Post traumatic reactions
• Rape trauma syndrome
• Anxiety
• Fear

The purpose of NANDA diagnosis nursing list

This is a useful and essential list which encourages the safety of patients by primarily standardizing evidence-based nursing diagnoses. The nursing process enables implementation of interventions with foreseeable outcomes. Presence of accurate and uniform documentation offered by utilization of NANDA nursing diagnoses helps in obtaining medical bills reimbursement.

NANDA consists of goal oriented nurses who are usually committed to continually increase quality of patient care while improving and promoting safety of patients. Furthermore, this group encourages suggestions from nonmembers on modification of the existing nursing diagnoses or creation of others. The researches which this organization conducts are always funded by the NANDA foundation.

Health care facilities preserve standardized NANDA Nursing Diagnosis List at all patient care units. Normally, the pre-printed diagnoses forms are maintained at nursing stations therefore enabling nurses to easily access course of care which they wish to implement. The pre-printed forms are usually part of a patient’s chart and therefore enable easier access by other staff members. This eventually turns to be a part of the patient’s permanent record.

NANDA nursing diagnosis 2014

The 2014 Nanda nursing diagnosis offers:

• Introductory chapters written at undergraduate nursing level. It also provides critical information useful in understanding assessment and taxonomic structure for nurses at bedside.

• A companion website which features presentations necessary for classroom and student assignments such as nursing diagnosis basics and assessments.

• New chapter focusing on the frequently asked questions (FAQs), representations and the questions received through NANDA website.

• 25 new nursing diagnosis

• Standardization of diagnostic indicators and,

• References for all submitted diagnosis

Examples of the NANDA Nursing Diagnosis List

• NANDA Nursing Diagnosis For Hypertension

Hypertension is a medical term that is used to describe high blood pressure that is the measurement of the force exerted on the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps blood.  Measurements of blood pressure are usually in millimeters mercury – mmHg – and given as two numbers (for example 20 over 80 written as 120/80mmHg. One of the two numbers can be very high. The top number is the systolic pressure which is taken to be high when it is above 140 and taken to be normal when below 120. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure which is taken to be high when it is above 90 and normal when it is below 80. Pre-hypertension is considered when the top number is between 120 and 139 and the bottom number is between 80 and 89. People with pre-hypertension have higher chances of developing high blood pressure. Doctors may require the blood pressure of people with kidney or heart problems or those who had a stroke to be much lower than that of individuals without the conditions.

NANDA provides a list with several diagnoses for this condition. One of the diagnoses is decreased cardiac output, and the expected outcome is to maintain the pressure within and acceptable range and stable cardiac frequency and rhythm. The nursing interventions for this diagnosis is measuring and monitoring pressure on both hands, assist self-care as needed among many more as may be described in the list.

Other diagnoses for hypertension include acute pain and knowledge deficit. Acute pain is from a headache related to increased pressure on the cerebral vascular, and some of the nursing interventions for this include maintaining bed rest and minimizing environmental stimuli and disruption. Knowledge deficit, on the other hand, is related to lack of information on the condition and also on self-care, and a nurse can intervene by describing the nature of the disease to the patient and the treatments available.

The nursing diagnosis for hypertension includes:

1. Knowledge deficit concerned with lack of information about self-care and the disease process.
2. Ineffective tissue perfusion – renal, cardiac, cerebral related to circulatory disorder.
3. Pain – headache concerned with increase in cerebral vascular pressure.Ineffective tissue perfusion – renal, cardiac, cerebral related to
4. Risk for reduced cardiac output linked to heightened afterload, myocardial ischemia, vasoconstriction, ventricular hypertrophy.

• NANDA Nursing Diagnosis For Gastrointestinal System

Gastrointestinal (GI) system has two primary functions: digestion and absorption. The system also has 2 groups of organs which are the alimentary canal which is the continuous passageway starting at the mouth and ending at the anus and the accessory organs necessary in processing digestion but aren’t part of the digestion system.The nursing assessmentNursing assessment focuses on the nutritional status and digestive problems of an individual. Nutritional deficits may manifest in various body systems. Nurses must obtain data concerning the onset of the digestive problems including vomiting,

The nursing assessmentNursing assessment focuses on the nutritional status and digestive problems of an individual. Nutritional deficits may manifest in various body systems. Nurses must obtain data concerning the onset of the digestive problems including vomiting,

Nursing assessment focuses on the nutritional status and digestive problems of an individual. Nutritional deficits may manifest in various body systems. Nurses must obtain data concerning the onset of the digestive problems including vomiting,

Nursing assessment focuses on the nutritional status and digestive problems of an individual. Nutritional deficits may manifest in various body systems. Nurses must obtain data concerning the onset of the digestive problems including vomiting, nausea, and indigestion; their severity and factors that worsen or improve the problems. Obtaining 24-hour dietary recall can help obtain nursing care planning subjective data. The nurse should ask questions regarding to the weight, appetite, the ability to swallow, to taste and to chew, pain and abdominal cramping. They should also inquire about bowel habits which include constipation, gas, blood in stool and diarrhea.Physical assessment involves distention and symmetry inspection, auscultation of every quadrant for the presence of bowel sounds, percussions to identify gaseous or fluid distention and palpation for tenderness, presence of masses and the size of major organs.

Physical assessment involves distention and symmetry inspection, auscultation of every quadrant for the presence of bowel sounds, percussions to identify gaseous or fluid distention and palpation for tenderness, presence of masses and the size of major organs.

The nursing diagnosis

The common NANDA diagnoses relating to GI disorders include:

• Activity intolerance concerning fatigue and weakness.
• Constipation related to medication, pain, immobility, and reduced GI motility.
• Diarrhea linked to acute infectious process associated with intestinal hyperactivity and irritated bowel.
• Imbalanced nutrition – more than what the body requires.
• Ineffective therapeutic regimen management concerning lack of knowledge on long-term disease management and consequences of failing to follow the treatment plan and unwillingness to change lifestyle.
• Nausea linked to acute exacerbation of disease process – often relating to reduced GI motility, narcotics and GI distention.
• Pain linked to increase in gastric secretions, gastric irritants ingestion, reduced mucosal protection.
• Aspiration risk linked to enteral tube.
• Risk of fluid deficiency relating to diarrhea.
• Risk of impaired skin.

The nursing intervention

A nurse should ensure that the patient is properly nourished and hydrated. The intervention includes weight monitoring, adequate fluid intake provision, alternative forms of nutrition administration and management. Nanda Nursing intervention for GI (gastrointestinal) bleed is very common, but it is also a potentially life-threatening condition and hence making the nursing diagnosis and intervention crucial. Depending on the place of origin they can be classified as Upper or Lower GI bleeds. The potential nursing diagnoses for this condition include fluid volume deficit, ineffective tissue perfusion and also complications related to bleeding. And the nursing interventions recommended by NANDA are to administer oxygen and monitor output and intake.

If the patient has experienced GI bleed, then the immediate nursing implication involves blood replacement, IV access, monitoring urine output and monitoring hemodynamics. Other nursing measures include iced gastric lavage or iced gastric, monitoring the stool for presence of blood, maintaining NPO status, NG tube maintenance (skin integrity, suction placement). After oral nourishment, a nurse should start observations for vomiting and nausea.

Patients at a greater risk of impaired skin integrity include those experiencing diarrhea and those with IV and TPN lines, those with feeding lines. The nurse has to assess and employ measures on the skin around ostomies IV and TPN lines. Furthermore, they have to assess and measure the peripheral area to minimize risks of infections, complications, and skin breakdown.

• NANDA Nursing Diagnosis For Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a lung parenchyma inflammation caused by infectious agents such as bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumonia, eneterobacter), viruses (influenza virus and adenovirus), Microplasma pneumonia, fungi (Candida albicans) and aspiration (hull). Pneumonia primarily occurs as a result of infections and with uncommon irritants which include the causes and unknown.

Even though over a hundred microorganism strains can cause pneumonia, there are only a few responsible for many cases. The commonest infectious bacteria and viruses are with it as a result of parasites fungi. Mixed infections which involve bacteria and viruses forms 15% of all infections in adults and 45% of the infections in children. Causative agents are not isolated in at least half of all cases despite careful testing. At times, pneumonia is applied broadly to lung inflammation – for example caused by autoimmune disease, drug reactions or chemical burns – however, this is accurately called pneumonitis.

Pneumonitis relates to lung infections. Pneumonia refers to pneumonitis which results from infections but at times it is non-infectious and has additional features of pulmonary consolidation. Pneumonia is also classified in several ways. It may be classified by how or where a person acquired it – community acquired, healthcare associated, aspiration, hospital acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia. It can also be classified by the parts of the lung affected – bronchial pneumonia, lobar pneumonia, acute interstitial pneumonia – and the causative agent. Pneumonia in children can also be classified depending on its signs and symptoms (severe, non-severe, and very severe)

Pneumonia is a very common and it is one of the few conditions that it is almost inevitable for a nurse to encounter often. NANDA proposes three diagnoses for this condition with the first one being ineffective airway clearance that is related to secret buildup and inflammation. Nursing interventions for this include giving an oxygen therapy and helping patients sit in a position that they can breathe comfortably. The second diagnosis is impaired gas exchange, and the interventions include prevention fatigue in patients and monitoring blood gas analysis. The third one is fluid volume deficit with the interventions being monitoring fluid balance in the mucous membrane and performing oral hygiene.

Nanda nursing diagnosis for pneumonia includes:

1. Ineffective airway clearance concerned with edema formation, tracheal-bronchial inflammation and increased sputum production.

2. Impaired gaseous exchange linked to impaired oxygen blood carrying capacity.

3. Risk of spread of infections linked to insufficient secondary defenses – immune infections suppression – chronic disease malnutrition.

4. Activities intolerance concerned with the imbalance between oxygen demand and supply.

5. Acute pain related to persistent cough and parenchyma lung inflammation.

• Psychological Nursing Diagnosis NANDA List

The psychological nursing diagnosis NANDA List is one of the most detailed of all their lists because there are many issues surrounding this condition. It is also informed by the fact that psychosocial issues are more complex to deal with and sometimes require special skills. However, the list provides different diagnoses for most of the conditions and the best-suited interventions and care plans that the nurse can provide to the patient.

Types of psychosocial disorders

There are many types of psychosocial disorders such as eating disorders which are becoming very common in the western countries. The illnesses include serious diseases such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The disorders are commonest in females specifically in girls. Girls who suffer anorexia nervosa fear weight gain and they therefore restrict their diet. This leads to excessive weight loss in early adulthood and can cause nutritional problems if untreated for a long time.

The psychological factor involved in the disease is a course of physical changes that girls pass through at the beginning of their puberty. Some social factors are fear of turning unfit for the society. On the other hand, Bulimia nervosa is an eating illness characterized by self-induced vomiting immediately after eating. The two diseases are treatable with psychosocial nursing. Some adjustment disorders which people face include fear of getting into a new place and nurses treat them with psychosocial therapy.

Cognitive disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and others which are related to memory and solving sums. Some social factors which aggravate them include less exposure to play and practice. Short term memory often results from lack of coordination and anxiety. When a person is preoccupied with fear of some imminent actions, their brain memory cells fails to function in a proper way therefore affecting their memory.

Dissociative disorders involve memory loss that causes complete unawareness of identity. They are the most crucial and are only solved by psychosocial nursing diagnosis and some other nursing. Some psychological diseases result from other medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, depression resulting from diabetes and disorders arising due to epilepsy. The conditions are treated by solving the root cause. Mood disorders include bipolar illnesses and primary depressive illnesses.

The NANDA Diagnosis Care Plans

After the diagnosis of a condition or disease the next step that a nurse is supposed to take in the nursing process is intervention and for this, a care plan is required. Without a care plan the response would not be as effective as intended, and sometimes it can even lead to the failure of the intervention. Apart from just providing diagnosis NANDA also provides suitable care plans that the caregiver should follow when attending to patients. As a nurse, it is vital to understand what a nursing care plan is and why you need one when handling patients or clients.

• What is a Nursing Care Plan?

A nursing care plan is probably the most hated assignment in a nursing school. Students are often told to prepare a nursing care plan, and some of them do not bother to know exactly what it is and why it is important, but this changes once they get employed. A care plan is simply a strategy that a nurse prepares for how to take care of a particular patient the next day or for a couple of days. Besides from the diagnoses, a care plan is also one of the key things that NANDA emphasizes for the nursing process to be successful.

• Why is The Nursing Care Plan Needed?

1. This plan provides direction for personalized care of each patient and hence helps to ensure that as a nurse you give all your patients the best care possible.
2. A care plan helps to ensure continuity of care as they act as a mean of communication between staff and so when the nurse changes shift the other one will know where to start from.
3. They provide valuable documentation that is important when caring for the patient and can also be used for reference in future.
4. Care plans can also act as a guide for assigning staff to specific clients who require certain special skills that they possess.
5. They are also important for the patients as they serve as a guide during the reimbursement process. Most insurance companies will request for the care plan so that they can determine the amount of money that they will pay concerning the treatment that their client received.

The nursing plan includes:

• The date.
• Action verbs such as monitor, instruct, palpate and some other descriptive verbs.
• Content area that is the “what” and “where” of the order.
• Time element.
• Signature.

Nursing Diagnosis Book from NANDA

All the diagnosis list and interventions can be found in the Nursing Diagnosis Book from NANDA. This is a must have for all nurses and nursing students and the book provides you with most of the resources that you will need to succeed in your routine nursing duties. The book can be bought online and downloaded, but it is important to make sure that whatever you buy is updated with the latest diagnosis. To ensure this, you should consider the year and go for the most recent available. Although a nurse can study and understand all the diagnosis, you may still need to make references or check for updates and hence it is vital to own this book.

The book guides you on building personalized care plans using three step process – assessment, diagnosis, and planning for customized care. The book includes proposed nursing diagnoses for more than 1300 client symptoms, psychiatric and medical diagnoses, surgical interventions, diagnostic procedures and clinical states. Its authors Gail Ladwig and Elizabeth Ackley use Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) and Nursing Outcome Classification (NOC) information to guide nurses in creating care plans which include desired outcomes, patient teachings, interventions and evidence based rationales.

Key features of this book:

• The book promotes evidence-based rationales and interventions by including the classic or the most recent research supporting use of every intervention.
• It provides care plans for each NANDA-I approved nursing diagnoses.
• Provides step by step instructions on how you should use the guide to planning care and guide to nursing care sections to make individualized care plans.
• The book has geriatric, pediatric, home care and multicultural interventions which are necessary for care plans.
• Have NOC outcomes and examples and suggested NIC interventions in all care plans.
• The book allows faster access to specific nursing diagnosis and symptoms with use of alphabetical thumb tabs.
• Includes care plan contractor on NANDA website for hands-on practice in making customized care plans.

What Else You Should Know About NANDA Nursing Diagnosis

• These diagnoses are accepted globally, and they act as a reference in nursing process in all the major hospitals in developed countries.
• They are always being updated with new ones added, and so it is important to keep up with the new diagnoses.
• A nurse will still need good judgment and knowledge as these diagnoses only act as a guideline and will not necessarily tell you everything you need to do.

When one thinks of going to the hospital, it is normally in the context of having some sort of procedure done. Be it having an appendix removed or undergoing a more complicated operation, the operating room will be filled with all sorts of medical professionals.

Contents:

• Who Is a Surgical Nurse?
• What Surgical Nurses Do in Preoperative Care
• Duties of Surgical Nurses During Surgery
• Role of a Surgical Nurse in Postoperative Care
• Education Requirements for Surgical Nurses
• Other Surgical Nurses’ Requirements
• Why You Should Consider a Career in Surgical Nursing?
• How Much Does a Surgical Nurse Earn?
• How to Become a Surgical Nurse?
• Advantages of Earning a Degree in Surgical Nursing

Who Is a Surgical Nurse?

Anyone who enters the hospital for a surgical procedure is going to interact with a surgical nurse at some point during their visit. In addition to being a vital part of the actual surgical team, surgical nurses can be found in preoperative and postoperative care units.

Surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical technicians, and nurses will work together to assure proper patient care. Surgical patients understand and indeed demand that only specialists perform the various needed procedures. For instance, most people only want a licensed anesthesiologist administering anesthesia. If someone is having a heart surgery, they only want a cardiologist to operate on them.

But how many people have given thought to the type of nurse that is in the operating room? Some may think that a nurse is just a nurse and that all are the same. This is not true and you may be surprised to know just how specialized this field of nursing has become.

What Surgical Nurses Do in Preoperative Care

The surgical nurse makes sure the patient is stable enough for surgery. They clean and prepare the area that will be operated on and discuss the procedure with the patient. In addition, the surgical nurse is charged with updating the various specialists involved with the patient’s condition as well as the patient’s family.

Duties of Surgical Nurses During Surgery

The surgical nurse will make sure the required surgical instruments are properly placed and available for the surgeons. They will monitor all of the devices and advise accordingly regarding status. Often a subcategory of surgical nursing, known as a circulating nursing, will be in place to ensure all is in order.

Role of a Surgical Nurse in Postoperative Care

After surgery, the input of a skilled surgical nurse is vital to a speedy patient recovery. Small deviations in diet and medication can be devastating, so it is up to the surgical nurse to make certain these are correctly monitored.

In addition, dressing and vital signs must be also monitored very closely. As in preoperative care, the surgical nurse must interact with the family to help them understand what is happening to their loved one.

Education Requirements for Surgical Nurses

Surgical nursing is a specialized nursing field that requires a Bachelor Degree in Nursing. Afterward, a state exam is required and then further specialized training will be needed before you can be certified to work with a surgical team.

A good surgical nurse will also have exposure to many different types of surgical procedures. They must be familiar with the specialized preoperative and postoperative requirements for different kinds of surgery.

Other Surgical Nurses’ Requirements

Surgical nurses interact frequently with doctors, patients, families, and other nurses. They must deal with highly emotional people. Therefore, good communication skills are necessary. Surgical nurses are also patient advocates and disseminators of information.

As one of the top ten most rewarding professions, medical surgical nursing not only pays a lot better than the average yearly salary but the intangible rewards from making differences in people’s lives can’t be understated.

Medical-surgical nursing can capitalize on many of the benefits of the nursing profession.

Those who choose the medical surgical nursing route need certain characteristics to make the most of this specialization.

These include:

• Endurance. The demands of medical surgical nursing can be strenuous. Especially during those times when things don’t go as planned, which is most of the time in a hospital. Your patients are depending on you even when things are very busy and demanding of your time and attention.

• Stress handling ability. While not all operations create high-stress situations, any could turn that way on a dime. With this in mind, those who want to enter medical surgical nursing will need to be certain they can handle the pressure that might come along with the job. There’s no do-overs in the operating room.

• Willingness to take orders. While all nurses must be able to take and carry out orders, medical surgical nursing can present more face-to-face encounters with doctors than other areas of hospital work. Those who don’t mind constant contact with doctors thrive in this area.

• Blood. Yes, you have to be able to work with and around blood in medical surgical nursing. Some nurses are just naturally queasy and can’t deal with blood and the smell associated with it. But that’s ok, that’s why there are doctors offices for those to work in.

• Ability to continue learning. Medical-surgical nursing is a specialty just like any other area of nursing, and you can become certified as a medical surgical nurse. Those nurses with specialty certifications make more money and do their jobs better because of further education.

For those that really enjoy making a difference in their patients’ lives, medical surgical nursing provides this. But just like anything else, it’s not for everybody. So spend some time researching your nursing profession of choice before taking the plunge, you’ll be glad you did.

To execute their duties in a proper fashion, surgical nurses need to have a combination of clinical and personal skills. The nurses have to answer all the questions that a patient might have regarding the surgery. In addition to that, it becomes the responsibility of the surgical nurses to trouble shoot any queries that the patient’s family has about the surgery. They also ensure that the patient is comfortable with all the procedures that will be performed on him or her. In short, the surgical nurses prepare the patient for the coming ordeal, both mentally and physically. It is because of these functions that the best nurses are very empathetic and possess a very high degree of intuition.

During the surgery, the surgical nurses observe every detail very keenly. Surgical nurses are required to be very attentive, have excellent observational skills and react quickly. Since the patient is unable to convey any distress during the surgery, it becomes the nurse’s job to pick up any subtle signs of discomfort and report that to the surgical team immediately. Sometimes, even some minor changes in the vital signs can lead to various complications. Surgical nurses are specially trained to pick and interpret any of these signs.

At this time, most of the surgical nurses are traditionally working in hospitals. However, with the way health care is being promoted, it is possible that very soon clinics, as well as emergency rooms, will be qualified to perform surgical practices. This will allow these specially trained surgical nurses to broaden their professional horizons. Surgical nursing can be labeled as a demanding profession, since even the smallest decision that is made in an operation theater can lead to completely different results.

A number of people are looking for new career options in the present economy, and this is certainly true. Lots of people are beginning to take into account the potential for being a surgical nurse . Healthcare is one field that is constantly hiring so there are a lot of opportunities for surgical nurses. Because you know that you’re helping people, you will find that becoming a surgical nurse is fulfilling and satisfying. You need to absolutely check out this article if you are interested in becoming a surgical nurse as we can provide that details.

Why You Should Consider a Career in Surgical Nursing?

Stability, as well as job security, are certainly two perks that you’re going to see with being a surgical nurse . This is a position that will definitely be a thing that will always be there because currently there are a lot of surgical nurses. You’ll not need to bother about there being a low demand for surgical nurses because that’s not really the case, and you’ll not need to be worried about getting laid off.

How Much Does a Surgical Nurse Earn?

The surgical nurse salary may be something that you are pondering about. How much money does a surgical nurse make? One thing that attracts people to this position is the fact that surgical nurses make a decent amount of money. Typically, a surgical nurse can make anywhere from 59,955 to US$ 81,142 annually. The average surgical nurse salary is generally around US$ 74,333 annually. If you have more experience plus much more education, you can make more income as a surgical nurse , which is certainly something that you will see to be true.

It’s really a valid concern that you could be wondering tips on how to be certain that you’re actually obtaining the best surgical nurse salary. Folks can be surgical nurses by going to the programs that different schools offer. Finding the best program at the best school achievable to get your certification will be the first thing to do. If a surgical nurse has gone to a wonderful institution to get his/her education, he/she will get hired for a better salary. You can ensure you receive the very best surgical nurse salary possible by joining advanced courses that you can put on your resume.

You may realize that getting to be a surgical nurse could be the best option for you as many folks have found when it comes to hunting for a different career. The favorable surgical nurse salary is one of the best benefits, though there are several more connected with being a surgical nurse. Helping individuals in the medical field is really something that is respectable, which is another advantage.

How to Become a Surgical Nurse?

There are three educational paths to become a surgical nurse. The first way, although it’s becoming less and less popular nowadays, is getting a diploma from an accredited nursing program or hospital. The other two ways are achieving an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Whether you’ve acquired a diploma or a degree you still must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

Before becoming a surgical nurse you should know some of the negative aspects of the career. For instance, nursing is very stressful work and burn-out is quite common. You won’t have a nine-to-five day, expect to work a lot of nights and weekends. Finally, nurses work with very sick people, including patients that are dying. You must have the personality and the emotional stability to deal with death and suffering on a daily basis.

Advantages of Earning a Degree in Surgical Nursing

1. You’ll always be able to find a job.

There’s more to this than the aging of the Boom Generation, too. Medical science is opening new doors in the health care industry from home health care to community nursing. There will always be jobs for qualified nurses, and those who have nursing degrees will always get hiring preference.

2. You’ll be able to find a job anywhere you want to live.

From the inner city to luxury suburbs, every community needs nurses. Whatever your ideal setting is, chances are good that the community will welcome you with a job and open arms. You can even choose to travel while you work – there are nursing jobs in the hospitality industry, including nursing jobs on cruise ships and in resort towns. When you have a nursing degree, you can choose where you want to live and know that there will be a job.

3. Surgical nurses with degrees can command higher salaries.

Surgical Nurses with an advanced degree can earn, on average, 25% to 50% more than non-degreed nurses, even in the same position. In addition, a nursing degree is a requirement for some of the highest paying jobs in nursing. Those jobs include head nurse and management jobs, jobs in a hospital, a nursing home, and clinic management, industrial nursing jobs and nursing jobs in city, state and federal Public Health departments.

4. A surgical nursing degree gives you more career choices.

Specialization is becoming the norm in all fields these days, but especially so in medicine. Advanced nursing degrees often offer you the opportunity to acquire specialized knowledge in a particular nursing field. That specialized depth of knowledge will allow you to work in higher paying jobs that have more of an effect on the world of medicine and on the patients with whom you work.

Higher certification standards mean that those who do not have at least a nursing certification will not be able to work in the field at all. If your intent is to get a nursing job that pays well, a certificate or license is no longer enough. A nurse with a degree concentration in business and management may manage a nursing home, a hospice or a nutritional clinic.

If you think you have what it takes to become a nurse, then you can start your career training by contacting your local hospital or college to find information regarding a training program. You might even contact a long-term care facility also since they will have a lot of information as they hire quite a few nurses to help take care of their elderly live-in patients. That often happens these days.

Also known as clinical laboratory technologists, medical technologists are health professionals responsible for performing and analyzing the result of complex scientific tests on body fluids and tissues. Such include blood, urine, and synovial fluids among other samples obtained from a patient for testing. Due to advances in technology, they make use of sophisticated equipment and procedures to ensure that they give accurate results for each test. The data that they obtain from the tests is helpful in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of patients suffering from various conditions and diseases. In most cases, the work of medical technologists goes unnoticed because they mostly work behind the scenes, but they make an immense and crucial contribution in the healthcare profession.

Contents:

• Educational Programs for Medical Technologist
• Work Environment for a Medical Technologist
• Certification as a Medical Technologist
• Important Qualities for a Medical Technologist
• Medical Technologist: Job Description
• Relevance of Medical Technologist Career
• Opportunities to Specialize as a Medical Technologist
• Salary of a Medical Technologist
• Interesting Facts about Working in the Lab
• FAQ for Medical Technologists

Educational Programs for Medical Technologist

1. Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology

This course prepares one for a career as a medical technologist by equipping him or her with the necessary skills for sample testing and analysis. Through this program, the learners are taught how to conduct lab tests and interpret the results, and this is helpful in making diagnostic conclusions. They are introduced to laboratory equipment used in the career. The program is a combination of both classwork and clinical experiments. Major areas of study include:

• Phlebotomy
• Bacteriology
• Hematology
• Mycology
• Immunodiagnostics
• Urinalysis

In most educational institutions offering this program, the basic admission requirement is to hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, some specific educational institutions may have additional requirements such as physical examination, drug test, and proof of immunization. The completion period for this program is usually four years.

2. Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science

This program prepares one to work as a medical technologist upon graduation. The option is for people who wish to join this career but are yet to get a degree in medical technology. It takes about a year or less to complete, and it equips students with knowledge of laboratory science and methods used in medical technology. The requirement for admission to this program is to hold a bachelor’s degree preferably in the field of science. The curriculum for this program covers topics such as:

• Hematology
• Microbiology
• Phlebotomy techniques
• Medical research and analysis
• Chemistry
• Coagulation

3. Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Technology

This program is designed for any individual who wishes to work as a medical technologist in specific areas such as sleep, cardiology, and respiratory medicine. Applicants for this program must be graduates and must hold health professional qualification that required at least three years of tertiary study. It is usually taken on a part-time basis and takes two years on average to complete.

4. Advanced Certificate in Medical Laboratory Technology

This is a type of accelerated education pathway designed for people who have already earned a baccalaureate degree in the field of medical laboratory science. It gives the students an opportunity to work in the diagnostic lab and learn most of the procedures from experience. The program takes up to one and a half years and upon completion, the learners must pass a licensure examination to be allowed to work as a medical technologist.

Work Environment for a Medical Technologist

A medical technologist has limited direct contact with the patient in most cases. Some of the few instances when they interact with patients is when they are drawing blood or instructing patients on how to properly collect body fluids. They spend most of their working hours on foot testing samples. The services of a medical technologist are usually needed in various places such as:

• Hospital laboratories
• Physicians offices
• Public health agencies
• Medical research laboratories
• Schools, Colleges, and Universities

Their working environment for a medical technologist can be described to be risky because they work with the specimen that is infectious, or with materials that produce dangerous fumes. However, they can reduce this risk by wearing protective gear, following the correct procedures, sterilizing their equipment, and disposing of lab waste in a safe way to protect themselves from infections.

Certification as a Medical Technologist

Many employers demand certification as one of the requirements to work with them. This is because they understand that certified allied medical technologists are committed to their profession, and are adept at providing quality results in their work. Requirements for medical technologist so that they can acquire licenses vary from one state to the other.

Currently, the certification is being offered by bodies such as American Medical Technologists (AMT). There are certain benefits that a medical technologist reaps from getting certified, for example, they are easily absorbed in the job market and are paid higher wages for their services. They also have higher chances of promotion as compared to their counterparts who may not be certified. Additionally, AMT gives awards and scholarships to deserving individuals in recognition of any notable positive impact that they may have made in the profession.

Apart from meeting the educational requirements for the certification, applicants for AMT certification must have graduated from a program that is accredited by a recognized accreditation agency. They also must provide evidence that they participated in laboratory experience during the course of their study. To maintain the Certified status, individuals must pay the required annual fee and comply with the required practice standards. Failure to pay the annual fee or comply with the standards could easily cause loss of member benefits and might even make a medical technologist lose his or her certification.

Important Qualities for a Medical Technologist

• Passion for science: a medical technologist must have a strong background in biology and chemistry among other fields of science. This helps in understanding chemical compositions and interactions in tissues and cells.
• Detail oriented: the field requires one to be thorough and accurate because failure to pay attention to detail could mislead the physician in making the wrong diagnosis.
• Ability to use technology: a medical technologist works with a wide range of equipment and machines so they must learn how to operate them with ease.
• Physical stamina: this is a demanding career in terms of physical strength and fitness because technologists work on their feet for long durations while collecting and analyzing samples. At times they may even require turning bedridden patients so as to collect their samples. Also, some work over time depending on the policy of their workplace.
• Dexterity: it is an added benefit for medical technologists to be exceptionally skilled in performing tasks with their hands because they work with needles and other equipment that need to be handled with precision.

Medical Technologist: Job Description

The major responsibilities of medical technologists are to carry out diagnostic tests on samples from patients, which will enable the physicians to diagnose and monitor the health state of the patient. They usually follow a certain standardized procedure to check the accuracy of the test results. In most cases, they report to the manager or the supervisor in their department. The following are the duties that they are expected to carry out:

1. To determine if the components of body fluids provided for testing are normal or abnormal by conducting a thorough chemical analysis of urine, blood, gastric juices, and spinal fluids.
2. To conduct an analysis of blood cells through counting and identifying them. They use microscopic techniques and procedures for this.
3. To prepare blood components (plasma, platelets, etc.) for blood transfusion through determining the blood type, blood group, and conducting compatibility tests.
4. To ensure that all laboratory equipment such as colorimeters and flame photometers among others are functioning properly. This involves following proper maintenance procedures, ensuring that manufacturer instructions are followed, troubleshooting, and calling for repairs of the equipment when necessary.
5. Maintaining an inventory of medical lab supplies and checking the stock regularly. This helps them to anticipate any needed supplies and to make the necessary orders in time so that the operations of the lab keep running smoothly.
6. Ensuring that laboratory resources are put into proper use to provide the test results, and checking to avoid unnecessary wastage.
7. To answer questions about medical technology when the information is required either by patients or by other professionals in the medical field.
8. Preparing laboratory reports about the tests that they have conducted. This is usually accomplished through collecting, analyzing and summarizing data.
9. Ensuring that they are always up to date with any current information concerning their job responsibilities. They can do this by attending seminars and workshops, taking refresher courses, or reading professional publications in their field.
10. Providing a good working environment by promoting intradepartmental and interdepartmental cooperation.
11. Making sure that their working space is always clean and that any procedure that they carry out is compliant with the already established rules and regulations of their career.
12. Getting rid of hazardous waste in a safe manner as this will protect them, their patients, and their colleagues from getting infections.
13. Keeping patient information confidential as dictated by the code of ethics in the medical career.

Relevance of Medical Technologist Career

The demand for these technologists has been growing rapidly in the recent past, and this has led to rise in the number of educational institutions offering programs related to the career. This increased demand can also be traced to the following factors.

• There has been a rapid increase in population meaning that more and more people require diagnostic tests
• In the past decades, the world has witnessed an increase in diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This trend is expected to be on an upward trend in subsequent generations, thus maintaining the need and relevance of the career.
• More couples especially the young ones are preferring to conduct prenatal testing to determine if their babies are at a risk of being born with certain genetic conditions.
• An increase in the aging population is also expected to contribute to a greater need for medical diagnosis.
• More people are getting access to medical insurance. As such, previously uninsured people who found it expensive to pay the cost for medical services can now afford to seek treatment and laboratory tests.

With the above observation, it is clear that the job prospects for these technologists are good for those who complete the required programs and get the necessary accreditation. Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the employment levels of this field will grow at a rate of 14%-18% between 2014 and 2024. This is a clear indication that this is an appropriate career for those seeking job security and stability.

Opportunities to Specialize as a Medical Technologist

When one undertakes studies in medical technology, they are opening themselves up to an endless range of possibilities that they could use to widen the scope of their work. After gaining some experience in one of the many areas of laboratory work, technologists have the opportunity to further their career by advancing to the specialist level. There are three broad fields of specialization in this career which include laboratory, clinical care, and industry. In modern laboratories, common areas of specifications include bioengineering, cancer research, immune system and cell marker technology.

In the clinical aspect of the career, one can choose to specialize in biogenetics, drug testing, and therapeutic drug monitoring among other available openings. In industry, one can choose to take positions such as product development, environmental health, quality assurance, sales, and marketing among others. Specialization usually requires that one undertakes further studies, but this is not a hindrance because educational institutions offer part-time learning. An individual in that situation could also opt for online learning so as to strike a balance between work and study.

Salary of a Medical Technologist

Information from the bureau of labor statistics shows that the median annual wage for medical technologists is $60,400. However, this may vary according to the place in which one is working. Those working in outpatient facilities laboratories are said to be paid the highest, followed by hospitals, physician offices, and then diagnostic laboratories. Geographical location also affects the salary range.

Interesting Facts about Working in the Lab

• The test results that the technologist gives are responsible for 70% of the decision that a doctor makes. This shows how important they are, and a hospital cannot function fully without them.
• Working in the lab is always unpredictable. Although the testing procedure may look like a repetitive process, that is not the case because one cannot tell what kind of samples they are going to get for the day. That is determined by the patients’ condition.
• Working in the lab is less stressful that other job positions in the healthcare sector. There is limited interaction, and one is not under pressure to make split second decisions.
• Working in the lab is exciting because one gets to contribute to the health and wellness of patients without having to undergo the stress that comes with direct patient care.

FAQ for Medical Technologists

Q: Why do medical technologists need to get certified?

A: Certification is the cornerstone of your career because it tells the employer whether or not you have the necessary skills for successful performance in the roles they are going to assign to you

Q: Can aspiring medical technologists complete their studies online?

A: Some of the programs are available online but to qualify for graduation and licensing, one must complete an internship during which they work in a laboratory setting to get hands-on experience.

Q: Are medical technologists responsible for collecting test samples such as body fluids?

A: Job specifications vary from one working place to another. Some hospitals will require you to collect the specimen from the patient while in others you will stick to testing samples and providing results.

Q: Do medical technologists make a diagnosis?

A: No, that decision is left to the doctors.

SOURCES:

healthcareers.about.com

www.bls.gov

www.uwosh.edu

In the world of nursing, there are different kinds of specializations one of them being that of an MDS coordinator. This is typically a registered nurse (RN) whose main role is to conduct assessments that are federally mandated. As such, a day in the life of an MDS (Minimum Data Set) nurse revolves around a collection of data and compiling it to formulate a thorough report to allow for further research at a long-term health care facility.

Contents:

• What Is an MDS Coordinator?
• MDS Coordinator Career Overview
• Specific Roles and Responsibilities of an MDS Coordinator
• Future of an MDS Coordinator
• MDS Coordinator Education Requirements
• How to Become an MDS Coordinator from RN Level?
• How MDS Coordinator Training Is Given Online?
• MDS Coordinator Employment Outlook & Salary
• Tips for Succeeding in MDS Coordinator Career

What Is an MDS Coordinator?

The MDS nurse is someone who is accountable for overseeing and coordinating the full interdisciplinary, care planning and collaborative process in skilled nursing facilities. Essentially, this process may involve comprehensive resident assessments, resident advocacy, teaching, care coordination and planning and facilitation of communication among the resident, team members and family. As a Minimum Data Set coordinator, you will be expected to work in accordance with MDS 3.0 health care reform guidelines and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA, 1987). Your role will be to influence the organization’s financial health and community reputation. In order to survive in this demanding career, you will require to be well educated and equipped with strong analytical and assessment skills – and also a commitment to person-directed care practices.

MDS Coordinator Career Overview

It is the job of an MDS coordinator to gather information on the facility’s current type of patients for further assessment – including the patient’s mental and physical states. Sometimes this involves assessing charts and communicating with different healthcare teams to create a sustainable plan for the current and incoming residents. In some facilities, MDS nurses are involved in coordinating the shipment of their facility’s services to its residents. This also entails observing and documenting the pricing and effectiveness of various services.

Another task that falls under the care of an MDS expert is conducting new resident assessments e.g. Rapid Assessment Process (RAPS) which is a process that is meant to help stabilize and improve the practices of a health care facility. These nurses are also looked upon to provide OBRA assessments (in accordance with the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987) focusing on complying with Medicare and Medicaid standards. Further, an MDS coordinator may be tasked to act as a communication link between management officials at their facility and insurance professionals.

It is also expected of MDS nurses to assist the resident care management directors with timely and accurate data from admission to discharge according to federal and state guidelines. As such with assistance from resident care management directors (RCMDs), Minimum Data Set coordinators may coordinate information systems education and operations for the clinical department.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities of an MDS Coordinator

• Working in collaboration with various healthcare teams to assess the needs of residents
• Assisting with management and coordination of daily care management meetings including reviewing of care and setting assessment referencing dates
• Complying with various state and federal regulations as regards coordination and completion of Residential Assessment Instrument (RAI) processes
• Monitoring MDS documentation for residents and ensuring proper documentation is available in medical records to support MDS coding
• In accordance with state and federal requirements, an MDS is expected to maintain current MDS status of residents
• Providing support to the tracking system of MDS schedules e.g. due dates and timeframes
• Maintaining accurate and frequent data entry of resident specifics into computerized MDS programs
• Completing accurate coding of the MDS data obtained through medical record reviews and interviews with relevant residents, staff and family members
• With instructions from the resident care management director, attend to various team meeting and other meetings so as to gather crucial information, maintain records and communicate changes
• Continually updating knowledge database related to computer technology and data entry
• Participating in quality assurance activities at the direction of a resident care management director
• Undertaking an AANAC certification program within the very first months of employment
• Getting in touch with various Medicare beneficiaries as per the company policy and expert direction
• Completing electronic submissions of the state database and other required documentation among other entities as per policy
• The roles and duties of an MDS coordinators are not limited to the ones listed above as one may be required to undertake other duties as an assigned by the management, state or federal government.

Future of an MDS Coordinator

The complexity of MDS roles has increased and evolved since the implementation of the first MDS act in 1988. Initially, MDS coordinators were often employed at a facility at an alternate role (e.g. the role of quality assurance), as such collection of data was taken as an added responsibility. In earlier years, MDS responsibilities revolved around the collection, document, and transmission of data. And while MDS expertise was recognized as a core function of the RAI process, the primary role of completing MDS duties has been on regulatory adherence mainly for purposes of reimbursement.

The end goal of an MDS career has always been to improve resident care – and the career has moved in that direction steadily. In the past days, however, use of MDS in the improvement of resident care was a distant plan.

One recent study completed by the Duke University School of Nursing showed how Minimum Data Set coordinators improve resident care measurably. This study focused on examining the role management and communication at various long-term healthcare facilities and found out that indeed these nurses foster better information flow that improves connections among staff and that effectively takes resident care a notch higher. In addition, the data collected by these experts was found to be more accurate, hence yielding higher levels of reimbursement and a more satisfied community of residents.

According to the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination, the future of an MDS coordinator’s job, though evolving, is bright and promising. This body estimates that by 2050, 20% of USA citizens will be aged over 65. Going by this projection, it important that health care communities and most importantly long-term care communities be well-prepared for this change in demographics in order to safeguard provision of care for the country’s aging population.

Going forward, the career of an MDS coordinator is expected to develop a scope and standards of practice. These standards will be used as a guide and reference for RNs working as MDS nurses more so for their professional development. Such standards will form the basis for highly educated and more satisfactory outcomes, which may, in turn, improve outcomes, surveys and enhance reimbursement.

MDS Coordinator Education Requirements

In order to become an MDS coordinator, the first and most basic training you need is that of a registered nurse. RN training will equip you with technical skills necessary for ensuring the accuracy of patient charts through compliance, use of modern technology and best practices of nursing.

• Become an RN

There are three educational approaches for becoming an RN. The most commonly taken route involves taking an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. A less common route involves first earning a diploma in nursing. A graduate with any of these programs is seen as generally eligible for entry-level employment and licensure.

• Associate’s Degree

Associate’s degree is designed to last 24 months. The American Nurses Association (ANA), however, reports that many students who undertake this program usually take three or more years to complete this program. Normally, as an associate’s degree student, you will receive training that focuses more on the technical application of nursing. Instructions are given both in a classroom and clinical setting. And while an AND degree program seems like the easiest into a fulfilling RN career, the American Nurses Association recommends that an associate’s degree graduate should go back to earn at least a Bachelor’s Degree.

• Bachelor’s Degree

Nurses who graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing Program (BSN) may expect to report greater advancement opportunities than a diploma and ADN program holders. BSN is a 4-year degree program that comprehensively focuses on behavioral sciences and human development. The course is divided into two parts. The first two years see students being trained on nursing practice assignments such as caring for chronic diseases, pediatrics, and mental health. As a student, you will also be exposed to clinical expertise in health care facilities during the last two years of studying.

• Diploma

This program is the least common of the three. It consists of about 3 years of classroom and clinical training. But just as with associate’s degree holders, diploma graduates are required to undertake a bachelor’s degree later to enhance their chances of excelling in the demanding nursing career.

• NCLEX-RN Licensure

You will need to undertake an NCLEX-RN exam (right after finishing your Bachelor’s, Associate’s or Diploma in Nursing Program) as a basic requirement for obtaining a license. Basically, all states of USA require one to pass this exam before practicing in the profession. The exam is created by the National Council of States Boards of Nursing and it covers 4 broad categories including physiological integrity, psychosocial, health promotion, and healthcare environment safety.

How to Become an MDS Coordinator from RN Level?

After becoming an RN, you can then apply to the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators (AANAC) for training and certification in MDS nursing. Generally, those interested in being certified must complete the MDS 3.0 RAC-CT program, which comprises of various courses that are meant to improve one’s minimum data set and residential assessment instrument (MDS/RAI) scope. These courses are usually offered to an RN through various learning platforms such as online, print and workshops – this offers trainees with the ability to choose a training framework that is unique to their learning styles. After completing this one-year course, the enrollee is prepared to create treatment and care assessment in conformity with typical treatment and privacy standards.

Basically, to become an MDS coordinator one is expected to undertake 10 courses: 7 core units and 3 electives as follows.

Core Courses

• Precise long term care coding
• Care planning elements and procedures
• Prospective payment system assessment education
• OBRA compliance under MDS
• Care area assessment and process requirements
• RUG-IV system comprehension

Electives

• Accurate pain management and assessment
• QIS in long term care
• Five Star quality rating system
• Accurate activity status assessment

Note that it is not legally required for one to earn certification in order to practice as an MDS coordinator – however, in most cases, earning the right certification can enhance your chances of employment.

How MDS Coordinator Training Is Given Online?

Depending on your schedule or preferred mode of learning, you can take your MDS coordinator course either fully or partially online. Training is offered on several platforms including full courses where you watch lectures and complete exams at your own speed. In some cases, you can join the classes via webcasts. Some organizations supply videos, documents and books that can be accessed online for review at individual’s convenience.

This certification is valid for two years after which one is expected to apply for RAC-CT 3.0 recertification. Recertification comprises of 5 courses some of which are contained in the initial certification course. You should score 80% and above in order to receive this recertification.

MDS Coordinator Employment Outlook & Salary

MDS nursing is not a job you hear a lot about because it is fully exclusive to nursing care facilities. Experts who serve in this field are also known as nurse assessment coordinators, and their job is mainly to evaluate patient care. Their salaries are somewhat comparable to most other careers that fall under the RN umbrella term.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for registered nurses are generally expected to grow by 19% by 2022 resulting in over 526,000 jobs created. This is way above the US national average of job growth which currently stands at 14 percent.

If these facts and figures are anything to go by, it is clear that an RN who obtains more training to become and MDS coordinator has so many opportunities waiting ahead. As of August 2015, the median annual salary of an MDS nurse was estimated at $60,674. The average wage rate per hour is $27.27 (that may vary within the range of $20 – $35).

As with any other job role, a location may affect salary levels. For example on average, MDS coordinator nurses who work in Massachusetts receive better payment overall within the USA pocketing $77,000 per year. Those in California don’t fare badly either as they pocket $71,000 annually. In Minnesota, an MDS nurse is paid $58,000 on average annually. South Dakota is one of the locations where these experts are paid lower wages with the average being just over $49,000.

Remember, salary levels can keep improving based on one’s level of experience and expertise. An MDS coordinator with over 5 years of experience can pocket more than $80,000 annually and up to $95,000 in some states.

Tips for Succeeding in MDS Coordinator Career

In order to enrich your chances of success, you need to backup your MDS coordinator training credentials, especially during the job interview. Basically, the interviewer will want to assess if you are intimate with RUG categories and financial implications. You will, therefore, want to stand out as one who understands all the core details of PPS, Medicaid and all factors that impact reimbursement.

Besides that, you should sell yourself as a candidate who is meticulous with their work. Given that there are more than 1,000 elements that comprise and MDS career (with 108 of those depicting one of 53 RUD categories), it is important that you are able to stand out as an expert who can be trusted with the noble role of collecting and analyzing massive data. If you are not organized or not capable of monitoring your case load then you may have difficulties performing in your career.

It is also important that an MDS nurse remains on top of ever-changing dynamics, rules and regulations. Handling the requirements of an MDS career is a hard job where rules are always changing, especially in MDS 3.0 and RUG-IV. As such, if you are looking to raise your credentials and get a job, you will require showing that you are a person who proactively prepares for these changes.

Yet another important tip for succeeding as an MDS nurse is the ability to operate in accordance with recommended work ethics. You must be prepared to go out of your way to train other members of staff about the residents and ensure that coding is done accurately. This is vital in ensuring the right documentation and coding is done. Interviewers will, therefore, seek to identify if you are a person who adheres to the vital characteristics that are required of a high caliber career such as this one.

Last but definitely not least is that a candidate who applies for a job as an MDS coordinator should be able to show that they are team players. This career heavily relies on support from other members of the healthcare team and therefore this nurse should able to enjoy a good cultural fit in an otherwise demanding work environment.

SOURCES:

www.aanac.org

www.dads.state.tx.us

learn.org

If you are thinking of becoming a med tech, you might want to know the average med tech salary. But before we take a look at how much a med tech earns, let’s first find out who exactly a med tech is. Med techs are diagnostic professionals with either a four-year bachelor’s degree or an associate degree with courses in science and clinical lab science. Their main responsibilities include collecting organic substances such as blood samples and tissue samples. They also run tests ordered by doctors and typically work in labs. With that said, if the job sounds like something that you might be interested in, here is some more information about med techs earn and the factors that affect their salary.

Contents:

• What Is the Average Med Tech Salary?
• Med Tech Salary: Best Paying States
• How Much Does a Med Lab Tech Make?
• How Much Does a Certified Med Tech Earn?
• How Much Does a Nuclear Med Tech Make?
• Factors that Affect Med Tech Salary
• What Is the Future of Med Techs?

What Is the Average Med Tech Salary?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, the average med tech salary was $53,500 as of May 2008. According to this report, the highest paid 10% earned more than $74,680 with the lowest paid 10% earning less than $36,180 per year. However, as of May 2016, the median annual salary of med techs is $51,940 with the most inexperienced in the field earning around $39,300 per year. The salaries can go up to $66,095 per year depending on various factors such as level of experience and education.

In terms of hourly payments, the national median is 24 dollars per hour but the payments can go up to $30.75 per hour and up to $46.72 per hour for overtime work.

Med Tech Salary: Best Paying States

In terms of salary state by state, the state with the highest average med tech salary is California with an annual mean salary of around $80,180, followed by Massachusetts at $67,000 then Connecticut at $64,000, Nevada at $51,000 and finally Alaska at $47,000 per annum. The lowest paid med techs on the hand work in San Antonio and in Austin.

How Much Does a Med Lab Tech Make?

A Med lab tech, on the other hand, can expect a median wage of $47,092 per annum with a range usually between $41,820 to $52,357 per year. This means that 50 percent of med lab tech are expected to make less than $47,092 in U.S. In terms of hourly payments, med lab techs take home an average salary of $18.47 per hour. The pay ranges from $13.96 per hour for the lowest paid to $24.17 for the highest paid. This group’s pay is mainly influenced by the level of experience, followed by residence and the specific employer.

How Much Does a Certified Med Tech Earn?

As of May 2016, the median annual certified med tech salary is 28,590 dollars with a range usually between $26,527-31,038 per annum. This means that 50 percent of the people who perform the job of certified med tech in the United States are expected to make less than 28,590 dollars. In terms of hourly payments, a certified med tech can expect to earn an average of 11.30 dollars per hour. These earnings range from $9.25 per hour on the lower side to $14.74 per hour on the higher side. Tenure and residence largely affect the pay for this group.

How Much Does a Nuclear Med Tech Make?

For the case of a nuclear med tech, the median nuc med tech salary as of May 2016 is $71,902 per annum with a range usually between $65,057 to $79,229 per year. This means that 50 percent of people in this career in the United States are expected to make less than $71,902. In the case of hourly payments nuclear med techs sits in the ballpark of $29.89 per hour. However, the pay generally varies between $23.52 per hour and $39.99 per hour. The residence has the largest influence on nuc med tech salary followed by tenure.

Factors that Affect Med Tech Salary

• Industry

Salary levels vary depending on the industry that one enrolls in. For instance, a med tech professional working in administrative, support and waste management services is likely to take home an average of $52,370. One in educational services is likely to earn slightly better at an average of $54,130. Those in the health care and social assistance industry are reimbursed better than those in the other two industries pocketing $56,730 on average. Overall, the best paying industries are professional services, management of companies & enterprises and public administration which average $57,620, $58,890 and $61,250 respectively.

• States

Some states pay better than others on average. One fact that stands out is that upcountry states tend to pay lower med tech salary than metropolitan ones. New Mexico, one of the lowest paying states, pays $45,570 on average while Nebraska pays slightly better at $47,720. Virgin Islands pays $39,060 while Puerto Rico gives the lowest average pay of $29,910. On the other hand, Rhode Island pays better average salaries as $61,790 per annum alongside Maryland which pays its medical clinical lab technologists $61,860. Those working in Nevada earn way better pocketing $67,550 on average. Overall, California is the best paying state with an average of $73,350 per month.

• Experience

The more experienced you are, the more you are likely to earn. Going by that rule, the most inexperienced techs can expect to earn med tech salary $39,300 per annum although that figure can go up to around $66,000. The most experienced technologists earn at least 14% of the national average of $51,000 meaning the worst paid one can pocket above $58,000.

• Employer

There are some employers who are known to pay better med tech salary than others. Overall, general hospitals pay in the range of $30,000 – $42,000 for beginners. The USA Army pays much better perhaps due to the special nature of their job assignments. A beginner medical laboratory technician working for the US Army pockets anything between $37,000 and $50,000. The Veterans Administration is yet another top employer of people with this profession and they offer an average of $36,000 – $49,000 per year. The best-paying employer overall is the US Navy which pays in the range of $39,000 – $71,000 in med tech salary. Other top employers known for hiring a considerable number of medical lab technicians are Idexx Laboratories Inc. ($34,000 – $52,000), Mercy Hospital ($31,000 – $42,000) and the Laboratory Corporation of America ($32,000 – $46,000).

• Hourly Wage

Employers adjust their hourly wage rates based on factors such as nature of work, cost of living and level of experience. For instance, a med tech with 16 years of experience working in Southeast Virginia pockets about $21.50 per hour. California offers even better hourly rates for licensed medical technologists at $32.00 per hour. A med tech working in a reference lab in Chicago can pocket $19.50 per hour. Kaiser Permanente seems to offer the best hourly wage rates paying up to $36.00 an hour for skilled technologists.

What Is the Future of Med Techs?

For every 7 med techs who retire only 2 wait to take their places yet the US healthcare bill is likely to increase the number of patients going forward. Moreover, if you look closely, you will realize that about 70% of medical decisions made by physicians heavily rely on tests conducted by med techs in a lab. As such going forward, demand for these professional is going to rise both due to a growing health sector and reduction in a number of practicing professionals. Training schools are churning out fewer techs against growing demand thereby creating a sort of a time bomb. In a nutshell, this is one of the few career fields where the short and long term projections look pretty promising. But does that translate to good med tech salary?

On the flipside, though, due to the highly demanding nature of this job the rate of career burn-out is expected to rise going forward. Working hours tend to be long and shift work can really push the professional to the limits. There is also a widespread misconception that med techs are high school trained and hence there are bottlenecks when one tries to climb the corporate ladder.

Generally, the major interest of many successful people who take up this career is not in the med tech salary levels but rather in helping patients overcome ailments. For example, a technologist who focuses in radiology aims to help physicians give a precise diagnosis to a patient by performing X-ray. Another specialty field that demands one’s total commitment is the cardiovascular technology one. A med tech interested in this career focuses more on things like echocardiography, cardiology, and vascular technology.

So beyond the figures of med tech salary, there is a lot one requires doing in order to excel in this career. The most important quality of a successful med tech is the commitment to working under tight schedule performing demanding tasks that improve the quality of health care services.

Sources:
www.bls.gov
occinfo.alis.alberta.ca
work.chron.com

Nowadays lots of LPNs think about furthering their education by becoming Registered Nurses. Let us consider the difference between these two main categories of nursing titles.

The RN is the abbreviation for a Registered Nurse. This is a title given to a nurse who has training and clinical competence and has met the prescribed standards of education and passed the special exams. The LPN stands for a Licensed Practical Nurse. This is associated with licensed trained and qualified persons in nursing. In some states, the LPN’s are referred to as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN). Registered Nurse is the most common among people and is more qualified and experiences than LPN.

Contents:

• LPN vs RN
• How Can an LPN Become an RN
• LPN to RN Bridge Programs
• LPN to RN Educational Options
• LPN and RN Schools
• LPN to RN Courses Offered
• LPN to RN Online
• LPN and RN Job Comparison
• Job Positions for LPNs Becoming RNs
• Where LPNs and RNs Work
• LPN and RN Salaries
• Why You Should Move from LPN to RN
• An LPN/RN Resume

LPN vs RN

RN is a more advanced title because it takes a minimum of two to four years of study to be certified. A number of hospitals have diploma programs in which they offer training to people in nursing jobs. This was common in the past, but nowadays most people go for nursing courses to become registered as a nurse by getting a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or an Associate’s Degree in Nursing.

The Bachelor Degree takes four years while the Associate’s Degree runs for only two years. What you need in order to enroll for this course is a high school diploma. You may also be expected to take and pass a National League exam for nursing before you are fully accepted. There are also special programs at different schools where people who have already taken their bachelor’s degree can get a nursing degree in a very short period without taking the whole course.

How Can an LPN Become an RN

When you choose to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), be sure that it has a lot of benefits. The best part about it is that you will be able to complete your education in a very short time, get certified and start earning one of the best salaries with a promising job position. However, in the job field, registered nurses are relatively higher than the LPNs. Registered nurses are typically more self-independent in terms of the work that they do, they are paid a higher salary and have better job opportunities because of their educational levels. Thus, these are some of the few reasons that have made nurses want to move from LPN to RN.

LPN to RN Bridge Programs

The good news for the Licensed Practical Nurses is that there are bridge programs that are offered in some schools that could help them gain the RN title in a very short period. The bridge programs can be done either manually or online from schools that have been accredited to do so. These are programs that are designed for the Licensed Practical Nurses who want to earn a higher degree in nursing. When professional nurses get an RN degree, they are able to get better and more profitable jobs. Registered Nurses work very closely with doctors and other medical staff in hospitals. First, they need to establish themselves in the entry level positions within that particular field, then they can move up and even reach the administrative, management or even higher roles.

LPN to RN educational options

The term LPN to RN program just acts as a cover that houses several educational options. There are three options for the LPN to RN program and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Despite the program that you choose, they all have certain similarities. They include:

1) A required number of clinical hours and instruction. This is often determined by the State Board of Nursing.

2) High school diploma is required.

3) Must have graduated from a recognized program and holds an unrestricted LPN license that is new.

The above options are included in order to prepare the students to take and get good results in the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain an RN license.

The main aim of the LPN to RN programs is to award the Licensed Practical Nurses with the skills and knowledge to carry out various duties. The individuals that already work as LPNs can take this program in order to earn credits. Due to the convenience that this program offer, they are usually considered as the best transition in the career for better opportunities that can facilitate the students to go higher in the nursing profession.

LPN and RN Schools

Almost all institutions of higher learning offer nursing courses; however, to acquire an LPN or RN, it is advisable that you acquire the education and training from a reputable and credited institution. The following are considerations in choosing LPN and RN schools and program:

1. School’s accreditation – it assures your quality education that guarantees an employment for a lifetime.
2. Online courses — this is an important consideration, especially if you are much occupied and might not find time to attend classes at the institution of your choice.
3. The location of the institution – should be in a conducive environment and preferably near health institutions to allow you practical experience.
4. Work-study program – allows you gain practical experience as you learn the theoretical part. It also helps you earn while still in school and settle bills.
5. The management system – a great institution should have a strong management that invests in the students and is always willing to assist.

These institutions also offer LPN to RN bridging programs and give you an opportunity to advance at whatever level of a practicing LPN you are. The school and programs are affordable, you can pay in cash, take out loans or apply for scholarships or grants.

LPN to RN courses offered

While courses and topics may vary a lot in different institutions, students who are transitioning from LPN to RN will encounter very many concepts. These include:

• Understand the defense mechanism of the body.
• Get to know the importance of exercising.
• Understand the whole human anatomy. That is the reproductive, skeletal and muscular among the rest.
• Understand the patterns of change in alleles.
• Understand ecology, evolution and the roles that each has on the human body.
• Develop an overview of the molecular mechanisms in a cell.

LPN to RN online

These are divided into two:

1) Achieve Test Prep

With this, you get a bachelor’s degree in only half the time you would have attended classes. You get also free access to books and other equipment that is needed throughout the course.

2) Global Learn

This program is to enable a student to get the required knowledge in order to get a bachelor’s degree from a recognized college.

LPN and RN Job Comparison

During hands-on training to become an LPN, the lessons are often conducted out in a simulation laboratory, practice laboratory or even in their educational program’s clinical rotations. The training usually takes a couple weeks and is usually supervised by a fellow LPN or a registered nurse. LPNs carry out a lot of functions while at the hospital.

Below are a number of functions of LPNs:

• Collection of blood, urine or saliva samples from the patients.
• Administer CPR.
• Bath and feed the patients.
• Dressing and changing patients in critical conditions.
• Interviewing patients and recording medical history and current situation to access the progress.
• Observing patients.
• Inserting of catheters.
• Preparing and giving injections.

Apart from these functions, the LPN is also allowed to give the patients certain drugs and medications. They also have the privilege of assigning work to the assistant nurses who work under them. But the LPNs are not authorized to give restricted medicines or intravenous narcotics. Basically, the work of an LPN is to care for the external needs of the patients and ensure that they are always comfortable.

The responsibilities of RN are greater and a little more complex as compared to those of LPN. They also vary depending on the area of expertise. They include:

• They observe and record the patient’s physical and psychological disorder.
• They direct and supervise LPNs and CNAs assigned to them.
• They are responsible for stock control and maintain the inventory level.
• They attend to medical emergencies.
• They provide guidelines and advise on health maintenance and self-care.
•  They research and perform lab work following the physician’s instructions and give detailed information about the patient’s condition.

Job Positions for LPNs Becoming RNs

The job outlook for the Registered Nurses is very strong. According to research done, the number of jobs that are available keep on increasing by over 500,000. This is an increase of approximately 19%, which is a higher rate than all the other average jobs. The need for high-quality nurses tends to increase because of the high number of babies being given birth to. The LPN to RN bridge program is a common choice because they concentrate more on knowledge that has already been obtained through working as an LPN.

There is no other way to get a better experience. The best way is to move up the ladder one step at a time until you get to be better. Most LPN to RN programs provide credit for LPN working experience or education. This can be awarded freely or the program will give LPNs a chance to test out of certain classes.

This simply means that if the student scores very highly in one of the subjects examined, the credit is awarded without the need to take a class. But often it varies from one LPN to RN bridge program to another. Ensure that you first research this well to know the educational requirements that are needed. The programs also typically accept transfer credits from other colleges.

Where LPNs and RNs Work

Since both are medical practitioners they work in the same kind of places though the specific job descriptions vary. They work in:

• Labor and delivery rooms
• Emergency rooms and theatre
• Pediatric wards
• Rehabilitation centres
• Mental health institutions
• Places with disabled persons
• Group homes
• Private homes

These are just a few of the many places they can work in. LPNs and RNs can work in any institution or medical department.

LPN and RN Salaries

The salaries for LPNs may vary according to the type of facility that you work for or the state of the country in which you reside. The average annual salary for a LPN is approximately 34,000 dollars. This is especially for all the Licensed Practical Nurses who work in the U.S. But generally the salary often ranges from 32,000 dollars to 40,000 dollars.

There is also a median hourly rate that is awarded depending on your years of experience. That is if you have a 1-year experience you get $15.95 per hour, between 1 to 4 years you get $17.25, for 5 to 9 years you get $19.76 and finally for 10 years’ experience you get $19.85. Therefore, the more the years of experience, the higher the median rate per hour.

The median yearly pay for RN is approximately $65,470. But often the RN salary varies and can be a figure between 40,000 dollars to over 100,000 depending on the education level, the place of employment, the state in which the person works and the previous experience that the person might have.

The potential of an RN is high, in the USA, for example, according to the research carried out by the US Department of Labour in 2014; the median annual salary of an RN is almost$25,000 more than that of an LPN.

Why you should move from LPN to RN

A good number of students like the idea of becoming an RN. But most of the time they are not really sure is it is worth their time, money, and effort. Well, here are a number of tangible reasons why you should transfer from LPN to RN.

• They have higher earning potential

The RNs earn much higher salary than the LPNs. Their salaries cannot be compared to their counterparts because they have other added gains that they get apart from the median salary. They simply earn double of what LPNs earn.

• RNs have various options for specialization

There are very many job opportunities for the registered nurses because they do not have to work under supervision like the LPNs. They also have a lot of room for specialization and can tailor their jobs to many others because they have the required skills.

• Professional growth and advancement in nursing

RN opens opportunities for you to grow professionally as the tasks and responsibilities are higher and allow you to specialize.

• Job Assurance 

RN has a greater job security compared to LPN. They have very high qualifications and would never fall unemployed. Moreover, an RN resume is highly attractive as compared to an LPN resume which places them at a vantage point when searching for the many jobs available in this sector.

An LPN/RN Resume

A resume is a brief document that contains a summary of one’s education, employment history and all relevant qualifications and skills related to a particular job on which a person is applying. It’s putting ones whole information on paper. LPNs and RNs are professionals hence it’s expected that their resume be professionally written and presented. Therefore, an LPN/RN has to ensure that his/her resume is perfectly written. Here is how to go about it:

Every resume has a minimum of four parts. This is the least number of parts an LPN/RN’s resume should also have. The components include:

1) Contact Information

This is the first section that should be there on a resume. Some of the details to include here: name, phone number (both personal and landline if available), address, email address. In case you have a website, it’s advisable to include it too. Social media contacts and names shouldn’t be included as you need to relate with your employers professionally and not at a personal level.

2) Objective

Here you tell the employer who you are and what you are looking for. Ensure you relate your interest to the job position and organization you are applying to. Talk about what your goal is and let it be in relation to the facility you are interested in. It’s also important to include a few sentences on your future career and future education intentions to show the employer that you are aiming at growing and getting better. This also shows that you would want to add more to the skills you have and this is beneficial to the organization in question.

3) Education Credentials

Education is key in landing that job. Write in details the various courses undertaken and in which schools. Also include the years attended in this schools.

4) Experience

This is also another important factor that employers look at. Clearly outline the previous places you have worked at. Talk in details about the roles held and explain what responsibilities you had and what duties performed. Highlight the duties and positions that are related and useful to the position you are applying for.

This part is usually trick for fresh newly graduated LPNs as they might have not had as much experience. Try to find any qualities learnt from other jobs done even if they are not medically related. Write this jobs and carefully highlight the skills learnt in them that would come handy in the position you are applying for and the organization as a whole.

Experience is always a great way of convincing the employer that you actually do your art and are highly experienced in it.

5) Other Optional Sections

There are other sections which may be included but are not compulsory. They are also good selling points therefore, if you have any of them it’s advisable you include them. These are:

Languages spoken — include the various languages you are conversant with.

Honors and Awards — might be from the previous work place, college or even the community.

Volunteer Experiences — all places and areas you have volunteered and details of what your work entailed.

Certifications-Professional Memberships-Medical clubs, groups or associations you are a member of. You can also include those that are not medical but related to medicine.

Let’s summarize the differences between LPNs and RNs.

As previously seen the major differences between Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses are in relation to:

1) Education time period

2) Responsibilities held

3) Amount of income/salary amount

4) Job availability

The world of nursing is moving from LPN to RN, there are more than enough institutions offering RN courses: bridging programs, online courses, college and university courses and summer courses. This is a good trend towards better healthcare attention as both patients and the general public is guaranteed top healthcare services. For nurses, it is a great chance to advance and grow professionally, which makes it pretty much a win-win situation.

While there might be a difference between the Registered Nurses and the Licensed Practical Nurses in terms of responsibilities, income and years of education, both posts are highly important and complement each other. Both nurses are needed for the apt running of health facilities.

Having known the difference between the LPN and RN, students can now make a proper decision on which one to pursue or whether to be a Licensed Practical Nurse first then proceed to being a Registered Nurse.

It would be a smart move for the students who are already Licensed Practical Nurses to advance their studies and experience to join the Registered Nurses, considering the wealth of benefits present in doing so.

What is an LVN?

LVN programs are some of the most popular with people who want to pursue a career in nursing, but it is important first to understand what this career is all about. LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) is a job title given to a particular type of nurses in California and Texas. In the other 48 states, these professionals are known as Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), and they work under the supervision of physicians or registered nurses in a hospital or any other healthcare facility. LVNs are the most common type of nurses in most hospitals, but very few people can tell them apart from a registered nurse as they perform all the essential roles you would expect to get from an RN. However, their most important duty is to provide patients with the basic bedside care. Training takes between one and two years depending on the school you enroll at but nowadays most prefer to take an accelerated program so that they can be in the job market in a few months.

Contents:

• What is an LVN?
• LVN Job Description and Roles
• Overview of LVN Programs in the USA
• What defines an Excellent Vocational Nurse Program?
• LVN Bridge Programs
• Online Licensed Vocational Nurse Programs?
• Free LVN Programs
• Licensed Vocational Nurse Programs by State
• Requirements for Enrollment
• How much Do LVN Programs Cost?
• Checklist to Become an LVN

LVN Job Description and Roles

LPN is one of the most respected careers in the healthcare sector and although they are not as skilled or highly trained as registered nurse they perform almost as much work. They can be employed in many other places apart from hospitals such as nursing homes, home health care, and medical offices. Their job description will depend on the particular area that they work and also the level of experience because those that have been practicing for many years know more and hence have more responsibilities. However regardless of where you work the following are some of the roles that you should expect to perform as a vocational nurse.

• As an LVN, you will be the ears and eyes of the physician and RN in a hospital as they are in contact with the patients more often. They monitor vital signs, administer medicine and communicate all their observations to other medical professionals.
• Practical nurses also with ensure that a patient’s care plan is followed as required. They help in creating these care plans and also accessing whether they are effective.
• These professionals also do patient education which is part of any care plan. In the same role, they also advocate for the rights of their patients with the aim of improving their condition every day.
• Another role is to collaborate with other medical professionals such as CNA’s and RNs to ensure that the patients get the best care possible

Overview of LVN Programs in the USA

Once you know what a vocational nurse is and their roles the next step in the process of pursuing this career is to understand what the programs for their training are like in the USA. These programs will vary from school to school or from one state to the other since different nursing boards may have a different licensing requirement. However, most programs in the USA take an average of 15 months, and the student only learns the fundamental nursing skills, but some programs will go into more details and cover a few courses in advanced nursing. These programs are offered either on campus or online depending on the school and your preferred mode of study. Regardless of how you choose to study you still have to undertake clinical practice which is part of the program and also necessary for graduation and licensing. The number of hours required will also vary with the state but in most you have to, at least, practice in a clinic setting for 400 hours. Taking more clinical hours will be beneficial for a student especially when looking for employment as it shows that you are more experienced.

What defines an Excellent Vocational Nurse Program?

The quality of education is the main thing that characterizes a good LVN program, but it is not always easy to know this since you have not taken the program before. However, you can use statistics from several nursing bodies and state department for education to get this information. To know that the school you intend to enroll in will offer you quality training you should look for things such as the number of people enrolling in the program, completion rate and also the pass rate. The best programs will always attract more students and so a high enrollment is a reliable indicator of quality. You should also consider the duration of training and the clinical hours offered as these will have a bearing on your career. The faster you can be able to go through the program the better for you and also if you get more hours the more experiences you will be. Whereas some schools will only offer you as little as 300 hours, others make it possible to get up to 600 hours of vocational nurse clinical hours.

LVN Bridge Programs

It is common to transition to LPN from a nurse aide, and it is always good to advance to higher levels in the nursing profession. If you are already a vocational nurse, some programs can help you move to other nursing careers such as RN. The following are some of the bridge programs to and from other courses for vocational nurses.

• CNA to LVN: A CNA is the beginning of a career in nursing and after some time as a CNA most people will want to further their education and become vocational nurses. Unfortunately, most schools do not consider the academic qualification of a CNA, and so you will have to go through everything from the start. However, the training you get as a nurse aide will have many advantages when training to become an LVN. Since you know what is expected of a caregiver and you have some experience the vocational training will be very simple for you as you are familiar with most things taught.
• LVN to ADN: Although a career as an LPN is very rewarding it is always the desire for most to further their career by advancing their education. An ADN is a good stepping stone, and the best thing is that you will receive exemptions in most schools and hence you can finish the associate degree many months earlier. A nursing associate degree is not as comprehensive as a BSN but is prepares you for RN entry position jobs.
• LVN to RN: RN is the next logical step after LVN, and you can even skip the associate degree as it is not as comprehensive. To become an RN, you have to take a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and it is a typical four-year degree. However if you take the LVN to RN bridging program, you can finish the course in half the time.

Online Licensed Vocational Nurse Programs?

With the advent of the internet, most people now prefer to take studies online for different courses. The schools have also not been left behind because almost all the reputable universities and colleges in the USA have an online program. The advantages of taking your LVN training online cannot easily be summed up, but convenience and cost saving are perhaps the main ones. A few years back you could easily count the number of institutions offering professional nurse training, but this is no longer possible as the number has increased drastically. However, if you want to take these online programs, the firsts step is to find an accredited school.

Any program that you choose should be accredited by NLNAC (National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission) as this shows that the program meets the standards required by the governing bodies. Apart from ensuring that you get a quality education accreditation is also important for online programs as it is one of the main requirements for taking the NCLEX certification exams for LPNs. Some of the top accredited online programs for LVN in the USA include those offered by the following schools.

1. Independence University
2. St. Josephs College
3. California University of Pennsylvania
4. South University
5. Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences

Free LVN Programs

Although these programs are not as expensive as a BSN, they are still quite costly. Training in any healthcare profession is very expensive and with the hard economic times, it is not easy to pay for these programs. To help you achieve your dreams of becoming a vocational nurse you should look for ways to get the training for free or, at least, to subsidize the cost so that it can become more affordable for you. The first place that you can look for free LPN training is in a community college. Some community colleges in different states offer this program for free as part of their social responsibility to empower the youth around it. However, the student will still have to pay for the certification exams as the colleges only cater for tuition.

If you are already a nurse aide in a hospital then this is also a good place to look for free training as some employers will sponsor you for the training but this is often subject to you working for them for some time after completion. The Nursing Corps Scholarship is also another reliable way to get the training for free. It is a program under the Department of Health and Human Services that offers a full scholarship to students that meet certain requirements. Others schools like Austin Community College have put some internal measures in place to give financial aid to their LVN students.

Licensed Vocational Nurse Programs by State

Different areas in the USA are under different nursing bodies and so the level of training required to get a license to practice as a vocational nurse will vary. For example, in some areas you have to complete more than 400 hours of clinical hours whereas 300 hours are sufficient for others. Below is an overview of LVN programs in the state of Texas and California which are home to more vocational nurses than most other states in the USA.

• Texas: The cities of Huston, Dallas, El Paso, Austin and St Antonio have many accredited schools that can offer you the quality of training required to get a license to practice as a vocational nurse. Top schools for LVN in Texas include Trinity Valley College, Western Texas College, and Temple College. After the one year training in any of the schools, you have to get a license from the Texas Board of Nursing.
• California: California has one of the highest salaries for practical nurses. However, cities like San Diego, Sacramento and Los Angeles that have some of the best schools in the state also happened to charge the highest tuition fees. Some of the schools that you can go for this course in the state include Kaplan University, Casa Loma College, Summit College and MiraCosta College. Just like in Texas you will need to get a license from the California Board of Vocational Nursing before you can practice in any city of the state. California also has a very high number of these caregivers. In a city like San Diego, they make up 20% of the total nurse population.

Requirements for Enrollment

Enrollment for an LVN course is not as strict as other nursing professions since they do not undergo a very comprehensive training and the course only takes a year. There is also no requirement for prior clinical experience as a nurse aide as you can join the program straight from high school. However, you should have a high school diploma to be enrolled, and some colleges will require you to have passed some prerequisite courses like introduction to human biology and human development. Apart from this, the only other requirement concerns the financial obligation of the course. Yu should also meet any other requirement that may be set by the state government before enrolling in a university or college within their jurisdiction.

How much Do LVN Programs Cost?

The cost of training as an LVN will depend on your state and also the school that you choose to go for your studies. In some states like California, you should be ready to spend at least $30,000 on the tuition fees, books, and supplies. What you also pay varies with the caliber of the school of your choice because if you go to famous institutions, then you will probably pay up to $50,000 if not more. Private schools also charge more than public ones, and there are also special discounted fees for in-state students. And so it is a good idea to take the course in your state. Online programs can be half as cheap as the campus-based, and so they are a good idea if you do not have enough funds since the quality of training is almost the same.

Checklist to Become an LVN

Step 1: Search for accredited online or campus based LVN programs near you and provide the documents required for enrollment.

Step 2: Take the one or two year course and hands-on clinical practice

Step 3: Apply for licensure with your respective board of nursing by paying the required fee and having your school send them your transcripts.

Step 4: Register for and pass the NCLEX-PN exams

What is it like to be a male nurse, and how can you turn this career into a profitable one? Being a male nurse is a challenging, but rewarding job. So, if you need tips on how to become a male nurse, read along and discover interesting facts and statistics on males in nursing that you may want to know.

Contents:

• Overview on Male Nursing
• Male Nursing Job Types
• How to Become a Male Nurse
• A Day in a Life of a Male Nurse
• Male Nurses vs. Female Nurses: A Closer Look at a Salary Gap
• Implications of the Gender-Related Salary Differences

Overview on Male Nursing

Although the nursing field is open to both men and women, there are some males who are uncertain about pursuing this career because of the gender stereotype revolving around this profession. For instance, nursing is a female-dominated career, which tends to discourage a few men to proceed to this path. The male nurse stereotypes tend to get in the way of men who wish to pursue nursing, although there is now a growing number of men engaged in this field – so they do not have to worry about being the first male nurse in a hospital or clinic.

Nowadays, there are organizations that any male nurse can turn to for support such as the American Assembly of Men in Nursing. This organization is dedicated to providing conferences, scholarships, and workshops to men who wish to expand their knowledge of nursing topics. Thus, they no longer have to feel as though they are going through a career mismatch because of stereotypes revolving around male nurses.

It is also worth noting that there are numerous specialty options for men who wish to become nurses. These include trauma, anesthesia, and emergency nursing specializations. What’s more, a male nurse can expand his horizons by engaging in the field of pediatrics, nurse practitioner, psychiatry, and oncology. Thus, male nurses can develop their skills further and find a career suitable to their interests with opportunities for professional growth and development.

Male Nursing Job Types

Male nurses can choose from several types of jobs in this field of healthcare. Among these types are the following:

1. Registered Nurses

This type of male nurse deals with providing medical care and assistance to victims of accidents, or working closely with GPs. They may be employed in various settings including prisons, emergency rooms, private companies, schools and cruise ships. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a growth of over 10 percent in the number of men employed as nurses, as compared to the 1 percent back in 1950.

Registered nurses are responsible for gathering health histories, offer to counsel and conduct physical examinations to patients. They also interpret medical information obtained from patients and come up with a practical decision essential to their life and condition. These professionals also collaborate with other healthcare specialists for the best interest of patients.

2. Licensed Practical Nurse

A licensed practical nurse or licensed vocational nurse work hand-in-hand with a medical doctor, registered nurse or Advanced Practiced Registered Nurse. If you are a male nurse who is employed as a licensed practical nurse or LPN, you are in charge or providing routine and basic medical care to patients in a healthcare facility.

3. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

A male nurse with a Master’s degree who has completed clinical practice requirements for registered nurses is classified as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or APRN. There are several APRN types including a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, and certified nurse anesthetists.

A male nurse practitioner offers preventive and basic health care services, diagnose common injuries and minor illnesses, provide treatment to diseases they have diagnosed and prescribe medications. Typical work settings include hospitals, clinics, private offices or even in nursing homes. A clinical nurse specialist may also be employed in these facilities, although they are more concerned about conducting research and providing consultations to patients suffering from physical and mental health issues.

A certified nurse-midwife deals with women who require care for obstetrical and gynecological problems. Hence, this type of medical professional works in birth centers, homes, and hospitals. As for a certified registered nurse anesthetists, they administer to patients over 65 percent of anesthetics as prescribed by the medical doctor or surgeon.

How to Become a Male Nurse

If you are aspiring to become a male nurse, you will need to undergo studies geared towards this career path. A Board of Nursing is established in each state, and it is responsible for setting requirements for basic and continuing education for nurses, as well as licensure examinations. It also investigates and assesses any complaints on licensed nurses or administers disciplinary actions after a thorough evaluation has been made in such cases.

The National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses prescribes a number of routes to become eligible to take the test and obtain a license upon successfully passing it. The common pathway to becoming a registered nurse is by completing an undergraduate diploma course in Nursing. However, a two-year degree program in nursing, called the Associate Degree in Nursing, may also be taken up to prepare students for a more technical aspect of this field. Hospital-based schools and community colleges offer this type of study.

Aspiring nurses may also choose to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which involves four years of study in universities and colleges offering this course. A number of areas are covered in this degree program including biology, human growth and development, nutrition, physiology and anatomy, microbiology, psychology and organic chemistry. During the last two years of study, core programs offered are pediatrics, maternal and child health, acute and chronic diseases in adults, community health nursing, and mental health or psychiatric nursing.

After completing this degree program, students may opt to take their studies to a higher level and pursue a master’s degree in nursing, or complete the Ph.D. or Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. These are geared towards preparing graduates who wish to become nurse educators, APRNs or nurse administrators.

It is important to note, though, that a degree program, as well as higher education for nurses, can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there are male nursing scholarships and grants offered by some schools to support the financial concerns of students, as long as they qualify to these. Requirements may vary from one college or university to another, so it is important to inquire from the school to determine one’s eligibility for these scholarships and financial assistance.

A Day in a Life of a Male Nurse

To give you a better idea of how a typical work day of a male nurse goes, here are certain tasks and duties assigned to this type of medical professional. After all, they do not simply walk around the hospital or clinic in their male nurse costume without any clear purpose in their minds. So, the next time you see someone in male nurse shirts, you know well enough their responsibilities in the facility – and determine if these are things you can also handle (once you decide to pursue this career).

1. Gather Patient Information

Nurses are responsible for obtaining important data about each patient. In fact, this is the initial means of providing nursing care as these professionals are able to have a thorough understanding of what individual patients need. Aside from receiving physiological information about patients, they also gather data on lifestyle, sociocultural, economic and even the spiritual aspect of every client. By having an understanding of these issues, nurses will be able to provide proper care such as the type of food and pain medications needed by patients, as well as the best means of communicating effectively with them.

Patients who are hospitalized may also respond differently, depending on their physical, psychological and mental state. For instance, some factors may affect their behavior such as the following:

• Current situation with family members
• Fear, anger or anxieties towards a hospital staff
• Refusal to take medications or eat any type of food served
• Inability to perform any activities without assistance
• Need for more or stronger doses of pain medication

By taking a comprehensive assessment of all patients, nurses will be able to know how to deal accordingly with their needs and administer the right type of support required.

2. Diagnose the Need of Patients

As a means of providing proper care to patients, nurses should be able to make a solid diagnosis based on the complaints, present state, or physical/psychological data gathered. This is the clinical judgment made by the nurse, and it encompasses a range of areas such as poor nutrition, personal issues with family members, anxieties or possible complications from an existing medical condition. This is why nurses should be able to interpret patient data gathered to reach a sound diagnosis. These medical professionals should see past the physical pain experienced by the patient and understand the root of this condition.

3. Care Plan Provided to Patients

After receiving patient information and making a diagnosis of the patient’s condition, it will be easier for nurses to provide the most effective care plan that will help improve the patient’s condition. A list of goals (both short-term and long-term) is prepared by a nurse to serve as a guide in determining whether the patient is getting better or worse after receiving treatment and medication.

These goals must be measurable, realistic and attainable, depending on the present situation of the patient. Sample goals that are part of the care plan offered to patients include these:

• Being able to move from the bed to the bathroom thrice daily
• Decreasing pain after receiving prescribed medication
• Increase in weight
• Finishing each meal served
• Reduced symptoms (after comparing the severity of symptoms before and during treatment process)

The set of goals, along with the diagnosis and patient information gathered prior to hospitalization are all included in the health care plan. Nurses and doctors who are attending to the patient have full access to these data for proper treatment and follow-ups.

4. Evaluation and Modification of a Care Plan

During the time that the patient is hospitalized, proper implementation of the care plan must be done, as well as before the discharge process. Regular monitoring of the patient’s condition and evaluation to make sure each goal is met are both important in ensuring successful treatment. Every single medication, response to treatment, physical or psychological changes in the patient (whether positive or negative) must be documented well in the record.

Moreover, there may be a need to modify the care plan, according to how the patient responses to treatment obtained. This is why constant monitoring and implementation of the plan must be done to make sure the patient’s condition improves and returns to normal.

Male Nurses vs. Female Nurses: A Closer Look at a Salary Gap

Based on a study by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), a male nurse, specifically RNs, earn more than a female RN. In fact, the difference in salary is over $5,000 per annum, and this is observed in most positions and specialty areas in nursing. Furthermore, the huge gap in earnings has not shown any changes in the last 30 years, since 1988, to be exact.

Although there is a wider range of responsibilities that RNs fulfill in their jobs over the years, primarily because of the Affordable Care Act, there seems to be no improvement in the pay structures in the field of nursing. Thus, it may be the perfect time for nurse employers to begin studying their existing pay schemes and make up for any inequities involving the salary given to these healthcare professionals.

This discrepancy in salary between a male nurse and female nurse was further studied by researchers at the UCSF, after using key data gathered from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses during the years 1988 to 2008. The study included over 30,000 registered nurses each year, with a 60 percent response rate to obtain validity of the sample. The main goal is to determine gender differences that are present in the workplace since there are ample pieces of information about each employee received by the NSSRN.

Aside from the data taken from the NSSRN, researchers also studied information obtained from the American Community Survey. There was a response rate of 90 percent from this household survey, which offered relevant facts on salary differences that nurses receive up to 2013. Quite interestingly, these two surveys presented that male nurses were paid about $10,000 more than female nurses. However, adjusted salaries of male nurses were still higher by a little over $5,100.

Salary gap among genders is observed in almost all positions and specialty areas, and there have been no improvements up to present. The largest gap was seen among nurse anesthetists ($17,290), followed by ambulatory care nurses ($7,678), cardiology ($6,034), middle management nurses ($3,956), nurses employed in hospital settings ($3,873) and chronic care nurses ($3,792). These figures were obtained by taking into account data gathered in 30 years from 1988 to 2008, using both the NSSRN and American Community Survey information. By using as reference the unadjusted salary gap, female RNs have earned $300,000 less than their male counterparts over the past 30 years.

Implications of the Gender-Related Salary Differences

So, what is the impact of this gender salary gap to female nurses? Since nursing is relatively a female-dominated career, the massive differences in salary between a male nurse and a female nurse can affect their families. Female RNs who serve as the primary breadwinner in the family bring home less money than they should. This salary gap may also discourage potential female RNs from pursuing the career and choose a different profession that does not suffer from this gender pay difference.

Meanwhile, this study is intended to be an eye-opener and motivating factor for nurse employers to begin conducting steps to abolish this inequality in salaries among nurses. Transparency in the pay structure for male nurses and female nurses should be applied, which can help identify gender salary gap in their organization. Afterward, proper action must be done to correct these inequities in nurses’ salary. As employees become more aware of the salary differences, this can motivate female RNs to request for wage parity from their employers. Eventually, such action can reduce or even eliminate the gap completely.

On the other side of the spectrum, this salary gap that is leaning towards the advantage of a male nurse may encourage more men to take up this career. In fact, with fewer concerns about stereotypes and opportunities for higher pay, these contribute to the increasing percentage of male nurses in various healthcare facilities in the country.

Source 1

Source 2

Each state in the United States has a specific board for managing medical or healthcare professions like nursing. In the state of Maryland, the Maryland Board of Nursing is the main authority that regulates or manages nursing jobs. Maryland is home to more than 5 million people and is largely recognized for its health care delivery systems that are well-structured and comparatively better even with the shortage of nurses currently experienced in the nation. Definitely, Maryland is a great state to settle down as a nurse due to the financial rewards and various opportunities for growth.

Contents:

• MD Board of Nursing Functions
• MD Board of Nursing Responsibilities
• MD Board of Nursing: Becoming a Nurse in Maryland
• MD Board of Nursing Education Requirements
• MD Board of Nursing: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing
• MD Board of Nursing Licensure
• MD Board of Nursing: Nurse Practice Act

MD Board of Nursing Functions

MD Board of Nursing’s key function is to promote nursing practice in the state. The core mission of the Maryland nursing board is to advance safe health care services and quality care through skilled and qualified nurses who are licensed, certified, well-educated and accountable for public protection. The board provides a wide range of services to individuals aspiring to become a nurse or are already employed as nurses in this state.

The MD board of nursing functions comply with the “Maryland Practice Act, Health Occupations Article, Section 8”. The board enforces all important amendments and regulates key nursing laws. The nursing board is, therefore, responsible for regulating and managing the practice of Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Advance Practice Registered Nurses. Other than nursing, other healthcare professions are regulated under this board’s supervisory authority. These roles include Certified Medication Technicians, Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives, and Licensed Electrologists. Without well-defined service standards and nursing rules, it is hard to maintain safety and quality in any medical institution.

As for membership, the MD Board of Nursing consists of 13 members: 8 Registered Nurses (RNs), 3 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and 2 consumers.

MD Board of Nursing Responsibilities

One key responsibility of the MD Board of Nursing is to ensure all nurses that join the field are licensed and well-equipped with the proper qualifications. The board usually conducts the NCLEX-RN/LPN licensing examination that is designed to assess if a student is ready for the professional scope of nursing. The exam is also a mandatory procedure in all other states. Core functions of MD nursing board include:

1. Accepting certification applications

2. License renewal

3. Multi-state license verification

4. Handling complaints & investigations

5. Nurse practice acts & regulations

6. Supervising all nursing practices or occupation

7. Setting regulations & standard procedures

8. Certifying Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs)

9. Approving nursing programs

10. Publishing changes in various nursing laws

MD Board of Nursing: Becoming a Nurse in Maryland

The state of Maryland can be a good place to practice nursing and pursue a great career in the scope of healthcare. An entry-level nurse can easily make more than $21,000 here. First, one must acquire a degree in nursing and nursing training. Various certified nursing schools in Maryland offer a range of nursing programs and courses to aspiring nurses. Nurses who hold a degree in nursing in another state and need to be a nurse in Maryland should either take licensing examinations or apply for a multistate license here.

MD Board of Nursing Education Requirements

The MD Board of Nursing requires students to take the NCLEX-LPN/RN exam in order to be fully licensed.

LPN Education Requirements

High-school education is the foundation for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The prospective LPN must enroll in any practical nursing program approved by the MD board or any similar program approved by the nursing board in another state. There are 13 practical nursing programs offered in Maryland that you can choose, all offered in community colleges. Twelve of the programs take one year to complete with prerequisite courses that allow graduates to complete the Associate Degree RN program. On graduating any of these practical nursing programs, graduate is eligible for LPN licensure. The Licensed Practical Nurse is prepared to provide direct care as supervised by other licensed healthcare professionals primarily in well-structured settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, and chronic care facilities.

The LPN programs have 40-46 credits. Once the candidate meets all the requirements, the candidate is eligible to sit the NCLEX exam. A fee of $200 is charged for the exam, and is paid to Pearson VUE. Also, a fee of $57.25 is associated with the background criminal check.

For endorsement candidates, the endorsement application may be completed online. In addition, a passport style photo and an email address are required. A criminal background check is also done. An application fee of $140 is charged for both a permanent and temporary license and $100 if you require a temporary license only.

RN Education Requirements

A prospective registered nurse (RN) must enroll in a certified program. Generally, MD Board of Nursing approves programs offered within the state. There are various in-state RN programs at both BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing). Out-of-state programs can be approved if they are significantly equivalent. Students from the out-of-state programs that aren’t equivalent may require a preceptorship.

Students enrolling in Maryland clinical programs are required to be approved as Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) as they complete requirements, as well as a background check. A licensed practical nurse can opt for an RN or LPN program. There are only two online LPN/RN programs that the MD Board of Nursing will accept:

• Indiana State University (Baccalaureate Level)
• Chamberlain College Of Nursing (Associate’s Degree)

RN endorsement candidates can apply online. A fee of $100 is required for an application and an additional $40 for a temporary license.

MD Board of Nursing: Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing

The Baccalaureate Degree is offered in 8 Maryland universities and 4-year colleges. These programs last for 4 years providing a BSN degree or a BS degree and a major in nursing. Graduates are authorized to sit the NCLEX-RN licensing examination. On completion of these programs, graduates are prepared to offer care to communities, families and individuals in illness and wellness settings providing comprehensive healthcare services. They are also prepared to take positions of responsibility and leadership in various practice settings, as well as to join a graduate school for Masters Degree in Nursing with a specialization in various nursing disciplines.

Applicants should meet the nursing program’s entrance requirements as well as of the university or college. The program generally consists of 2-years in general education courses that concentrate in the humanities, physical and social sciences. Another 2 years focus on offering general education courses in both clinical practice and nursing theory. Supervised clinical practice takes place in clinics, hospitals, community health agencies, plus other healthcare delivery areas. Beginning research techniques and professional issues are also included in the curriculum.

Currently, there are 14 ADN programs offered in Maryland. These programs take 3 years to complete and consist course work in nursing and general education. Graduates are authorized to sit the RN licensing examination. The ADN registered nurses are prepared to provide care in various settings, and work with professional nurses and health care team members in planning & implementing comprehensive medical care. Applicants should meet all the nursing program’s entrance requirements as well as those of the community colleges. The curriculum consists of 65-70 credits in the sciences, humanities, and nursing major.

Please note, a student who fails the NCLEX attempt is required to wait 45 days to make another attempt. The MD Board of Nursing allows graduates of RN programs to be tested, and licensed, at the practical nursing level.

MD Board of Nursing Licensure

The MD Board of Nursing offers licensure for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses either through:

• Licensure by exam
• Licensure by endorsement

Licensure by Exam

Any Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse who applies for licensure and lives in the Multi-State Licensure Compact member state should sit their home state’s NCLEX exam. The Maryland Nursing Board is required by the NPA (Nurse Practice Act) to enforce the following regulations:

1. A licensed practical nurse or registered nurse can have a license in just one-party state at a time and the licenses should be issued from the licensee’s home state.

2. Applicants for licensure by exam in Maryland should submit enough evidence to the nursing board that the primary state of residence of the applicant is Maryland or any other state that isn’t a part of the compact.

3. Applicants whose primary residence state is a party state, other than Maryland, aren’t entitled to a license examination as an LPN or RN in Maryland.

Licensure by Endorsement

The MD Board of Nursing requires all applicants for temporary licenses to use a permanent mailing address to complete the licensure application. This is necessary for licensees who aren’t going to live in Maryland for a long period of time.

If you are applying for an LPN or RN license and you recently had a Maryland license that is currently listed as Invalid, Inactive or Non-Renewed, you should request a license renewal from the Maryland Board of Nursing. If you have never had a Maryland license, but you hold an active license in any other state, you should go on with the process of endorsement.

MD Board of Nursing: Nurse Practice Act

The updated MD Nurse Practice Act & Regulations can be acquired from the Division of State Documents, by telephone or by the internet. MD Board of Nursing laws & regulations can be found online by searching for COMAR (Code Of Maryland Regulations) and Annotated Code Of Maryland. The Maryland Nursing Board no longer provides the annually updated Nurse Practice Act printed copy.

SOURCES:
www.nurseops.com

mbon.maryland.gov

www.nursinglicensure.org

Licensed Practical Nurses form part of the typical healthcare team, where they provide preventative health care and standard emergency to patients who are injured, sick, or just need regular health checkups. LPNs perform these functions under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses. To acquire state certification to practice nursing, LPNs are required to complete approved LPN programs.

LPN programs are training courses to which Licenses Practitioner Nurses (LPNs) must subject themselves so as to get the necessary training on the knowledge and skills needed for practical nurses. The LPN programs equip nurses with skills to monitor patients’ vital signs, assist patients during ambulation, provide bedside hygiene and feed patients through different routes. These programs are available at many hospitals, technical schools and community colleges in the United States and Canada.

Contents:

• What Do LPN Programs Comprise?
• Finding the Right LPN Programs
• LPN Programs: Admission Requirements
• Boards Of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
• BOCES LPN Programs Requirements
• Online LPN Programs
• LPN Bridge Programs
• LPN to RN Bridge Programs
• LPN to ADN Bridge Programs
• LPN to BSN Bridge Programs
• LPN to MSN Bridge Programs
• Tuition and Fees for LPN Programs
• LPN Programs by State

What Do LPN Programs Comprise?

The LPN training program generally lasts for 6 months to 1 year. The program can also be taken online or part-time. Additionally, the program comprises two parts:

1. Theoretical/Didactic Portion — This part details on the basic textbook knowledge of the nursing practice.

2. Practical/Internship Portion — On acquiring fundamental knowledge and learning necessary skills in nursing, this part involves hands-on practice in an actual healthcare setting.

Finding the Right LPN Programs

One of the most important and toughest decisions you will make when deciding to become an LPN is where to attend school. The decision is usually daunting in states with many accredited programs, such as Ohio, Florida, and New York.

Not every LPN program is created equal, some programs may better fit you than others. When you are weighing your nursing practice options, it is important to take some factors into consideration:

• The program’s NCLEX-PN reputation or pass rate
• State accreditation for the LPN program
• Online classes for LPN programs
• The cost of the program
• Location of the LPN program
• Hands-on experience you will acquire

These factors will help you choose your suitable LPN program. The more knowledge and skills you gain while completing your LPN classes will better prepare you for your examination as well as your future career as an LPN.

LPN Programs: Admission Requirements

LPN programs are offered in many accredited nursing schools across the United States. Several schools may have different sets of requirements, but the basic admission requirements mandated include:

1. Age requirement — In the U.S., the law requires all nurses to be 18 years and above to qualify for employment and training. You are required to present your birth certificate to verify the said requisite.

2. High school diploma — You need to be a high school graduate in order to qualify for the LPN training program. This is to make sure that applicants have already done the required general education subjects before the term begins.

3. Transcript of records — The transcripts supplement one’s high school academic performance and other academic attainments. Most schools require GPA of at least 2.0/4.0 for a student to be considered for admission. Other schools accept GED-certificates with a particular score to be used as an alternative to GPA that doesn’t meet standards.

4. General education requirements — Different general education subjects supplement the LPN program, including biology, chemistry, statistics, algebra and general sciences.

5. English proficiency — An applicant’s oral and written communication skills are important to any nursing course, especially for foreign students applying for an LPN program. For this requirement, you may be required to take the TOEFL or IELTS.

Boards Of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)

BOCES was created in 1948 by the New York state legislature. The boards provide career and education training for recent graduates, high school students and adults in almost all of the state’s 721 school districts.

BOCES offers a large variety of on-site job training and educational programs, including building maintenance, auto body repair, criminal justice, practical nursing, electrical wiring, as well as computer repair and networking.

Due to the huge demand of medical professionals in the state of New York, BOCES LPN programs have become more popular. LPNs have no shortage of opportunities to work in diverse settings as nursing homes, hospitals, private businesses, government agencies, home health agencies, public and private health care clinics, and more. In the state of New York, LPNs perform important tasks, like Administering medication, performing routine care procedures, assisting registered nurses and physicians, and counselling families and patients on treatment regimens and illnesses.

BOCES LPN Programs Requirements

Recently there has been a great demand for LPN jobs in the state of New York, therefore BOCES LPN programs are more popular and mostly consist competitive admission requirements.

There are multiple BOCES LPN programs in the state of New York that serve applicants in nearly all metropolitan and geographic areas of the state. Every district has a separate admission process, but most of the BOCES programs have similar standards for eligibility. The standards require applicants to:

1. Complete Nurse Entrance Exam — This exam evaluates your mathematics as well as verbal skills, including reading and vocabulary comprehension. In addition, prep courses are offered in many districts to aid you to prepare for the nurse entrance exam.

2. Possess a GED or High School Diploma — For an applicant to be considered for the BOCES LPN program in the state of New York, you must have a GED or high school diploma.

3. Be at least 18 years old — The BOCES LPN program requires that you be 18 years and above, however, some programs also accept applications from 17-year-old students.

4. Complete Interview Process — The BOCES LPN interview is similar to the common job interview. Its process includes several questions structured to enable program administrators to determine if you are a good candidate to become a health care professional in the state of New York.

5. Pass a Medical, Physical, and Background Screening — You must pass a medical, physical, and background screening, that includes criminal background check, blood work, and immunizations.

6. Received CPR Certification — Most BOCES LPN programs in the state of New York require students to be certified to do CPR. You can get CPR certification by completing the first-aid class or at the school, you have applied to.

In addition, LPNs in New York state have opportunities to advance their education through LPN bridge programs. These programs enable practicing LPN’s to take in-person or online classes to earn Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees and become registered nurses (RNs).

Online LPN Programs

In the United States, there are selected schools offering a Bachelor’s Nursing degree program but at high costs. However, most educational institutions provide low-cost nursing programs, LPN training programs, that are completed in a short period of time, generally 2 years less than the bachelor’s degree.

Accessibility of the LPN program is made easier through the online LPN programs available on the internet. There are many nursing schools that give LPN training online.

Accreditation

The first step in applying for LPN training online is to get an online LPN program which is duly approved by the NLNAC, National League Of Nursing Accrediting Commission. Accreditation ensures that the training program meets all the standards set out by the state governing bodies that look over the practice of nursing.

It is important to attend an online LPN program that is accredited for assured quality education. Additionally, to qualify for the LPN’s licensure examination (NCLEX-RN), your school should be identified by the state nursing board. Accredited online LPN programs also offer you more chances to progress your nursing career, like taking additional studies to acquire a master’s degree, bachelor’s degree or diploma in nursing.

Some of the most popular schools that offer state-approved online LPN programs, include:

1. Florida Hospital College Of Health Sciences
2. St. Joseph’s College
3. South University
4. California University Of Pennsylvania
5. Independence University

Online LPN programs are suitable for you mainly because of their flexibility and are great choices if you wish to pursue a career in nursing, but at the same time wish to retain your full-time employment.

Not all nursing training can be acquired through online LPN programs because nursing requires a lot of hands-on work and clinical experience credits that cannot be done online. Even though these programs have a low-cost tuition fee, you will need a good computer along with reliable internet connection.

Overall, LPN programs online are convenient for individuals who don’t have sufficient time for campus-based education.

LPN Bridge Programs

Once you decide on becoming a nurse, you need to take an LPN training program along with LPN bridge programs as you advance your nursing career. Starting out as a Licensed Practice Nurse is of great advantage, you can complete your education in a short period of time, and promptly start out your nursing career while earning a good salary. Common LPN bridge programs, include:

• LPN to RN bridge programs
• LPN to ADN bridge programs
• LPN to BSN bridge programs
• LPN to MSN bridge programs

LPN to RN Bridge Programs

Needless to say, registered nurses have more benefits over LPN’s in terms of career opportunities, salary and job stability. However, getting the RN title takes a long period of time if you go through the normal path, that takes about 4 years.

With the LPN to RN bridge programs, the time to acquire your RN license is shortened. Many schools offer both online and classroom-based LPN to RN bridge programs which can be finished in a period of 7 to 18 months, this depends on the kind of program being offered in a specific school. Many LPN to RN bridge programs award 10-credit hours of the previous practical nurse’s training program.

The typical admission requirements for the LPN to RN program, include:

1. High school diploma
2. A GPA of at least 2.0
3. A current LPN license from the United States / a jurisdiction that is an NCSBN associate member

LPN to ADN Bridge Programs

Another great option for LPN’s is the LPN to ADN bridge program. Generally, this program takes 3 semesters of full-time study to complete or 5 semesters for those students who want to pursue the course on a part-time basis. Additionally, the LPN to ADN bridge program can enable applicants to prepare for the licensure examination, NCLEX-RN for registered nurses.

Applicants are required to take up pre-requisite programs before starting the LPN to ADN bridge program, the prerequisite courses can vary per institution. Basic courses you can take up include, but aren’t limited to English, Math and Biology courses for medical providers.

LPN to BSN Bridge Programs

The third option for LPNs is to take up an LPN to BSN bridge program. The benefit of completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing is that most employers look to employ the applicants with higher educational attainment, therefore more career opportunities are in store.

The LPN to BSN bridge program can be completed within 3 years. Prerequisite courses should be taken before starting the program. Usual admission requirements, include:

1. High school diploma
2. Current license / certificate of employment as an LPN

LPN to MSN Bridge Programs

One important thing to note is that direct LPN to MSN bridge programs are not available. Interested LPNs should take up bridge programs in order to become a registered nurse. Once they have acquired their license as an RN, they can apply for a master’s degree program to be finished in 2 years time, this depends on the MSN program type being offered.

There are various alternate paths for enthusiastic LPNs to advance their career status. These bridge programs are offered to aid LPNs to boost their careers while maintaining their full-time employment as a licensed practical nurse. It can also help you save resources and time in a practical way.

Tuition and Fees for LPN Programs

Some LPN programs are offered in all states with fees ranging from $1,000 – $15,000 depending on the LPN program. Notable LPN program options that meet the approval criteria by your state’s nursing board and their fees include:

1. Adult Education School LPN Program — This is the cheapest mode of study, costing around $1,500 to $2,500 each year. This program usually admits adults holding only a high school degree. Generally, students with higher degrees are denied enrollment.
2. High School LPN Program — This program costs roughly $5,000 to $10,000 for a single year of study. The entry requirements aren’t as restrictive as the college based programs for potential students only need a high school diploma. Like the adult LPN program, this is the most student-friendly option with program supervisors giving splendid program support and job placement.
3. College Based LPN Program — This option can be expensive, costing around $3,500 to $15,000, but is ideal for those who can’t handle an intensive 1-year program of study. Some prerequisite courses like biology, math, chemistry, anatomy, psychology and physiology are required. This option is cheaper if you have already undergone several prerequisite classes. However, most of these programs are less supportive, leaving the students to decide their own career growth direction.

LPN Programs by State

Every state in the United States offers LPN programs that are certified by the state board of nursing. Each state has various schools in which students enroll in the LPN program. All state boards of nursing offer licensure to LPNs after meeting specific requirements like taking and passing the NCLEX exam or through an endorsement. In addition, the state nursing boards also approve the LPN program offered within the state. Some of the states most popular schools that offer the Licensed Practical Nurse training programs, include:

LPN Programs in Massachusetts (Massachusetts board of nursing)

1. Berkshire Community College
2. Blue Hills Regional Technical School
3. Diman Regional Technical Institute
4. Greenfield Community College
5. Holyoke Community College

LPN Programs in Georgia (Georgia board of nursing)

1. Albany Technical College
2. Altamaha Technical College
3. Athens Technical College
4. Atlanta Technical College
5. Augusta Technical College

LPN Programs in Michigan (Michigan board of nursing)

1. Alpena Community College
2. Baker College
3. Bay de Noc Community College
4. Davenport University
5. Glen Oaks Community College

LPN Programs in Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania board of nursing)

1. Allegany College
2. Center for Arts and Technology
3. Clarion County Career Center
4. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology
5. Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit LPN Career

LPN Programs in New York (New York board of nursing)

1. Albany BOCES – Adult Practical Nursing Program
2. Broome Delaware Tioga BOCES — Practical Nursing Program
3. Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES — Practical Nursing Program
4. Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES — Practical Nursing Program
5. Central Technical Vocational Center

LPN Program in New Jersey (New Jersey board of nursing)

1. Camden County College
2. Dover Business College
3. Eastwick College and the Hohokus Schools
4. Essex County College
5. Holy Name Hospital School of Nursing

LPN Programs in North Carolina (North Carolina board of nursing)

1. Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
2. Beaufort County Community College
3. Bladen Community College
4. Brunswick Community College
5. Cape Fear Community College

LPN Program in Connecticut (Connecticut board of nursing)

1. Lincoln Culinary Institute
2. Lincoln Technical Institute
3. Lincoln Technical Institute
4. Porter and Chester Institute
5. Stone Academy

If you are seeking to complete an LPN program in either of these states, note that there are several course requirements in existence. The requirements are determined by the institution in which you are enrolled. Other factors that influence the outline that an LPN program will follow is whether the program is in an online environment or in a mortar or brick institution. In general, most LPN programs will include specific core requirements that will enable you to successfully complete the NCLEX-PN.

SOURCES:

www.practicalnursing.org

www.licensedpracticalnurse.net

lpnprograms.org