By Dana Pionk, BSN. RN, CNEcl
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Travel nursing is a unique opportunity to choose your own adventure. Whether you want to experience a big city like New York, the beach life in Malibu or get more connected to nature in Portland, travel nurse positions are generally available in all 50 states and even Guam!
Read below to see if travel nursing is for you!
By Sarah Schroyer, MSN, RN, CHPN, NE-BC, CNE
Faculty, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
My first experience with death as a nurse was my first day of clinicals as a nursing student. I walked in, bright and early, to greet my patient – faking confidence that I knew what I was doing – and found a lifeless body. The nurse to whom I was assigned was already in the room waiting for me. We had not covered death and dying, so I had no clue what to do. I was scared.
By Sarah Schroyer, MSN, RN, CHPN, NE-BC, CNE
Faculty, College of Nursing
Every March 19, nurses worldwide who earn and maintain the highest credentials in their chosen specialty are honored. Certified Nurses’ Day was created in 2008 by a collaboration between the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Nurses Association (ANA). Nursing, as health care in general, has become increasingly complex. Certified Nurses play an important role in assuring high standards of care for patients and many health care facilities encourage their nurses toward certification. The certification process is voluntary and requires extensive education and knowledge in the specialty area. Becoming certified also requires a personal commitment on the part of the nurse.
How does a nurse obtain a certification? The ANCC is one of the largest credentialing centers for nurses. They offer certification in specialties such as nursing informatics, medical-surgical, pain management, nurse executive and national healthcare disaster. Certifications may also be related to specific nursing organizations. For example, a nurse can obtain a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse designation through the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association (HPNA) and Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). The HPCC’s Why Certification? site provides excellent reasons adaptable to all specialties on why nurses should consider certification:
As a nurse who is currently certified in three specialty areas, I do not look forward to Certified Nurses’ Day each year in hopes of praise over what I have accomplished. Instead, I see March 19 as a day to promote the importance of becoming certified to my fellow nurses. We need to support and encourage each other through this often daunting process. If you are certified, reach out to your peers and offer to help them prepare for the test. If you are not certified, check with your organization. Some organizations will help with the cost of certification. To promote Certified Nurses’ Day, the ANA is offering 25 percent off certification exams purchased through March 31 (of course there are additional requirements) (ANA, 2019).
If you’re ready to advance your career and develop in-demand skills, then consider completing the RN to BSN online program from Grand Canyon University. You can discover more about this degree by clicking the Request More Information button on this page or visiting the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions website.
References:
American Nurses Association (ANA). (2019). Home page. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/
Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. (nd). Why Certification? Retrieved from https://advancingexpertcare.org/why-certification
Caring for patients is a ministry that nurses feel called to perform. Although nursing is an inherently compassionate profession, it’s all too easy to lose sight of these values in the rush to get from one patient to the next. Advancing in your health care career isn’t solely about continuing education opportunities, such as the RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University. It’s also about slowing down, and taking the time to reflect on the values that initially led you to health care. Remembering these values every day can improve outcomes for your patients and lead to a more spiritually fulfilling career.
Grand Canyon University nursing students have once again made the news with their spectacular licensing test results. These new scores raised the bar to a 95.65 percent first-time pass rate for QTR 2, 2018.
Nurse educators are highly trained professionals who hold a Master of Science in Nursing with an Emphasis in Nursing Education degree. Nurse educators often work in colleges and universities to educate and inspire the next generation of health care providers. If you prefer to work one-on-one with patients and families, there are other career options that this degree program can prepare you for, such as a patient advocate or a patient educator.
The American Nurses Association created a set of Peer Review Guidelines in 1988. Since then, these guidelines have helped nurses around the country make sure they are following proper regulations for patient care and safety. When you earn your RN to BSN degree at Grand Canyon University, you will gain new skills that can help you understand and execute these reviews in the best possible way. Take a closer look at the nursing peer review process:
A collaborative, team-minded approach to health care isn’t just a way to make the work environment positive and more enjoyable. It’s also a smart way to improve efficiency, encourage professional growth and facilitate effective communication to promote positive patient outcomes. When healthcare professionals work together, patients receive better care and everyone benefits! Today’s healthcare environment functions using a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. As a member of the multidisciplinary team, there are things you can do to foster collaboration and promote teamwork.
Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a big expense. Going back to school can cost you valuable time, work and money. So is it really worth it? Is it too much work? Could your money be better spent somewhere else? GCU faculty has some interesting perspectives on this question that many RN’s face.
Jenna Snyder was raised in China as the child of missionaries. She moved to China with her family when she was only 2 years old and was exposed early on to people on the streets begging for money. These people were not typically beggars rather, they also suffered from horrible conditions including leprosy, rare genetic conditions and infected wounds.