Having A Midlife Career Change To Nursing

Midlife career changes are nothing new. If you’re looking for a field with abundant opportunity and if you enjoy caring for others, nursing might be right for you. The job outlook is robust: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment among registered nurses will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008. Some reports indicate that more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012. A career in nursing is also lucrative: Typical salaries start in the K-K range and increase significantly for more specialized positions. Some hospitals are even offering signing bonuses upwards of K. So if you’ve spent some time off from work or are looking at a career switch, following are a few tips to help get you started in a nursing career:

Do your homework. There are numerous specialties to choose from—including oncology, pediatrics, recovery, and emergency care—and several settings in which you can work. Practices range from home care to private practice to clinics to hospitals. Determine your course by actively networking. Attend career fairs and educational sessions. Contact your state nursing board, the local nurses association, or the closest chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society. The more informed you are, the better you can map out your direction.

Types of nurses include:
• Advanced Practice Nursing (APN)
• Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
• Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California and Texas
• Nurse Practitioner (NP)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

For more specific information on the differences, visit The Nursing Degree Guide: http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/articles/types_of_nurses/

Recognize the steps involved. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, several steps must be taken before a nurse can enter the profession. This usually involves:

• Graduating from a recognized nursing program
• Meeting the specific requirements of the state board of nursing
• Passing the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) NCLEX® examination for registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs).

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing Directory (list of nursing boards by state): http://www.ncsbn.org/regulation/boardsofnursing_boards_of_nursing_board.asp

Carefully choose a school. There are over 1500 nursing programs in the country. The minimum education requirement to get into nursing programs is a high school diploma, but advanced degrees require higher education. Most require an entrance exam. There are three basic types of programs available:

• For those with bachelor degrees, post-bachelor programs are available which build on your previous education and put you on an accelerated course. This allows you to finish in 12-18 months.
• Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN degrees) are four-year programs at colleges and universities. They build a strong foundation, providing leadership and management skills.
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) are available at two-year programs found at many community and junior colleges. Pre-nursing courses are typically required.

The school you choose is vital. It will largely determine how prepared you are for the NCLEX. The schools you consider should be state board approved and accredited.

The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.: http://www.nlnac.org/Forms/directory_search.htm
The Nursing Degree Guide:
http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/
The College Network (online degree options):
http://www.college-net.com/nursing/cybernurse/
American Association of Colleges of Nursing:
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/

Research the financial commitment. Make sure you understand the financial commitment associated with nursing school. Tuition varies but can cost up upwards of ,000 per year. Daunting, but the typical nurse’s salary should make it easier to swallow.

Financial Aid Resources:
• US Department of Education: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
• Nursing Scholarship Search: http://www.discovernursing.com/scholarship_search.aspx
• Federal Student Aid: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
• Stafford Loans: http://www.staffordloan.com/

Take The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Once you’ve made it through the craziness of school, you still have to pass the NCLEX. Regular study combined with the education you’ve acquired should prepare you.

Link to an NCLEX fact sheet: http://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/NCLEX_fact_sheet.pdf

Know your state’s licensing requirements. Get all the specifics on state licensure including the license period, fees, and continuing education requirements. Look into CEUs even if they’re not mandated. It’s always a good idea to stay current on knowledge and practices, and many CEUs are easily available online. SpeedyCEUs (www.speedyceus.com) offers several online continuing education courses. Make sure your state board accepts the CEUs you’re interested in.

The Nursing Center (list of state licensure information): http://www.nursingcenter.com/careercenter/licensure.asp

Go get your job! Finally, after researching, attending school, and passing your boards, it’s time to embark on your new career. Luckily, the job search should be the easy part. Your school’s placement program or an intent search should provide abundant opportunities. Enjoy the job shopping spree!

Rob Zawrotny is a copywriter at MWI Web Design. He has assisted several companies in developing content for their website, including Nursing CEUS.


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Review Guide for RN Pre-Entrance Exam

Review Guide for RN Pre-Entrance Exam

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The Review Guide for NLN-RN Pre-Entrance Exam, Third Edition provides a sound basis for successful preparation for a nursing pre-admission exam. It provides an overview of the math, science, and reading comprehension skills necessary for admission to AD and BS programs. This best-selling study guide includes review questions and practice exams in each of the three test areas, and also includes helpful tips for test preparation and for becoming a more effective learner and test taker.

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Q&A: Lpn pre entrance exam?

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I am taking the pre entrance for my lpn on wed. I have been studying on my math and such but seemed to have lost the paper with all of the links for study guides for the compass. Anybody know of any?

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http://www.testprepreview.com/compass_practice.htm

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Have you passed an LPN Entrance Exam? How was it?

Question by violindiva72: Have you passed an LPN Entrance Exam? How was it?
I will be taking an LPN Entrance exam in about 3 months. The community college I’ve applied to is accepting 20 applicants, I’m not sure out of how many, but I know I need to do really well on the exam. How long did you study for it? I have a study guide, have been studying a couple hours/day, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough. I’m not too great at math. Any tips for me? THANKS!

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Answer by C-Murdaaa
i dont know what that is…if its like the sat/act just work lots of practice tests…good luck

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LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) Exam Review: Pearls of Wisdom, Second Edition

LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) Exam Review: Pearls of Wisdom, Second Edition

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McGraw-Hill’s Nursing School Entrance Exams

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We want to help you succeed on your Nursing School Entrance Exam We’ve put all of our proven expertise into McGraw-Hill’s Nursing School Entrance Exams to make sure you’re ready for this crucial test. Whether you’re taking the NLN PAX-RN, NET, TEAS, PSB-RN, or C-NET-RN, this book gives you essential skill-building techniques and strategies developed by a team of renowned test-prep tutors. You’ll get eight practice tests, skill-building drills, test-taking strategies, and all the facts abo

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Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurses are very much in demand in lieu of America’s nursing shortage. The program for becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse is approximately one year or less. Financial aid is available for this training program as well as many other sources of funding. Licensed Vocational Nurses/LPN’s make only a few dollars less than Registered Nurses.

This is perhaps due to their scope of practice is less inclusive than that of Registered Nurses. By 1994, LPNs earned over per hour on average. There was a short decline in wages of not only LPNs but for RN’s as well during the years between 1994 and 1998.(1) In the year 2001 LPNs were making between .78 and .15. In 2007, a graduate RN who had passed their state boards made approximately .50 per hour. Licensed practical nurses held about 749,000 jobs in 2006. About 26 percent of LPNs worked in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities, and another 12 percent in offices of physicians. Others worked for home health care services; employment services; residential care facilities; community care facilities for the elderly; outpatient care centers; and Federal, State, and local government agencies. About 19 percent worked part time. (2)

The scope of practice for LPNs vary from state to state as mandated by the State Board of Nursing. In general, the LPN is able to feed and bathe the patient, empty Foleys, J-pegs, colostomy bags, take a patient’s blood pressure, temperature (orally or rectally), exercise patient via assisting patient with walking, pass medications, change dressings of 2 day post- operative wounds as well as dress bedsores at stage II decubitus ulcer, report patient changes to the nurse, transport patient, give some injections (though not I.V.Push), hang IV bags, give massages and administer enemas.

LPNs can monitor patients for untoward reactions to medications or treatments and report findings to the RN. The RN is then responsible for follow up and to re-assessing the patient. The LPN works under the guidance and supervision of the RN. The RN’s license is jeopardized if the LPN does more than their job description if given instructions to do so by the RN. The LPN can help with regard to patient teaching, such as dietary suggestions for diabetics, and importance of tight glycemic control.

In most cases LPNs find employment in nursing homes, medical clinics, doctors offices and hospitals.

LPNs are required to pass a state licensing exam (NCLEX-PM) upon graduation from Licensed Practical Nursing Program.(2) A high school diploma as well as a nursing entrance test is required to gain admittance into the program. In 2006 there were over 1,500 State-approved LPN training programs in the U.S. In times past nursing programs were offered directly through hospitals. This type of practice has been replaced by individual nursing schools. LPN curriculum requires that the student review, learn, be tested upon and apply critical thinking in an actual heath care settings. Courses include anatomy and physiology, medication calculation, pediatric nursing, maternity nursing, medical surgical nursing, nutrition, psychiatric nursing and CPR.

Further education is encouraged for graduate LPNs/LVNs. Hospitals, nursing homes and sometimes medical clinics will often pay for furthering the education of an LPN/LVN to becoming an RN. In many cases, it is much easier for an LPN/LVN to obtain their Registered Nursing Degree. This is in part due to their prior patient care experience and the fact that many Registered Nursing Programs require that LPNs/LVNs attend a one year program to complete their R.N. Degree. This is the road that many LPN/LVNs take. They get their LVN/LPN and then go for their RN Degree while they are already working in the field.

Pass the Nursing Entrance Test the first time with our guide at Nurses Learning Center. Written by a Professor of Education for nurses, the guide has over 600 pages with details answers to every question.


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Nursing Entrance Test, An Introduction

One of the biggest hurtles that aspiring nursing school students must face is the Nursing Entrance Test. This is a nationally standardized test that is administered prior to placing students on the long waiting list for nursing school. Even if the student has passed all the prerequisites required for admission, such as anatomy and physiology, English 131 and 132, Sociology, Pharmacology, and Chemistry, this doesn’t guarantee admission to nursing school.


Most RN as well as LVN/LPN nursing schools are now requiring an entrance exam. The most popular is the NET, or Nursing Entrance Test. It is a computer-based test which consists of seven parts. These include:


* math skills (from basics through algebra)


* reading comprehension (at the 10th grade level) for science textbooks


* a reading rate exam


* an evaluation of test-taking skills


* a stress level profile


* a social interaction profile


* learning style evaluation


Although there are required passing grades, of a C at the least, the Nursing Entrance Test must be passed in order to be put on the list for admission to nursing school. This is by far the most nerve racking test that students must face. The main reason for this anxiety is that many students have come into the test either unprepared or just overconfident. Unfortunately, the preparatory literature that is currently available does not do complete justice to covering all that is necessary for the Nursing Entrance Test.


Most schools require at least a score of 50 on the math and reading comprehension sections. Students must be able to comprehend science textbooks which are written at a 10th grade reading level. This is considered to be the “norm” for adult reading levels for college applicants. Algebra is essential for medication calculations. The two combined give a good indication of the ability to use critical thinking skills which are essential to RN programs.


If you’re a prospective nursing student still in high school, you can do a number of things to prepare yourself. First, talk to your school guidance counselor. He or she can point you in the direction of appropriate schools and help determine your course of study. Most nursing programs will look for two to four years of math and science, four years of English, one to two years of health studies, and some foreign language and computer science skills.


Most of the prep books cover a plethora of topics associated with various exams offered in the many fields of health care. This is insufficient for the knowledge that is required for passing the Nursing Entrance Test. Those who feel that the test is simply a remedial exercise in review are surprised when they sit for the test, because many have forgotten some basic math and algebra principals. Unfortunately, there are those who have been away from school for such a long time that when they sit for the exam they do very poorly. Some students have never learned math skills efficiently enough to be able to apply them in a test setting. The key to remedy much of this stress is to provide those students that are going to be taking the test with materials that will prepare them for exactly what to expect in the same method that the test is administered.


There is another level of stress that has been added to the test recently. That is, that the student is now only allowed to fail up to three times. After which, the student can no longer enroll in the nursing program at that particular school. For instance, Henry Ford Community College has now adopted this rule. This is very annoying and frustrating to those students who have taken all of their prerequisites and are on their last chance. They are faced with having to transfer their credits to another nursing school program and take the test again at another school. This prolongs their admission to nursing school which is usually a two to three year wait at the minimum. Some students have opted to take a refresher math course. However, this is in no way a guarantee that they will pass the Nursing Entrance Test. Much of the math in a remedial math course is not sufficient to pass the Nursing Entrance Test.

Melih (“may-lee”) Oztalay, CEO
SmartFinds Internet Marketing
Web: www.thenetstudyguide.com
EMail: melih@hsfideas.com
The nursing entrance test study guide provides nurses the assistance they need with the nursing entrance test. The nursing study guide helps nurses.


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Tips on Taking the NCSBN (National Council of the State Board of Nursing)

NCSBN (National Council of the State Board of Nursing) does not have established guidelines for graduating students as to when to register. However, registering for the NCLEX examination and licensure during the month of the student’s graduation is common. Note that registering to take the examination and applying for licensure to a state board of nursing are two different processes.

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Kaplan Nursing School Entrance Exams: Your Complete Guide to Getting Into Nursing School Reviews

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Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre-Entrance Exam, 3rd Edition

Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre-Entrance Exam, 3rd Edition

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The Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre-Entrance Exam, Third Edition provides an overview of the math, science, and reading comprehension skills necessary for admission to LPN programs. This best-selling texts includes multiple choice questions and practice examinations in each of the three test areas: math, science, and reading comprehension. Also included are helpful tips for test preparation and becoming a more effective learner and test taker.

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Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre Entrance Exam, Second Edition (Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre-Entrance Exam)

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The Review Guide for LPN/LVN Pre-Entrance Exam provides an overview of the math, science, and verbal content necessary for admission to LPN programs in AD colleges. Includes approximately 1000 questions and 3 practice exams in each of the three areas; math, science, and verbal. Also includes helpful tips for test preparation and for becoming a more effective learner and test taker.

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