How to Select the Best Nursing Degree Program near Mount Rainier Maryland
Locating the best nursing college near Mount Rainier MD may feel like a difficult undertaking, particularly if you have no idea what to look for in a good degree program. As you may presently understand, to practice as a registered nurse, you must obtain the necessary education and training to become licensed. So it is essential that you study and evaluate the qualifications of each program you are considering before enrolling in your ultimate choice. Regrettably, too many potential students base their selection exclusively on the cost of tuition and the nearness of the school. Choosing the least expensive program or the one that is local to your home is undoubtedly not the best way to select a nursing program. There are a number of crucial additional factors to look into before you determine where to attend classes. But before we examine that checklist, let’s first go over the nursing degree choices that are available as well as what the functions of nurses are in our medical system.
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Nursing Degree Options
There is more than one degree option available to become a nurse. And in order to become a Registered Nurse (RN), a student must enroll in an accredited school and program. A nursing student can earn a qualifying degree in just two years, or continue on to obtain a graduate degree for a total of six years. Following are some short summaries of the nursing degrees that are available to aspiring students in the Mount Rainier MD area.
- Associates Degree. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is commonly a two year program made available by community colleges. It prepares graduates for an entry level position in nursing in medical facilities including hospitals, clinics or nursing homes. Many employ the ADN as an entry into nursing and later earn a more advanced degree.
- Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) provides more in depth training than the ADN. It is commonly a 4 year program offered at colleges and universities. Licensed RNs may be able to complete an accelerated program based on their previous training or degree and professional experience (RN to BSN). Those applying to the program may wish to progress to a clinical or administrative position, or be more competitive in the job market.
- Master’s Degree. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is normally a 2 year program after achieving the BSN. The MSN program offers specialization training, for example to become a nurse practitioner or focus on administration, management or teaching.
When a graduating student has attained one of the above degrees, he or she must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to become licensed. Further requirements for licensing can vary from state to state, so be sure to get in touch with the Maryland board of nursing for any state mandates.
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Why Enter the Nursing Profession?
Nurses are an important part of a Mount Rainier MD medical team, and for many patients, their primary care providers. A career in nursing opens doors to many opportunities, such as research, health care education and specialty areas of practice. Nurses go into the profession for several reasons, the most meaningful are its personal and practical advantages. Nurses provide personal, one-on-one care to patients. Many patients in a hospital or home care setting spend more time with nurses than with doctors. Nurses commonly go into the profession due to a passion to tend to the needs of patients, including in situations of short-term treatment of illness and long-term care of chronic conditions. This humanistic aspect of the health profession, as opposed to the research or analytical related aspects, is attractive to many who choose to pursue a nursing career. Nurses have extensive applicable skills and can choose from an assortment of work settings, such as nursing homes, doctor’s offices, health clinics, community centers and hospitals. Also, nurses can progress into a number of specializations, such as addictions, critical care, genetics and neonatology. Although most nurses provide primary patient care, others elect to be educators, policy advisers or pharmaceutical representatives.
Registered Nurse Job Duties
Registered nurses are the primary occupation in the medical care delivery system. RNs practice in a large number of different medical settings, including Mount Rainier MD hospitals, family practices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and even schools. Their primary role is to help doctors in the care of their patients. Having said that, the particular duties of a registered nurse will depend on their job or area of expertise along with where they work. A portion of the duties of an RN may include:
- Administering medications
- Overseeing patients
- Performing physical examinations
- Managing care
- Overseeing LPNs, LVNs and nurse aides
- Educating patients and their families
- Managing health records and charts
Nurses with a higher degree may have more advanced job duties and accountabilities. Nurse practitioners (NP), for example, must hold a Master’s Degree and often work more independently than their RN counterparts. They can provide primary or specialty care services, prescribe medications, and diagnose and treat common illnesses or injuries.
Nursing Online Programs
Attending nursing schools online is growing into a more in demand way to obtain instruction and earn a nursing degree. Many schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and virtually all programs call for a specified amount of clinical rotation hours carried out in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this alternative may be a more convenient answer to finding the time to attend classes for many Mount Rainier MD students. Concerning tuition, many online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more easily affordable. And numerous online programs are accredited by organizations such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for BSN and MSN degrees. So if your work and household commitments have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, maybe an online nursing program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your hectic schedule.
Things to Ask Nursing Programs
Once you have selected which nursing program to pursue, along with whether to attend your classes on campus near Mount Rainier MD or online, you can use the following checklist to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt are aware, there are a large number of nursing schools and colleges throughout Maryland and the United States. So it is important to lower the number of schools to select from so that you will have a workable list. As we already mentioned, the site of the school and the price of tuition are probably going to be the initial two things that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So prior to making your ultimate choice, use the following questions to evaluate how your pick compares to the other programs.
- Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the degree or certificate program as well as the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Aside from helping make sure that you get a premium education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not provided in Mount Rainier MD for non-accredited schools.
- Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for registered nurses are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is needed on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) along with graduation from an accredited school. Many states require a specific number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s imperative that the school you are attending not only provides a top-notch education, but also prepares you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for Maryland or the state where you will be working.
- Reputation. Check online rating companies to see what the evaluations are for all of the schools you are considering. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews too. In addition, get in touch with the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can call some Mount Rainier MD healthcare organizations you’re interested in working for after graduation and ask what their assessments are of the schools as well.
- Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the RN schools you are considering what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to complete their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were displeased with the program and dropped out. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the Mount Rainier MD medical community, but that it also has the network of relationships to help students obtain employment.
- Internship Programs. The most effective way to acquire experience as a registered nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Essentially all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing as well. Ask if the schools have a working relationship with Mount Rainier MD hospitals, clinics or labs and assist with the placing of students in internships.
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Selecting the right nursing degree program is potentially the most important first step to starting a new career in the medical care field. There are various aspects that you should think about when selecting a nursing school. These variables will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career goals, obligations, and financial situation. As we have emphasized in this post, it is essential that you select a nursing school and a degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the healthcare community. You originally came to this website due to your interest in Compare RN Training Near Me and wanting more information on the topic Fast Track Nursing Programs.. However, by utilizing our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to select from so that you can make your final selection. And with the proper degree and training, combined with your hard work and ambition to succeed, you can become a practicing nurse in Mount Rainier MD.
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Mount Rainier, Maryland
Mount Rainier /reɪˈnɪər/ is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, bordering Washington D.C .[4] The population was 8,080 at the 2010 census.[5] Mount Rainier is contained between the Northwest Branch Anacostia River, Cedar Lane Alley, and 34th Street to the north, 37th Street and 37th Place to the northeast, Upshur Street and Queens Chapel Road to the west, the Cargo Train/ the former 82 Streetcar tracks to the east, and Eastern Avenue NE to the south. Mount Rainier got its start as a streetcar suburb. (See Streetcars in Washington, D.C.) According to local tradition, surveyors from the Pacific Northwest named the town, giving the streets names such as "Shasta" and "Cascade". Historic U.S. 1 runs through the center of the town and serves as the main street and central business district.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 8,080 people, 3,344 households, and 1,735 families residing in the city. The population density was 12,430.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,799.6/km2). There were 3,601 housing units at an average density of 5,540.0 per square mile (2,139.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 19.9% White, 52.8% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 20.9% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.4% of the population.
There were 3,344 households of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.1% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.27.
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