How to Find the Best RN Degree Program near Long Prairie Minnesota
Selecting the best nursing school near Long Prairie MN may feel like a difficult undertaking, especially if you don’t know what to look for in a good degree program. As you may presently understand, for you to practice as a registered nurse, you must acquire the proper education and training to become licensed. So it is essential that you study and measure the qualifications of each school you are thinking about before enrolling in your final choice. The fact is, too many future students base their decision entirely on the cost of tuition and the nearness of the school. Selecting the least costly college or the one that is nearest to your home is no doubt not the most reliable way to decide on a nursing program. There are many crucial additional things to check into before you determine where to attend classes. But before we explore that checklist, let’s first discuss the nursing degree options that are available along with what the roles of nurses are in our health system.
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Nursing Degrees
There is more than one degree option available to become a nurse. And in order to become a Registered Nurse (RN), a student must attend an accredited school and program. A nursing student can receive a qualifying degree in as little as 2 years, or advance to attain a graduate degree for a total of 6 years. Following are some short explanations of the nursing degrees that are offered to aspiring students in the Long Prairie MN area.
- Associates Degree. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is typically a 2 year program offered by community colleges. It readies graduates for an entry level job in nursing in medical facilities including hospitals, clinics or nursing homes. Many utilize the ADN as an entry into nursing and afterwards obtain a higher degree.
- Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) offers more extensive training than the ADN. It is usually a four year program offered at colleges and universities. Licensed RNs may be qualified to complete an accelerated program based on their past training or degree and professional experience (RN to BSN). Those applying to the program may want 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 generally a 2 year program after acquiring the BSN. The MSN program provides specialization training, for instance to become a nurse practitioner or concentrate on administration, management or teaching.
Once a graduating student has obtained one of the above degrees, he or she must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become licensed. Various other requirements for licensing can vary from state to state, so make sure to get in touch with the Minnesota board of nursing for any state requirements.
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Why Nursing?
Nurses are an indispensable component of a Long Prairie MN medical team, and for many patients, their primary care providers. A nursing career opens doors to many opportunities, including healthcare education, research and specialty areas of practice. Nurses go into the profession for many reasons, the most notable are its practical and personal rewards. Nurses provide personal, one-on-one care to patients. Most patients in a medical facility or home care setting spend more time with nurses than with physicians. Nurses frequently go into the profession due to a passion to administer to the needs of patients, including in cases of short-term treatment of illness and extended care of chronic conditions. This human side of the healthcare profession, as opposed to the analytical or research related elements, is attractive to many who elect to enter into a career in nursing. Nurses have a wide range of applicable skills and can choose from a number of work environments, such as nursing homes, doctor’s offices, health clinics, community centers and hospitals. Also, nurses can progress into a variety of specialties, such as addictions, critical care, genetics and neonatology. While many nurses deliver personal patient care, others choose to be educators, policy consultants and pharmaceutical representatives.
Registered Nurse Job Responsibilities
Registered nurses are the most extensive occupation in the medical delivery system. RNs practice in a large number of different medical environments, namely Long Prairie MN hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and even schools. Their basic role is to assist doctors in the care of their patients. Having said that, the particular duties of a registered nurse will depend on their job or specialization in addition to where they work. Some of the duties of an RN may include:
- Providing medications
- Overseeing patients
- Conducting physical examinations
- Managing care
- Supervising LPNs, LVNs and nurse aides
- Educating patients and their families
- Taking care of health records and charts
Nurses with a higher degree may have more advanced job duties and accountabilities. Nurse practitioners (NP), as an example, must hold a Master’s Degree and generally work more independently than their RN counterparts. They can administer primary or specialty care services, prescribe medications, and diagnose and treat common illnesses or injuries.
Online Nursing Degrees
Enrolling in nursing colleges online is growing into a more in demand way to obtain instruction and attain a nursing degree. Certain schools will require attending on campus for a component of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specific number of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare facility. But since the remainder of the training can be accessed online, this method may be a more convenient solution to finding the time to attend classes for some Long Prairie MN students. Pertaining to tuition, some online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus choices. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And many 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 family obligations have left you with very little time to pursue your academic goals, perhaps an online nursing program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your busy schedule.
Things to Ask Nursing Schools
Now that you have chosen which nursing degree to pursue, and if to attend your classes on campus near Long Prairie MN or on the internet, you can use the following checklist to begin narrowing down your options. As you undoubtedly are aware, there are many nursing schools and colleges throughout Minnesota and the United States. So it is necessary to lower the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier discussed, the site of the school as well as the price of tuition are probably going to be the primary two factors that you will look at. 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 schools.
- 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 agency. Aside from helping verify that you receive an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not provided in Long Prairie MN for non-accredited schools.
- Licensing Preparation. Licensing criteria for registered nurses differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) along with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a certain number of clinical hours be performed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s important that the school you are attending not only provides an excellent education, but also preps you to satisfy the minimum licensing requirements for Minnesota or the state where you will be working.
- Reputation. Check online rating services to see what the assessments are for all of the schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews as well. In addition, check with the Minnesota school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some Long Prairie MN healthcare organizations you’re interested in working for after graduation and ask what their judgments are of the schools as well.
- Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the RN schools you are looking at what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to finish their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only confirm that the school has a favorable reputation within the Long Prairie MN medical community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students gain employment.
- Internship Programs. The best way to acquire experience as a registered nurse is to work in a clinical setting. Almost all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing as well. Check if the schools have associations with Long Prairie MN hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.
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Compare RN Programs Long Prairie Minnesota
Picking the ideal nursing college is potentially the most important step to starting a new career in the medical care industry. There are numerous factors that you need to think about when deciding on a nursing college. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your existing career goals, obligations, and financial situation. As we have emphasized within this article, it is critical that you choose a nursing college and a degree program that are each accredited and have outstanding reputations within the health care community. You originally came to this website due to your interest in Compare RN Programs and wanting more information on the topic Accredited RN Training.. However, by using our checklist of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a short list of schools to choose from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and desire to succeed, you can become a practicing nurse in Long Prairie MN.
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Long Prairie, Minnesota
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.67 square miles (6.92 km2); 2.61 square miles (6.76 km2) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km2) is water.[8] The Long Prairie River flows through the city.[9]
Long Prairie's history dates back to the time when the land was inhabited first by the Sioux/Dakota and then Anishinaabe/ Ojibwe Native American tribes. In 1845, the U.S. government selected the location known as Long Prairie as a site for a USA Indian agency.[10] An 1846 treaty with the Winnebago briefly resettled the nation in what is now Long Prairie, from the Neutral Ground in northeast Iowa to which they had been removed in the 1830s as white settlers claimed and began developing their ancestral lands in Wisconsin and Illinois.[11][12] A subsequent treaty in 1855 again resettled the Hochunk in southern Minnesota.[13]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 3,458 people, 1,290 households, and 816 families living in the city. The population density was 1,324.9 inhabitants per square mile (511.5/km2). There were 1,391 housing units at an average density of 533.0 per square mile (205.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.8% White, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.2% Pacific Islander, 12.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.9% of the population.
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