Educational Requirements For A Nurse Lake Stevens WA - Study Nursing at School or Online

How to Pick an Accredited RN School near Lake Stevens Washington

Lake Stevens WA RN with Doctor and Patient Searching for the best nursing school near Lake Stevens WA may feel like a complicated undertaking, particularly if you don’t know what to look for in a good degree program. As you may already understand, to practice as a registered nurse, you need to obtain the appropriate education and training in order to become licensed. So it is vitally important that you study and measure the qualifications of each school you are contemplating before enrolling in your ultimate selection. The fact is, too many potential students base their decision solely on the cost of tuition and the nearness of the school. Choosing the least costly college or the one that is local to your home is undoubtedly not the most reliable way to choose a nursing program. There are several essential additional considerations to check out before you make a decision where to enroll in classes. But before we delve into that checklist, let’s first review the nursing degree alternatives that are offered together with what the functions of nurses are in our medical system.

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Nursing Degrees

There is more than one degree option to choose from to become a nurse. And 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 as little as two years, or continue on to attain a graduate degree for a total of 6 years. Following are some short descriptions of the nursing degrees that are available to aspiring students in the Lake Stevens WA area.

Associates Degree. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is normally a 2 year program offered by community colleges. It preps graduates for an entry level job in nursing in medical centers including hospitals, clinics or nursing homes. Many employ 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 in depth training than the ADN. It is commonly a four year program offered at colleges and universities. Licensed RNs may be eligible to complete an accelerated program based on their prior training or degree and professional experience (RN to BSN). Those applying to the program might want to progress to a clinical or administrative position, or be more competitive in the employment market.
Master’s Degree. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is commonly a 2 year program after attaining the BSN. The MSN program provides specialization training, for instance to become a nurse practitioner or focus on administration, management or teaching.

After 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) to become licensed. Other requirements for licensing can vary from state to state, so don’t forget to get in touch with the Washington board of nursing for any state mandates.

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Why Become a Nurse?

geriatric nurse with Lake Stevens WA nursing home patient Nurses are an essential part of a Lake Stevens WA medical team, and for a number of patients, their primary care providers. A career in nursing can lead to many opportunities, including healthcare education, research and specialty areas of practice. Nurses enter the profession for various reasons, the most meaningful are its practical and personal advantages. Nurses provide personal, one-on-one care to patients. Many individuals in a hospital or home care environment have more contact with nurses than with physicians. Nurses frequently choose the profession out of a desire to administer to the needs of patients, including in instances of short-term treatment of illness and prolonged care of chronic conditions. This humanistic side of the medical 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 select from a variety of work environments, such as home care facilities, physician’s offices, health clinics, community centers and hospitals. Also, nurses can advance into a variety of specializations, such as substance addictions, critical care, neonatology and genetics. While many nurses provide primary patient care, others opt to be teachers, policy advisers and pharmaceutical representatives.

Registered Nurse Job Functions

Lake Stevens WA nurse greeting patient Registered nurses are the largest occupation in the medical delivery system. RNs practice in numerous different medical environments, including Lake Stevens WA hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and even schools. Their primary job is to support doctors in the care of their patients. However, the exact 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
Monitoring patients
Conducting physical examinations
Coordinating care
Overseeing LPNs, LVNs and nurse aides
Informing patients and their families
Keeping health records and charts

Nurses with a more advanced degree may have more complex job duties and accountabilities. Nurse practitioners (NP), as an example, must hold a Master’s Degree and often work more independently than their RN counterparts. They can administer primary or specialty care services, prescribe medications, and diagnose and treat routine illnesses or injuries.

Online Nursing Schools

Lake Stevens WA student attending nursing classes online Attending nursing schools online is growing into a more favored way to receive instruction and acquire a nursing degree. Many schools will require attending on campus for part of the training, and nearly all programs require a specific amount of clinical rotation hours performed in a local healthcare center. But since the balance of the training may be accessed online, this option may be a more convenient approach to finding the time to attend college for some Lake Stevens WA students. Regarding tuition, some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even additional expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are accredited by organizations such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for BSN and MSN degrees. Therefore if your job and family obligations have left you with little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online nursing program will make it easier to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Questions to Ask Nursing Programs

What to ask Lake Stevens WA nursing schools Now that you have selected which nursing program to enroll in, and whether to attend your classes on campus near Lake Stevens WA or on the web, you can use the following pointers to start narrowing down your options. As you no doubt realize, there are many nursing schools and colleges within Washington and the United States. So it is important to decrease the number of schools to choose from to ensure that you will have a workable list. As we previously pointed out, the site of the school and the expense of tuition are probably going to be the initial two points that you will consider. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your final choice, use the following questions to see how your selection compares to the other schools.

Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the degree or certificate program along with the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. In addition to helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Lake Stevens WA for non-accredited schools.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing requirements for registered nurses differ from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) together with graduation from an accredited school. Certain states require a certain 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 an excellent education, but also preps you to meet the minimum licensing requirements for Washington or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Look at online rating services to see what the evaluations are for each of the schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting agencies for their reviews also. Additionally, contact the Washington school licensing authority to determine if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some Lake Stevens WA 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 programs 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 important that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only substantiate that the school has a superb reputation within the Lake Stevens WA healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to help students gain employment.
Internship Programs. The most ideal way to obtain experience as a registered nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Virtually all nursing degree programs require a specified number of clinical hours be completed. A number of states have minimum clinical hour requirements for licensing as well. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with Lake Stevens WA hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the placing of students in internships.

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Educational Requirements For A Nurse Lake Stevens Washington

Picking the right nursing school is perhaps the most crucial step to launching a new career in the healthcare industry. There are numerous factors that you should consider when choosing a nursing program. These factors will be prioritized differently depending on your existing career objectives, lifestyle, and financial status. As we have stressed in this content, it is essential that you choose a nursing college and a degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the health care community. You originally came to this website due to your interest in Educational Requirements For A Nurse and wanting more information on the topic How To Become A Nurse.. However, by using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a short list of schools to choose from so that you can make your ultimate selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and drive to succeed, you can become a practicing nurse in Lake Stevens WA.

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Lake Stevens, Washington

Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, and is named for the lake that it surrounds. It is located 8 miles (13 km) east of Everett and borders to the cities of Marysville to the northwest and Snohomish to the south. The city's population was 28,069 at the 2010 census, but has since grown to an estimated 32,000. Lake Stevens was originally centered at the northeast corner of the lake, but has since annexed the areas around the lake, which developed into a suburban commuter town in the late 20th century.

Lake Stevens was named for territorial governor Isaac Stevens in 1855 and first settled by Americans in 1886, on a 160-acre (0.65 km2) homestead along the east shore. By 1890 the first town in the area, "Ferry", had been established. Its name was later changed to "Hartford", and it served as the main link from the famed Monte Cristo timber and mining resources to the world.

In 1905 a railroad spur was built by the Rucker Brothers Timber Company, linking Hartford with Lake Stevens. Two years later Rucker Mill was opened, located along and in the north cove of the lake (original pilings can still be seen in the old lake outflow area just south of the boat launch). In 1919, the mill, which became known as the "world's largest sawmill", burned and was partially rebuilt. When it burned a second time in 1925 the mill was dismantled and Lake Stevens lost the very industry which caused its founding.[5] However, by then a flourishing town was established and continued under its own momentum.