What Will Obamacare Do To Nursing?

What will Obamacare do to the nursing profession?  This is a question on a lot of people's minds with the election just one day away now.  If President Obama is elected his Affordable Healthcare Act will continue on its current path.  The full effects will not be felt until 2016, but I feel there are two paths we could be lead down.  Either one will affect current and future nurses.

One scenario is that people will not get to see doctors when they want to.  They will not be denied healthcare, but instead will have to see a nurse before being allowed to see a doctor.  This plan would be used to save money.  Obviously with a registered nurse not being able to prescribe medications, this would be a of little benefit to the patient.  I personally would not like to be in the position of diagnosing a patient either.  The only way I can see this working is a patient being sent to see a Nurse Practitioner.  However, I don't see any cost benefit there.  I don't see this scenario working out in a good way, but a local MD did forecast this situation.  In any event, this would increase the demand for nurses.

The next scenario is a decrease in the demand for nurses.  Hospitals across the nation are already starting to close and this is a trend I see continuing.  Staff usually comprises about 50 % of a hospital's expenses.  That makes cutting back the nursing staff the easiest way to decrease spending.  HCAPS already decreases reimbursement for hospitals.  Some hospitals even feel that in the future they will be given a lump sum of money at the beginning of the year and they will either make money or lose money.  This could lead to more closings.  This type of change isn't acceptable.

I am hoping that neither of these scenarios play out.  However, these are the two extremes that we could be face in the future.  Let's hope money doesn't get in the way of patient care.

Online Nursing Schools: Are They Right For You?

Online nursing schools like other online college programs have grown in popularity over the past several years.  After all, you can do almost anything from shopping to paying bills online now.  It stands to reason that you should be able to obtain a degree online by logging onto the World Wide Web.  It can be a great choice for several different types of people.  Those who have young children that have to be watched after or those that just have to have a full time job to survive in this rough economic time.  Online nursing schools sound great, but I think there are some things that you need to know and consider before you make a choice.

Before you get ready to sign up at one of the online nursing schools and pay tuition there are some things that you need to take into account.  This type of degree isn’t for those that put things off until the last minute.  After all the only reason you are probably considering an online program is because you have a busy life that doesn’t allow you to take regular college courses.  You will have to find time to listen to several hours of lecture and read text books.  It is like a full time job in itself.  Another thing to consider is that it takes longer to get the degree.  Many colleges make the associates degree program seven semesters long instead of the normal five semesters that students take when attending classes at the college. 

If you have a job you need to make sure that your workplace is flexible with you.  Just because you are taking an online course doesn’t mean that you will not have to go to campus and clinical rotations.  Besides tests that will be taken at the college, you will also have to practice skills and have skill check-offs.  On top of that, you have to consider that you will have to go to area healthcare facilities for a clinical rotation at least once a week.  After all you have to practice your skills, right? 

One last thing I want to go over is picking a college or university.  You will be able to search for nursing schools online and find a lot of information.  However, you do need to be aware of scams.  If you decided not to choose one of the well known universities, you need to check them out thoroughly.  I would start by looking at their rating with the better business bureau.  If they are just taking people’s money you may find it reported here.  Next I would either check online with your state nursing board or try to contact them to see what their student’s results are for passing the NCLEX.  If the school doesn’t teach its students the material needed to pass the national licensure exam, the degree is useless to you.

Online nursing schools are something that will probably continue to grow.  With technological advances made in the ability to communicate over the internet, more colleges will probably start to consider this as an option.  I’m not trying to discourage anyone from this option, but I do believe that you need to put in the proper research before you make the decision to take a nursing degree online.    

Licensed Practical Nurse Programs

While not quite as popular as registered nurse programs, licensed practical nurse programs still have large amount of applicants each year.  Licensed practical nurse programs are also referred to as LPN programs.  As I have mentioned in my nurse programs post the licensed practical nurse takes many of the same classes as a registered nurse and their responsibilities are much the same on the job.  There are a few differences which I will try to touch on in this post.

Licensed practical nurse programs may not have as many applicants, but that doesn’t make them any easier to get into.  LPN programs like RN programs usually are set up on a points system that requires you to take the same basic educational courses required by almost all degrees such as English, history, math, public speaking and fine arts classes.  However these basic classes don’t earn you points other than your overall grade point average.  Which in the case of my local college only accounts for about 1% of the total points.  Most of the points will be obtained by either a TEAS test or a Compass reading test, along with points earned in two Anatomy and Physiology classes and a Microbiology class. You will have to check with the college you are planning on attending to see how their admission is set up, but this system seems to be the norm in my area.  Of course since this is a two year degree, you will only be able to get into a licensed practical nurse program at a community or junior college.

As far as the career itself, the LPN is reduced in the amount duties they are able to perform.  One of the major differences is the starting and regulation of an IV.  Licensed practical nurses can receive additional training that will allow them to perform the start up of an IV, otherwise they are not allowed to start an IV even though they may receive the training in their college courses.  Along with the reduced responsibilities comes a reduction in pay and job opportunities compared to registered nurses.  Many hospitals no longer employ LPNs and the average pay tends to be five dollars per hour lower than RNs and even lower in some cases.  However, if you are looking to work at a physician’s office or a long term health care facility this may be the degree that will provide you that opportunity.  After receiving your degree as a licensed practical nurse, you can work for a few years and decide if that is as far as you want to go with your education.  If that isn’t the case, most colleges also have a bridge program or a mobility programs that allows LPNs to become RNs while they still work.  Hopefully this provides some information that will help you when you are looking at potential licensed practical nurse programs at the college of your choice.

Registered Nurse Programs

Registered nurse programs will be what I specifically talk about today.  I touched on registered nurse programs on my first post, but I will go more into depth this time.  Registered nurse programs are available at both community colleges and universities.  However, the type of program will differ depending on which one you attend.  The community college will offer an associate’s degree, commonly referred to as ADN.  The university will offer its nursing program through a bachelor’s degree or BSN.  Let’s briefly discuss each one and let you know what the difference is and what it means to you.

As I said associate degree nurse programs are available at your local community or two year college.  This degree is a good way to get into a position as a registered nurse or to jump start your college career in nursing.  The good thing with an ADN program is the fact that most community colleges’ tuition is much lower than tuition at a four year university.  This is very helpful when you are trying to pay for college out of your own pocket, instead of getting loans and coming out of college with a debt before you even have a job in your field.  Therefore, a possible plan to consider would be to get your associates nursing degree at a community college and then transfer to a university to finish a BSN degree.  This will give you a couple of benefits.  The basic classes and bulk of your curriculum will occur at a lower tuition rate and once you have your ADN degree it gives you the option to work as a RN while you take your classes for your BSN degree.  However, when you look at associate degree nurse programs keep in mind that you don’t have to go on to complete your BSN.  A nurse with an ADN degree can still perform all the duties of any RN.  However, most management positions look for a nurse with a BSN degree.  Therefore you have to consider how far you want to go in your career, but you can always go back at a later time to further your education.

Bachelor nurse programs are only available at four year universities.  As I mentioned above this means you can expect to pay a higher tuition rate.  The curriculum includes more basic classes to go along with the more in depth nursing classes you will be taking.  Some of those classes will include chemistry and statistics classes.  Just like an ADN degree lays the groundwork for a BSN degree, a BSN degree lays the foundation for a Masters’ degree in nursing, including Nurse Practitioner.  The BSN degree is the degree you will need to consider if you plan to get a MSN degree or if you plan to go to management.  Some facilities will consider an ADN for management if the person has a degree in management, but I wouldn’t want to count on another degree because not all facilities have this policy.  Another issue that is starting to surface is a prestige standard that some hospitals are starting to implement.  This is similar to an ISO policy in manufacturing and this standard requires that the hospital only hires registered nurses with a BSN or higher degree.  With all that said, I will caution you that obtain a BSN RN degree just for a pay raise may not be the best idea.  It will vary from area to area but in my state the BSN degree only pays about 25 cents more per hour.  It would take a long time to even pay for your additional education based on the salary increase.

As you can see there is a lot to consider when looking at registered nurse programs.  I don’t want to seem like I’m saying there is not much upside to getting a BSN degree.  Actually anytime you are able to further your education you should take a serious look at it.  I just don’t want students going into the programs with assumptions that might not be true.  However, I do caution you that you should check in your local area as some of the issues present in my area may not be the same in yours.  In any event, I feel that this gives you some of the information needed for you to start you on investigation as to what might the right for you.  The great part is that registered nurse programs are usually numerous in most areas across the country, giving you options in your career choice.

Nurse Programs: How To Get Accepted Into A Nursing Program

Nurse programs are amongst the most popular college programs across the nation.  The reason for this is very simple.  Nursing is a great career that provides better pay and job security than most other degrees that you can choose.  However, this isn’t an easy program to get into.  Unlike other college programs, a person has to be accepted or invited into nurse programs.  The acceptance is usually based around a point system that most schools implement to decide who they will let into their nurse programs.

I know you probably have questions about how this point system works and what it involves.  First, let me go over how the curriculum is set up for most nurse programs.  A student does have to take the usually basic courses that other degrees also require.  It can vary from state to state, but you can expect a lower level basic algebra class, history classes, and English classes.  Public speaking and a fine arts class is a requirement most of the times too.  However, a person can be accepted into a program before they take these classes.  For recent high school graduates, many colleges will consider a student’s grades in chemistry, algebra, and biology.  The student’s ACT score is then used to complete their points.  Those who have been out of high school for more than a few years or don’t have the necessary points will have to obtain the points through three required courses and a test.  Those courses include microbiology and two classes of anatomy and physiology.  The test can be a Compass reading test or a newly required test called a Teas V test.  The Teas V test is more than just a reading test and includes other subjects including math and science.   The total number of points will vary from institution to institution, but generally the Teas V or Compass testing earns about 50 percent of the total points. However, it is important that you investigate this yourself when you choose the college that you will enroll in.

Along with the high interest for people to get into nurse programs, another problem arises.  That problem is the shortage of instructors.  There are theories as to why there is a shortage, such as an instructors’ salary is much less than what they could make working as a nurse.  This usually limits the class size to only half or less of the students that apply being accepted into the program.  This is a trend that I don’t see being solved any time soon.  Therefore it is very important for students to be focused in their studies, especially in the classes that they will earn points toward nurse programs.  There is also a difference in the amount of positions available depending on which one of the nurse programs you choose.  For example, if you are at a community college, there is generally a lot more RN positions available than LPN positions.  This is just another factor that needs to be looked at when you are looking at nurse programs.

The fact that nurse programs are hard to get into should be looked at as a good thing.  There is currently a great need nurses across the U.S. and the number of applications shows that people are still interested in filling that need.  Nurse programs are difficult to get into and difficult to pass, and for good reason.  I wouldn’t want a “D” student to be making decisions on my health and I’m sure you wouldn’t either.  Therefore you need to realize that nurse programs are built the way they are for a reason, and that is to have the best students become healthcare professionals that will make a difference in many people’s lives.