Posts Tagged ‘Nursing Jobs’

Nurse Practitioner Jobs

Posted in Nursing Jobs, Nursing Specialties

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a nurse who has completed an advanced level of training in diagnosis and disease management. Nurse practitioners work closely with a patient’s regular physician, and can even serve as a patient’s primary health care provider. Nurse practitioners can write prescriptions and are also often solely responsible for first line diagnoses. Nurse practitioners can order diagnostic tests, arrange treatment plans and provide counseling. Additionally, nurse practitioners focus on individualized patient care. Rather than merely treating the illness, nurse practitioners can also provide education and analysis of a patient’s home life in order to prevent further health issues. Nurse practitioners can practice almost anywhere, in all fifty states, in places varying from hospitals to private clinics to school nursing staffs. Many nursing homes have a nurse practitioner on staff, and nurse practitioners can even practice independently. Most nurse practitioners also have a specialty that they focus on in their training, for example, neonatal, pediatrics, or occupational health.

How can you become a Nurse Practitioner?

In order to become a nurse practitioner, you must first have a BS in nursing, and preferably be a registered nurse, although there are some training programs which take those who have the BS but are not registered. Most nurses work for about two years before beginning their training as nurse practitioners. After working as a registered nurse for several years, you can apply for a Masters of Science in Nursing, which also generally lasts about two academic years. While studying, most nurse practitioner candidates also choose an area of specialization, although some choose to remain general nurse practitioners. In addition to the Master’s degree, nurse practitioners must also be licensed in the state in which they want to practice. Each state has different requirements, so you should check your local nursing organizations for more information about practicing in your state.

Nurse Practitioner Jobs

While being a nurse practitioner is extremely rewarding, because of the nursing shortage, some are finding it difficult to get the training they need for certification. There is a shortage of nursing teachers, which limits the number of candidates accepted into training programs. However, once accepted, there are many different job opportunities for nurse practitioners. Because of the varied nature of the job and the degree, nurse practitioners have a lot of options when it comes to choosing how and where to practice. There are numerous web sites advertising nurse practitioner jobs, and it is always worth a try to look at your state board of nursing and local nurse practitioner association. When looking for a nurse practitioner job, be sure to check out the required credentials, as they do vary from state to state. It is also good to search for a nurse practitioner job by your specialty, as this will really narrow down your search, and help you find a job more quickly. Be sure to remember to check local nursing forums as well for the inside information on the job you’re considering.

Senator Boxer Introduces Bill to Ease Nursing Shortage

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced legislation on May 13, 2009, to help ease the nursing shortage. “We cannot guarantee high-quality care to every American without a high-quality workforce of nurses to provide it,” said Boxer. “That is why I am so proud to introduce legislation to help address our nationwide shortage of nurses. By investing in our nurses, we can help improve the quality of care in our nation’s hospitals and save lives of countless patients.”

The legislation known as the National Nursing Reform and Patient Advocacy Act (S1031), would amend the Public Health Services Act to protect the rights of nurses to advocate for patients. It would set minimum registered nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals and it would invest funds for training new nurses and nurse educators.

The bill (S1031) has been read and sent to the Committee on Health, Education, Lab and Pensions for review and sponsorship. Nurses should contact their legislators to help sponsor this bill and push the legislation through Congress.

This legislation “builds on the success of California’s historic law that set Registered nurse-to-patient ratios.”  When passed, this bill will extend those ratios to all acute and long term care hospitals across the U.S.

The specifics of the bill include provisions to improve work conditions for nurses by:

  • Establishing nurse-to-patient ratios to improve the quality of care and save lives. By doing so it is hoped that more nurses will enter and stay in the workforce.
  • Providing whistleblower protections for nurses to advocate for patients and report violations of minimal standards of care.
  • Creating a standard of care regarding lifting patients to help protect nurses from on-the-job injuries as well as promote better quality of care.

The bill also addresses funding for workforce development by creating a Registered Nurse Workforce Initiative within the Health Resources and Services Administration that would invest in the education of both nurses and nurse educators by providing grants for:

  • Nursing nursing educational assistance and living stipends for nursing students who agree to work for safety-net health care providers for a minimum of 3 years.
  • Graduate education assistance for RNs who commit to work as nurse educators at an accredited nursing school for a minimum of 5 years.
  • Training and mentorship demonstration projects.

As nurses, we know better than anyone that we are the backbone of the health care system and any health care reform must include provisions for meeting the challenges of the critical nursing shortage by improving working conditions for nurses as well as helping to grow the numbers of nurse educators so that more qualified students can enroll in nursing programs each year and become nurses.

©2009 by UltimateNurse.com. By Kathy Quan RN BSN. Kathy is the author of The Everything New Nurse Book and the owner/author of TheNursingSite.com

Career Paths Abound in Portland-area Health Care

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

Health care is called the recession-proof industry with jobs still available at local hospitals, but they aren’t as plentiful as a year ago, human resource directors say. (From left) nurses Stacey Guffey, Marilyn Wheeler and Kent Senffner work in the Progressive Cardiac Care Unit at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital.
Read more in the Oregonian.

Texas Urges Nursing Schools to Increase Enrollment

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs, Nursing News

Texas lawmakers want to give nursing schools incentives to hire more instructors and graduate more nurses in order to combat a growing nursing shortage, The Associated Press reports. The state is estimated to be short of 22,000 nurses already, and the shortage is expected to reach 70,000 by 2020.

Read more in the New York Times.

Texas House Gives Nod To Nursing School Incentives

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

An estimated shortage of 22,000 nurses across Texas drove the state House on Wednesday to tentatively approve a measure that would increase the incentives some nursing schools get for hiring more teachers and graduating more nurses.

The issue is on the minds of many lawmakers this session, and in many bills seeking to move forward in the final weeks of the session.

“Nurses are good jobs, and we’re having to import nurses. Yet when you look at the kinds of jobs you want your children and other people’s children to have, this one jumps to the forefront,” said Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the author of the bill approved Wednesday.

Kolkhorst’s proposal would target some state grants toward hiring nursing faculty at some nursing schools. She is also behind incentives in the state budget to reward nursing schools that have a more than 70 percent graduation rate.

The state estimates that if Texas fails to graduate more nurses as the population grows, demand will outstrip registered nurses by 70,000 in 2020. Kolhorst said her measures aim to catch up to demand by 2013.

 

Read more in the Valley Morning Star.

Nursing homes score in House budget plan

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

COLUMBUS – Ohio’s nursing home industry, traditionally one of the most generous in the state when it comes to political donations, scored a lucrative victory in the revised budget that House Democrats proposed this week.

Extra money for nursing homes in the House budget makes them eligible for more federal money, negating a large fee increase the governor had proposed in his earlier budget – all for an industry that has lavished political donations in recent years, records show.

The House plan adds $33.5 million in new state money to the $40 million Gov. Ted Strickland had budgeted for nursing homes’ capital expenditures. That extra money qualifies nursing homes for about $160 million in new federal Medicaid funds.

Read more of this Associated Press story here.

Supporters Rally For Nursing Home In Danger Of Closing (WPXI Pittsburgh)

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

A group of about 100 people gathered Wednesday night for a vigil to try and help save a Butler nursing home.

Supporters met at Diamond Park in the City of Butler. That’s right across from the courthouse.

Lots of car horns and cheers were heard at the event.

Butler County commissioners are considering selling the home to a private company.

Employees worry about the impact this would have on residents. Brenda Riott is a housekeeper. She said, “It’s disgusting that Butler County isn’t taking care of elderly and their frail. It’s a tragedy, it’s disgusting.”

Workers also worry that a sale could mean much lower wages and possibly lost jobs.

No word on when a decision might be made.

Skilled Nursing Care Coalition Praises House Leadership For Budget Changes (Medical News Today)

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

Ohio House Democrats’ budget plan restores money hospitals and nursing homes had lost (The …

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs

Armond BudishCOLUMBUS — Ohio House Democrats rode to the rescue of nursing homes and hospitals, adding nearly half a billion dollars for the health care industry to a new budget blueprint for 2010-11. Perhaps the biggest winner under the Democratic…

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State Health-care Planning Board OKs Nursing Home

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Home, Nursing Jobs

CHICAGO — In a surprise move, a state health-care planning board on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposed 75-bed nursing home on Springfield’s west side.

Supporters of the $12.9 million Springfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center still need to obtain zoning approval from the Springfield City Council before the facility can be built at 3089 Old Jacksonville Road. But the decision by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board, which was meeting in Chicago, meant that the venture cleared a major hurdle.

The vote surprised and relieved Charles Foley, a consultant who was working with the Skokie-based investors behind the project.

“Don’t ask me how it happened, but it happened,” Foley said after the 4-0 vote. “I think we finally were able to convince the board that there is a demand and a need for more beds in Sangamon County.”

Read more at the State Journal-Register.