Graduates fight odds to become nurses

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(University of Buffalo) Jacob Madonia and My Lan N. Le crossed the stage at the School of Nursing commencement on May 12 to get their diplomas in the last leg of a marathon whose finish line must have seemed, at times, impossible to cross.

Both received bachelor’s degrees in nursing, both plan to go back to school to get their Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, both can’t see themselves in any other profession and both struggled with adversity. But their stories couldn’t be more different.

Madonia came to UB on a sports scholarship—he was a discus thrower and shot putter; when you see him in person, he looks like the athlete his is. To use a cliché, he is the picture of health. It’s hard to believe that he had a small section of his upper right lung removed just three weeks ago. [Read more...]

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Nurses playing crucial role in American health care

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(PennLive) The Issue: National Nurses Week was last week.

Our Opinion: The community should take a moment to salute its nurses, who are an integral part of health care both in and outside of hospitals.

We would have to look long and hard to find someone in Berks County who has not been cared for by a nurse, a nurse practitioner or a licensed practical nurse at some point in life. [Read more...]

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Despite projected demand for nurses, jobs hard to find

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Post Bulletin) There has been a steady steam of reports predicting a dearth of nurses in the coming years. One recent forecast from The American College of Medical Quality projects a national shortage of 300,000 to 1 million nurses in 2020.

So when Marc Anders decided to switch careers from bartending to nursing, he thought he would have it made.

“There was a perception that you could go into the job and kind of call your shots,” said Anders, 42. “I could go in, pick my hours, see how many days I want to work, get benefits, not work weekends and go where I wanted to go.” [Read more...]

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Nurse leaders push for strong teamwork to improve care

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Fierce Healthcare) As new delivery models call for collaboration across the healthcare continuum, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) last week issued principles to improve teamwork between clinical nurses and nurse managers.

The principles offer guidance on effective communication, authentic relationships, and learning environment and culture, which often lead to better workplace culture and patient outcomes. For example, the organizations recommend engaging in active listening, giving accurate information and speaking directly to the person involved to appropriately convey information. [Read more...]

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California Nursing grads face tough job market: 43 percent can’t find work, according to state survey

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(MercuryNews.com) New nursing graduates are finding their chosen profession is not as recession-proof as they had expected. Yet Cabrillo College and others offering training for would-be nurses are being advised not to cut back on their programs.

A survey last fall of nearly 1,500 California newly licensed registered nurses found 43 percent did not have a nursing job 18 months after graduating, according to the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care.

According to the nurses who were not working, 92 percent said they were told they did not have enough experience, 54 percent told no jobs were available and 42 percent told a bachelor’s degree was preferred or required. About 80 percent said they would be willing to participate in an unpaid internship to get experience. [Read more...]

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As boomers age, need for nurses increases

May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Chicago Sun Times) Yvonne Yacoub has been a nurse for half a century.

In 50 years, she has seen her profession redefine itself to meet the challenges of change, yet continue to struggle with shortages of new practitioners.

Yacoub, 72, is decades older than the 46-year-old average age of employed registered nurses. Some veteran nurses continue to work, but many more have hung up the scrubs for good or are counting the days until retirement. [Read more...]

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Aging population leads Minnesota nurses back to school

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(MPR News) Minnesota’s population is getting older, and that’s changing the way nurses think about their education.

Nursing schools have historically trained nurses to work at the bedside, in hospitals. But the rapidly aging population means more nurses are delivering care to patients outside of traditional hospital settings. Students are looking beyond two-year-nursing programs to learn more about physical therapy, treatment management and psychological care while pursing a bachelor’s degree. [Read more...]

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Healthy Living: Nurse shortage

May 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Shelby Star) “I didn’t know what to do,” said Connie Miller. “They decided to ship their product to Mexico and China.”

After 21 years in the auto-parts industry, Connie Miller, already in her mid 40′s, was forced to start over.

“After the initial shock and the madness I saw it as a new opening. Ok, one door closes and another one’s opening,” said Miller.

Connie always dreamed of becoming a nurse. Four years ago, more nurses were needed. [Read more...]

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Nurse practitioners look to fill gap with expected spike in demand for health services

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Washington Post) President Obama’s health-care law is expected to expand health insurance to 32 million Americans over the next decade. Health policy experts anticipate that the wave of new insurance subscribers will lead to a spike in demand for medical services.That has a battle heating up over who will provide that care. Nurse practitioners are rolling out a campaign this week to explain what, exactly, nurse practitioners do — and why patients should trust them with their medical needs.

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Panel: Nursing industry continues to evolve

May 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(PostStar.com) Nursing has come a long way from bedside care by family members.

Once considered “women’s work” that was unpaid and lacked training, nursing now plays a pivotal role in the health care system — and it continues to evolve.

Glens Falls Hospital celebrated National Nurses Week with a panel discussion last week about the profession’s history and future. [Read more...]

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