“Learning is one of life’s most essential activities.” — Annie Murphy Paul

Enrollment in all types of professional nursing programs increased from 2011 to 2012, according to new survey data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. These findings are based on data reported from 664 of the 856 nursing schools in the U.S. with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs.

The survey also saw a 3.5% increase in entry level Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. The number of students enrolled in RN-to-BSN programs increased by 22.2% from 2011 to 2012, which, according to the AACN, signals a growing interest for baccalaureate-prepared nurses from both nurses and employers.

"AACN is pleased to see across-the-board increases in nursing school enrollments this year, given our commitment to encouraging all nurses to advance their education as a catalyst for improving patient care," said AACN President Jane Kirschling in a press release. "As the national voice for professional nursing education, AACN is committed to working with the education and health care community to create a highly qualified nursing workforce able to meet the expectations and challenges of contemporary nursing practice."

A few other interesting survey findings:

• Enrollment in master’s and doctoral degree programs increased “significantly.”
• Survey data indicated an 8.2% jump in enrollments for nursing schools with master’s programs (432 institutions reported data).
• Doctor of Nursing Practice programs saw a 19.6% enrollment increase (166 schools reported data).
• Baccalaureate nursing graduates are more than twice as likely to have jobs at the time of graduation than those entering the workforce in other fields.
• Graduates from master’s degree programs (MSNs) were most likely to have secured jobs at graduation (73%).

"Momentum is clearly building for advancing nursing education at all levels,” Kirschling said in a press release. “Given the calls for more baccalaureate- and graduate-prepared nurses, federal and private funding for nursing education should be targeted directly to the schools and programs that prepare students at these levels."

"Further, achieving the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations related to education will require strong academic-practice partnerships and a solid commitment among our practice colleagues to encourage and reward registered nurses committed to moving ahead with their education."

This post was written by Erica Moss, who is the community manager for the online masters in nursing programs at Georgetown University.

Two scholarships were recently brought to my attention and I remember all too well the stress of paying for my nursing education – I must share the details with you!

BestNursingDegree.com is currently offering three scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each to aspiring and current nurses who are pursuing:
       *A second degree BSN or direct entry MSN degree 
       *An RN to BSN 
       *An MSN, DNP or PhD in nursing
Applications are available on their home page at www.bestnursingdegree.com. Deadline is April 15, 2012.

Loyola University Online is offering a set of five $4,500 scholarships for their online Master of Science in Nursing degree program. Applicants are asked to submit a 200-300 word essay answering the question: “What does nursing mean to you, and how will an MSN with a specialization in Health Care System Management benefit you or help further your career?” For more information and to apply, visit http://scholarship.loyolaneworleansonline.com/msn/. The deadline for entry is fast approaching - March 23rd.

Do you know of any other scholarships currently available? Please share! 

It amazes me the amount of content that is available in our nursing journals on the subject of technology and social media. From simulation mannequins and electronic health records (EHRs) to handheld devices and mobile apps to blogs and twitter, the way we learn and communicate is forever changed. For some of us, these changes are overwhelming – there is so much to learn. For others, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism is most concerning. Some of us welcome new technology; even thrive on it, believing that easy access to reliable information will increase productivity and lead to better patient outcomes.  And some of us, myself included, are experiencing all of those feelings – it is overwhelming, we do have a big responsibility to protect our patients and act professionally, and the benefits are numerous. 

So what is a nurse to do? Learn about what's out there! When a new technology is presented, take advantage of the inservices or staff educators on the unit who are there to teach you. If you use a smartphone, search for apps that will help you in your practice and try them out. If you blog or use social media, make sure you're familiar with the American Nurses Association's Principles for Social Networking and the Nurse: Guidance for the Registered Nurse. Also, grow your online network with other nurses, whether on Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress, or another platform. I have learned so much about healthcare, nursing, and social media from my fellow nurses all around the world.

I was on orientation in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and I had the most amazing preceptor. She really did know everything. I still have yet to meet a smarter nurse, or person, for that matter. Her knowledge of physiology, pathophysiology, medications, technology, and random entertaining facts to keep us going during night shift astounded me! Not only that, she was (and is) an amazing nurse --- caring, compassionate, a good listener, excellent at time management, and all things nursing!

And her teaching skills? Amazing.

I was a new graduate fortunate to work with and learn from this nurse every day. I had worked in this MICU as a nursing assistant for over a year, so I knew some of the basics (where to find supplies and knowing which room is which is huge when you are just starting out, right?) I’ll never forget this one time…

Amy (not her real name, of course) would often stand back in the corner of a patient’s room while I did my assessment at the start of a shift. Sometimes I’d forget she was there until she’d start with “the questions.” During this particular shift she said, “Lisa, what if all of a sudden the ventilator alarms for a high peak airway pressure?” I started to go through my list of troubleshooting ventilator alarms: look at the patient - is he in distress, what is his oxygen saturation, how is his color, listen to his breath sounds, is his endotracheal tube in place - and then moved on to the ventilator - any water in the tubing, is everything connected as it should be, etc.

Amy then said “Okay, you don’t find any concerns, but the high pressure alarm is still sounding. Now what?”  I replied, “I would disconnect the patient from the ventilator and bag him.” Amy said “Yes, and what else could you do to search for a reason for the alarm?” I could tell by Amy’s face that I was missing something.

She pretended to take a picture. Huh? I must have looked confused, because she did it again. I thought for a minute and then it hit me --- a chest x-ray!

The 25^th Annual Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin & Wound Care was held from September 30, to October 2, 2010 in Orlando Florida. This gathering of top wound care clinicians and presents clinical skill-building sessions for beginners in wound care as well as advanced sessions for expert clinicians and researchers. Some presentations addressed issues including inadequate education of general practitioners and misconceptions that have detrimental effects on patients and possible costly consequences including reduced reimbursement and malpractice claims. Reflect on your own practice setting to examine if these problems or misconceptions exist regarding pressure ulcers.

o   Pressure ulcers cannot be staged in the reverse.

o   Not all pressure ulcers form from the outside and become deeper. Pressure ulcers can be caused by deep tissue injury and form from the inside out.

o   Pressure ulcers are not considered “never events” by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services because not all pressure ulcers are avoidable.

o   Pressure ulcer staging cannot be used for other types of wounds

Take action to improve awareness by discussing these issues in journal clubs, inviting the wound care specialist in your organization to provide education, and implementing appropriate clinical practice guidelines. For more information on this subject and educational materials, go to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel website at http://npuap.org/.

I'm very excited now that I am less than two weeks away from starting a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program at George Washington University. In reflecting on my decisoin to pursue this practice-focused degree, I thought it would be helpful to share my journey through the decision-making process with you.

It is 15 years since I completed a master's degree and became certified as adult NP. When I started, I was sure I would continue my education to the doctoral level, but I was struggling, to decide on what degree I should pursue. I really didn't think I wanted to go into the academic role, nor did I think I would fully take advantage of the years of research training, not to mention the blood sweat and tears of a dissertation. Therefore, I never applied to any PhD programs. Until the recent emergence of DNP programs, I did not find any doctoral program that were going to help me in my practice and professional development roles. "Finally..they created a doctoral degree for me!" 

Boland, and others in the April 2010 issue of The Nurse Practitioner journal did an excellent job in providing the background on the history and process of developing DNP programs. In summary, the doctor of nursing practice is intended to provide advanced education to clinical leaders and advanced practice nurses. Don't worry if you are not a nurse practitioner. DNP's can be in varying roles including: nurse executive, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse informaticist. In contrast, the PhD prepares prepares nurses for a research-focused role. In addition to clincial roles, the authors expect that DNPs will also be an essential part of the nursing faculty in BSN, master's, and doctoral programs.

What some master's prepared NPs are concerned about is whether they should go back to school. With the expectation that new NP graduates have DNPs by 2015, it is a job security issue. I recall, when I was beginning my master's program, there were several NPs and nurse midwives who had certificates who were grand-fathered and allowed to practice. But they were challenged by the employment market or pressured by employers to return to school. Therefore, if you have a career of 10 years or more left, it might be the logical conclusion. Nursing may not have come to terms on entry into practice; however, it is clear that a doctoral degree is where we are going.