A Nurse is Not ‘Just’ a Nurse – We Tell You Why

Whether or not you have ever been unwell, everyone’s heard of a nurse. Moreover, regardless of anybody's notions about nurses, they are not just nurses anymore, and they have never been “just” nurses in the past, either.

Not sure if a nursing career is worth your time? Here are five eye-opening reasons why a nurse is not “just” a nurse.

1. You're an Educator - As a nurse-to-be, know that you're not ‘just’ a nurse. You educate your patients and their families on their diagnosis. Start looking at yourself as an educator, too. You are educated in a plethora of signs, symptoms, treatment options and medications of many ailments and diseases. You may have to teach something concrete, such as how to apply a dressing to a wound. Alternatively, it may be more abstract, such as the signs and symptoms of worsening diabetes.
2. You're a Bridge Builder - As a nurse, you become the bridge-builder between the patient and the healthcare organization. In this way, you manage to offer the best possible care to patients. At the same time, nurses hold a great responsibility to provide the best possible care to their patients while embodying their healthcare organization’s values and mission.
3. You're a Chemical Analyst - Whom-so-ever said that nurses are just an intermediary between the doctor and the patients, is very wrong. Nurses are trained to acquire vast medical knowledge. The specialty programs available turn nurses into a reservoir of extremely technical knowledge that is vital to the healthcare system.
4. You’re also a Counselor - As a nurse, you see life coming into this world, and you also see life leaving. You get the privilege of building relationships. Patients and their families ask you questions, and you tend to advocate for those patients. To many patients and their families, a nurse is their lifeline to the entire workings of the healthcare facility. By answering questions and listening to concerns, a nurse act as an ambassador for a patient.
5. You're a Friend - As a nurse, you don’t just support patients with physical care only; you also become emotionally attached to them. Many times, in your entire career, you'll come across situations when patients won't even need physical care, and instead they'll need your emotional support. 

Nurses, for sure, are not 'just nurses' and in fact, they are so much more than that. Nurses are the front line of care, compassion and duty. You're not just a nurse; you're a human being who puts something beautiful into the world.

Are you in search of the best Nursing Programs in Canada? Check out the handpicked courses offered by INSCOL. Keep shining on!

4 Myths about Nursing Schools, Busted!

If you are thinking about going to nursing school, you may have heard some ugly and weird rumors about nursing. If you have, then this post is for you. Here we bust some of the most common nursing myths.

1. Instructors are mean - Nursing schools are well-known for their stringent rules and instructors who have a stern and strict attitude. However, once you become familiar with the rules, and the environment, you will realize that it’s simply that your teachers have extremely high expectations, from you. They treat candidates more like peers and less like students. Instructors are serious about the course, while also being firm and polite. There may be some instructors who are terrifying, but it would be unfair to label them as mean. 
2. Trying to weed out the weak too early - Many students have the notion that schools try to weed out the weaker students. It’s just that Nursing schools have different criteria for passing. Here, students who score 90% get a B and students who score a 74%, fail! Competition is higher in nursing school, and weaker students tend to fall out on their own. Once you are adjusted to this competitive environment, scoring 90% will be perceived as normal. 
3. Exams are impossible to pass - Nursing school exams are certainly tough, but to say impossible to pass is a myth. You just need to be focused and need to acquaint yourself with attempting NCLEX-style questions. NCLEX-style questions have four correct answers, out of which one answer is ‘More Correct’. Students often go through a dilemma wherein they feel either all of the answers are correct, or none of them are. Yet, there is always one answer that is a tad more right, than the others. Therefore, in order to ace an NCLEX exam you need to get used to this style of testing.
4. You will hardly ever see your friends and family again – You will hear this myth quite often. You can turn a deaf ear to it, because it is entirely untrue! You just need to be more organized and able to prioritize your time intelligently. This will enable you to take time out for friends and family. A nurse’s life is hectic but they need to make an honest effort toward some “me” time and family time. Initially it may seem tough but with planning, it can be done.

If you are aspiring for a nursing career in abroad and looking for the right nursing course for you, then explore the International Nursing Programs offered by INSCOL. 

How Google Glass Could Be a Boon for Nurses?

The moment you step in to a medical facility for treatment, a nurse wearing Google Glass will have all your information right in front of her eyes, from your personal medical history to current health issues, name of the doctor you are consulting, treatment & medication, real-time stats of blood pressure, heart beat, blood sugar and more such related information.

Easy access to patient information is considered as the biggest benefit a nurse could have from Google Glass. A nurse can quickly locate and see health history of a patient without having to take her hands off a patient or excuse herself from a procedure.

Think about if all the nurses are wearing Google Glass and is integrated with the hospital's database system, communication and interaction among them will be done in the blink of an eye. If the nurse's hands are gloved and dirty, it’s not a good idea to pick up and answer the phone. However,with the help of Google Glass, nurses could easily interact and complete the conversation without leaving the work they are doing. Google Glass can also show text messages and updates via the screen.

Since the introduction, Google Glass works best for information purposes. With continuous development, other medical procedures could be integrated so long as there was a perfected way to make sure that patient information goes to the right place on the hands of right person.

On the other hand, when new technology is introduced into patient care, there is always a concern of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) because Google Glass are devices for personal use primarily. However, such concern could be resolved if these are owned by the healthcare organization and are encrypted on the hospital network.

As technology leaps ahead in future, it will become increasingly available to the mass and technologies like Google Glass won’t be a peculiarity at the bedside, but rather the anticipation. If you are a nurse practicing in a healthcare facility, let us know what your thoughts on Google Glass are.

4 Things That an Employer Doesn't Want in a Nurse

Most probably, you gave all the correct answers to the questions asked in the interviews you've been through till date to get selected as a nursing professional. But an employer searches for a nursing professional who will give the 'most correct' answers to the questions he/she asks. Not only this, a nursing professional is not merely confined to give the 'most correct' answers but also to be an all-rounder and a responsible human being. Moreover, when it comes to nursing, nobody wants their near and dear ones getting treatment and care from any random person. So, a nursing professional has to know certain hacks and tips to get through an interview. Here are things that your potential employer DOESN'T want to see in you being a nurse -

Ignored Hygiene and Improper Attire

It's not even something to be told over, or is it? Well, it is. Be it any job, the employer will get impressed by your hygiene. Yes, cleanliness does definitely cast level five spell of charm and so does your crisp, sharp and clean professional attire. It's important to have your scrub properly fit. Untrimmed facial hair and dirty nails are distracting things so get them trimmed and manicured regularly. Moreover, it'd be great if you'll be smelling good, even without those splashes of perfume. All that you need is some spit and polish!

Overconfidence - Basically, Over of 'everything'

No doubt, confidence is a person's billboard. However, how unpleasant is to encounter a person with pride, be it even in our normal lives. Learning is a never-ending process. Moreover, who doesn't like people who are always open to learn about new things? A successful nursing professional will always be striving to learn the best out of all ways of doing something they might already know how to do. An employer would not like to see a nurse's human resources going from confident to over-confidently arrogant.

Not Having Any Other Interests

Let it be any profession, how much do you like a person drown into theoretical knowledge and being confined to such a limited periphery that he/she doesn't have any other hobbies. Well, we don't actually like such individuals. No offenses, but why would even an employer like a boring person? Nursing as a profession gets quite stressful, emotional and even tragic at times. Don't let it dry your sense of humor. Nurses have to have certain outside interests in order to cope up with the tragedy and pain they might experience. Of course, nurses with no outside interests do not really interest an employer.

Short-term Potential

No boss likes a person with short-term potential. Nursing as a profession includes situations with taxing work hours, or working at nights. Well, it might get your sleeping schedule ruined to no way back to repair, but it gets you under pressure of a well-analyzed time-management under your control once you get used to it. An employer sitting to interview for the post of a nurse would surely ask about your willingness to work at nights or working at weird schedules or even at emergencies. Not being willing to work on weekends, night shifts, off-shifts will eventually decrease your possibilities or chances to get the job of a nursing professional. After all, a successful nurse would make her/himself available anytime, anyhow and that's the way he/she will make a difference every day.

The Rising Demand for Registered Nurses

On the global front there is a major shortage of registered nurses owing to many reasons. The most prominent one being baby boomers age that further intensifies the need for health care workers. This blog shares the four top reasons for growing demand of RNs.

Here are the top 4 reasons that shows the demand for RNs is growing:

Aging Population

With the baby boomer generation reaching old age resulting in increased need for clinically skilled nurses for their care and assistance. This is also resulting in an imbalanced ratio of younger generation to senior citizens.This is one of the major reason resulting in rising demand for RNs. 

Retirement Age 

As per the projection by Health Resources and Services Administration more than one million registered nurses are reaching retirement age in the coming 10 to 15 years. Additionally, many nurses will be leaving the workforce owing to many reasons like burnout, workload, and stress further widening the nursing shortage gap.

Hospital acuity 

Due to technological advancements, the whole medical process has been streamlined allowing quick assessment, treatment and discharge. This has also resulted in acuity in hospitals, and hospitals are functioning more like intensive care units including all intense treatments such as cardiac monitoring, respiratory assistance and to carry out these functions effectively, registered and clinically skilled nurses are required. This has become another reason creating demand for skilled and specialized nurses.

BSN has become entry requirement

As per the survey by American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), there is 2.1 percent fall in BSN enrollment program in the year 2000 and this has happened sixth year in a row. This shows less nurses are enrolling in baccalaureate program whereas seeing the complex- patient care and to deliver best care to patients, hospitals are more inclined towards hiring nurses with minimum BSN degree. This again furthers the demand for skilled and registered nurses. 

An aging workforce, baby boom bubble, lesser number of new students enrolling to nursing, stress on specialized health care services all these factors have resulted in rising demand for registered nurses in the profession. 

Continuing Education in a Nursing Career. A Promise to a Better Future

Nursing is a challenging career that necessitates lifelong learning. Thus, for a successful nursing career, it is essential that nurses continue to educate themselves from time-to-time as it helps in enhancing the expertise and greatly benefits patients too.

This blog highlights the importance of continuing education and the intakes to prosper in an ever-demanding nursing profession.

Empower with the Knowledge

In nursing profession, it is extremely important to keep abreast with latest developments, technological breakthrough, medical researches and the subject matter knowledge in the lifetime of a career in patient-care. The thirst to stay updated and empowering yourself through continuing access to knowledge will help to remain at top of your practice career and at the same time, improvise lives of patients in the best possible manner.

Once you become a RN, pursue an International Nursing Program from a premier institution like INSCOL to elevate your nursing career. INSCOL has a history of more than a decade in boosting the career of nurses across the globe in partnership with reputed colleges and universities in countries like USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and UK. With such courses, you can keep yourself updated with new medical advancements in the field, know about latest techniques for treatment and medications and use this knowledge and skills to give most up-to-date-treatment to the patients.

Broader Scope, Better Job Opportunities

By enrolling in a postgraduate nursing program, a nurse can expect broader and better job prospects. This also plays a significant role in overall professional growth, promotes rational thinking and provides a great avenue to associate with key professionals from the same field.

Moreover, it also brings a great opportunity for nurses seeking an alternative or optional career path. Obtaining a specialization or pursuing a postgraduate nursing course lays down the foundation for excellence in the career and makes you a preferred choice of potential employers.


In conclusion, importance of continuing education is paramount in the nursing career, particular to your nursing specialty and nursing occupation, this as a whole, benefits to grow as professionals with enhanced skills and the knowledge to prosper in nursing jobs.

INSCOL in collaboration with leading Universities/Colleges in Canada/UK/USA/AUS/NZ offers a wide range of exclusive Nursing Programs in:
Emergency Care, Critical Care, Palliative Care, Coronary Care, Acute Complex Care, Mental Health, Leadership & Management, Gerontology & Chronic Illness, Healthcare & Rehabilitation and BSc/MSc Nursing.

For more information: http://www.canada.inscolacademy.com/academic-courses/