The Best Nursing Fields for Higher Wages

The baby boomer generation is entering retirement years and the existing nursing force is retiring. With this, the demand of trained nurses is increasing rapidly, leading to a shortage in many countries.But, nursing was considered a career with few options and fewer wages previously, which put off many aspiring candidates. However, it has changed in the recent years with the rise of new nursing fields and good wages.

If you too are interested in nursing and want to earn good wages, then here are the best fields in this profession, based on wages.

Certified Nurse Anesthetist

These nursing professionals are trained to prepare and administer anesthesia. They work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals such as surgeons and dentists. It is their responsibility to care for patients, who are unable to communicate their needs, as well as ensure their safety.They can earn up to $160,000 a year, depending on their location and experience. However, one needs the ability to handle responsibility under pressure in emergencies.

If you want to opt for this field, you need to get a master’s degree from an accredited nurse anesthesia educational program.

ER Nurse Practitioner

As a nurse practitioner in ER, you will have to do triage duty, order initial tests,and provide input and more. Dealing with stressed and sometimes grieving families is a part of this practice. You should be prepared for the fast-paced work environment combined with the stress of patients hanging between life and death.You need a bachelor's degree in nursing and proper license to enter this profession. In this field, one can earn up to $100,000 annually.

General Nurse Practitioner

If you are confused about choosing a specialty or want to explore your potential, then you can work independently as a general nurse practitioner. It is not much different from RNs, but with your skills, you can earn good wages. You can work with family practice physicians and other healthcare professionals.In this nursing field, you can earn up to $95,000 yearly. An advanced degree (MSN) and certification as a nurse practitioner is what you need.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

These trained professionals work with a specialized unit or clinic.You will need Masters of Science in nursing degree with a specialization in clinical nursing. With a busy work profile and up to $95,000 a year wages, this nursing field is a favorite of many.

Certified Nurse Midwife

These specialists care for expectant mothers and infants (after delivery). As a certified nurse midwife, you can work in OB/GYN offices, clinics, and hospitals. For this field, you need the knowledge of pregnancies, obstetrics, labor, delivery and prenatal care.You can earn up to $93,000 per year as a CNM.

In the end, choose a specialized nursing program according to your interest, and you will grow in your career.

NCLEX and Laboratory Values – What You Need to Know

Stressing over the NCLEX test and its preparation is common among nursing students, as there is much to learn and cover. From a variety of topics (including fundamentals, diseases, maternity topics, and more) and learning materials, students prepare for the test after completing their nursing study program. However, there is one thing in this process that most students detest – the laboratory values.

Success in NCLEX and laboratory values often go hand in hand. These values usually need to be memorized, which is why many students dread it. Lab values are included in NCLEX to test the student’s knowledge and analysis/application skills. It shows that you can  

• Examine lab values
• Distinguish nonstandard values
• Identify abnormal results
• Act according to the results

Regardless of how much students dislike it, it is a part of the exam and needs to be learned to achieve success in NCLEX. Here are some of the important laboratory values that you need to know.

ABG Lab Values
•    pH 7.35 – 7.45
•    pCO2 35 – 45
•    HCO3 22 – 26

Renal Lab Values
•    BUN 5 – 20
•    Creatinine 0.6 – 1.2

Cholesterol Lab Value
•    Cholesterol <200

CBC Lab Values
•    HCT F:36 – 46 M:42 – 52
•    HgB F:12 – 15 M:14 – 17
•    Platelets 200,000 – 450,000 <20,000 be very concerned!
•    WBC 5,000 – 10,000

Electrolyte Lab Values
•    Potassium 3.5 – 5
•    Sodium 135 – 145

Glucose Lab Values
•    Glucose 70 – 100
•    HgBA1C 4 – 6% >7 is diabetic

Bleeding Time Lab Values
•    PT 11 – 13
•    PTT not on therapy 25 – 35 on therapy –> 2x normal
•    INR on coumadin 2-3 w/o coumadin 0.8 – 1.2

How can you make learning lab values easier?  

Sort out the important ones – It may not be possible for you to learn every lab value there is, so filter out the rest and find the important ones. Sort them out according to your skills, interests, and specialty. Focus on the most important values that you need to know to pass the test. Once you have mastered them, move on to the others.

Focus on numbers – It is important that you focus on the number or normal ranges for a lab value, instead of its measurement unit. Once you have memorized the range, the measurement unit will be easier to fit in.

Get to know what it means – Find out the real meaning and use behind lab values. Understand what an out of range value means and how it can affect the patient. Then, it will be easier for you to make a connection and commit it to memory.

Writing down lab values repeatedly or using flash cards are some other techniques that work for some students. If you find it difficult to learn and memorize the lab values, follow the above mentioned tips.

Good Luck!

If you are an internationally educated nurse and want to make a career in the nursing specialty of your choice, INSCOL offers various specialized nursing courses in Canada from top colleges. To learn more about the available graduate nursing programs, visit the website at www.inscol.com

Quick Beauty Tips for Busy Nurses

In the hectic schedule of the nursing profession, nurses rarely get time for themselves. Often, they don't even have the energy to follow a beauty regime. However, like every other woman in the world, nurses want to feel beautiful and confident. If you are a nurse, it may not be easy with your busy schedule, but you can treat yourself with a quick beauty regime.

Here are a few easy tips to help busy, hardworking nurses maintain their beauty while at work -

• Skin – Skin care is a vital part of any beauty regime. You should take proper care of your skin. Opt for exfoliation,cleansing, toning, and proper moisturizing for the best results.Pamper your skin regularly with face masks and get rid of impurities. Also, don't forget about your hands.Nursing requires a lot of cleaning, washing and disinfecting. Manicures and regular moisturizing is essential for hands.
• Makeup – Make quick-to-apply makeup products your friends, because nurses don't usually have much time to get ready. Mascara, eyeliner, foundation etc., are very useful makeup products. Nurses have to work long hours so try to use natural beauty products, so chemicals don’t harm your skin.In addition, remember to remove makeup before going to sleep.
• Hair – Use a good shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair shiny and healthy. Following a healthy diet improves your hair and makes it shine. Proper sleep is also essential for shiny and flowing locks.
• Health – Maintaining good health is a part of every beauty regime. Get good and restful sleep to give your body and mind respite. Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated and to get rid of toxins. Exercise more to stay healthy and fit, which is necessary in the nursing field. Include healthy food items in your diet such as fruits and vegetables.
• Nails – Make sure that your nails aren't suffering because of your busy schedule. Save them from cracking and chipping by properly moisturizing nail beds and cuticles.
• Looks – Try out new hairstyles for a fresh look. Various hairstyles are essential to improve your looks, so be creative. Buns, ponytails, braids – there are many to try.You can try out new styles within the rules.Use minimal makeup to bring out your natural beauty.

Follow the above-mentioned tips to maintain your beauty and elegance, even in the hectic schedule of your nursing profession. If you would like to read more such tips for nurses, you can explore our blog.

If you are looking for ways to advance your nursing career in Canada, INSCOL offers nursing education in Canada for internationally educated nurses. You can join a graduate/postgraduate nursing program of your choice by joining programs offered by INSCOL.

How to Calm Your Patient’s Pre-Surgery Anxiety?

Feeling anxious before surgery is common for patients, as they start to feel nervous and restless, even if it is not their first time going under the knife. Anxious patients suffer from symptom like – 

• Irregular heartbeat
• Increased blood pressure
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Sleep problems

However, this anxiety is not good either for the patient as well as for the healthcare professionals. It can be worrying for patients, especially those with cardiovascular problems. It can have adverse effects on patients’ overall health and post surgery recovery.

It is usually the responsibility of a nurse to calm down the patient before surgery and ease their worries. As a nurse, you would have already studied about such situations at nursing school. However, here are a few tips for you that can help to calm down the patients.

• Be punctual - It is advised not to leave a patient waiting before the surgery. It only fuels their nerves and makes them more nervous. As a nurse, you should be on time, so that you can ease patients’ fears on time.
• Converse with patients - Make conversation with the patient before surgery. Small talk will ease their worries and help you create a therapeutic bond with them. Listen and acknowledge their concerns regarding the surgery to get to know what is really troubling them. Let them know that it is okay to be nervous and they will be well taken care. Your reassurance combined with empathy will reduce their anxiety considerably and they will calm down.
• Be informative - Many patients like to know what will happen before and during the surgery, as lack of knowledge makes them uneasy. You can provide them information and help ease their worries. Educate them about the surgery and instructions to distract them. Such information will help them de-stress and relive the anxiety.Moreover, if they are too nervous to ask questions, take initiative to inform them yourself. You can also show them relevant images or videos to educate them about the procedure.
• Use relaxation techniques - There are a variety of relaxation techniques that are used by healthcare professionals to calm patients before a surgical procedure. It includes focusing on breathing, meditation and muscle relaxation. These techniques can slow down the breathing and control the heart rate. You can use such techniques to calm your patient.
• Music therapy - To ease patients’ pre-surgery anxiety, nurses can use music. It is seen that people, who listen to relaxing music before surgery are relaxed and less nervous.

As per the nurses who are experienced in the profession, there could be more things that can calm patient’s anxiety before surgery. These things can only be learnt with practice and experience while working in a nursing facility. 

If you are a nurse and willing to pursue a rewarding career in nursing in Canada, the best way is to go for International Nursing Programs of your choice. There are Canadian nursing programs that allow nurses to study as well as work in Canada. To know your options, you can explore the nursing courses in Canada for International Nurses offered by INSCOL.

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!

Greta Friedman: Nurse in the Iconic WWII Times Square Kissing Photo

Via Getty Images

Caught & Clicked!

This candid picture of a nurse kissing a sailor created buzz for a long time. Many women claimed to be the nurse however; Friedman was identified in 2012 as the nurse in the famous picture.

Greta Friedman is the woman in the iconic photo of a nurse and sailor kissing in New York City’s Times Square during the end of World War II. This popular nurse died on September 8, 2016 at 92 years of age. This news was confirmed by Friedman’s son, Joshua, to CBN News and the New York Daily News soon after.

Flashback:

On Aug 14, 1945, when Friedman was just 21 year old, she heard the news that Imperial Japan’s forces had surrendered and she immediately left her office, rushing to Lexington Avenue to learn more.

The moment she reached Times Square, she was grabbed and kissed by George Mendonsa, a former sailor. Alfred Eisenstaedt, a Life Magazine photographer, snapped the photo of a nurse and sailor kissing but wasn’t able to get their names.

The photo remains one of the most iconic images in American history and was a huge hit. This iconic pose has been recreated hundreds of times by couples in Times Square.

In the book The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo that Ended World War II, author Lawrence Verria confirmed that Friedman and Mendonsa were the true subjects — a belief widely shared today.

In 1956, Greta married a popular doctor named Mischa Friedman. She had two children with the doctor before his death in 1998. Friedman is survived by her two children, Joshua and Mara, and her grandchildren, Caroline and Michael Friedman, the New York Daily News reported.

Many other nurses have changed the world with their contributions and initiatives to improve patient care. To read more about other famous nurses in history, visit INSCOL blog to read Iconic nurses every student should study.

(Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/greta-friedman-vj-day-photo-dies?utm_term=.nkOMvWv22#.ihgvQeQgg)

3 Best Hairstyles for Busy Nurses!

As a nurse and always on your toes, you just don’t have time to worry about  your hairstyle. To help you look presentable and poised, here are three great hairstyles for busy nurses.

1. Flipped Ponytail

Via Pinterest

Nurses are always in a rush, and don’t have much time for fancy hairstyles. A flipped ponytail is simple and looks clean and elegant. 

Here are basic steps to get started:

• Comb your hair and tie it up in a regular ponytail. Secure with an elastic band. Make sure it’s not too tight. 
• Divide your hair into two parts, right above the elastic band.
• Hold the end of your ponytail and insert it in between the two parts. 
• Carefully pull the end back until it looks like a flipped ponytail.
• Your flipped ponytail is done and you are all set for work!

2. Top Knot Bun 

Via nursebuff.com

Having a bad hair day? This top knot bun is your savior for bad hair days. Follow these simple steps to create this chic hair-do.

• Comb your hair backward and make a high ponytail.
• Don’t tie your hair with an elastic band, rather  twist it clockwise. Keep repeating it until it wraps around the top of your head like a coil.
• Secure your bun with either bobby pins or an elastic band.

3. Bow Bun

Via nursebuff.com

If you want to look simple yet stylish this bow bun is for you. It takes just a few minutes to make and gives you a sassy look.

• Tie your hair in a ponytail and secure with an elastic band.
• Make a bun and leave some hair on the top of your head.
• Divide the bun in the middle so it resembles a big bow on the top of your head.
• At the back of the bun, pull the ends tight.
• Secure the bun with bobby pins.

To read more tips for nurses, visit our blog. You will find blogs on career, jobs, nursing specialty, nurse humor, nurse education, and more. And, if you are looking for specialty nursing programs in Canada, browse the courses available at INSCOL.com.