20 Informative Web Forums About Nurse Certification Prep

Brought to you with permission by Linda Fletcher through:
Nurseblogger; Health tips and resources for nurses, doctors, and medical enthusiasts

Artcle by admin on June 15, 2011

Being a nurse means long hours put in for job preparation, as well as once you’re on the job. At these forums and messageboards, nurses and aspiring nurses discuss the ins-and-outs of the job and certification requirements in the various nursing departments. Whether you’re already in nursing school or looking for a career change, scoping out these forums and message boards .

Nursing Forums and Message Boards
Get the inside scoop on nursing certification from these forums and message boards where industry professionals chat.

All Nurses
This is one of the major online nursing communities. Stop by and learn all about certification in your state and get information on any specialized certification you may need to practice in certain areas. This site also focuses on a nurse’s health to ensure you’re in tip-top shape for taking care of patients.

Ultimate Nurse Forum
This is a must-read for nurses and aspiring nurses. It has forums dedicated to certification to become a CNA, LPN/LVN and more. There’s also a busy section over unionized nurses.

We The Nurses
This site is packed with information over certification, training, clinicals and everything else you need to know about becoming a nurse. It also talks salary, nursing on television and how to prepare yourself for a new department.

Nurse
This busy nurse forum is ready to answer your questions when it comes to classes, certification and training in hospitals and doctors’ offices. For those looking to scope out the different areas a nurse can work in, this message board is a must-read.

Nurses Forum
When it comes to tests and certification, this nurse forum helps you keep track of what you’ll need to do to become licensed and hired for a job. Many overlook certification requirements in the early stages of nursing school and it’s important to have your ducks in a row before moving on to the job hunt.

Nursing Voices
This nursing message board has many different forums, but the student forum is especially helpful for those deciphering certification and credentials for landing a job. Veterans and newbie nurses post frequently, giving you a taste of how the industry has changed in the past few decades.

Nurse Connect
Think of this site as a social networking site for nurses. Nurses chat about certification and licensing in their respective states and keep each other informed on the regions that are booming in terms of job opportunities. It also discusses hot topics like social media’s role in patient updates for families.

The Student Nurse Forum
For all of the student nurses that are looking to plan their career path, this is the blog for you. Learn all about clinicals, the tests you’ll need to take to become certified in a certain area and how to study for these exams with the help of the site’s study aides.

Student Doc
At this site, students of the medical community gather and talk about certification, clinicals and the other various parts of training for the medical field. Nurses have their own forum and discuss CNA and LNP/LPV pre-requisites.

Just Us Nurses
Here nurses rant and rave about their jobs and give aspiring nurses the real deal on what to expect once they’re on the job. It also talks about certification by state and offers advice for those looking to move jobs while staying in the nursing profession.

Blogs and Sites for Nurses
For a better understanding of what’s required of nurses and what certification and licensing you can expect to obtain before working, check out these top blogs and websites aimed at nursing or the medical community.

Nurse Credentialing
Find out everything about nursing credentials and how to prepare for exams. There’s also a section over any updates regarding credentials, which can be tricky to keep up with since rules and regulations are always changing.

Test Prep Preview
There’s no such thing as being too prepared. This site allows you to take practice tests for free and it’s easy to look up the certification exam you’re taking. This site should be bookmarked by anyone studying for nursing exams.

AZ Mom in Nursing School
You’ll quickly become addicted to this fantastic blog penned by a mom/nursing student. It’s half nursing school trials, half family drama and makes for a fun read for those who know the struggles and stresses that training for any medical degree brings on.

Nurse Teeny
This nurse doesn’t hold back when it comes to the good, the bad or the ugly in the medical community. Nursing is a grueling profession that’s physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting at times and this blog shows you how one nurse is juggling responsibilities.

Registered Nurse RN
This site is great because it gives a little history on nursing. It also discusses certification and licensing and how to plan a career in the field. It also talks about on-the-job skills like communicating effectively with doctors and other hospital or office staff.

Nursing School Network
This nursing blog will get you prepped for school and confident about taking your exams for certification. This blog talks scholarships, online nursing programs and how to take your skills to the next level by going from a RN to a BSN or BSN to MN.

John Hopkins Nursing Blog
This blog is penned by students at John Hopkins University and gives you the real deal when it comes to nursing school. Learn how the aspiring nurses are handling responsibilities at various stages of nursing school and how they prep for exams.

Nursing Ninjas
There’s nothing like getting facts on nursing school and certification exams straight from the source. This site serves as a mega directory of sorts for all things nursing school and is eager to dole out advice on career planning and making the transition from one department to another.

Nurse’s Watch
You’ll be entertained by this blogger/nurse who isn’t afraid to talk about where she came from and the journey she’s taken to become a nurse. It is an inspirational read for anyone in or outside of the medical community and just the thing an aspiring nurse needs to read before exams.

About a Nurse
This blog is dedicated to the ups and downs of nursing school. It serves as a feed of sorts, garnering nursing school blog posts from around the web to give you a taste of what aspiring nurses are going through.

Certification for nursing programs takes time, but at this stage, you should be well-prepared for such a task. Look to these nursing forums and messageboards, as well as blogs and websites to give you an edge. Nursing is a career that requires someone with a leveled head and calm demeanor, as well as the technical skills learned in school. Studying for certification will help you gain the discipline needed to thrive in this fast-paced environment.

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http://onlinebsn.org/2011/20-informative-web-forums-about-nurse-certification-prep/

25 Useful Dot-Edu Resources for Nurse Practitioners

by Miranda on June 8, 2011

One of the careers that is gaining ground right now is that of nurse practitioner. With physicians increasingly unable to handle patient loads, nurse practitioners are becoming important in the world of health care. Nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat diseases — and in some states can even have their own practices.

If you are interested in becoming a more successful family nurse practitioner, there are a number of helpful resources that you can turn to. The Internet is full of great information that any NP can use to help him or her help patients. Here are 25 great dot-edu resources from reputable institutions that can help you as you work to improve your abilities as a nurse practitioner:


Professional Development
Useful resources that can help you connect with others, keep up to date with best practices, and learn other things that can improve your career as a nurse practitioner.

Specialty Nursing Practice: This list of resources can help you find the journals and professional associations of different areas of nursing and nurse practitioners.
UCSF School of Nursing Internet Resources for Nurse Practitioner Students: Even if you are no longer a student, these resources can be helpful, including information on organizations and career resources aimed specifically at NPs.
Nurse Practitioner Resources: Use this page to find you access to professional organizations that can help you make connections.
Nurse Practitioner Career Overview: The Mayo Clinic offers a great career overview that can help you decide if this is really the right career for you.
Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant – What’s the Difference?: UC Berkeley offers a look at two different career paths. A great explanation to help you make a choice.

Professional Associations for Family Nurse Practitioners: Find the right organization to join, and make connections and get access to valuable career advice. Make friends and engaging in networking.
National Associations and Organizations: Great resources related to career help and information for NPs. Find out more about making connections and advancing your career.

Patient Diagnosis, Treatment and Education
These resources can help you improve your ability to diagnose and treat patients. Also includes information that can help you in your duty as a patient educator.

Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia: It’s not a terribly common topic, but this is a helpful guide that can help a NP diagnose a difficult disease that doesn’t have a routine lab test attached to it. A great help to help you spot a disease that might affect a patient.

Overview of Sickle Cell Disease: A great resource to help you learn more about this somewhat rare disease that might affect some patients. Learn to recognize the disease, and find information on treatment.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease: Learn the signs and symptoms of this disease so you can better educate and help your patients.
Introduction to the Scientific Method: This is a great resource that can help you improve your ability to diagnose and treat patients by following the scientific method.

Evidenced Based Nursing: Improve your abilities to help your patients when you engage in evidenced based nursing. The University of North Carolina has some great tools to help you become a better nurse practitioner.
Evidence-Based Practice: A look at how to make your practice more evidence-based as you help your patients. Resources, tools and tips.

Nursing Resources for Evidence Based Practice: All you need to know about diagnosing, treating and educating patients with the help of techniques based in evidence. Excellent resource that can help you find more information that will you become a better NP.

Evidence-Based Practice: More information, techniques and more related to evidence-based practice. You can learn about diagnosing and treating diseases, and get information on educating your patients. Very helpful resource from Yale.

General Knowledge
Sometimes it helps to have general medical knowledge. As a nurse practitioner, you should always be learning. These dot-edu resources will ensure that you have plenty of information readily available.

Family Health Guide: This resource from Harvard is perfect even for NPs. Provides a wealth of practical information that you can use.
Mayo Clinic: Head over to Mayo.edu and you can learn more about different health answers, get general knowledge and get information about the latest advances in medicine.

Duke University Medical Center Library: You can look up information related to any number of subjects. Perfect for the nurse practitioner — or any health care professional. A great opportunity.

Research: Get the latest information from the world of medicine from Stanford. A great place to look for web-based research tools, learn about advances, and get general information about health and wellness.

Health Information: Find information about health and wellness. Learn about trials, tests, and more. Get information on research, search the health library at the University of Utah, and more. A great source of information for helping NPs treat and educate patients.

Welch Medical Library: This is a great resource for nurse practitioners. This library from Johns Hopkins University, is a great way to get information. General information on a number of topics of interest in health. A great way to expand your knowledge.

Nursing Library at Yale: This is a great resource, aimed a nursing. You can learn a great deal about nursing techniques that can help you as a NP. Get answers to questions and more.

Nursing Resources: You can get access to information via the Ebling Library for the Health Sciences. You can access different databases, get information about guidelines for nursing and being a NP, and more. A great resource that can help any NP.

Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences Library: This resource from Purdue University provides access to great resources related to nursing and pharmacy. You can learn more about medications, and that can help you prescribe them. It’s a great resource, and an excellent way to learn about various topics related to health and medicine.
Nursing Biology Library: Get information that can help you as you expand your practice. Information about biology that can be used by a nurse practitioner looking to help his or her patients.

Permission provided by request per Nick Albert of Blog site e-Med News: Medical and fitness news you can use

Link: http://onlinefnp.com/2011/25-useful-dot-edu-resources-for-nurse-practitioners/

"30 Must-Read Web Resources for Nurse Practitioners" by Anthony Hanley

Brought to you by permission of the Editor of Medicalchemy, Anthony Hanley.


30 Must-Read Web Resources for Nurse Practitioners
Published by Editor on Wed May 25, 2011

A Nurse Practitioner, or NP, is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who has completed a graduate-level education that usually involves earning a master’s degree, and in some cases a PhD. All nurse practitioners must take and complete the same exam as registered nurses and are often asked to take an another exam later specifically for NP certification in their state. There are also many specialties offered as a nurse practitioner such as family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, and others.

With loads of educational requirements and a dedication and responsibility to patients, it can all be overwhelming for existing and studying nurse practitioners. However, there are literally over 100,000 other nurse practitioners out there, many of which share their wisdom over the web. To keep time spent researching them all down, we have collected the below 30 must read web resources for nurse practitioners. They are essential for students, practicing nurses, and even patients who want to know more about the people caring for them.

Must-Read Web General Resources for Nurse Practitioners
Learn about all aspects of nurse practitioners with these helpful reads.

What is a Nurse Practitioner?
Start here to learn the basics of becoming and being a nurse practitioner. The American College of Nurse Practitioners offers this read on what an NP does, along with a more detailed PDF on the subject. Their site also has other valuable reads such as the benefits of an ACNP certification and scholarship information.

Nurse Practitioner Preparation
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners is the go to agency for NP’s. With 26 years and counting of representing nurse practitioners, their site is a must visit. In this section, they have resources on what it takes to prepare for a career including resources for everyone from students to nurse practitioners at the doctorate level. You can also use them to search for approved NP programs by state or specialty.

Nurse Practitioner Forum
The discussion boards at All Nurses have loads of people stopping in to ask and answer questions. With a special board for NP’s, little discussed topics such as how to become an NP with no experience and if you need a doctorate degree to become a nurse practitioner are discussed. The main site also has more for nurses.

Salary for Nurse Practitioners
Because they don’t call it the bottom line for nothing, click here. The experts at Payscale.com keep up to date salary information on loads of professions, including nurse practitioners. The current average salary range is from $71,028 to $91,692. You can also search by specialty, location, or even view openings for NP jobs.

NCLEX Exam
This exam is a must for nurses at any level. Similar to what the MCAT is for doctors, the NCLEX is a requirement for anyone looking for a nursing or nurse practitioner license. This must read from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing has information for students, educators, and researchers.

The Future of Nurse Practitioners
With the passage of the Affordable Health Act, the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians by 2020. In 2008, there were an estimated 158,348 certified nurse practitioners, an increase from 141,209 in 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To help fill in the gap, more nurse practitioners will be needed and the SF Gate predicts that electronic health records will play a big part.

US Nurse Practitioner Prescribing Law
As the saying goes, “with greater power comes greater responsibility.” Many nurse practitioners are licensed to prescribe medications and are therefore required to adhere to local laws. Check out this guide to see a brief summary of NP prescribing laws by state.

Drug Interactions Checker
Although no web resource can replace an actual education, this is the next best thing. Provided by Drugs.com, they explain the mechanism of each drug interaction, the level of significance of the interaction (major, moderate or minor), and in certain cases, can provide the recommended course of action to manage the interaction. There are terms to agree to before using the drug interactions checker.

Nurse Practitioner License Requirements by State
Although most nurse practitioners are required to have a qualifying master’s degree and then pass a licensing exam, each state is different. Visit this interactive map from Medscape Today to look up the requirements by state you wish to practice in. Although it has been updated, it is important to double check with your state board to make sure the information is as current as possible.

License Search for Nurses
In a sort of reverse of the above, use this tool to look up a nursing license. You can look up by name or even license number. Information is constantly being updated, and you can even look up other medical licenses such as midwife.

Must-Read Web Organization Resources for Nurse Practitioners
These organizations have more on nurse practitioners.

American College of Nurse Practitioners
The ACNP is a national, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to ensure a solid policy and regulatory foundation that enables NP’s to continue providing high quality healthcare. Their membership structure consists of both individual nurse practitioners as well as national and state NP organizations. You can also read research, resources, and even a section just for students online.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Formed in 1985, the AANP was formed to provide a way for nurse practitioners to network and have a voice of advocacy. As the largest and only full-service national professional membership organization for NPs of all specialties, the AANP represents the interests of the more than 135,000. They also have research/education sections along with publications which can be read online.

American Nurses Credentialing Center
The ANCC is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organizations and a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. They offer many specialties, including nurse practitioner. They also have more on accredited nurse programs, certification, and continuing education.

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
They are devoted to promoting quality nurse practitioner education at the national and international levels. Starting in 1974 as a small group of educators meeting to develop the first NP curriculum guidelines, NONPF has evolved as an organization for NP faculty sharing the commitment of excellence in education. There are also educational resources and announcements, along with an Ask NONPF, a column where they respond to questions.

Nursing Center
The Professional Topics section alone is worth a visit. You can get career articles, a guide to certification, and even how to get a license. Other worthy reads include clinical topics, journals, and even a blog.

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
Visit here to learn more on the specialty of NP’s that focus on younger patients. They have loads of news featured on the feed, as well as instructional videos for patients and nurse practitioners. You can also use it to find a chapter in your area.

The American Journal of Nursing
You don’t need a subscription to this publication to read the many articles they feature online or as a PDF. There are also podcasts for nurses available for the listening. Most viewed articles include a step by step to an evidence based practice and improving communication among nurses, patients, and physicians.

The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Similar to the above, this is another publication for nurses but specifically for nurse practitioners. You can also read many articles online or as a PDF. There are topic collections from respiratory health to mental health, and you can even request a free subscription.

National Institute of Nursing Research
Part of the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, they have loads of must read resources for nursing research. You can get highlights, news, information, and even guides to funding. There is also a section for training opportunities for early career and established scientists in nursing.

American Nurse Association
Finally, there is the ANA. All nurses can utilize the organization’s site for learning more about nursing education, ethics, continuing education, certifications, and more. They also have educational videos and many sub-organizations that specialize in special types of nursing.

Must-Read Blog Resources for Nurse Practitioners
These blogs are authored by medical professionals and even nurse practitioners and contain loads of must read advice.

Is There Room for Dr. Nurse?
Because NP’s are expected to fill the gap in healthcare, what do medical doctors think about this? In a response to the ACP Advocate Blog, the Happy Hospitalist describes what the difference between an NP and an MD is. The difference in training is the biggest item, and you can find much more on the blog.

10 Free Online Tools for Nurse Practitioners
Stephen is a family nurse practitioner from New York. His blog highlights issues, trends, and policies affecting nurse practitioners. In this post, many online resources and even tools for the NP are highlighted and described.

Sign Language
Are you one of the many Americans who do not know a second language? Chances are so don’t many of your patients and you as a nurse practitioner will be left to play a game of sign language. In this blog entry, the anonymous Northern California blogger describes what they do to communicate with patients who speak little to no English.

9 Tips for Interviewing and Hiring the Best Candidates for Your Practice
The Nurse Practitioner Blog is a must read for those who ever wish to go into their own practice or are already there. Barbara C. Phillips does an excellent job of showing the view from the top with loads of tips and recommendations. This blog post is also a good web resource either for those who are doing the hiring as well as those applying for nursing jobs.

7 Nurse Practitioners Who Changed the Profession Forever
Why read a long textbook on the history of nurse practitioners when there is this blog post? Health Nation ordinarily posts tips and tricks for readers on how to live healthier. In a change from the norm, this post is about the nurse practitioner profession and those who changed it.

Second Degree Nursing
Because a career as a nurse practitioner requires a second degree, and in some cases a third or fourth, check out this blog entry. Nurse Teeny shares what it takes to become a nurse and includes eight myths on nurses seeking a second degree. They include items on experience, education, and ego.

Top Ten Reasons – Nursing Humor
If all of this serious reading has got you down, stop here. It is a database of top ten lists specifically for those in the nursing field. They include most common nursing phrases, reasons for going into nursing, and more.

Ninety Nine
The blog “What School Doesn’t Teach About Being a Nurse Practitioner” does just that. In this entry, she relates why it is important to write down a patient history and how. The blog entry title is in reference to a term the patient couldn’t say and why.

Why Nurse Stereotypes are Bad for Health
There are many depictions of nurses on screen that can be entertaining but misleading. Check out this reprint of Theresa Brown’s post on how nurses are viewed and how it can affect the health of the patient. The blogger at Career Male Nurse also has more.

The Last Minute of Life
Because all healthcare professionals deal with death at some point or another, check out this blog post. Written by Midwife for the End-of-Life, it describes in detail what to expect. Melaina also has many nursing credentials and knowledge of the field.

Although the above 30 must read web resources for nurse practitioners has loads of good and free advice, please consult your own physician before making changes to a health or medication plan. When seeking a nurse practitioner education, research your own state board to see what the requirements are as well as which schools are accredited to teach in the field of nurse practitioner.

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Self Reflection Book Review: “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”

Introduction


The book, “The Spirit catches you and you Fall Down” captures the essence of humanity, ways in which the uniqueness of each individual challenges the rationality and compassion of one another while maintaining cultural autonomy and adapting to a world that is constantly changing. In this book, the collision of ideals is experienced between the staff of Merced Hospital in California and a Hmong family of refugees from Laos.

The practice of medicine is in a constant state of evolution as interaction with various types of cultures ignites the need for education in the delivery of medical treatment and procedures unique to each patient according to race, culture, religion, etc. Technology assists everyone in increasing awareness, but it also distorts notions about how each other lives and believes [This last statement is a very good point]. This book demonstrates the need to look beyond differences and bridging the gap that makes us different in an effort to bring us closer. Each culture’s belief system is neither right nor wrong. There is no room for exploitation or judgment of anyone, but to appreciate culture is essential for survival.

The Incident


The incident most meaningful to me in this book was Chapter 8. The Hmong do not know of psychological problems because they do not distinguish between mental and physical illness. Everything in their culture is spiritual. This touched me. I identified with all aspects of this, not only as a person trying to practice the original spiritual traditions of my Native American Indian (Iroquois) and various European blood lines within my family heritage, but also my values as a nurse. I recognized, during my assignment on Culture Bound Syndromes that Ghost Sickness is actually experienced by many different cultures, it is just called something else! However, in the traditional Western Medical Model, these spiritual afflictions believed to be true by the culture can lead to similar symptoms linked to anxiety and depression that causes stress, wear and tear on body organ systems as if it was an actual physical infection.

Reflections


My personal experience was in regard to anxiety, depression and acute intermittent pain in my abdomen that led me to the Emergency Room. The tests were negative for ulcer, pancreatitis, heart problems and gall stones, although the pain increased. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong on their tests and examinations, so I received IV doses of pain medications. The doctors did not know how else to help me. One doctor came to me and asked directly: “Tell me about your life.” Compared to the other physicians, he stuck with the basic principles and gave me a verbal mini-mental exam that linked my phenomenal symptoms to spiritual depression and anxiety. I was having an internal conflict about meaning of life issues compounded by other dynamics relating to my career (because I was being laid off from a job I enjoyed).

He realized that even though we are both Caucasian, we come from a different culture that needed an intervention that was culturally relevant. The health problem could not be solved through medications, but through spiritual expression and increasing my activity as a healthful outlet for reducing stress, anxiety and the depression.

Conclusion


In conclusion, I realized through closer examination of these experiences that there has to be a balance in interventions between personal belief systems and the practice of traditional medical interventions for our patients. As a nurse, I can use this knowledge to advocate better for my patients, while supporting treatment options provided by the primary care providers I work with.

Written by Dianne DeNardo, CVT, LATg, RN, BSN
All Species Nurse


Book review for:
Fadiman, A. (1998). The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Paper review for HCR 571, Edited by Dr. Carol Balwin, PhD, Cultural Diversity, Arizona State University