20 Informative Web Forums About Nurse Certification Prep

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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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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/