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Technology Speeds Nurses Workforce Entry

Mixing a bit of video gaming with medical skills and technology, virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming part of the curriculum at many nursing schools across the country. Computers and multimedia, including videotaped instruction, interactive television, desktop video conference and Internet-based programming, are all used to produce simulated real-world environments, increasing nursing students' clinical skills without actually risking harm to real patients.

Virtual reality technology allows nursing students to take risks, while making decisions independently, giving them some of the tools they will need later in their career.

"Nursing education adapts to meet the needs of the marketplace, as well as take advantage of new technology, today and beyond," says Andrea Higham, director of The Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. "And the sooner we can train or re-train highly skilled health care workers, the better."

More than 41,000 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away from nursing schools during 2005, due to the continuing lack of faculty available to teach these students. Technology can assist and reduce some of these staffing gaps.

Distance learning, via online classes is also being used with increasing frequency to train and educate nursing students.

To meet the growing health care needs of an aging Baby Boomer population, greater and more varied applications of technology are expected to expand educational horizons and opportunities, as well as free up faculty for lecture and other traditional classroom settings.

Nursing Schools Offer Infinite Possibilities and Wide Variety of Specialties

While the nursing shortage continues, there are more than 2,000 nursing programs available nationwide, offering specialty courses ranging from clinical nursing, to surgical nursing, emergency room nursing or nursing administration.

Peterson's Guide to Nursing Programs, published in collaboration with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, is considered one of the industry favorites, and recommends the following to assist you in choosing a career in nursing:

If you do not have prior health care experience, think about volunteering or working part-time at a care facility to gain insights into the field.
Talk to nurse professionals whom you meet or know to gain additional insight.
Ask questions. How involved is faculty in developing students for today's healthcare industry? How strong is the school's affiliation with clinics and hospitals? Are a variety of care settings available?
Visit a school and talk to the program's guidance counselors to gain a better understanding of how the school or program will fit your needs.
Consider what type of job placement and career opportunities each program offers.
Consider your personal schedule, lifestyle and needs.

U. S. News and World Report provides its annual Who's Who among graduate nursing schools, helping to make the selection process easier. The rankings are based upon the quality of the institutions academic programs and how well the school prepares students for their profession. For a listing of the top schools for 2007, visit www.usnews.com.

Nancy Bittner
Nursing Instructor/
Professor

GEM-Nursing: Online Nurse Mentoring Program Encourages Students to Become Nurses

Nursing has always been second nature for Nancy Bittner, RN. The dynamic and rapidly growing field provides an opportunity for the nurse educator to impact lives everyday.

"Nursing is the most fascinating career, where you can make a difference everyday in someone's life," said Bittner, who also directs a nursing program of approximately 600 students. "You can work in a large variety of settings, move from place to place, learn almost continuously and adjust your work schedule as needed. There is such diversity here that you will love it!"

Through her involvement in GEM-Nursing, or Group E-Mentoring, Bittner continues her work with students. The innovative web-based mentoring program encourages students, ages 15 to 21, to consider a career in nursing by connecting them with nurse mentors across the country like Bittner. Prospective and current nursing students will also find a wealth of information and resources on various specialties in the field.

For more information on GEM-Nursing, visit www.gem-nursing.org/.

The Oldies are Goodies; Employee Turnover
Nursing Economics-
July 2006
By Connie Curran

What a friend nursing has in the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation. RWJ's good work for the nursing profession has helped us understand our profession, quality of care issues, the importance of adequate nurse staffing, and now the need to retain the older nurse as long as we can.

To read this article in its entirety, visit www.discovernursing.com/press or www.nursingeconomics.net.