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Nurses wake up and take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Are you tired of having no input in your career, little money in the bank, lack of respect for your profession and little compensation for the long hours and years of dedication? Independent RN Contractor is a great way to renew your interest and rejuvenate your nursing career. As An Independent Nurse Contractor you will increase your choices as to when, where and how often you work, substantially increase your income and most of all gain professional autonomy.

An Independent Nurse contractor contracts with a healthcare facility to provide nursing services, usually by the hour. An Independent contractor can contract his or her nursing services directly with a healthcare facility or with a patient and continue bedside practice. The contract is similar to those used by nursing agencies and travel companies outlining the services to be provided, the responsibilities of both the healthcare facility and the nurse, and the length of time the services are to be provided.

Nurse Contractors practice in all aspects of the Healthcare Industry; Home Health, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Rehab Centers and Doctors Offices, all aspects of Nurse Consulting just to name a few. No advance degrees are necessary unless your business includes diagnosing and treating medical problems. State nurse practice acts do no prohibit a nurse from starting up their own business as an Independent Nurse Contractor. Independent nurse contractor is one who contracts with a healthcare facility for nursing services. A contractual agreement is drawn up between you and the institution. You will be able to negotiate your compensation, hours worked and length of time your services will be needed.

Visit National Nurses Business Association Web Page or http://www.independentrncontractor.com for more information.

About The Author

My Name is Tammie Mericle and I have been practicing as a RN for 14 years with the last several years as an Independent Nurse Contractor. I’ve worked in a variety of fields;pediatrics, med-surg., home health, emergency room, critical care. I absolutely love nursing but am not all that crazy about all the politics! I worked as a Traveling nurse and then decided to cut out the middleman and am now practicing as an Independent Nurse Contractor, working all of my contracts in hospital settings.

mericlernstaffing@earthlink.net

Nursing is the nations largest health care profession, with more than 2.7 million registered nurses nationwide, and nursing students account for more than half of all health professions students in the United States. Applications to attend nursing schools continue to increase nicely but did you know that thousands of students are being turned away because of an acute shortage of Nursing Educators?

A study done by the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions indicates that by 2020, the U.S. nursing shortage will grow to more than 800,000 registered nurses. How can we put a serious dent in stemming this dangerous tide unless nurses take an active role in educating the nurses of tomorrow?

Becoming a Nurse Educator is a wonderful career choice
Registered nurses ARE teachers! RNs teach patients and their families how to manage their illness or injury, including post-treatment home care needs, diet and exercise programs, and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. RNs mentor and precept new graduates and new hire staff as well as develop and implement ongoing continuing education activities within clinical settings. RNs combine their clinical expertise and passion for teaching others in thousands of ways every time they work.

Nurse Educators make use of that same clinical expertise and passion for teaching to guide and shape the future of the nursing profession- one student at a time!

Do you want to be doing direct patient care when you’re 63 and still waiting to be old enough to retire? I say leave bedside nursing to the younger nurses, give your sore back a rest, and turn your talents towards building the next generation of nurses instead!

Some RNs choose to advance their nursing career by moving into administrative or management positions, but the responsibilities and stress of management aren’t for everyone. For those RNs who would enjoy keeping in touch with direct patient care and in shaping the future of nursing the best career path to think about is becoming a nurse educator!

Given the growing shortage of nurse educators, the career outlook is strong for nurses interested in teaching careers. Nursing schools nationwide are struggling to find new faculty to accommodate the rising interest in nursing among new students.

Career Flexibility
Most nurse educators work in colleges and universities that offer associate and baccalaureate programs in nursing, and some work as instructors for LPN courses while educators involved in clinical education also work at collaborating health care facilities. A Master’s degree in nursing is typically required to become a faculty member at a university but RNs with a Bachelors degree in nursing and clinical experience are the minimum basic requirements for clinical instructors.

Nurse educators can work as full time faculty with all the benefits including tenure and retirement, or may choose to work as part time faculty while still continuing clinical employment and direct patient care. Nurse educators play a vital role in preparing and shaping future generations of nurses!

Earn an accredited Master’s in Nursing Education Degree While You Work
You can earn an NLN accredited Master’s Degree in Nursing with a specialization in education or in health education 100% online while maintaining your current job by investing just a few hours of study time per week through several schools.

Don’t have a BSN Degree?
There’s an accredited RN to MS in Nursing program available that allows busy nurses to take the fast track to earning their Masters in Nursing. Earn both degrees in a fraction of the time at 1/2 the cost of traditional programs.

Make a difference today that will impact the entire profession for years to come. Become a Nurse Educator!

Copyright 2006 Medi-Smart. Permission to reprint is granted as long as the article is published in its entirety with all hyperlinked text intact.

For Additional Information about NLN Accredited Online Nursing Degrees and programs including LPN to RN/BSN, RN - BSN Degrees, Specialty Nursing Certification in Forensic Nursing, and Legal Nurse Consulting, visit Medi-Smart.com’s Online Nursing School Directory

In many cases, a nurse must have an RN degree to get a better paying job in a specialized area such as intensive care and administrative duties. For nurses who already have an LPN, an online RN degree may be their best option. These degrees usually take a year to complete and are done entirely on the computer. Teachers assign books and other reading materials. Tests are given periodically. Depending on the program, a person can learn the information at their own pace. Other programs are on a regular college schedule, but a person will not have to spend extra time driving to the college and attending classes.

With an online RN degree, a nurse can apply for higher level nursing positions. A nurse can also decide to move to a new city and find a job. The possibilities are more open for those who have more training. Also, if a nurse wants to continue their education even further, perhaps earning a master’s in nursing, they first must successfully obtain their RN degree. This degree too may be achieved through an online program. Online programs have helped many people earn their degree and find better jobs or advance in their present one by training them in the latest techniques and procedures in the medical world.

Online programs do not require too much computer knowledge. A person must be responsible enough to turn in assignments and complete all tests within the given time frame. An online RN degree is for those who are willing to push themselves instead of getting constant guidance from a teacher. If a person keeps their eye on the goals in front of them, they will have little problem earning their degree. An RN degree will open many doors for a nurse and hopefully they will get the job they want and deserve.

To learn more about the online RN degree, Sara Reed recommends Nursing Online Degree. See http://www.nursingonlinedegree.com/articles/howtos/how_to_earn_an_online_rn_degre.html for more information.

The Trickster lives in all cultures. It is sometimes called the Contrary, the Joker, the Fool, Heyoka, or Coyote. Same concept: This person does things a whole lot different than anybody else. Yes, sometimes wreaking havoc but the end result is always a lesson. Because this lives in all cultures, it also lives in each of us. It, too, is part of being human.

Who among us has not fulfilled that role for others at some time or another in their lives? In a world where we simply have been designed to have different perceptions of the same events, this is inevitable. What is bizarre behavior to others can easily be a routine part of another individual’s experience.

Think back to some of the most impactful lessons you’ve received. Have they all come from familiar places or spaces in your life, or have they come from far out in left field, grabbing you by the soft spot and spinning you into new territory?

Sometimes the Trickster has only one lesson: Don’t take yourself so damn seriously! Oddly enough, the most healing medicine of all, Laughter, is something that so often must be imposed on us. Is that the most ridiculous thing in the world? It’s worth a laughgo on, give us a Yelp!

Some people, by nature, appear to take on the role of the Trickster. They seem to flow with a different current than the rest of us. Some are even aware of their purpose, and those are usually the ones that, no matter how twisted, exhibit a sense of having fun in the process. They enjoy being a FunHouse mirror that reflects anything BUT what the viewer wants to see.

Some of those who recognize their purpose also express it in the most annoying, rather than comical, ways. They’re the ones we want to haul off and smack right in the nose. Good Teachers, if you can loosen yourself up enough to see the value and stay out of jail in the process!

My Trickster can be your best friend. While I might want to strangle him, you will seek his embrace because the very same quality I detest is the one you adore. Go figure. In all cases, though, the Trickster calls upon us to look deeper than we’re usually willing to look on our own.

The effect of the Trickster is much the same as walking across a room, slipping on something and there you are; looking up at the world from a completely different perspective. The Trickster affects a shift where things unseen become seen, where a new angle on the view allows a clearer understanding of the event; once again, if, and only if you’ll take the time to see it.

If you’re here, you’re going to get tricked. It’s one of the Life-Force’s most potent tools. The power of the element of surprise resulting from suddenly being put off balance often forces you to adjust and come to stability through means of which you never had conceived. Once aware of how you can call on reserves you never knew you had, you become more capable of seeking out alternative solutions to whatever you face.

To be the Trickster all the time, however, is to limit your tool kit. When it’s a driven thing, like a stand-up comic who must always be on!, it becomes all about the comic, not the audience.

Developing the Trickster as a tool is all about developing sensitivity to the moments of your own experience. Turning the concept into a conscious act means identifying instances in your own life where you were turned upside down. Take a good look at your own comfort zone at the time, how it was challenged, and what your recovery looked or felt like.

The details of what happened in each incident are not as important as the overall flow of the experience. Ask yourself if your experience of the “teacher’s” intent felt invasive, controlling, or benevolent. As important are the timing and rhythm of the interaction. To recognize when the “lesson” popped up, how long it stayed active, how it affected you emotionally, and then how it moved you into the next moment are touchstones that you can refer back to for guidance.

To be a conscious Trickster is not about having a plan of action and a lesson to deliver. It is not about the particulars. It is all about recognizing the moment, being within it in relation to the others involved, and then allowing the lesson to come through you.

And why not? Why not allow this to be a part of your tool kit as a healer? You’re going to end up doing it anyway, so you may as well enjoy it! The most potent Tricksters pull the rug out from under you but catch you in a bucket of down-filled pillows. It can be as simple as incorporating a sense of irony or play into the work you do and sharing that part of yourself, for the good of all.

Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http://mauihealingartist.com It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line — the above resource paragraph — is kept intact)

When comparing online nursing master’s programs, be prepared to find many programs of interest. It is important to know what one is looking for when trying to find a program that is the best choice. Knowing which area of nursing one would like to go into is probably the best way to determine which program to enroll in. There are many areas of nursing that a person will find interesting. From home health care programs to nursing administration and nursing education, one will be able to go into an area that is interesting and intellectually challenging.

Make a list of all the schools that are of interest and note which ones offer the programs of interest. Contact all schools to obtain further information. These schools are very helpful and will provide additional information when comparing online nursing master’s programs. The length of the program should be another consideration. Many programs can take up to a year to complete. But there are others that can be completed in less time. It depends on the curriculum and how quickly a person can finish courses. Determining how much time a person can spend on a program will determine which school to choose.

Comparing online nursing master’s programs can take some time, but in the end it is worth it. Finding a program that one is comfortable with will make learning much easier. Contacting the people in charge of the program is the best way to find out everything one needs to know about the program. Also, if possible, contact those who have gone through the program to see what they thought of it. Many times if those people were satisfied, then others will be as well. Other people are usually very willing to talk about their experiences. After researching different programs and gathering as much information as possible, choose a program that offers the kinds of courses one is most interested in taking and is of the right length of time.

To learn more about attending an online nursing master’s program, Amanda Jones recommends Nursing Degree Guide. Please see http://www.nursingdegreeguide.org/articles/online_nursing/phoenix_university_the_best_online_nursing_masters_degree_pr.php for more information.

The Goldmark Report in 1923 was the first to recommend that the entry level of education for professional practice as a registered nurse should be a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN), and heated debate has raged among nurses over the issue ever since.

Diploma and Associate Degree RN’s will clearly tell you that they can run rings around BSN program graduates when it comes to patient care. They’ll explain that they have more actual clinical experience and patient care know how in their little finger than a new BSN grad, and 99% of the time they’re right about that! I’ll be the first to admit that if I get seriously ill I’m hoping that my nurse graduated from a diploma program like the one they used to offer at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Those nurses had so much training and hands on care experience by the time they graduated that few physicians could hold a candle to them on their best day.

This isn’t about whether BSN nurses are better than ADN or Diploma nurses

Up until a few years ago I would have been just as emotional as the next nurse in arguing against the very idea of making the BSN degree the minimum educational level to practice as a professional nurse. The arguments were many and seemed to make sense - no difference in pay for a BSN versus an ADN or Diploma nurse, we all do the same job etc.

But The Times, They Are a Changing. And so has my point of view

“Rapidly expanding clinical knowledge and mounting complexities in health care mandate that professional nurses possess educational preparation commensurate with the diversified responsibilities required of them. As health care shifts from hospital-centered, inpatient care to more primary and preventive care throughout the community, the health system requires registered nurses who not only can practice across multiple settings - both within and beyond hospitals - but can function with more independence in clinical decision making, case management, provision of direct bedside care, supervision of unlicensed aides and other support personnel, guiding patients through the maze of health care resources, and educating patients on treatment regimens and adoption of healthy lifestyles. In particular, preparation of the entry-level professional nurse requires a greater orientation to community-based primary health care, and an emphasis on health promotion, maintenance, and cost-effective coordinated care.” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Position Statement, Dec. 2000)

Nursing is a dynamic profession and lifelong learning is essential for nurses to stay current with the increased complexity of the healthcare needs of today and into the future. In other words, the needs of our patients are changing, as we must change in order to be prepared to better serve that need.

BSN degree nurses are better prepared to meet patient needs

The main difference in study between an ADN and BSN is the emphasis on additional education in leadership and management, wellness, and community nursing. BSN prepared nurses possess greater knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, and risk reduction as well as illness and disease management and are prepared to assist individuals, groups, and communities to prevent disease and achieve optimum levels of wellness. As nurses expand their role and move further into providing more community based primary care delivery the need for BSN prepared nurses is apparent.

Having a BSN degree means more career opportunities

The health system’s increasing demand for front-line primary care, and the accelerating drive toward managed care, prevention, and cost-efficiency, are driving the nation’s need for nurses who are prepared to practice in non-structured setting and interact directly with the public in matters of providing health and prevention services to the community, and that requires a BSN prepared nurse for starters.

Am I saying that every RN should become a BSN?

No, of course not! That’s an individual choice each of you needs to make for yourselves. Don’t do it for money. In many cases there’s no benefit in pay for having a BSN versus an ADN or Diploma- at least initially. The truth however is that increased education leads to increased responsibilities and increased career opportunities which give rise in turn to increased pay.

BSN nurses will have more career options than ADN and Diploma nurses. Diploma nursing programs are all but extinct anymore and I expect the ADN programs will vanish sometime in the future as well, but those of you who are already licensed will continue to be able to practice as an RN. You might find your job opportunities becoming narrower in the near future however. North Dakota has required all new nurse hires to possess a BSN degree since 1987. The New York State Board has similar legislation pending. The Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs began requiring all new hires to possess at least a BSN degree in 2005. Who knows what’s coming next?

Having a BSN degree allows more opportunity for employment, increased responsibility, and career progression. It opens the door for professional certification in specialty areas of nursing practice and leads to an expanded role as a provider, designer, manager, and coordinator of patient care as well as provides the foundation for graduate education.

Today’s working RN’s can attain a BSN degree without sacrificing their present job or income by going through an accredited online program. Programs are available that offer NLN accredited LPN to RN/BSN degrees, RN to BSN degrees, RN/ BSN to Master’s degrees, and even PhD in Nursing. Your employer’s education benefits often cover the expense of advancing your degree and tuition assistance is available for those who need additional help.

Nurses wishing to explore available online nursing degree options can learn more by visiting Medi-Smart.com’s online nursing school directory at http://medi-smart.com/schools.htm. Medi-Smart is a nursing resource and education site for nurses by an experienced nurse and you can interact with fellow nurses as well as student nurses in the nursing discussion forums while you’re there.

Healthcare delivery is changing. Nurses need to change along with it to meet the need.

Sara Ellis RN, BSN has over 20 years experience in NICU, ICU, and ER nursing. To learn more about Nursing visit Medi-Smart.com, a site that offers nursing career resources, online nursing degrees, and continuing education for nurses.

Prior to about 1973, in order to “attend” to patients in the back of an ambulance all you had to have was an American Red Cross First Aid Card, which amounted to, depending on the year it was taken, about an 8 hour course. That’s when I began volunteering with the Flushing Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps., in Queens, New York. We worked out of converted Cadillac hearses.

In fact, the vast majority of emergency care and transportation services on the East Coast at that time were handled by funeral homes who had one of their hearses equipped with a stretcher, a box of bandages, an oxygen bottle and a backboard and were staffed by young men whose primary qualifications were that they could deal with funeral home business, had a driver’s license, would drive fast, and didn’t puke at the sight of blood. The job of the ambulance crew was simple; “Load and Go!”

I was privileged to have been an integral part of the transition of emergency services from the scenario I outlined into a highly complex system. Within the course of a few years the “victim” was now called the “patient,” the ambulance would (mostly) not be moved from the scene of accident, illness or injury until he or she was stable, and the young men were doing highly technical medical things (as certified Paramedics) in the field that most doctors didn’t know how to do in a hospital.

Prior to becoming a paramedic, as a basic EMT I had a bag of tricks that ran out in a matter of minutes (or worse!). All I had to work with was my head, hands and heart. I would then experience myself as just a human being in the back of an ambulance with another human being and we were facing the limits of our own humanity together. It was there that I got my first glimpse of what it means to be a healer.

And then, seemingly overnight, I found myself in possession of a highly sophisticated arsenal of tools and support that turned me away from just being a guy in the back of an ambulance into what I learned to define as a Flesh Mechanic.

It was years before I realized that is what I had become. Like most of my peers - not only in emergency services but in every branch of healing - I had begun wanting to be a healer but had found, just by sheer volume of exposure to debility and death and the complexity of the medical system, it was easy, if not seemingly essential, to hide.

And that realization, in the form of a question, became the theme of the next approximate 30 years of my exploration of the healing arts: How does one maintain one’s humanity while being groomed and reinforced to be a technically proficient machine?

There are so many things that we are not taught, that are neglected, or that are overwhelmed by the massive volume of technical information we must absorb and use. Our consciousness, at first ruled by our hearts (”I’ve got to help”), shifts to our heads (”First do A, then do B, then”). Before long, whatever progress we are making in pursuit of our powers (and satisfactions) as healers takes a back seat to “keeping up” with the work.

The end result is building a series of increasingly thicker shells to insulate ourselves from the person in our care; to distance ourselves from experiencing the others’ pain so we can be the professionals we’re asked to be. In the process, we end up hardening ourselves to not only the work, but life.

While seeking to articulate my experience as a medic (in a movie, Healer - opening night film of the 1994 Santa Barbara International Film Festival - and book, A Paramedic’s Journey: 18 Things Healers Learn), I came to recognize that even within the context of an extremely “grounded” profession such as emergency medicine, I was called upon to deal with principles of an “esoteric” nature that spoke more of the orientation of the healer toward life than anything else.

The more I’d fight these principles, the more painful it was to do my work. As time went on, I learned about other healers and how they carried themselves in their work. I began to identify certain commonalities in their experiences. I checked them against my own experiences, and then worked with the principles in other areas of my healing work. What I discovered was, rather than seeking to distance themselves from the experiences of which they are a part, healers through all ages have sought connection.

Trial and error gave me a picture of what it means to be a healer in the back of an ambulance. Continued exploration, and a broadening of my search resulted in coming to better understand that we are all healers - in the moments we choose to be.

The 18 articles that will follow are adapted from my book, A Paramedic’s Journey: 18 Things Healers Learn. As in the book, they are not listed in hierarchal or linear order. I offer them for you to integrate into your life and practice, for the good of all.

Russ Reina shares over 35 years of experience in the healing arts through his web site http://mauihealingartist.com It is a potent resource for those wishing to deepen their abilities in connection and develop their powers as healers. For a powerful free tool to explore your inner world, please check out his adjunct site http://thestoryofthis.net

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line — this resource box — is kept intact)

A cloud theme nursery is a great theme for a baby’s room for many reasons. Clouds create a soothing atmosphere giving the room a calm, tranquil feeling. Also, clouds are a gender neutral theme making them a excellent theme choice if you don’t know your baby’s gender or are planning to use the nursery for more than one baby.

Here are some ideas for decorating a cloud theme baby nursery:

Some decorators prefer to plan a room with long-term needs in mind, and wish to create a space for their child that will “grow” with them easily and inexpensively.

Your practical nature doesn’t need to stifle your creativity. By learning how to identify alternative functionality in furniture and accessories you can create a room that can be adapted to accommodate the needs of your child from toddler to teen. Remember, it won’t be long before your newborn is wanting a friend to stay for a sleep-over.

In your child’s nursery, all furniture choices apart from the crib can be made with growth in mind.

Accessorising the room for different ages becomes the key to maintaining your childs delight and enjoyment of their room. Accessories can be changed easily, with a minimum of fuss and
expense.

You need to visualise your child as a toddler, a preschooler, at Elementary age - right up to Junior High. Think about furniture your child may enjoy and use at those ages.

Toddlers and preschoolers often use furniture as props for imaginative play, so a chair might “become” a train; a toybox may transform into a “boat”. Any detailing that adds interest has the potential to spark imaginative play. The furniture of baby and children rooms needs to be both practical and functional.

A change table for example, can be any waist-high cabinet or chest of drawers fitted with a padded foam diaper mat. Look at cabinets you may see in a living room. Check for height
suitability and other features that may make it appropriate, such as storage facilities. Think about how it will be used by your child as a toddler, an Elementary student, pre-teen etc. If you can see the piece adapting to your childs needs through different ages then it’s suitable.

Likewise with a nursery feeding chair. It needs to be comfortable for you, who will be using it for night-time feeding, but will it service the needs of your toddler, right through to his/her pre-teen years? Would a small sofa be better? Or a sofa-bed to accommodate having a friend stay over?

When deciding on a bed for your toddler, consider the suitability of it for an 8 year old, a pre-teen, a teenager. Your choice of bedding accessories will customise the bed to your childs age.

Furniture used as bookcases, storage cabinets and cupboards can also be found in living room and office furniture. Low T. V. units offer great storage for toys and sporting equipment and a
padded cushion placed on top transforms the space into a reading area.

Tall T. V. cabinets also provide great storage and the space for the T. V. can be used to hold a doll’s house, a fish tank, or even a curtained area for puppet shows - let your imagination run wild.

Many

Decorating a baby nursery can be one of the most enjoyable tasks that you have before your bundle of joy arrives. There are many baby nursery themes to choose from and narrowing it down to just one may be your most difficult decision.

Many parents know the sex of the baby in time to tailor a nursery to a baby girl or baby boy theme. If you don’t know the sex of your baby there are many color combos that are gender neutral such as periwinkle and celery green. Or perhaps you would like a neutral theme with beiges and creams. You could choose and all white room with just splashes of color used in the accessories that can be changed to suit your child as it grows.

Once you pick your theme and begin the task of decorating your nursery don’t forget about these essentials;

Cribs - Your baby will use the crib for 2 or 3 years but, if you would like to use it for longer, then pick one of the many convertible cribs on the market. These beds go from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a young child’s bed, with just a few quick changes. Of course, always buy a crib that is certified as safe. Most cribs on the market today will have that certification.

Changing tables - choose a changing table that matches your d