NurseZone Blog: Ask Cassie

The Art of Student Loan Repayment

2014-10-14T11:34:00.004-07:00

By Cassie Applegate, MSN, RN Student loans are a necessity for most in order to pay for nursing school. Some are fortunate to not need any loan money, some only need a little and others have to take out the maximum in order to finish their education. We have talked before about jobs that help repay student loans. Some jobs offer tuition reimbursement while some help pay for continuing

Finished Nursing School, Now What?

2014-07-08T12:23:00.001-07:00

It’s that feeling you have when you are on summer break: “What do I do now?” After months of studying and cramming, your body and brain now have to adjust to your new normal. Do you fill this space with more studying for the next step, or do you allow yourself this break to spend time with family and friends and have a little “me” time?

Are You Ready for Today's New Grad RN Job Market?

2014-02-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

Have you been told by nursing instructors, family members, or the media about the looming nursing shortage? This may have been what brought you to the field of nursing in the first place. If you are a current nursing school graduate you may be wondering where all of the jobs are. Weren’t you told that hospitals would be begging for new hires? The truth of the matter is

Why One Test Leads to Another (It’s All About the Boards)

2013-10-16T14:24:00.001-07:00

Graduating from associate’s degree nursing programs, bachelor’s degree nursing programs and master’s degree nursing programs all have one thing in common: taking and passing exit exams. In order to graduate from a nursing program, most schools require students to pass a comprehensive exam prior to getting your degree. This is a practice boards exam that shows whether you have

Back to School, Back to the Fire

2013-08-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again, when traditional students are either starting college for the first time or returning for another semester. This is a time of excitement and also a time to reflect upon the past and look forward to the future. What brought you to this place? Why did you choose to start (or continue) nursing school? As you may already know, nursing school is not for the faint of

How to Be Responsible with Social Media and Mobile Technology

2013-06-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Technology has become a part of all of our lives, and nursing students are no exception. In fact, many nursing schools now require students to have top-of-the-line laptops, tablets, and/or smartphones in order to keep up with the information we have available for nursing education. As a part of the new educational model, many schools require forum posts and email communication in

How to Choose the Right RN Program

2013-06-14T06:23:00.002-07:00

Choosing the right nursing program is one of the most important steps in your career. It will determine what you are qualified to do as a nurse, what position you’re able to land, and perhaps even secure a job for you through job placement. There are a few important questions you must ask yourself as you take this next step in fulfilling your dream of becoming a registered nurse (RN). 1. What

General or Specialty RN Jobs After Nursing School?

2013-04-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

In nursing school we are exposed to the many different specialty fields afforded to RNs. We learn about critical care nursing, obstetrics, cardiology, pediatrics/neonatal nursing, and psychiatric nursing, to name a few. Some of us have a passion for one specialty over the other and can’t imagine doing anything else with our nursing career. However, I’m sure that all of us with an intent for

Nursing Instructors: Teaching and Inspiring the Next Generation

2013-03-01T13:07:00.001-08:00

Nursing instructors have a unique calling to impart what they have learned in the field to student nurses. They take clinical experience and knowledge and pass it on to the next generation. The good ones know how to include anecdotal stories from their days on the floor, or explain concepts in inspiring language and tone. One of my favorite instructors was able to teach in a way that helped me

Before you burn out in nursing...

2013-01-25T11:11:00.002-08:00

In this busy, sometimes stressful field of nursing, many of us will reach a point in our lives as students (or nurses) where we burn out. If you are student nurse, oftentimes you have the difficult task of balancing studying, exams, group assignments, presentations, work, family life, social life, and many other things all at once. As a new graduate nurse, you may feel overwhelmed-- perhaps

What I’m Thankful for This Holiday Season

2012-12-15T14:48:00.002-08:00

With the holidays around I have become sentimental in realizing how lucky we are as nursing students and nurses to be in this profession. As difficult as it can be at times, there is a lot to be thankful for! I am thankful for… … Our patients and all they bring to us; …The amazing opportunities the nursing profession brings; …The nurses who have taken care of my family and friends; …How

Getting a Fast Start at Nursing as a Second Career

2012-11-21T11:27:00.002-08:00

With today’s economy, the field of nursing is becoming more and more enticing to potential job seekers. Men and women are finding that the profession can provide stability and job satisfaction while providing an income that can support a family. Some people come to nursing after having a previous career, either due to job loss or personal preference. I have talked with

Birth Experience in Nursing School

2012-09-18T16:03:00.006-07:00

A debate that has been going on for years within nursing schools is whether or not nursing students should attend real births during their obstetric rotation. Some argue in favor of the birth experience, while others argue that obstetric skills can be learned in the classroom and the physical birth is not necessary. Of course logistics play a factor in setting up experiences for nursing

Modern Day Textbooks

2012-08-29T04:36:00.002-07:00

Long gone are the days of carrying 40 pounds of textbooks in your backpack along with your laptop. Now, carrying textbooks around can be as easy as carrying an IPad, a Kindle, or just your smartphone or laptop. E-books are becoming more and more popular, and textbook publishers are jumping on the bandwagon, making many required texts available electronically, as well. It can

Nurses Joining Forces

2012-07-31T07:42:00.001-07:00

The White House Administration recently started a campaign to support veterans, military service members and their families with an initiative entitled Joining Forces. The initiative is spearheaded by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, and focuses on getting the community active and involved in supporting those who have served our country. They are

Loan Interest Staying Status Quo

2012-07-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

This summer, new Stafford Loans were scheduled to double from the current 3.4% interest rate. Congress had originally made a plan to double the interest rate five years ago, in an attempt to save the government money. In the heat of an election year, both Democrats and Republicans voted to delay this increase for another year. After writing my last blog post on the rising cost of tuition, I was

Sticker Shock? The Rise in Nursing School Tuition Costs

2012-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Recently my school announced that tuition will be rising starting this next term. Since I am halfway done with my master’s in nursing, I am not about to change schools because of this. Instead, I will continue to register for classes and hope that with the rise in tuition there will also be a rise in grants and loans to follow. It is understandable that schools will need to raise tuition with

Novice Nurse: The More I Learn, the Less I Know

2012-06-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

The longer I work in the field of nursing, the more I am aware of what I do not know. When I first started working as an RN (two short years ago) I was a know-it-all. When older nurses asked questions I jumped in and answered, thinking, “How do they not know this?!” Now I look back on that time and think I was a naïve, novice nurse who didn’t know anything. I would still consider myself a

Champions for Community Health

2012-04-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Champions for Community Health I recently sat down with a leader in my community who participated in a recent analysis of the health disparities in our city. This conversation was part of a school assignment, otherwise I most likely would not have found the time for this in my busy schedule. The meeting was scheduled for 15 minutes, but we talked for over an hour about some of

A Matter of Degrees: ADN to BSN or MSN

2012-03-09T12:42:00.001-08:00

Receiving an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) allows for entry into the nursing profession without the need for taking many prerequisites, or being in school for a solid four years. Its primary focus is to create nurses with the skills necessary to be safe and successful within a 2-year timeframe. If you pass the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), you will still be given the

See One, Do One, Teach One

2012-02-10T13:17:00.001-08:00

The old saying of “See one, do one, teach one” has been told over and over again to me, in nursing school and in practice. The idea is that after seeing a procedure done correctly (as in starting an I.V.) you will then be able to do it correctly. Then, by teaching another person, you solidify your understanding of the procedure.I think this motto is an absolutely accurate one, but what happens

NCLEX Coming Up? Don't Throw Out Those Class Notes Just Yet

2012-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

During nursing school I remember wanting to get rid of every trace of my notes after finishing a class (specifically the classes I didn’t enjoy). Fortunately, I fought off this urge in most cases and kept many lecture notes, note cards, PowerPoint slides and books from my completed classes. This proved invaluable as I sat down to study for the NCLEX (the National Council Licensure Examination).I

Nurses Start To Occupy

2012-01-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

As the Occupy Wall Street movement gains momentum, more and more people are joining this loosely organized group of people – including many nurses. Nurses in San Francisco are joining forces in support of a tax that could help fund health care services, while nurses in Washington, D. C., marched in support of the government taxing banks to increase revenue to taxpayers and their patients, of

Look for the Seal of Accredidation

2011-12-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article about a woman who started fraudulent nursing schools and scammed many would-be students out of thousands of dollars of potential tuition. I remember how poor and broke I was when I started nursing school, and can’t imagine what a setback that would have been for me in that situation. This made me wonder … how could so many students be duped into this scheme? And did

What Nursing Students Can Do Today To Help Land That Future Job

2011-12-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

We all choose to go to nursing school for one simple reason – to become a nurse. So while you are in nursing school the job market becomes a very important and real scene as you begin to scope out you future career.My main advice for finding a job as a new nurse involves starting earlier rather than later. It is a good idea at the very beginning of nursing school to realize that every little