Advances for Nursing Careers

While you can advance from an LPN position to an RN position with a degree from a Hospital Diploma program or an Associates Degree in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) is the degree that opens the most doors and advances for nurses.

A BSN is a four year college or university degree for nurses. BSN programs prepare nurses for practice in a broad range of nursing settings, that's why the BSN offers the most opportunity for advances for nurses. If your nursing career goals include nurse management or becoming a clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse educator, or nurse researcher you'll need a master's degree and to get a master's degree you'll need a BSN. A BSN is also required to sit for the RN exam in the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand. Also, while a BSN is not currently required to go into case management, become a military nurse, public health nurse, overseas/development nurse, forensic nurse or school nurse, it is definitely preferred.

However, there's more to achieving advanced nursing career goals than having a BSN. Career advances for nurses also depend on having experience and acquiring nurse continuing education units (CEUs). Once they have their BSNs, nursing school graduates work for roughly one year in a hospital to get their hospital residencies. Next, nurses with advanced nursing career goals usually work for two years as graduate nurses (GN). During those two years, graduate nursing RNs start their nurse continuing education work. Many programs understand that most nurses have full time jobs while they are working on their CEUs, and therefore offer nurse continuing education credits to earn through short classes at professional conferences, on the internet, or in journals [link to more thorough continuing education info: http://www.continuingeducation.com/nursing/].

Once you have a BSN, residency experience, GN experience and nurse continuing education units, you can get your master's degree (MSN). An MSN prepares a nurse for more independent roles, such as becoming a Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse-Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, or Nurse Psychotherapist, and so leads to more advances for nurses. Nurses with master's degrees can also practice as expert clinicians, or as specialists in geriatrics, become charge nurses, or move into faculty roles, community health, administration, nursing management, and more.

An exciting and increasingly popular way to get the nursing experience you need to meet your nursing career goals is to take a travel nursing job [Nursejobs.com article about travel nursing]. Travel nursing is a great résumé builder, and allows you to work in a variety of locations with different experts in an assortment of fields.

Aside from getting your advanced nursing degrees and building your experience, most nurses agree that having great mentors is the best thing you can do to meet your nursing career goals. Mentors, say many experienced nurses, can be the difference between stasis and rapid advances for nurses.

• Your curriculum vitae
• Examples of your work
• Educational opportunities
• Professional contributions or celebrations, including copies of notes from groups or individuals
• Practice contributions - make a list of committees you've served on
• Competencies and licenses
• Community involvement
• Peer review
• Personal photos with patients, for an extra personal touch

[link to more info on mentors and portfolios: http://www.nurseweek.com] Don't let your nursing career come to a stand-still. Make a career plan so you can achieve your advanced nursing career goals!