Nursing Schools Near Me | How to Become an RN - Palmyra WI

How to Pick a Nursing College near Palmyra Wisconsin

Palmyra WI surgical nurse assisting surgeon Finding the right nursing school near Palmyra WI may feel like a difficult endeavor, particularly if you don’t know what to look for in a good degree program. As you may presently know, for you to practice as a registered nurse, you must receive the proper education and training to become licensed. So it is critically important that you study and measure the qualifications of each college you are considering before enrolling in your ultimate choice. The fact is, too many future students base their determination entirely on the cost of tuition and the nearness of the school. Going with the least expensive college or the one that is nearest to your home is most likely not the best way to choose a nursing program. There are various essential additional factors to check out before you decide where to enroll in classes. But before we examine that checklist, let’s first go over what the role of a registered nurse is in our medical care system, as well as the nursing degree options that are offered.

Registered Nurse Job Duties

Palmyra WI Neonatal Nurse with baby Registered nurses are the primary occupation in the healthcare delivery system. RNs practice in numerous different medical settings, namely Palmyra WI hospitals, family practices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and even schools. Their primary job is to aid doctors in the treatment of their patients. Having said that, the specific duties of a registered nurse will depend on their job or area of expertise as well as where they work. A few of the duties of an RN may include:

Providing medications
Overseeing patients
Conducting physical examinations
Coordinating care
Managing LPNs, LVNs and nurse aides
Informing patients and their families
Taking care of health records and charts

Nurses with a more advanced degree may have more high level job duties and responsibilities. Nurse practitioners (NP), for instance, must hold a Master’s Degree and commonly work more independently than their RN counterparts. They can deliver primary or specialty care services, prescribe medications, and diagnose and treat routine illnesses or injuries.

Nursing Degrees Available

There is more than one degree option to choose from to become a registered nurse. And in order to become an RN, a student must enroll in an accredited school and program. A student can acquire a qualifying degree in just 2 years, or advance to attain a graduate degree for a total of 6 years. Following are some short summaries of the nursing degrees that are available in the Palmyra WI area.

Associates. The Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is commonly a 2 year program offered by community colleges. It readies graduates for an entry level job in nursing in healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics or nursing homes. Many utilize the ADN as an entry into nursing and afterwards obtain a more advanced degree.
Bachelor’s. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) offers more extensive training than the ADN. It is commonly a 4 year program offered at colleges and universities. Licensed RNs may be qualified to complete an accelerated program based on their past training or degree and professional experience (RN to BSN). Those applying to the program may want to progress to a clinical or administrative position, or be more competitive in the job market.
Master’s. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is usually a 2 year program after attaining the BSN. The MSN program provides specialization training, for instance to become a nurse practitioner or focus on administration, management or teaching.

Once a graduating student has acquired one of the above degrees, he or she must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) so as to become licensed. Various other requirements for licensing vary from state to state, so be sure to get in touch with the Wisconsin board of nursing for any state mandates.

LPN Certificates and Degrees

Palmyra WI LPN assisting patient There are essentially two scholastic credentials offered that provide instruction to become either an LPN or an LVN. The one that may be finished in the shortest amount of time, generally about 1 year, is the certificate or diploma course. The other alternative is to earn a Practical Nursing Associate Degree. These programs are broader in nature than the diploma option and generally require 2 years to finish. The advantage of Associate Degrees, besides providing a higher credential and more extensive instruction, are that they provide more transferable credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. No matter the type of credential you pursue, it should be Wisconsin approved and accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or another national accrediting organization. The NLNAC warrants that the syllabus adequately prepares students to become Practical Nurses, and that most graduates pass the 50 state required NCLEX-PN licensing exam.

CNA Certificates

In contrast to many other licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants do not need to obtain a college degree. CNA instruction can be obtained at Palmyra WI area community colleges or at vocational or trade schools. The duration of the training program can take anywhere from one to three months, leading to either a certificate or a diploma. Under the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Act, students are required to receive at least 75 hours of instruction, 16 of which must be clinical or “hands-on” training hours. Keep in mind that this is the minimum amount of training directed and that every state has its own requirements. So it’s necessary to make certain that the course you enroll in not only satisfies the federal requirements, but additionally those for Wisconsin or the state where you will be practicing. One recommendation is to check with the health or nursing board for your state to make sure that the education is state certified. Along with the training, each state mandates a passing score on a competency test for certification. Depending on the state, there can be other requirements as well.

What to Ask Nursing Degree Programs

geriatric nurse with elderly patient in Palmyra WI Once you have decided on which nursing degree to enroll in, and if to attend your classes on campus near Palmyra WI or on the web, you can use the following guidelines to begin narrowing down your options. As you probably realize, there are numerous nursing schools and colleges throughout Wisconsin and the United States. So it is necessary to reduce the number of schools to select from to ensure that you will have a manageable list. As we earlier pointed out, the location of the school along with the cost of tuition are probably going to be the primary two factors that you will look at. But as we also stressed, they should not be your sole qualifiers. So before making your ultimate decision, use the following questions to see how your pick compares to the other schools.

Accreditation. It’s a good idea to make sure that the degree or certificate program as well as the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Palmyra WI for non-accredited schools.
Licensing Preparation. Licensing prerequisites for registered nurses are different from state to state. In all states, a passing score is required on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) in addition to graduation from an accredited school. Some states require a specified number of clinical hours be completed, as well as the passing of additional tests. It’s essential that the school you are attending not only provides an excellent education, but also prepares you to comply with the minimum licensing standards for Wisconsin or the state where you will be working.
Reputation. Look at internet rating companies to see what the evaluations are for all of the schools you are looking into. Ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Also, contact the Wisconsin school licensing authority to find out if there are any complaints or compliance issues. Finally, you can speak with some Palmyra WI healthcare organizations you’re interested in working for after graduation and ask what their opinions are of the schools as well.
Graduation and Job Placement Rates. Find out from the RN schools you are looking at what their graduation rates are as well as how long on average it takes students to finish their programs. A low graduation rate may be an indication that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. A high rate will not only verify that the school has a favorable reputation within the Palmyra WI healthcare community, but that it also has the network of contacts to assist students gain employment.
Internship Programs. The most ideal way to get experience as a registered nurse is to work in a clinical environment. Almost all nursing degree programs require a certain number of clinical hours be completed. Various states have minimum clinical hour prerequisites for licensing also. Ask if the schools have associations with Palmyra WI hospitals, clinics or labs and help with the positioning of students in internships.

Nursing Online Classes

woman attending nursing school online in Palmyra WI Attending nursing programs online is emerging as a more preferred way to get instruction and earn a nursing degree. Some schools will require attendance on campus for a component of the training, and nearly all programs call for a specified amount of clinical rotation hours completed in a local healthcare center. But since the rest of the training may be accessed online, this method may be a more practical solution to finding the time to attend classes for many Palmyra WI students. Pertaining to tuition, a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even supplemental expenses such as for commuting and study materials may be minimized, helping to make education more easily affordable. And many online programs are accredited by organizations such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for BSN and MSN degrees. Therefore if your job and household commitments have left you with very little time to work toward your academic goals, it could be that an online nursing program will make it more convenient to fit a degree into your busy schedule.

Attending a Nursing School near Palmyra WI?

Perhaps you have already made your decision to attend a Nursing Program in the greater Palmyra Wisconsin area. If that is the case, then the following information may prove to be both educational and useful regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Palmyra, Wisconsin

Palmyra is a village in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Scuppernong River. It was named after the desert oasis city of Palmyra, Syria, due to its dry, sandy soil.[6] The name means "sandy soil."[7] The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.[8] The village is adjacent to the Town of Palmyra.

Palmyra was known for its mineral springs. The Palmyra Springs Sanitarium was established in 1870, situated on what is known today as Lower Spring Lake. The sanitarium was a substantially built four-story brick structure containing spacious halls, wide verandas, and modern health and wellness accessories. The building contained facilities for the administration of various forms of electro-shock massage.[11] The rooms were spacious and luxuriously furnished, providing a variety of salt, shower, shampoo, natural mineral, Turkish, and Russian style baths. There was a large gymnasium, theater, music hall, billiard parlors, bowling alleys, archery and tennis courts. The surrounding forty-acre forest of native oaks was referred to as the Sanitarium Grove - today part of the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest - which contained winding pedestrian paths and resting nooks. The sanitarium was one and half miles from a large spring know by name as the Aurelian Spring, the Great Geyser Spring, or the Big Blue Spring. It was 50 feet across, 38 feet deep, with a flow of clear crystal-blue water that was believed to have therapeutic remedial value.[12][13] A dam and spillway was later built downstream of the Great Geyer Spring, forming what is today known as Blue Spring Lake. In 1924, the sanitarium became the Druggist's National Home, a home for aged and infirm druggists, but a few years later, interest in the therapeutic mineral treatments declined and the facility was closed. In the late 1950s, the building was raised and the land leveled.[14]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.25 square miles (3.24 km2), of which 1.20 square miles (3.11 km2) is land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) is water.[1]

Select the Right Nursing Degree near Palmyra WI

Palmyra WI nursing student Enrolling in the right registered nursing program is potentially the most important phase to launching a new career in the medical care industry. There are numerous factors that you should think about when deciding on a nursing school. These factors will be prioritized differently contingent on your current career objectives, obligations, and financial status. As we have emphasized within this post, it is critical that you choose an RN school and a degree program that are each accredited and have excellent reputations within the health care community. By using our list of qualifying questions, you will be able to create a shortlist of schools to choose from so that you can make your final selection. And with the appropriate degree and training, combined with your hard work and ambition to succeed, you can become a practicing nurse in Palmyra WI.