On Immigrating: To Hire A Representative Or Not?

Many nurses who have trouble finding employers in the country they'd like to work in are opting to take the migration route. This way, once they arrive at the country of destination, it would be easier to find employers rather than applying from their home country.

Although migrating is an easier choice, it still involves a lot of paperwork and documentation -- something not everyone is good at. To remedy this, there are a few who choose to hire representatives to do all of this for them. But then, you have to cash out a huge sum of money to pay a person or group of people to do something that you can do for yourself (if you have the patience to do it). And there's also the problem of crooked immigration consultants who are only after your money and then disappear faster than a wink of an eye.

Many countries, especially those who are relying in immigrants to fuel their economy, have made the immigrating process easier for those who are interested. So if you're planning to do such a thing, it's better to do your homework first before deciding to hire a representative.

Most countries have a scoring system to determine whether a candidate is eligible for immigration or not. If you think that you are not going to pass the score, it is not wise to create falsified documents from desperation. Many illegal representatives do this and you should know that you are only wasting your time, money and more importantly, you will be tarnishing your reputation. Immigration officers are not very kind and forgiving for such actions so better think twice or even thrice on the subject.

Nurses For Canada -- Closed Until Further Notice

Every nurse around the world -- the ones who want to migrate to Canada, that is -- all eagerly anticipated the re-opening of applications last July 2011 by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). And sure enough, the cap was reached in September 20, 2011 -- just shy of three months since July's opening.

Compared to last year, where CIC accepted 1,000 applicants for each NOC category -- including Nurses, they slashed the limit in half for this year. That's a total of 500 applicants for nurses around the world! And with all the nurses sprouting up each year and more wanting to migrate to Canada, it's no wonder that it has reached the cap in a wink of an eye.

Although CIC has stated that it will only accept this amount of applications in 2011, they did also note that if there will be no backlogs in the applications, they could add a couple more before it will again reset in July 2012. For everyone who is hoping that they would change their minds, let's keep our fingers crossed!

A Very Long Absence

I would like to apologize for not keeping this Nursing blog updated regularly. I've been quite busy with work and other hobbies that I've left this one gather dust, figuratively speaking. Good news is that I have plans of writing all the information I've gathered from these couple of years working as a staff nurse. I do hope that you'll be visiting regularly for the updates as well.

See you around!

Get An Online Nursing Degree

These are the days of the internet and that is so true. There are tons of things that you can find and do online. There's online shopping, social networking websites and there are even schools that offer online degrees! It's just amazing what you can do on the internet.

Back in the days, you had to travel to get to school, wake up early, avoid traffic and you had to get dressed, eat and of course, shower. Now, you can simply turn on your computer, log on and go to school. It's becoming so easy to earn a degree and it won't matter if you are a single mom, working full time and or taking care of your entire family. You can still go to school and get that nursing degree that you've been dreaming of.

There are only a couple of things that you would need to start:
1. Computer
2. Internet Access
3. Electricity (of course!)
4. Credit Card

Now for the last part, it really depends on the school that you are attending. There are schools that allows you to pay the fees online while there are others that actually have a school and an accounting department where you have to go to. You have to check with the school for that.

Regarding the internet access, you should get one that's stable, reliable and fast. You wouldn't want your classes to be cut short because your internet service provider is having troubles with the connection.

Getting a Nursing Degree is easier now and you can take advantage of that by enrolling into one now. Who knows, maybe in a couple of months you'd be working as a nurse at a hospital!

Nurse Employment And Staffing Agencies

How hard can it be to find a nursing job these days? Not hard at all! Sure, there's all this talk about the recession and people getting laid off from work. That's not happening in the field of healthcare especially in nursing.

Even in these times, people still seek healthcare. There are still people who get sick and ask for help from the experts on health - the doctors, nurses and other members of the healthcare team. So don't hesitate when you're thinking of taking up Nursing since you'll never find yourself unemployed.

There are plenty of job openings for nurses. Check online and you'll see hundreds of them. There are even websites for staffing agencies that will help you find the ideal work setting that you want. Some even offer signing in bonuses, help with relocation and other benefits.

In nursing, there are a variety of career paths that you can take. You won't only be confined to the hospital as a staff nurse. Though, that's probably where you'll start. From there, you can choose a specialty and become a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, psychiatric nurse and a number of other specialties. You also have to remember that having a specialty also pays more.

Try these websites for size:
http://www.nursejobshop.com/
http://nursejobs.com/
http://www.staffingmedical.com
http://www.travelingnurseplacement.com/
http://www.professionalnurse.com/

Top Nursing Schools And Programs

Education is an investment. As it is so, you should pick schools not only because it is within your budget but it is also a top performing school that will teach you all you need in the field you are pursuing.

If you think that proper education is only for the rich then you're wrong. There are plenty of schools that offer scholarships to those students who are well deserving for it. Just check in your local colleges and universities and see if you qualify for one.

Look for nursing programs that prepare students to provide health care services for the population, utilize the latest technology, and build excellent communication skills with patients. Top nursing programs train students to become professionals in high demand.

Here are some of the top Nursing Schools:

• West Coast University

Available Nursing Programs:
Associate Nursing - LVN to RN (must have LVN to apply)
Bachelor Nursing - RN to BSN ( must have RN to apply.)
Campus Locations:
Green Acres, FL
Miami Lakes, FL

• University of Phoenix

Available Top Nursing Schools:
Master in Nursing - Nursing/Health Care Education
Bachelor in Health Administration/Health Info. Systems
Bachelor in Health Administration/Long Term Care

Campus Locations:
Nationwide Campuses
Univ. of Phoenix Online

• National American University

Programs:
Nursing RN-to-BSN, B.S.

Campus Locations:
Co Sprngs, CO
Bloomington, MN
Albuquerq, NM
Denver, CO
Bklyn Ctr, MN
Rio Ranch, NM
Overland Park, KS
Roseville, MN
Sioux Falls, SD
Witchita, KS
Independence, MO
Online

• ECPI College of Technology

Available Nursing Schools:
Practical Nursing - Northern Virginia Campus
Practical Nursing - Roanoke, VA

Other Related Programs:
Medical Administration - Northern Virginia Campus
Medical Assisting - Northern Virginia Campus
Biomedical Equipment Tech. - Northern Virginia Campus
Practical Nursing - Northern Virginia Campus
Medical Administration - Roanoke, VA
Medical Assisting - Roanoke, VA

• South College, Knoxville TN

Available Nurse Certification:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Other Related Programs:
Associate of Science in Medical Assisting
Certificate - Medical Transcriptions
Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant
Associate of Science in Radiography
BS in Health Science (concentration Radiography)

• Walden University - Online

Available Nursing Masters:
M.S. in Nursing

Other Related Programs:
Ph.D. in Psychology
M.S. in Psychology
Ph.D. in Public Health
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
Ph.D in Human Services with Specialization in Counseling

• International Institute of the Americas

Available Legal Office School:
Nursing
Medical Assistant
Patient Care Techniciant

Campus Locations:
Mesa, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Albuquerque, NM
Phoenix, AZ

• Apollo College - Multiple Arizona Campuses

Available Programs:
Nursing
Practical Nursing
Medical Billing and Coding

Campus Locations:
Phoenix West, AZ
Boise, ID
Albuquerque, NM

• Everest College

Available Nursing Education:
Vocational Nursing
Medical Assisting
Pharmacy Technician

Nursing Schools:
Alhambra, CA
Anaheim, CA
Merrillville, IN

• International Training Centers

Available Nursing Education / Certificaciones:
Certified Nursing Assistant / Asistente De Enfermería
Patient Care Technician / Técnico en Cuidados del Paciente

Campuses / Campos:
Miami, Florida

• Concorde Career College

Available Schools:
Practical Nursing
Vocational Nursing

Campus Locations:
San Diego, CA
Aurora, CO
Kansas City, MO
Garden Grove, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Portland, OR
Arlington, TX

Enroll in a nursing program now and be in one of the highest paid careers of country!

A Nurse's Salary: Getting Down On The Numbers

If you should read articles about high paying jobs, nurses are usually on that list. However, the pay isn't the same everywhere. There are some factors that affect the salaries of nurses. Here are some points to take note to determine the salary of a nurse.

• level of education - this is the type of degree that the nurse has finished
• experience - the more years of practice in the field the higher the pay
• state and city working in - the cost of living in that area
• type of work - a staff nurse is paid differently from a traveling nurse
• type of specialty - there are different specialties in nursing and each pays differently

Here's the median hourly rate of Registered Nurses by state (2006):

• California: $31.88
• Florida: $23.26
• Georgia: $23.83
• Illinois: $25.00
• Pennsylvania: $25.00
• Tennessee: $22.25
• Texas: $25.00

Additionally, according to 2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses earned an average of $52,330 per year. The middle 50 percent averaged between $43,370 and $63,360. The bottom 10 percent earned under $37,300, while the top 10 percent made more than $74,760.

The nursing shortage offers extremely advantageous opportunities for current nurses earning a higher degree and for nursing students preparing to enter the workforce. Many hospitals are now offering incentive programs such as:

• Recruitment bonuses (ranging anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000)
• Relocation assistance
• Housing assistance
• Day care
• Tuition repayment

These recruitment incentives go to nurses who accept a position at their facility and agree to a set work commitment. Be sure to discuss these types of incentives when you are applying for your next job to make sure you are earning as much as you can.

In these difficult times, we all need to have strategies to be able to make it through especially when it comes to the profession we choose. However, we shouldn't forget where our passions lie as well. If we don't like the job then no matter what we do, we'll never find fulfillment and success in that area.