Frequently Asked Questions

What do nurses do?

Nurses are critical thinking professionals that are part of the healthcare team. 

Nurses perform the following functions:

     *  Promote health

     *  Prevent illness

     *  Help patients cope with illness

What do nurses do during a typical day?

·        Serve as direct care providers combining the art and science of nursing to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of the patient.

·        Assess, observe, monitor, record and evaluate symptoms, reactions, and responses to actual or potential health problems.

·        Working collaboratively with physicians, pharmacists, social workers, and other members of the healthcare team, develop and implement a plan of care to assist the patient to achieve optimal well-being.

·        Serve as health educators by assessing, implementing, and evaluating individualized teaching plans to provide knowledge in assisting patients in making healthy choices (health promotion) so that they can  decrease the risk for illness (health prevention)

·        Administer medications as well as, assess, monitor and evaluate for effectiveness, side effects, and untoward reactions.

·        Perform treatments/procedures and monitor, evaluate progress toward outcomes.

·        Assist patients with convalescence and rehabilitation.

·        Assess, implement, evaluate, re-evaluate, and document achievement toward goals identified in patient's plan of care.

·        Facilitating coping responses to actual or potential health problems.

·        Utilize the critical thinking process to analyze, modify, and solve patient care problems.

Where do nurses work?

Nurses work in a variety of setting which may include the following:

     *  Hospitals

     *  Doctor's offices

     *  Nursing homes or extended care facilities

     *  Rehabilitation facilities

     *  Home settings – home care

     *  Community- public health nurse

     *  Hospice

     *  Outpatient facilities

     *  Business or corporations- occupational health nurse

     *  Schools- school nurse

     *  Government

     *  Non-profit organizations – i.e. Red Cross, Peace Corps

     *  Insurance companies

     *  Pharmaceutical representatives

     *  Biotech companies, manufacturers

What hours to nurses work?

Hours depend on the type of setting and may include the following:

May work shifts ( 7am-3pm, 3p-11pm, 7am-7pm, 11pm-7am, 7pm-7am)

May work weekends

May work "weekend only" option

May work 8 or 12 hours shifts

May have "on call" duty

May work normal business hours

May work full, part time or as needed

What opportunities exist in nursing for advancement?

Most opportunities require additional education. These opportunities include:

     *  Preceptor

     *  Nurse Educator

     *  Clinical Educator

     *  Clinical Nurse Specialist

     *  Nurse Manager

     *  Nurse Anesthetist

     *  Nurse Midwife

     *  Nurse Practitioner

     *  Nurse Researcher

What do I need to be a successful nurse/nursing student?

Characteristics needed to be a successful nurse include the following:

     *  Caring and compassionate

     *  Empathy

     *  Enjoy working with people

     *  Good listening skills

     *  Patience

     *  Assume responsibility and be accountable for your actions

     *  Ability to stay calm in a crisis

     *  Emotional stability

     *  Good  problem solving skills

     *  Critical thinking (ability to think on your feet)

     *  Flexibility

     *  Ability to multi-task or do several things at once

     *  Fine motor skills and gross motor skills

     *  Good manual dexterity

     *  Stamina

     *  Ability to cope with stress, suffering and emergencies

     *  Leadership ability

     *  Excellent communication skills

What courses do I need to prepare for a career in nursing?

Admission is on a competitive basis. Contact the Admissions office for more details.

Registered Nurse Program

High School students should enter a college preparatory track. Minimum admission requirements to the program include completion of high school chemistry and biology with labs and grades of B or better and 2 years of algebra with a C or better.

Students applying to the Program must have a minimum of GPA 3.00 Primary consideration is given to those who have B's or better the first time a course is taken. 

If available places in the program are not filled by students who have the aforementioned standards, the College reserves the right to accept student who have, in the judgement of the College, the potential to complete the Nursing Program

LPN Program

*  Minimum admission requirements to the program include

    completion of high school biology with a grade of C or

    better and one year of Algebra with a C of better.

*  Minimum GPA of 2.5 is required

*  Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee

    admission to the program.

*  The College reserves the right to accept students who have in

    the judgement of the College, the potential to complete the

    nursing program but who fall below the standards listed

    above.

What should I do if I do not have B's or better first time around for the RN program as stated in the admission catalogue?

As noted above entrance to the RN program is highly competitive.  Student success in the program has been correlated with good science, math, and reading skills.

Human anatomy, physiology and chemistry provide an essential foundation to understanding how the body works.  In order to provide effective nursing care, the nursing student must have an excellent understanding of the how the body functions in both wellness and in disease states.

If you are struggling with science and math, please contact your advisor for further assistance.

The Nursing Retention Specialist holds monthly sessions to speak to "nurse about nursing". Please contact the Nursing Department for dates and times.

In addition, Career counseling is available to students at NCC.  Testing is available to identify areas of strengths that may assist you in your career choice.  Please contact your advisor or the Career Counseling office at 610-861-5344.

What is a typical schedule like for a nursing student?

A nursing student schedule includes class time, laboratory time and clinical time. Note this schedule does not include general education classess that the students may need to take also.

Nursing Student Sample Schedule

Please note:  students register for one lab time either Wednesday or Friday

 Also note that the "typical" schedule is a sample only and is subject to variations/changes as deemed necessary by the nursing department.

Nursing tutoring is available with hours scheduled during the week.  Schedules are posted on the Nursing Bulletin board in Penn Hall at the start of each semester.

What are some of the advantages of a nursing career?

     *  Jobs/security

     *  Workforce demand for direct care providers

     *  Always interesting with opportunities to grow 

     *  Flexible schedule

     *  Educational benefits

     *  Medical benefits (vary with employers)

     *  Child care usually available

     *  Career flexibility – specialties, interests, work setting.

What are the trends/ opportunities for a career in nursing?

Job outlook – growth faster than average

Nursing is a respected profession with many opportunities for growth

Demand for culturally diverse caregivers to care for a diverse population

More males are entering nursing and are an asset to nursing profession

What can I expect to earn when I graduate?

Average salary is $40,000 to $57,000 based on education and experience for RN's

Average salary is $26,000 to $37,000 based on education and experience for LPN's

Source:  Occupational Outlook Handbook

What is the difference between a Licensed Practical Nurse and a Registered Nurse?

Licensed Practical Nurses or LPN's receive training from vocational technical schools or through community colleges in a one year program; whereas the RN program has a longer course of study leading to an associate or bachelors degree.

LPN's need to take a national licensing exam by the state board of nursing

LPN's are trained to deliver nursing care and perform skills at the bedside such as treatments, medications, and vital signs and participate as a member of the healthcare team. Certain medications, blood and blood products, and chemotherapy agents may not be administered by an LPN, but may be administered by the RN.

LPN's are trained to take care of stable patients with common well-defined health problems; whereas the Registered Nurse (RN) can care for complex patients who may be unstable.

LPN's work collaboratively with and assist the RN in nursing care planning. RN's are responsible to develop the initial care plan.

LPN's can work in the following settings: 

     *  Hospitals

     *  Nursing homes, extended care facilities, assisted living

     *  Residential care facilities

     *  Clinics

     *  Schools

     *  Case management or utilization review

What are the opportunities for financial aid for a nursing education?

Scholarships may be available through various hospitals throughout the area

See also http://futuresinnursing.com for additional resources

Contact the  Financial Aid office at 610-861-5510

Opportunities to explore Nursing as a career choice through Northampton Community College

Adventures in Healthcare Camp - Learning opportunity about careers in the filed of healthcare Sponsored by Northampton Community College, Eastcentral AHEC, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, and Northeast PA area Health Education Center.  For additional information, contact Debra Youngfelt at 610-379-2001 or via email at dyoungfelt@ecpaahec.org.

TEACH Academy – Teachers Exploring and Advocating Careers in Health jointly presented by Northampton Community College, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Eastcentral PA AHEC. For additional information, contact Debra Youngfelt at 610-379-2001 or via email at dyoungfelt@ecpaahec.org.

Additional Resources on Nursing as a Career Choice:

http://www.discovernursing.com/

http://www.nln.org/Careers/resources.htm

http://www.acinet.org

http://stats.bls.gov/home.htm

Questions??? Ask the Nursing Support Specialist: tbernecker@northampton.edu