[Wooz]

I am an L.P.N. with 10 years experience. I have done it all...surgery, doctors office, Tx. nurse in nursing homes, infection control, and now consulting. This is a new challenge all its own and I fear that I need more and new resources.
I consult for a specialty bed and oxygen provider. We do D.M.E. and also have a closed door Rx. I have been with this company for the last 2 years and have a pretty solid position, however.... I now want to take this to the next level. I know getting my R.N. is the next obvious jump but I don't know that I have the time to focus on that step yet.
What I am looking for are some classes or siminars <sp> or books on tape, books, magizine articles, you name it. Something I can do that will start me off in the right direction or start laying the foundation for advancing my education. I am in a 'marketing' enviroment so something with an executive flare would be nice. Please anything I can order and do at home or on line would be neat. I know this is a 'specialized' request but I would not be making it If I could fid the info I am looking for on my own.

[All41]

Sounds great! Fair play to you for trying to better yourself. In marketing I assume you deal with clientele. If so, public speaking is very important. Take a course at your local community college in public speaking and add in an english course. Being able to communicate well will serve you better than a nursing degree in some cases. A computer course would also be a great course to take for any positon. You will learn so much more than how to type and move screen to screen. You can get Associate degrees in marketing as well. Keep us posted on your progress! We are pulling for you!!

[H2OHead]

The real difference from the LPN and the RN programs (I think, since I've only done one), is the background of biology, microbiology, sociology, A&P's, chemistry, psychology, Algebra, Statistics and Human Growth and development. Those are all geared at making the RN a better clinician as far at taking a person off of the street and evaluating them from head to toe (at least it is in florida where LPN's cannot perfom an initial assessment). The management and business of being a nurse depends on what level of degree you have withing the same level of practice. RN's with an ADN don't get the research and management drill that their counterparts in the Bach program do. I have personal thoughts about requiring everyone to have management courses, but they don't seem to matter as i've had to take them with everyone else.

You can take electives during you LPN to RN transition. I suggest you max out the hands off classes where you talk about paper costs and toner for the copier because it sounds like you enjoy more admin vs. clinical.

Please don't get a degree in nurse paper management and try to run a critical care unit though. There are enough of those already and comorbidity just continues to prove it doesn't work well ( it does if you consider reaedmits for the doc under a different/new DRG).

I'll never congrats you on "bettering" yourself. I don't see that line in nursing and just consider LPN's a different specialty. Congrats on persuing your RN and considering management as a career.

[nursinghumor]

If you take a look on http://www.allnursingschools.com they have both online and offline courses listed. You can browse the online programs and maybe find one that would work into your schedule.

Wish you luck!

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[nursinghumor]

[ QUOTE ]
All41 said:
Sounds great! Fair play to you for trying to better yourself. In marketing I assume you deal with clientele. If so, public speaking is very important. Take a course at your local community college in public speaking and add in an english course. Being able to communicate well will serve you better than a nursing degree in some cases. A computer course would also be a great course to take for any positon. You will learn so much more than how to type and move screen to screen. You can get Associate degrees in marketing as well. Keep us posted on your progress! We are pulling for you!!

[/ QUOTE ]

For public speaking the best recommendation I can give is Toastmasters International. They're an affordable dues based organization that is focused on a single goal, that is improving the public speaking skills of it's members.

You can check them out at http://www.toastmasters.org/

It's an extremely supportive environment and great for building self-confidence and networking.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com