The nursing profession requires a great deal of dedication — both to the educational pursuits and certifications that are necessary to enter it, as well as the type of hard work, vast knowledge, and understanding that it takes to be successful as a nurse. Luckily, there are a great number of resources to help nursing professionals, as well as aspiring nurses, meet their potential and achieve success in the field they love.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
Perhaps more infamous than respected, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) is the body that administers the NCLEX-RN certification exam to nursing students who have completed their Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree. But their website shouldn’t be viewed as an ominous destination, from which all stress is conveyed to future nurses. Indeed, their website offers NCLEX takers a wealth of information on how to prepare, what to study, and when the best time is to take the exam.
For certified nurses, the website offers a host of information on developments and news within the profession as well as the latest nursing-related research and government legislation. It focuses on new policies that will affect the way nurses perform their duties and includes comprehensive information about the best practices within each are of the nursing field. This is a resource that anyone with an interest in nursing should add to their list of bookmarks.
The American Nurses Association
Focusing on nurses who have already passed their NCLEX-RN exams and entered the profession, the American Nurses Association runs a content-rich website that focuses heavily on news related to the profession and the people who work within it. They profile extraordinary nurses nationwide, and highlight new developments and achievements by American’s nurses.
For nursing students, the ANA features a robust section dedicated to the profession’s demanding education and certification requirements, and highlights the best schools for pursuing each type of career within the nursing field. Educators of those future nurses will appreciate an equally robust section dedicated to teaching prospective nurses all they need to know to pass their certification exam and provide the best care to their future patients.
Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine
It’s considered to be America’s leading medical institution, so it’s no surprise that Johns Hopkins University would publish the most widely-respected nursing magazine in the country. Its focus is largely on the younger set of nurses, since many of its contributors are students, recent graduates from the university, or nursing professionals who teach at Johns Hopkins. But it has a significant section dedicated to the latest research in the nursing field, especially highlighting the advances of modern technology and how it helps to improve and streamline patient care.
The magazine maintains several blogs with insight and opinions from nursing professionals and, for those in the greater Baltimore or Washington metropolitan area, has an exclusive and in-depth focus on local hospitals and the ways they are advancing nursing through their departments and programs.
Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
No matter how well-educated or seasoned a nursing professional gets, the fact is that nursing has an astounding number of terms, procedures, and even diagnoses, that can be easy to forget. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary is widely considered the bet medical resource available to al medical professionals, on account of its in-depth explanations of each facet of the field, as well as its electronic resources. Taber’s pairs its medical dictionary with a DVD that offers video tutorials and information, links to further reading online, interactive multimedia presentations that help to really teach a concept.
It goes without saying, of course, that this is a wise purchase for any nursing student who needs a quick reference while they’re studying — for class or their certification exam. But this dictionary shines across the board, from student to seasoned professional, as the best point of reference in the medical profession.
Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination
The NCLEX-RN certification exam is, by far, the defining moment of a nurse’s early career. In fact, it can determine if they have a career at all, simply by indicating whether they’ve passed or failed. Saunders has produced the leading examination guide on the market, full of information about the test itself as well as a series of practice tests that include the correct answers and even explanations.
Like many NCLEX-RN examination guides, the Saunders book comes with an interactive companion CD that supplement’s the book’s extensive resources with even more test questions, study guides, various exam modes, and even questions based on speciality areas such as patient care.
Finally, nurses will want to keep up-to-date with the profession by frequently visiting Nurse.com. The website breaks the profession down by type, region, and speciality, and offers the latest news and research into each field. It also offers an extensive listing of jobs nationwide as well as educational news, reviews, and rankings for schools with nursing programs.