Felbry Nursing College Archives

Posted on August 2, 2017

Enrollment into Felbry’s Nursing School Program is a great step for individuals looking to receive a quality education in the field of nursing and propel them toward a rewarding career as a nurse. There are several steps required to enroll in our nursing program. We encourage anyone that has considered a nursing career to browse our website and learn how to get started. We’re ready for you when you’re ready to begin!

Enrollment

The following are some steps to take when considering enrollment in Felbry’s Nursing School.

Schedule a campus visit to speak with an admission representative and tour facility
Complete an application form and pay registration fee
Schedule an entrance exam if a program requires one
A valid driver’s license, proof of US residency, and social security card are required
Check admissions criteria for required documents
Apply for FAFSA to gain financial aid
Schedule a financial interview to determine various payment options available
Schedule time to attend orientation session once your offer letter is received

Grants

Felbry College School of Nursing awards grants and scholarships to potential students. Outside organizations and agencies which provide grants and scholarships are accepted. Students who attend Felbry and withdraw are expected to repay student loans regardless of success in the program.

The admissions process is, for the most part, pretty straight forward. We encourage all students who are considering Felbry to take time to review enrollment options and make sure all required documents are filled out and submitted for review to ensure the best opportunity for success.

Felbry College is all about student success. We are here to help guide you in the process of discerning whether we are the right school for you including how to enroll in our programs.
Call us to find out how to get started!

Posted on July 5, 2017

Finding the right nursing job out of college can be one of the first big challenges facing graduates. A little work goes a long way towards securing that desired position. It takes putting some effort into the job search to make things go smoothly and quickly. Learn some helpful tips to get started on the job hunt here in Columbus and elsewhere in the USA.

Reality Matters

It may take some sacrifices up front, but sometimes the reality of the job market does not allow for the dream job or location right away. While using loans or working part time in school both help build the course for graduation, getting out into the real world is a much different story. Come to terms with what is realistic, apply for jobs where they exist, and start somewhere before looking for that dream location. We all have to build up our resumes and work experience to get to that position we’ve been eyeing for so long. Stay focused and do the work, you’ll get there!

Be Flexible

Specific goals are the best way to get organized for the job search. Some helpful tips for staying flexible but goal-oriented include:

Know what population feels good to work with
Think about the kind of role that will be most rewarding
Pick some specific areas and start by applying there

Use Clinicals

Clinicals, for those who get them, are a great opportunity to seek out the nurse manager or other person in charge and introduce yourself. Tell them about how your nursing school experience is shaping a future in medicine for you. Nurse managers typically love to hear from students in clinicals. Show genuine interest and have a great personality that shines while producing quality work with an open attitude. This will show positively if and when a student chooses to apply for work at that location.

School Credentials Don’t Matter (Much)

Hiring managers do not pay as much attention to GPAs or school extracurriculars as one might think. A few of the traits managers may be looking for include:

Great personality
Professional attitude
Integration into the team
Honesty about strengths and weaknesses
Accountability for actions
Strong desire to learn and be teachable

Write Cover Letters

First impressions matter. Put in good effort and don’t be too generic. People can read between the lines so be genuine. Create a resume that stands out but is still professional. Go to networking events and use nursing school contacts to help score connections. Getting a degree in nursing or any profession is not a guarantee of employment. Potential employers look for people who apply and follow up, then demonstrate their ability to back it up with action. Be willing to work hard and the jobs will come.

Felbry College helps prepare graduates for the job market by providing support and resources for the search. We are there every step of the way. Call us to find out how we can help you get started on an education that will take you places.

Posted on June 25, 2017

To be a nurse is a great personal and professional choice. The nursing field provides many opportunities to be successful while working to help educate, transform, and save lives. The first year of nursing school may be filled with excitement and mixed emotions but it will also set you up for a lifetime of rewarding work and personal satisfaction. With the right attitude and information, any person can get the most out of a first year on through to graduation.

What to Expect in Nursing School

A four-year nursing program may see a student taking classes that also exist in the associate’s degree program, as well as general education and nursing theory classes. Four year programs also offer more advanced training for Registered Nurse credentials and other specializations. Regardless of the degree, whether two or four year, a nursing education will provide ample opportunities to learn in the classroom, work hands-on in labs, and get a feel for the job during clinical rotations. Nursing schools may provide affiliations with hospitals, mental health clinics, and nursing homes as part of residential education. Nursing Programs vary so it pays to find out what the expectations are early on and work to maintain the best outcome possible.

First Year of Nursing School

Learn as much as possible that first year and be prepared! Enjoy the experience but also consider some of the following ways to make the most of it:

School will be challenging and time-consuming. Nursing school is not as easy as some people think. There is so much to learn and contend with. Accept the fact that things will be hectic for a time and prioritize accordingly.
Not everything will be amazing but some classes and aspects of rotations may be challenging. Try not to get discouraged if a class is not fully enjoyable or if you aren’t an expert on your first try. You’re here to learn and acquire skills, which means lots of practice.
Keep an open mind before and during nursing school. The plan may be to become an emergency room nurse but it is a great idea to know what you want while trying to keep an open mind towards what is most interesting and available.
Rotation through different hospitals may come up as a possibility. Take advantage and speak with medical workers in different specialties to learn more about the various areas of work available.
Learning time management skills is important early on. Nurses need to have great time management skills to juggle caseloads, orders, treatments, and charting requirements.

Troubleshooting

Everyone is bound to encounter some problems during the first year of nursing school. What helps is not ignoring the situation. Whether in regards classes or experiencing challenges of coping with what is seen on the job, help is available. Speak with a trusted adviser or individual. It pays to be honest with oneself and try to determine the problem that exists. Use the situation to speak with instructors and find a way to make adjustments where needed to improve study habits, grades, or other issues which may have risen up.

Nursing is a great career choice. The field provides many opportunities to learn and grow as a professional and to help others in a way that few other fields can. The choice of attending a nursing school is the first step along a lifetime of fulfilling work and care. Take heart and realize that everyone deals with all of the stress in different ways. Stay open to new experiences and believe in yourself. We’re rooting for you!

Felbry College is the right place to be if you are ready to start a nursing school education that makes a difference. Call us to find out how to get started.

Posted on June 20, 2017

An alarming trend is taking shape across America. A shortage of nurses is happening for the first time in decades. Due to an aging population, the rising incidence of chronic disease, and an aging workforce of existing nurses has led to a shortage in qualified nurses in the medical field. While this is some cause for concern among hospital administrators and other industry leaders, it means a great deal of opportunity awaits today’s nursing student. With a larger job market ready to accept qualified candidates, the prospects for nursing school grads are better than ever!

Expanding Profession

Nearly 3 million nurses exist in the healthcare field with nursing making up one of the fastest growing occupations in the country. In spite of growth, demand is going up exponentially. Millions of vacancies will emerge for nurses between 2017 and 2022. By 2025, the shortfall is expected to be more than twice as large as any nurse shortage experienced since Medicare and Medicaid was introduced in the mid-1960s.

Industry Drivers

There are many reasons why the nursing profession and industry for healthcare professionals is growing rapidly. Some of the reasons include:

Looming Baby Boomer crisis of people over age 65 needing medical support
Healthcare demand for chronic conditions
Aging population and chronic disease are creating a perfect storm
Country’s nurses are aging rapidly and retiring

Filling vacancies for retiring nurses is not as simple as training more nurses. Potential qualified nurses are being turned away due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, and graduate programs amidst budget constraints. Nursing faculty members are also facing retirement which makes it challenging to expand cohorts.

The Right Fit

Students who train to become nurses are looking for many things upon graduation. Among them are a good salary, strong cultural fit, flexible hours, and manageable expectations. Working where a nurse can practice in full scope of licensing is most desirable and each state allows for different things depending on guidelines. Nurse practitioners, for example, are more limited in some states and have more freedom in others. Education in rural areas may be limited to associate’s degrees but should not limit prospects to practice. Other strategies to address the nursing shortage have included:

Public-private partnerships and incentives for nurses to become educators
Launching a campaign featuring TV commercials, videos, website and brochures to promote benefits of a nursing career
Fellowships and loan forgiveness offered to nurses who teach after graduation
Federal grants for nursing schools and organizations to advance educational programs, promote diversity, repay loans and train nurses for seniors

A nursing shortage is one of the greatest assets to training in the field. For prospective nursing students who are considering a degree in nursing, the field is ever growing and ever changing. The dynamic nature of nursing will guarantee a place for qualified nursing graduates now and in the future for a long time to come.

Now is the time to consider a nursing degree. Felbry College is focused on excellence in teaching a diverse student body to enter the workforce with the highest level of education possible with support and resources provided throughout the process. Give us a call to find out how to get started.

Posted on June 15, 2017

Nursing school can seem like a long and arduous trek through an intense curriculum, challenging information, and new ways of thinking. The first week will be filled with a mixture of emotions ranging from excitement to fear, anticipation to joy, and of course, stress. As millions of nurses in America can attest, it is not only possible to survive the first week of nursing school, but also to set yourself up to thrive throughout your nursing education.

Know Your Classmates

Once school begins, your classmates will be the ones you come to rely on for pretty much everything. Whether taking courses in person or online, this group is the cohort that will be present throughout your program. Whatever emotions you experience in the first week, rest assured that your peers are facing the same challenges. At the very least, this helps an individual not to feel so alone. Some classmates may become good friends while others are passing acquaintances. Rely on this support network to get through the stress of school, air any grievances, and connect over studies.

Get Organized

A course syllabus is the student’s best tool to stay organized throughout nursing school. Whether it is a calendar app on your phone or a paper organizer, a good tool for keeping track of your responsibilities is invaluable. Some helpful hints to get organized using the syllabus include:

Entering all dates and projects into a calendar system
Lay out the semester ahead once your syllabus is released
Mentally give space to processing all the deadlines to stay ahead
Being organized and prepared will help relieve stress now and in the future

Meet the Teachers

Instructors will be instrumental to your success in nursing school. Become acquainted with each instructor by introducing yourself and letting them know your goals for their course. Instructors want to get to know who is in their classes and always appreciate feedback from students eager to learn. Sharing knowledge and empowering students is part of the teaching process. Establishing a connection with instructors now can help navigate expectations for the course including grading and other issues that may arise later. These instructors may turn into lifelong colleagues as you progress in your career.

Check Expectations

Even the best student with high grades prior to nursing school can struggle with the shifts in expectations. Most students receive great grades in high school and college but find nursing school to be an entirely different process. Getting straight A’s may not be possible for every student but getting a B is not necessarily a failure. A good nurse is always learning throughout his or her career so take this one step at a time and commit yourself to digesting and understanding the material. Grades are an indicator of your progress. If they need improvement, spend more time on your trouble spots. Remember, this is about setting you up to help others in your career as a nurse so take it seriously and absorb everything you can.

Get Excited

Lots of emotions will be present when starting school but it helps to remember the journey lasts a lifetime. Get excited, be proud, and get ready to buckle down. Think about all the friendships that will be made and knowledge that will accumulate but don’t forget about all the great things ahead of you. Relationships are a big part of the equation so take time to digest it all and get excited to be a nurse.

Felbry College provides a diverse, student-centered approach to education.

Call us to find out how we can support your dream of becoming a nurse.