Snapshot: This article reviews recommended websites about nursing, organized by category. No compensation has been received for any of these recommendations. Websites are listed in alphabetical order within each section.
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General Information Websites Career-Focused Websites Clinical Reference & Academic Websites
General Information Websites
ADVANCE FOR NURSES
Home page: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/
A big, complex site packed with useful information that addresses every conceivable nursing topic. Has a companion print publication that goes by the same name, “Advance for Nurses.”
- Search an Advance for Nurses-sponsored directory of in-person and virtual job fairs under the “Events” tab: http://events.advanceweb.com/Attendee/Default.aspx. You need to register in advance but the fairs (which happen all over the country) are free to attend.
- Search for articles in various specialty areas of nursing under the “Specialties” tab: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Nurses-Specialties/default.aspx. Use the small search box on the right side of the screen to find articles of interest.
- Check out the RN Salary Survey under the “Jobs” tab: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/State-of-Nursing-Salaries-2011.aspx. You can click on each state on the map to get the latest salary information.
ALLNURSES.COM
Home page: http://allnurses.com/
The grand-daddy of nursing social networking sites. The message board format is retro, but the site has tons of users and posts.
- Search for posts in various specialty areas of nursing under the “Specialties” tab: http://allnurses.com/nursing-specialties/. There’s a separate section for critical care nurses under the “Critical” tab: http://allnurses.com/critical-care-nursing/ and for advanced practice nurses under the “APN” tab: http://allnurses.com/advanced-practice-nursing/. You can sort posts by date of last post, most viewed, etc. using the drop-down menu boxes above the lists of posts. All posts are archived and some are very old; on the plus side, this means there’s lots of content to view.
- Search the “US” tab to look for posts by, for and about nursing in your home state (or the state where you hope to practice nursing): http://allnurses.com/united-states-nursing/.
- Search for schools offering all types of nursing degrees under the “Degrees” tab: http://allnurses.com/onlinenursingcourses.php. A wide variety of schools are listed; unfortunately, sketchy for-profit schools clutter the results.
AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION
Home Page: http://www.nursingworld.org/
The home page of the very large and very influential American Nursing Association (ANA); offers links to policies, credentialing resources, and surveys/original research on a wide variety of issues that impact contemporary nursing practice.
- Check out the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), by clicking on “ANCC Certification” under the “Career and Credentialing” tab: http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Certification.aspx. ANCC offers well-regarded certifications in a wide range of clinical disciplines.
- Click on “Positions and Resolutions” under the “Policy and Advocacy” tab to view the official positions of one of the nursing profession’s largest and most influential professional bodies on a wide range of important (and often controversial) contemporary issues that affect nursing practice: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/Positions-and-Resolutions/ANAPositionStatements. Agree or disagree, the positions offer food for thought, and likely impact your practice as an RN.
- Read the “Health and Safety Survey”, available via link from the “Health and Safety” tab: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/workplaceviolence/2011-HealthSafetySurvey.html. The survey provides an important glimpse into health and safety concerns, and health and safety trends, for RN’s today.
DISCOVER NURSING
Home page: http://www.discovernursing.com/
Sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, this is the companion website for the company’s “Campaign for Nursing’s Future” (you may have seen the ads). Provides comprehensive nursing career and educational information.
- Check out the “Nursing Scholarship Search” feature under the “How” tab: http://www.discovernursing.com/scholarship-search. This is a resource you won’t find anywhere else on the web. You can also filter your search results using a variety of criteria (state residency requirements, GPA requirements, ethnic scholarships, etc). Search for additional, related resources by clicking on “Funding Opportunities,” also under the “How” tab: http://www.discovernursing.com/tuition_reim_search.aspx.
- Research an incredibly wide variety of different nursing career paths by clicking on “Nursing Careers” under the “What” tab: http://www.discovernursing.com/nursing-careers. Each nursing career specialty page has a description of the specialty area, along with links to relevant articles, organizations, and resources.
- Click on “Profiles in Nursing” under the “Who” tab: http://www.discovernursing.com/nursing-profiles. Available are hundreds of short bios of nurses, including what inspired them to become a nurse, and the type of nursing career each has pursued.
NATIONAL STUDENT NURSES ASSOCIATION (NSNA)
Home Page: http://www.nsna.org/default.aspx
The home page of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA); a useful place for student nurses to network with one another, with future employers, and to learn (and celebrate) the nursing profession.
- Click on “NSNA Chapter Links” within the “Links” tab on the left-hand side of the home screen to view a listing of school and state-level nursing clubs and organizations all across the country: http://www.nsna.org/Links/NSNAChapterLinks.aspx. These clubs are a great way for student nurses to begin the professional networking that will launch their careers.
- Click on the “Meetings” tab on the left-hand side of the home screen to learn more about the annual convention, mid-year conference, and other conferences that NSNA organizes: http://www.nsna.org/Meetings.aspx. These events provide great networking and educational opportunities for those willing to travel to the conference locations; registration is offered at a discount to NSNA members; some conference events throughout the year are free to attend.
- Assuming you are a current nursing student, click on “Student Membership” within the “Membership” tab on the left-hand side of the home screen to learn more about the benefits and prices for membership in NSNA: http://www.nsna.org/Membership/StudentMembership.aspx.
Career-Focused Websites
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS: OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK FOR RN’S
Home page: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm
Excellent, general overview of the nursing profession, backed with U.S. government statistics on pay, educational requirements, workplace trends, and job outlooks.
- The site is well-organized and fairly self-explanatory. Check out the “Pay” tab: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-5. This provides a breakdown of average pay in different types of RN work environments (i.e. hospitals, physicians’ offices, home health, etc).
- Click on the “Job Outlook” tab: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-6. This provides a breakdown of projected job growth in different types of RN work environments.
- If you’re not yet an RN and are trying to decide if nursing is right for you, check out the “Similar Occupations” tab: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm#tab-7.
- Note: There is a separate page provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s/LVN’s) at: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/licensed-practical-and-licensed-vocational-nurses.htm. However, there are no separate pages for Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, or other advanced practice nursing roles.
CARDILLO & ASSOCIATES
Home page: http://www.dcardillo.com/
The home page of Donna Cardillo, the “Career Guru for Nurses.” Lots of useful nursing career articles, along with promotional information about Donna’s many books, DVD’s, and upcoming workshops and events.
- Click on the “Articles” tab: http://www.dcardillo.com/articles.html. An incredible listing of free career articles for nurses on a wide variety of topics: resume writing, professional development, career management, career alternatives for nursing, and much more. Note: the font is small, so you may need to enlarge it in your browser.
- Click on the “Donna’s blog” tab for a link to Donna’s nursing career blog called “Nurse Power”: http://www.nurse-power.net/blog/. The blog provides a nice mix of advice and personal reflection.
- Click on the “Books” tab for a listing of Donna’s nursing career-related books: http://www.dcardillo.com/nurse_book.html. Descriptions of each book’s contents are provided, and if you’re interested you can order directly off her website; otherwise, you may want to check out reviews at Amazon or a similar online book retailer before purchasing.
Clinical Reference & Academic Websites
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CRITICAL CARE NURSES (AACCN)
Home page: http://www.aacn.org/DM/MainPages/AACNHomePage.aspx?pageid=1
The AACCN is, for many, the most well-regarded professional nursing organization in the country. Their website offers a wealth of resources for nurses from a wide variety of clinical backgrounds.
- Check out AACCN “Practice Alerts” under the “Clinical Practice” section: http://www.aacn.org/WD/Practice/Content/practicealerts.content?menu=Practice. AACCN has compiled recommended “expected practice” in a wide range of clinical areas, supported with peer-reviewed evidence.
- Click on the “Certification” tab to learn about the well-regarded certification exams AACCN offers in a variety of clinical areas: http://www.aacn.org/dm/mainpages/certificationhome.aspx. Certification is a valuable means of professional learning and advancement for RN’s.
- Consider the benefits of AACCN membership, especially savings on continuing education (CE) credits and courses: http://www.aacn.org/wd/memberships/content/member-benefits-savings.content?menu=membership&lastmenu. Membership isn’t free, but if you’re going to be doing lots of CE, the savings make joining worth it.
LAB TESTS ONLINE
Home page: http://labtestsonline.org/
Created by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AANC) to help both medical professionals and patients better understand the meanings, uses and limitations of a wide variety of lab tests and lab values. The site is peer-reviewed, highly credible, and free of advertising.
- Use the search bar on the right-hand side of the home page to quickly find information about the lab test or lab value you’re interested in.
- Each individual entry for a given lab test will provide quick-reference tabs to help you learn about different aspects of the test (i.e. “at a glance,” “common questions,” etc).
- Click on the links on the left-hand side of the home page to get a “bigger picture” overview of how to understand lab tests, how lab testing works, etc.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING RESEARCH (NINR)
Home Page: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/
The home page of NINR, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); great for researchers and grant-seekers, or for those simply seeking knowledge of high quality, contemporary areas of nursing research.
- Within the “research and funding” tab, you can click on “NINR Research Highlights”: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ResearchAndFunding/ResearchHighlights.htm to peruse current research projects; or, click on “Grant Development and Management Resources”: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ResearchAndFunding/GrantDevelopmentandManagementResources/ for information about submitting a grant yourself. Plenty of other, related links will appear on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Click on the “Training” tab: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/Training/ to learn about both internal and external training opportunities sponsored by NINR. Grants, fellowships, and on-site training opportunities at NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland (near Washington, DC) are all listed.
- Within the “news and information” tab click on “podcasts and multimedia”: http://www.ninr.nih.gov/NewsAndInformation/PodCastMultimedia/ for links to short videos and podcasts highlighting current NINR research.