Resources And Tools For Nursing Students

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Updated November 15, 2023

Resources And Tools For Nursing Students

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Over 30 Education, Job & Tech Info Resources Just for Nurses

Students beginning a nursing career need to know where to go for important information. Here are key resources, information about education, a list of places to find an internship or new job and a host of other tools that will help nursing majors through school and into their careers.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse - Nursing Timeline

A typical nursing degree can take 2-4 years to complete. Each level of nursing has its own timeline, and that timeline can vary depending upon factors like part-time vs. full-time enrollment, certification, and the type of program. 

Below is an overview of the typical amount of time it takes to complete a nursing degree, keep in mind that the length provided is for the amount of time it takes to complete that segment of the degree, not the entire academic path overall:

Nursing Degree LevelTime of Completion
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)2-3 years
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)1-2 years
Registered Nurse (RN)4 years
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)4-5 years
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)1.5-3 years
Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP)1-3 years

AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Featured Online Bachelor's in Nursing Programs

Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school.

Apps, Tools & Tech in Nursing

Technology is everywhere, from your pocket to the equipment used in exam rooms. Nurses and nursing students benefit from staying ahead of the tech curve with some of these handy tools. They can help you ace that next test or ensure you give the right dose to the next patient—or even entertain you while you're on a break.

Apps for Nursing

Calculate by QxMD
This clinical calculator is supported by Android, iOs and Windows and helps nurses and other health care professionals in their clinical practice by supporting diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Complete Anatomy Lab
Users of this app have access to complete, 3D renderings of the human anatomy. It can be used by health care professionals for information purposes or for fun by the general public. It's available on�iOS.

Lippincott Nursing Advisor
This resource is available online and as an app for Android and iOS. It provides evidence-based solutions and content for practicing nurses, allowing them to increase clinical knowledge and standardize patient care.

Medscape
This app provides the latest medical news for nurses, announcements from the FDA, information about conferences, continuing education coursework and more. Not only is it available on�iOS�and�Android, but it's a�website�too.

Med Mnemonics Pro
Memorize all those medical terms in all major disciplines. Available in both�iOS�and�Android.

Merk Manual
One of the most widely-used medical tools, nurses can carry the hefty Merk Manual with them—right in the palm of their hands. Available�online�and via an�iOS�app.

NCLEX RN Mastery 2015
One of the highest-rated nursing apps, this resource guarantees that you'll pass the NCLEX exam. In addition to practice questions, it also provides clarification to those questions in the form of photos and rationales.

NeuroMind
If you've thought about specializing in neuroscience, this app offers support for health care professionals and students who want more information about specific conditions and procedures. You can download it for both�Android�and�iOS.

Nursing Essentials
Made for both�iOS�and�Android, this app gives nurses easy access to essential, baseline information that is useful at any stage of their careers.

UpToDate
Make better decisions when working with patients with this evidence-based decision support resource. This subscription-based system is available�online�and on both�Android�and�iOS.

Tools & Tech for Nursing

Business Management Systems Scheduling Software
Nurses are busy and scheduling their time in a health facility can be a challenge. This software ensures shift schedules are fair and equitable, helping to save supervisors' time.

Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses
Using a combination of print, web-based and mobile technology, this guide helps nurses with up-to-date information about the medications they prescribe.

EnglishMed
This online tool helps nurses and other health care professionals navigate the communication they use on a daily basis. Nurses can hone their writing, speaking and reading communication with patients, doctors and other health care professionals.

Nobel Prize
Nurses can play games while learning about blood types, electrocardiograms, the immune system and more with this entertaining website—the official website of the Nobel Prize!

Visible Body
Nurses get a refresher on anatomy and physiology with this online resource (available in six languages). There's even an app for kids to download, helping even the youngest patients learn more about their bodies.

Voalte One
Having trouble tracking down a health care professional on your team? Voalte One is a clinical-use only communication device that combines voice calling, text messaging and alarm notifications. The best part is that it's completely secure for patient privacy.

Your Nursing Tutor
This handy resource for nursing students offers study guides and the latest news about procedures, drugs and patient care.

13 Nursing Education & Skill Development Options

A nurse is required to earn continuing education units to keep a license. Units should be chosen wisely, because there are an infinite number of courses to choose from. Listed here are just a few of the many continuing education options out there, from online learning opportunities to two-day local workshops.

#1 American Association of Colleges of Nusing

#2 American Nurses Credentialing Center 

#3 Coursera

#4 Johns Hopkins Nursing 

#5 Khan Academy

#6 Mighty Nurse

#7 National League for Nursing

#8 Nurse.com  Online Course learning

#9 Lippincott Nursing Center: CE Connection

#10 Nursing Knowledge International

#11 Sigma Theta Tau International

#12 SkillStat 

#13 Merlot II: University of California Open Educational Resources for Nursing

Industry News & Scholarships within the Nursing Field

Staying on top of the latest in the nursing industry is vital for your career and your patients. These news sites and trade journals will do just that, keeping you up-to-date and providing you a world of information that you can put to use immediately.

News & Trends

American Mobile
An agency for traveling nurses, nurses who work overseas or in a mobile environment can get all the latest news about virtual interviewing, why mobile nursing is so rewarding and tools mobile nurses can use at work.

American Nurses Association
One of the largest nursing associations out there, the ANA archives current news releases on its website, dating back to 2008.

American Nurses Credentialing Center
A subsidiary of the ANA, this organization provides global information on credentialing programs. It is where nurses can find up-to-date changes in credentialing requirements for all specialties.

MDLinx
This website hosts ranked, summarized and sorted articles that relate to nursing and health care from a number of peer-reviewed journals.

Medical News Today
In addition to general health care news, MNT also provides news specific to registered nurses and nurse practitioners.

Nurse.com
National, local and specialty news about nursing is featured on this all-news site.

Nursezone.com
NurseZone provides information on current news and upcoming trends in nursing and nursing care, from latest innovations to how nurses are helping to fight diabetes.

Nursing Times
This online resource includes daily news headlines and news about the community, education, workforce, regulations, and research.

SchoolNurseNews
This journal is an independent news resource for school nurses, who can access this monthly publication both online or in its print form.

Scholarships for Journals

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF NURSING�
Journal of Professional Nursing
Available only for AACN members, this peer-reviewed journal offers support, research and information about the practice of nursing six times a year.�

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS�
Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
The JAANP is a peer-reviewed journal that provides scholarly articles about clinical practice and management, health policy, research, education and other issues that impact nurse practitioners.�

CANCER CARE�
Cancer Nursing
This international journal is published six times a year for nurses who work with cancer patients. It includes editorials, insights and peer-reviewed articles. Additional resources are available online.�

CLINICAL NURSING�
Journal of Clinical Nursing
Each month, clinical nurses receive a host of reviewed articles and research pieces that provide more insight into the profession and practice.�

FAMILY NURSING�
Journal of Family Nursing
This quarterly journal includes pieces of nursing research, practice, education and policy issues as they impact family health and nursing.�

HOME CARE AND HOSPICE CLINICIANS�
Home Healthcare Now
Serving nurses and health care professionals who work in home care and hospice environments, this monthly journal provides a variety of perspectives.�

JOHNS HOPKINS�
Johns Hopkins Nursing
Supported by the School of Nursing, Nurses Alumni Association and affiliated hospitals, this magazine provides real-life stories about nursing.

9 Nursing Academics & Research Programs

Completion of a thesis may or may not be a requirement for earning a nursing master's degree, depending on the specific school and degree program. The same goes for nursing doctoral degrees and dissertations. Nevertheless, nursing grad students should expect to conduct research for one purpose or another during the course of their studies. Not surprisingly, a healthy abundance of research materials can be found online.

  1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – National Guideline Clearinghouse
    An initiative of the AHRQ, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Guideline Clearinghouse is a is a searchable public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
  2. AgingStats.gov
    Website of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. The site offers access to reports and data regarding the well-being of older Americans.
  3. American Nurses Association (ANA) – Nursing Research
    The ANA offers a number of resources for nursing research on this site, including a research tool kit, an essential nursing resources list, nursing research news and more.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Sortable Risk Factors and Health Indicators
    Sortable Stats is an interactive data set of behavioral risk factors and health indicators taken from state-level data of various published CDC and federal sources. The format permits users to view, sort, and analyze data at state, regional, and national levels.
  5. March of Dimes PeriStats
    Developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, PeriStats provides access to maternal and infant health data for the U.S. nationally, and by state and region.
  6. National Cancer Institute (NCI) – State Cancer Profiles
    A collaboration of the NCI and CDC, this State Cancer Profiles site provides data, maps and graphs to aimed at prioritizing cancer control activities at the state and local levels.
  7. National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
    One of 27 institutions making up the National Institutes of Health. The NINR supports clinical and basic research and research training on health and illness, much of which can be accessed through this site.
  8. PubMed.gov
    A resource of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, PubMed.gov offers over 25 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals and online books. In many cases, citations link to full-text content.
  9. Systematic Review Data Repository (SRDR)
    Another resource of the AHRQ, the SRDR operates as a tool for the extraction and management of data for systematic review or meta-analysis, as well as an open and searchable archive of systematic reviews and data.

Groups & Networking

No matter what the profession, networking and participating in professional organizations will have personal and career benefits. It is worth it to consider joining the national or local chapter of one of these professional societies. Even with very little time to spare, networking is possible, since many organizations have online options for staying connected to professional leaders.

Associations & Societies

American Assembly for Men in Nursing
This professional organization meets and discusses issues that impact men as nurses. It encourages men to become nurses, supports those nurses as they grow professionally and advocates for men in the nursing field.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Acting as a voice for students in bachelor's and graduate-level nursing programs, the AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education.

American Association of Nurse Practitioners
A full-service professional organization for all nurse practitioners no matter the specialty, the AANP provides education and lobbying efforts to help support the field.

American Nurses Association
The ANA represents 3.4 million nurses through its constituent and state nursing associations and fosters high standards of nursing practice. The ANA also lobbies Congress on health care issues that impact nurses and their patients.

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
More than 5,000 nurses are part of this professional organization that is devoted to advancing rehabilitation nursing in nursing schools, acute care hospitals, long-term care hospitals, home health agencies and more.

Canadian Nurses Association
The CAN acts in the best interest of nurses in Canada and helps to promote professional regulation that benefits nurses and the patients in their care.

Canadian Nursing Students' Association
As the national voice for student nurses in Canada, the CNSA is dedicated to ensuring a proper and professional education that addresses the legal, ethical, professional and educational aspects of the field.

International Council of Nurses
The ICN is a group of more than 130 national nurse associations and represents more than 16 million nurses worldwide. It strives to ensure sound nursing practices on a global basis.

National Association of Hispanic Nurses
This professional association helps to promote the professionalism and dedication of Hispanic nurses by providing for economic, educational and professional opportunities for this demographic.

National Black Nurses Association
Organized in 1971, the NBNA represents about 150,000 African American nurses across North America, the Eastern Caribbean and Africa. It provides advocacy to ensure access to the highest quality of health care for anyone of color.

Connections & Networking

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES OF NURSING�
Leadership Networks
Peers work together and share best practices, success stories and take advantage of AACN resources. Members communicate and connect at network meetings and conferences.�

AMERICAN NURSE TODAY�
Professional Social Networking for Nurses
Ideas and tips on how to network professionally using social media, including how to address privacy concerns.�

AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION�
Professional Networking for Nurses
This article discusses the importance of networking and how to get started on the right foot.�

BLOGGING E-NURSING�
Top 25 Social Networking Sites for Nurses
This list of 25 social sites for nurses will help nurses educate themselves and network with a wide range of nursing professionals.�

BLUEPIPES�
5 Reasons Nurses Should Engage in Professional Networking
Learn what professional networking is and how nurses can use it to advance their careers.�

GLOBAL HEALTH NURSING�
Global Health Nursing Interest Group
This group helps to promote and strengthen nursing leadership. It offers a number of events and opportunities for connecting and networking with other nurses.�

NURSE KEITH COACHING�
Savvy Networking for Nurses
This book teaches nurses how to get and stay connected in a professional network. It's written by Keith Carlson, a board certified coach for nurses.�

NURSETOGETHER�
9 Tips to Keep Your Network Strong and Boost Your Nursing Career
Whether you're a student or a seasoned professional, having a professional network is vital to career advancement. This article offers tips to keep your network working for you.�

NURSE.ORG�
Networking Tips to Advance Your Nursing Career
This article touts the importance of networking and how to get started. It also discusses some of the extra benefits of building a professional network.�

NURSINGNETWORK�
Nursing Events
This valuable resource has a calendar with a variety of networking events across the country.

10 Internships for Nursing Students

Internships can make or break nursing job searches. There are many opportunities available, from overseas missions to internships closer to home. A nursing graduate needs to know where to look. Whether looking for a first job or trying to find a new one, these resources have just what a nursing job seeker needs—job centers, resume help and interview techniques.

  1. AllinaHealth
    Paid summer internships are available to students preparing to graduate from a registered nursing program.
  2. American Red Cross
    Undergraduate and graduate students can gain hands-on experience in both summer internships and programs during the school year. Internships are both paid and unpaid and located at one of more than 500 Red Cross units across the country.
  3. Centers for Disease Control
    The CDC has a number of nursing and public health internships for students in their junior or senior year of schooling.
  4. Looksharp
    Looksharp, which hosts internships from InternMatch, lists all the latest internships from specific geographic locations.
  5. Mayo Clinic
    Nursing students work in an externship as a part of an interdisciplinary team, alongside an experienced registered nurse. Opportunities exist in all specialty areas.
  6. National Institutes of Health
    The NIH's Clinical Center offers summer internships to students enrolled in nursing programs. Students work with health professionals and attend weekly lectures by NIH investigators.
  7. Projects Abroad
    International internships are available on this site in areas such as Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Senegal, Bolivia and other countries. Some language requirements may be necessary.
  8. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    Externships at St. Jude allow students who are nearly ready to graduate an opportunity to work with trained staff in a pediatric oncology environment.
  9. Study Abroad.com
    A variety of foreign language and nursing internships are available for nursing students, in countries like Scotland, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain and Italy.
  10. Work the World
    Nursing students from any nursing field can intern in low resource areas overseas and receive practical, hands-on experience.

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