Deciding on a set career path can be pretty scary, especially if the path will include quite a few years of schooling. Is a degree in nursing a worthy investment? Will it lead to a career that is fulfilling, challenging and rewarding? Let's take a look at a few reasons why enrolling in nursing college actually is a wise career move.

Of course, the crux of any nursing career is patient care, and being able to dedicate your days to helping people. But we’ll be looking at three more logistical qualities of a nursing career.

1. Increasing demand

It’s no secret that the healthcare system rests on the shoulders of dedicated nurses. Without them, the day-to-day at hospitals, clinics, or other care facilities would not be able to function. Needless to say, we can’t live without nurses, and this dire necessity will only become stronger. The already high demand for nurses is expected to increase as the Canadian population continues to grow as rapidly as it already is. According to a May article in The National Post, "By 2031, 22.8 per cent of the population will be 65 and older. The proportion will jump to one quarter — 25.5 percent — by 2061.” In addition, the largest age cluster of nurse practitioners is 45-49, meaning that there are more nurses reaching retirement than there are nurses just starting out there career (Canadian Nurses Association, 2009).

In sum, an aging population and an expanding workforce will definitely contribute to the increasing demand for nurses. And although no job is one hundred per cent 'recession proof', the employment prospects for nursing graduates are widely reported to be good. In fact, some estimate that there continues to be tens of thousands of unfilled nursing positions in Canada. 

2. Flexibility

Don’t confuse flexibility with an easy ride. Nursing is tough, but the schedule is considered a perk. Laws and structures differ from province to province, but typically floor nurses alternate between 12-hour day and night shifts. While this may sound awful to some, there are many people who would prefer to work four stints of 12-hour shifts and then have 3 days off in a row. A nursing schedule is definitely its own kind, and is not likely to suit everyone, but for many the long stretches become as easy as sleeping in on a Sunday.

Keep in mind that there are other schedule options. Some nurse practitioners take on a regular 9-5 work schedule, but that would require them to work in a nursing capacity that does not involve direct patient care, such as a nurse researcher or an Infection Control Practitioner. If you love the idea of nursing but loathe the concept of 12-hour night shifts, then you may want to look into other streams within the profession, most of which you can learn about in nursing schools in Canada.

3. Professional diversity

One of the most appealing qualities of a nursing career is the professional diversity that it offers. To this end, students in nursing college are typically given a broad education in order to prepare future nurses for a career that will touch on every aspect of nursing healthcare.

Primarily, the diversity comes in the fact that nurses are able (and likely encouraged) to switch specializations. It is not uncommon for nurses to thread through departments. For example, one year you could be working in the Cardiac department and the next you could be in the Dialysis department, or in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Nursing is definitely one of those professions that offers employees the ability and freedom to shift their professional focus many times throughout the span of their careers. 

Choosing to go into nursing is a commitment like no other. Hopefully this list has helped you move toward your chosen path, wherever that may be.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on nursing school
 
Are you already in the workforce, but looking for a change? Perhaps what you need is a new job, ideally with flexible working hours, a good hourly wage, and the possibility of advancement, both in terms of salary and status? A job where you can help others? For many mature students, a health sciences college becomes a launch pad to a rewarding second career.

In fact, it could even be argued that, for some of the professions that a health sciences program can lead to, such as X-ray technician or ultrasound technician, that maturity and life experience can be a major asset. After all, patients seeking diagnostic imaging tests can sometimes feel vulnerable, and worried about their health, their futures and, not to mention, their families. A steady, guiding hand – a good “test-side manner”– can be reassuring, even therapeutic, and a welcome presence in any clinic or emergency room.


X-ray tech as a second career choice

Graduates of health sciences college who go on to work as an X-ray technician (or radiologic technologist, as it is sometimes called) are equipped to perform certain diagnostic imaging tests on patients. 

Graduates of this kind of  program can expect to make anywhere from $30,000 to $75,000 a year (or an hourly wage of $14 to $32).

In health sciences college, aspiring X-ray technicians learn how to perform X-rays, but that is not all. The diagnostic imaging tests taught in health sciences program can include:

- CT scans: a test to detect, amongst other problems, tumors and hemorrhaging

- MRI scans: a test often used to image cancer in the body

- mammograms

Judging by the sensitive, stressful and intimate nature of some of these diagnostic imaging tests, it is not surprising that many schools of health science are eager to open their doors to mature students, who will have the people skills as well as the technical skills to shepherd understandably anxious patients through the diagnostic process.

Ultrasound technician

Many people associate the words “ultrasound” or “sonogram” with pregnancy. We’ve all seen ultrasound printouts of a family’s first glimpse of their infant-to-be, with a charming outline of a foot, or of a silhouette that recalls Mommy or Daddy. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the mature students enrolled in ultrasound studies at health sciences college actually spawned an interest in the profession by using the services of an ultrasound technician themselves. But, as schools of health science quickly make clear, ultrasound technology has many uses, including:

- emergency uses: some graduates go on to perform ultrasounds on patients in emergency

- veterinary uses: some graduates of a health sciences program may go on to practice their trade with animals rather than humans. Ultrasound is used, for example, to assess injuries in horses and cattle.

Health sciences college can be an attractive option for mature students with experience in another field.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on a health sciences program.
 
It is always hard to come to terms with the fact that your career has not turned out exactly as planned. As a child, you dreamed of becoming something grand. You promised yourself you would be at the top of the game and become the best there ever was.

Fast forward a few decades later and you see yourself as you are today: Generally happy and satisfied, but with a career that doesn’t exactly match up to what you initially dreamed you would be doing. Careers are a tricky subject to address. On the one hand, we all need to work, so there is a level of necessity in the equation. On the other hand, however, we all deserve to lead a good fulfilling life, and that includes a career that makes us glad to wake up in the morning, a career that really excites us.

The workplace is where most of us spend the majority of our day, so it is important that we’re engaged and challenged by our jobs. But what if we’re not? What are those who have dedicated ten or twenty years into a career have suddenly realized that their career isn’t enough for them, that they need something more? Do they quit and start over? Do they stay still in fear of taking a monetary risk?

There is no one clear solution to this dilemma, but a part of the action plan will likely include continuing education courses and programs. Continuing education can offer the possibility of a career change, and provide anyone with the necessary training for lucrative employment in the real world.

Today, there is a way to change the course of your career at your own pace. Continuing education or distance education programs are designed to allow people to enroll in courses at night or strictly online, thereby allowing them to fit school into their already packed schedules.

The wide variety of courses and programs available makes it so that there is something for almost everyone. From astronomy to criminology, all continuing education programs aim to give students an added edge in a given field. After that, a diligent level of studying can open the door to any number of rewarding and truly enjoyable careers.

Distance education options allow students to enroll in classes without ever stepping onto a college campus. Most distance education courses are taken online, allowing students the flexibility to complete courses from wherever they are, be it on their sofa at home or on an airplane that's flying half way across the world. The only requirements for most distance education courses are access to a computer and a wifi connection. 

If you feel your career has hit a low, or if you’re just ready for a change, then continuing education may be the path that you need to take. Do a little research to find a focus of study that appeals to you, and speak to an academic advisor to ensure that you are making the right decision. Your studies will open the gateway to your future career. All you have to do is enroll.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on online learning.

 
When you are sick, you call your doctor. Actually, you call your doctor’s receptionist, who sets up an appointment for you. At the appointment, your doctor may give you a slip for a lab test, an ultrasound or an X-ray. They may refer you to a specialist. Although your doctor is at the helm, your care is clearly provided by a team, whose members boast a wide range of healthcare training, including training in health and technology.

Here are some health courses to consider if you are interested in a technology-based healthcare career.

Electrocardiography

One type of healthcare training that involves technology is learning how to administer electrocardiography (ECG), a noninvasive test used to measure the activity of the heart. In health courses, ECG technicians learn how to use this technology to assess certain parts of the heart for damage.

One can easily imagine how many cardiac patients must feel grateful that this kind of healthcare training exists!

Ultrasound

The decisions that doctors make are often based on such diagnostic imaging tests as ultrasounds. These tests are performed by graduates of health and technology courses.

Ultrasound is a sound or wave that exerts pressure on the body to produce images of what is going on within. Ultrasound has a wide range of diagnostic uses, including in prenatal and cardiac care. Graduates of this kind of healthcare training can find employment in a wide range of environments, including public and private clinics.

Pacemaker assessments

Patients with pacemakers are well positioned to appreciate the important link between health and technology. And, as such, they are dependent on the training of graduates of health courses, who are able to analyze the performance of their pacemakers and detect any malfunction as early as possible.

Radiation therapy technology

One of our best weapons in the fight against cancer is radiation therapy. Technicians learn in health courses how to operate the equipment that administers cancer-fighting radiation treatments to patients. One important aspect of this healthcare training is learning how to properly protect oneself and others from hazardous materials.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Your doctor or nurse can take your blood pressure in their office, but, due to patient anxiety, these levels are sometimes not considered trustworthy. In cardiac technology health courses, aspiring technicians learn how to equip patients with a blood pressure monitoring system that can take their blood pressure outside of the clinic, and, in some cases, without them necessarily being aware of it.

Whether an ECG, an ultrasound, a pacemaker, radiation therapy or out-of-office blood pressure monitoring, health and technology have become inextricably linked, suggesting that students who undertake technology-based health courses may have bright futures indeed, with many opportunities to help people.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on health and technology.
 
The generation that is coming of age today has grown up in an era of easy credit. They may have watched parents place major purchases on their credit cards without having the cash in the bank to cover the cost. They may have been issued a credit card themselves as one of their first acts of adulthood. Some have said that this easy access to credit has led to an era of overspending, that the frugal ways of the past have been forgotten, that young people today do not know how to budget – a topic that is conspicuously absent from the curriculum in too many high schools. But what does this mean for students currently enrolled in accounting training?

It means that client education may be a factor of your practice after receiving your business accounting diploma. That you may need to explain the basics of financial planning to your clients, and that you should start preparing to do so while still in accounting training.

One of the best ways to practice explaining Financial Planning 101 to others of your generation is to take advantage of the student base at the school where you are taking accounting courses. You can host a talk on budgeting, or invite students to free one-on-one consultations, where you explain such basics as “always save a percentage of each pay cheque” and “don’t spend more than you make.”

Some business accounting diploma programs also encourage their students to do financial planning work in the community. If your school doesn’t have such a program, consider setting one up. The more experience you have gently encouraging people to make wise decisions with their money, the better you will do as an accountant, whether serving individuals or organizations (groups, too, can struggle with such concepts as “managing cashflow.”)

Another advantage of mastering this skill while still enrolled in accounting courses is that public outreach can actually help you get your name out there, and help you find clients or employment later. Your fellow students may one day seek out your professional services, and future employers may be impressed by the initiative you showed in your accounting training, and your commitment to sound financial principles.

After accounting training, you will be helping organizations and individuals track their spending, manage their spending and stay in the black. Some of your clients or employers may be under the impression that this task is difficult, but it may be your task to remind them that it is really quite simple.

Accounting courses must prepare students to navigate a reality where individual clients may be shouldering an unconscionable amount of consumer debt, or where organizations may be convinced that they need to borrow money to make money. But this is a proposition with some silver linings. The more the student prepares, the more they may stand to gain on the job market.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on a business accounting diploma.

 
You’re always on the computer, but unlike other people, it’s not to chat with friends or to update your profile picture: it’s to create applications or to learn more about the equipment itself. You’ve thought about going into information technology as a career, but wonder if there is anything else that you can do. You particularly like the idea of helping people. Knowing that you were using your innate skills to help others would infuse your life with extra meaning. Sound like you? Then you may want to consider technology-based healthcare training.

Someone like you who lives and breathes computers could, for instance, consider taking the following healthcare training: medical computing, ultrasound technician and radiation therapist.

Medical computing

Medical computing is a broad term that could refer to a wide range of health courses:

- medical data processing: e.g., making billing software so simple that it affords a team at a medical clinic more time to apply their skills learned in healthcare training to patient care, rather than leaving them to muddle through long and inefficient administrative tasks.

- medical software engineering: imagine creating software that makes the diagnostic imaging process even just a little bit more accurate so that graduates of ultrasound health courses can report back to patients and doctors with that much more confidence

- biomedical computing: in this health and technology field, practitioners learn how to apply the problem-solving, pattern-recognizing abilities of computers to improving human health

These are just some of the many health and technology opportunities computers present.

Ultrasound and computers

Students who enroll in health courses to learn how to become ultrasound technicians are asked to have certain social skills, as well as a high level of manual dexterity. But they should also be comfortable with the intersection of health and technology. They should be prepared to master new equipment over the course of their careers, and should be determined to get the most out of their existing technology.

Radiation therapist

Healthcare training in this sector prepares students for such jobs as X-ray technician or radiation technologist, operating the machines that dispense potentially life-saving radiation therapies to oncology patients. People who take these kinds of health courses must be as interested in machinery as they are in people. Health and technology are here two shared passions!

Health and technology have become inextricably linked. A doctor would have trouble correctly diagnosing and treating patients without the help of the graduates of healthcare training who know the ins-and-out of the equipment. We are dependent on ultrasound machines, computer programs, etc.! People with technology skills are needed in all industries, but especially in health care.

One way to find out more about health and technology careers is to phone up schools in your area to ask about career options. Good luck!

Visit Mohawk College for more information on healthcare training and general health courses.

 
We depend on electricity every day. It is often taken for granted, until we are left without power in the wake of a storm, or a construction endeavor. In reality, it is one of our most used mediums of energy. Unfortunately, most people can barely make their way around an electrical service panel. So in times of power trouble, we call an electrician.

If you are someone that is more hands on, and are looking for a valued career that pays well, then you should consider a career in electricity. Opportunities await potential students in industrial commercial and government organizations, in manufacturing, steel mills, chemical plants, refineries and in pulp and paper mills. Some electricians even go on to work in engineering, or become research assistants. Society needs people that are capable of working with electricity, especially since such a large part of the population depends on it on a daily basis.

As electricity can be extremely dangerous to work with if you don’t know what you are doing, it is detriment for students to be properly trained in both the theory and practical application of electric functions.  Electrician apprenticeships are one of the only ways to achieve this. Hours upon hours must be spent working alongside a professional to truly learn all of the ins and outs of the electric world. This training is not only essential to your personal safety, but also to the safety of others.

Simply put, it is not possible to become an electrician without sufficient and extensive training. A certain number of hours must be worked before you can be certified, and you must be both a diligent student, and a hard worker. You must also be a fast learner. This is because electricity is a facet of technology, and technology is constantly evolving. You must be able to adapt and learn changes quickly, as well as have an in-depth understanding of the materials and procedures that you will be asked to work with. In order to work with electrical power, you must have certain qualifications in both security and safety training before you can be certified to work. These qualifications cannot be rushed, and must be obtained through practice and knowledge. Industrial electrician apprenticeships (or construction) will also teach you what to expect in the real world, when a real emergency occurs, or an immediate service in required. As electric issues are often time sensitive, it is important to be able to respond quickly in actual situations.

With the right training, you will be able to work in maintenance, construction, and even eventually, for yourself. You will also be considered a prized member of the workforce, with regulated pay, the moment that you finish your training, dependent on the receipt of your certification. In the shaky job market today, what could be better than guaranteed employment with an impressive salary? Electrician apprenticeships are essential to aspiring electricians. Look in your area to find potential apprenticeship employers, and speak to a college specializing in electrician studies for more informed.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on apprenticeship programs.

 
In the past, a more experienced marketing professional necessarily had an edge on new graduates. But this is changing. Whereas old timers have the benefit of years of experience, new graduates are more likely to be digital natives, who live and breathe Facebook, Twitter and the other social media tools that have taken the discipline by storm.

But don’t despair. You don’t have to have been born into the Internet age to master it. With a little effort, you can brush up on your social media skills. A way to help is to take a refresher marketing courses designed for established professionals.

Instead of plunging into a whole other marketing program, simply look for professional development courses at a nearby business school that can bring you up to speed on such social media marketing practices as:

- hiring a community manager

- outsourcing marketing

- handling social media marketing yourself

- encouraging participation, especially feedback

- interpreting metrics

- establishing an online plan

Can’t find a marketing program that offers social media training in your area? You have at least two options:

- Contact the marketing program at your community college to request that social media training be added to the curriculum. The school will be happy to know that there is a desire for a new kind of training. Try to be as specific as possible in your request for new marketing courses.  Is it mobile marketing that most interests you? The ins and outs of professional networking sites?  Tips and tricks for increasing the share rate on your email campaigns? Be specific with your request.

- Consider distance learning. One advantage of taking marketing courses online is that it can fit more easily into the already busy schedule of an active marketing professional. No need to take time off work or to rearrange your schedule!

As with all professional development marketing courses, you may want to approach your employer first to see if they would be willing to pay for all or part of your training. Be sure to frame your request as you would a marketing campaign, by explaining the benefits from the listener’s point of view:

- a marketing program refresher course will benefit your team by allowing members to more effectively evaluate success rates of campaigns

- social media marketing courses can help solve specific problems that your organization has been facing, for example, what is the right way to handle a negative comment on your Facebook page? (The answer may surprise you, but it is generally frowned upon to delete negate comments made by consumers. It is better to respond to them in a pro-active manner.)

But wait… Is college really the right place to learn social media marketing?

Community colleges are one sector that has applied social media marketing skills to their own recruitment campaigns. The lecturers responsible for marketing courses may also have first-hand knowledge of the school’s own social media strategies.

Professional development is a must in all disciplines, but all the more so in marketing, where the practice has been revolutionized by an explosion of new tools. So don’t be shy. Seek out extra marketing courses where needed.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on a business marketing diploma

 
Last December, journalist Kate Lunau reported in Maclean’s magazine that the number of male nurses in Canada had doubled in just a decade. At first glance, this seems like a significant increase. But, as Lunau explains, this is not really the case. The increase in male enrolment at nursing schools in Canada pales in comparison to the increase in female enrolment in training programs for careers traditionally dominated by men, such as policing. Only six percent of the students enrolled in our nursing college programs are men. And yet, as Lunau explains, our country is facing a nursing shortage.

This begs the question: what can nursing schools in Canada do to attract and retain more male students?

Attracting male students to nursing college

A 2004 study by the Bernard Hodes Group on “Men in Nursing” identifies many barriers to men enrolling in nursing school, including:

- the perception that other professions are more male-appropriate

- lack of information on nursing college for male high school students

- lack of male role models in nursing schools

The study also identifies some advantages of being a nurse, which can be used to attract men to nursing schools in Canada and abroad, notably:

- stable career path (especially in the context of a looming nursing shortage)

- good salary

- flexible schedule

- good benefits

The same study also makes some concrete suggestions for selling nursing college to male youth, for example:

- organizing more field trips for high school students to hospitals and healthcare facilities

- making high school students aware of mentorship and scholarship possibilities

But there are many other ways to make men aware of the benefits of nursing college, including advertising the wide range of forms that nursing can take. Some nursing college programs have even increased attendance by raising their selection criteria. By becoming more selective, they make their programs more desirable, to both men and women applicants.

Retaining male students

Even once a nursing college has successfully attracted a male student, problems can still arise. According to one Australian study, male nursing school students are more likely to drop out than their female counterparts.

Why might the attrition rate be higher for men at nursing college? According to the same Australian study: feelings of isolation. Interview subjects reported that they sometimes felt:

- nervous about speaking up at nursing college

- excluded from certain fields of practice (maternity, pediatric…)

- concerned about the lack of male role models

Some solutions:

- make sure that male students enrolled at nursing college have a male mentor

- refrain from using gender-specific language (referring to nurses only as “she”)

- control classroom dynamics to make sure that all students have a chance to speak up and be heard

- don’t assume that male students are more comfortable with some things (e.g., taking off their shirt for a simulation) or less so with others (e.g., providing assistance to a labouring woman)

If nursing schools in Canada can find a way to bring up male enrollment in their programs, it just may stem the looming crisis in nursing.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on nursing schools in Canada.
 
Are you tired of working for other people? Do you keep being left behind when promotion time rolls around? Maybe it is time to consider taking business courses. Being educated makes you more valuable, and can ensure a promising future. There is no point in losing out on a great job due to a lack of qualifications.

Business programs can range anywhere from a year to three years. There are many concentrations to choose from, including small business management, accounting, administration, financial services, advertising, marketing, insurance and tourism. Since most of us need to maintain gainful employment while studying, financial aid is available to make things a little easier. With such flexibility being extended to potential students, it is difficult to find a reason not to enroll in a school of higher education, especially if you are lacking credentials.

Properly prepared

With the economy in the state that it is today, it is becoming more and more difficult to depend on secure employment. Often, it is out of your control. Having the proper certification can improve your chances when it comes time to make workforce cuts. Being sufficiently qualified is one of the best ways to ensure consistent and rewarding employment. It will also provide you, as an employee, with a significant amount of value. This is essential in the competitive business workforce that exists today.

Ready for the real-world

Despite the academic environment they are provided in, business courses don’t only cover the scholarly sides of things. In addition to teaching you how to create a comprehensive business plan, they also prepare you for real world employment. Programs offer up the opportunity to network and meet other people in your fields of interest, through discussions and workshops. Professors are available for one on one consultations in order to ensure that everybody is learning (and understanding) at the same pace. There’s much that you can learn by going to school, but it is also equally important for you to be prepared for employment in an everyday work environment. The right business education can help you do that.

Foot in the door

Although not for everyone, some business programs can lead to eventual entrepreneurship. Every day, more and more people are starting their own small businesses, and it’s a lot easier than you think. Having your own business is also one of the best ways to ensure consistent employment, regardless of the state of the economy. In addition to job security, what’s better than owning your own business?

Whether you are just starting out, an already seasoned member of the business world, or an individual looking to start a small business, the right qualifications can carry you a long way. Certification on a resume is a necessity today – without the proper education, you will be sure to encounter barriers. Enrolling in a school of business is one of the best ways to ensure that you get noticed for the right reasons.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on enrolling into a school of business.