How to Write a Business Plan

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Your business plan and marketing strategy are vital documents when growing an established business, branching out into a new area, or being an entrepreneur starting something entirely new. A good business plan serves multiple purposes, helping you get where you want to go—and potentially leading to financing. Knowing how to write a business plan and an effective executive summary sets you up for success.

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a formal document that lays out your company aims, describes how you will achieve those goals, explains the context of the business, and details the resources you will need.

Why is a business plan important? It gives you a roadmap with benchmarks for navigating through the challenges of starting a business. It gives your team clarity and keeps them aligned. It can also help you secure funding from upper management in your corporation, investors, or people willing to lend you money by conveying your vision, risks, and viability to earn a profit.

What Is a Lean Startup Business Plan?

Before explaining how to write a business plan and all its sections, you should decide what kind of plan you need. A traditional business plan is detailed and includes much thinking and research. A lean startup plan is an overview of the essentials—possibly as short as a single page. It outlines the value you will provide, the resources needed, and the steps to take.

Launch your career with a Bachelor of Science in Business from Excelsior University.

8 Steps to Writing a Business Plan

The structure of your business plan will depend on your ideas and its purpose. That said, the essential components include:

Executive Summary

Although this section appears first, it is the last section to write. It’s an overview of your plan that concisely encapsulates the key points from the sections below. Write it so the reader can walk away with the gist of your plan without having to read anything else. But also write it to generate interest in further exploration.

Company Description

Describe the premise for your business and the value proposition. Present your vision, mission, and goals, along with a synopsis of what you’ll offer.

Market Analysis

This section provides context for your business, including why it’s needed, the current structure of the industry, important trends, who your competitors are, along with their strengths and weaknesses, and what needs are not being met.

Description of Products and Services

Go deep in describing the products and services you’ll bring to the market. Don’t just describe features. Discuss the benefits and the competitive advantages that your products and services will have.

Marketing Strategy and Sales Plan

This is where the rubber meets the road. As great as your products and services may be, you can’t make money if no one knows about them, wants them, or buys them. You need a marketing strategy and details about how you’ll generate revenue. Without a marketing strategy and a plan to sell, you don’t have a business plan—you simply have a dream.

Budget and Financial Projections

This section is as important as the marketing strategy. What will it cost to operate your business? How much money do you plan to bring in, and when? Include an income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet. It helps to be pessimistic about costs. Everything costs more than you expect. Be pessimistic about income. Making money is hard.

Organization and Management Structure

You need to build your team. What roles are necessary in your organization? Whom will you be starting with? Why are they so valuable to your coming success? This section should outline the initial structure of your organization and include resumes for key team members. It should also project how your structure will evolve with success and growth.

Action Plan

Lay out the detailed steps you’re going to take to put your business into operation. Think through each phase, from starting out to growing. The more detail you put into this section, the better. Consider if-then options that show you have thought through the realities of things never quite going to plan and that you’re flexible in adapting to challenges and opportunities.

How to Do More in Business

Learning how to write a business plan is an essential entrepreneurial, strategic, and management skill. When you earn your Bachelor of Science in Business at Excelsior University, you learn more than just business theory. You gain practical skills, from strategy to data analysis, that will power your success from the start of your career through each successive rung up the ladder. With the broad educational foundation you receive at Excelsior, you’ll be able to plan for more than just a business—you’ll be planning for your career.

Myths About Nuclear Energy—Debunked

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

Nuclear energy generates nearly a fifth of U.S. electricity, and there are currently 94 nuclear power plants in 28 states. But despite quietly and safely generating clean, affordable power for decades, nuclear energy has an image problem.

Since the development of the atomic bomb at the end of World War II, the threat of nuclear warfare has left many Americans with a significant distrust of all things nuclear. It was also during the postwar period that “nuclear” and “radioactive” started to appear in comic books, movies, and popular culture as the go-to shorthand for dangerous substances with the ability to mutate and destroy, and nuclear energy has had a hard time shaking the association.

High-profile real-life disasters like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima Daiichi haven’t helped, but beyond the big stories, nuclear power is far safer than fossil fuel energy sources. Energy produced by coal and brown coal (lignite), for instance, has a combined mortality rate nearly 2,000 times that of nuclear energy! That’s not to say that radiation isn’t dangerous. When there is a failure at a plant, the results can be extensive and enduring. But nuclear energy’s relationship with other energy sources is a bit like air travel’s to driving a car—one inspires exponentially more fear than the other while being exponentially safer.

7 Myths About Nuclear Energy

Even with the everyday uses of nuclear technology that improve our lives, misconceptions still persist. Here are the facts setting the record straight on seven of the most common myths about nuclear energy.

Nuclear Energy Myth 1: Nuclear Energy Is Dirty

Nuclear power is considered a “clean” energy source because it produces almost no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, making it a carbon-neutral option for electricity generation compared to fossil fuels. The “exhaust” you see rising from the curved towers of a plant is actually just water vapor used for cooling.

Nuclear Energy Myth 2: Nuclear Plants Emit Dangerous Levels of Radiation

Power plants do not emit more radiation than you receive naturally each year from the sun. Strict nuclear safety protocols mean that most of a plant’s radiation is blocked by the specifically designed steel and concrete structures.

Energize your career with a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Excelsior University.

Nuclear Energy Myth 3: Nuclear Reactors Are the Same as Atomic Bombs

There is nothing inherently explosive about nuclear material or in the generation of nuclear energy, and plants can’t explode like nuclear bombs. Nuclear weapons are created with very different materials and processes. In the case of the more famous accidents, toxic material was released into the environment by a fire in the plant and not an explosion.

Nuclear Energy Myth 4: Nuclear Waste Is Dangerous Forever

Nuclear waste is hazardous, but not as much of it is dangerous for as long as you might think. Nuclear material has a finite toxic half-life, and only a very small percentage is radioactive enough to need isolated underground storage for thousands of years. The rest is stable enough to be disposed of near ground level, and its toxicity decays to safe levels within decades.

Nuclear Energy Myth 5: Nuclear Plants Create Mountains of Waste

The Argonne National Laboratory, an energy, science, and engineering research center operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, states that the used nuclear fuel generated by every nuclear plant in the past 50 years would only be enough to fill a football field to a depth of less than 10 yards. About 96% of this ​waste is also recyclable.

Nuclear Energy Myth 6: Nuclear Plants Are Unreliable

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, nuclear has the highest capacity factor of any other energy source, with plants being able to produce maximum power more than 92% of the time during the year. This means that nuclear energy is nearly twice as reliable as natural gas and coal, and almost 3 times more reliable than wind and solar power.

Nuclear Energy Myth 7: Glowing Green Ooze Fuels Nuclear Power Plants

Try not to be too disappointed that the truth about nuclear fuel is way more boring. Nuclear fuel is made from uranium oxide that’s pressed into pellets about the size of pencil erasers. The pellets are loaded into tubes and bundled together into grey metal rods that look the same going into the reactor as they do coming out.

In the early 1900s, it was discovered that mixing the nuclear element radium with a variety of materials could make everything from watch faces to glass dishes glow green in the dark, which is probably how the color became associated with radioactivity. It’s important to note that radium is extremely toxic and that it’s not an element used in nuclear power production!

Is a Career in Nuclear Energy Right for You?

A career in nuclear energy might be right for you if you have a strong interest in chemistry, technology, and complex systems; are comfortable working in a highly regulated environment; and are passionate about contributing to a sustainable energy future. It’s also an excellent career path for someone with military experience as a Navy Nuke.

Excelsior University’s BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET and opens up new opportunities for nuclear professionals, with experienced faculty and industry-standard training simulators. If nuclear technology has you feeling energized, learn more about what you can do with an NET degree and get started today.

Career Spotlight: Circuit Design Engineer

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Modern electronic circuits are complex devices that are the heart and soul of digital instruments. A well-designed electronic circuit is central to the function of the simplest gadget and the most complex supercomputer. Electronic circuits include resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors, and diodes working together to control the flow of an electrical current that powers electronics. Circuit design engineers optimize how these pieces work together to perform to specified standards or to optimize their function.

What Does a Circuit Design Engineer Do?

In a career as an electronic circuit designer, you’d be building the essential elements that power electronic devices. Creating functional electronic circuits would be your core responsibility. Your role specifically would be to:

  • Develop the circuit concept according to the parameters related to its intended use and performance requirements.
  • Design the circuit, draw out the schematic, and outline the various interactions it will have to power electronics and component functions.
  • Run SPICE simulations, short for simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis, virtual tests to identify issues prior to creating the physical circuit.
  • Supervise the creation of prototypes to test in the real world.
  • Oversee and quality-test full-scale electronic circuit manufacturing and troubleshoot issues as they arise.
  • Optimize existing circuits with a continuous improvement mindset to boost reliability, efficiency, and performance.
  • Collaborate with device designers to understand how electronic circuits integrate and function to inspire future concepts and designs.

Skills and Knowledge Circuit Designers Need

Success in this role requires that you have a deep understanding of electronic theory and that your knowledge is current regarding technological innovations. Continuous learning is a necessity in this role—you can’t rest on your existing knowledge because this field is undergoing incredibly fast change. You’ll also need to mix curiosity and creativity with your tech prowess. Understanding and working with the latest tools, like current iterations of SPICE simulations, is also critical.

Skills needed include:

  • Being able to analyze and interpret schematics and complex data.
  • Having strong attention to detail and being precise in conceiving, designing, testing, and perfecting circuits.
  • Affinity for finding out where the problems are and how to solve them.
  • Capacity for acquiring and using technical knowledge and the curiosity and motivation to engage in lifelong learning.

If you enjoy figuring out how things work and, more importantly, how to make things work better, you will enjoy this career.

Charge up your career with a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from Excelsior University.

How Much Can You Make?

The median pay for an electrical engineer in 2023 was $109,010 a year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the role is expected to grow by 9% through 2033, much faster than average.

Circuit designers, as a specialty subset of the electronic engineering field, can potentially earn much more money. ZipRecruiter puts the average annual salary at $212,797 nationally.

How to Become a Circuit Design Engineer

To get started in this career, you need to earn a relevant degree that focuses on circuit theory and provides hands-on experience. It is also recommended that you choose a program that’s accredited by ABET.

At Excelsior University, you get practical experience as part of the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology program. The broad educational foundation you gain from the carefully designed curriculum prepares you for a wide array of rewarding jobs in the field. And the career office is invaluable in helping you find internships and other opportunities that add value to your resume. It should also be noted that, because the field is always evolving, you’ll want to invest in ongoing learning and additional certifications.

Becoming a circuit design engineer is just one of the numerous jobs you can get with an EET degree. Explore the BS in Electrical Engineering Technology program page in depth to see the real value it provides as a foundation for your career in this endlessly fascinating, fast-changing, and well-paid field.

Is It Time for a Career Change?

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

You just reached 10 years at your job. It’s a big milestone. But you don’t feel like celebrating. In fact, you don’t even know if you want to spend another 10 years at the same place of work. You just feel like the job doesn’t fit you anymore. But is it the right time to make a decision as momentous as changing careers?

Whether you feel stuck in a job that no longer excites you, crave new challenges, or seek better work-life balance, it’s important to recognize the right time to change paths, no matter how long you’ve been at your workplace. It isn’t just about switching roles; it’s about making sure your work aligns with your passions, skills, and goals.

7 Telltale Signs You Need a New Career

There are a lot of signs that could be telling you that you’re ready to switch careers. Some of them might be nagging at you more than others.

1. The pay and benefits don’t meet your needs.

Your paycheck is important. So, when you experience a pay cut or don’t get that raise, it hurts. In 2022, low pay was the No. 1 reason why people left their jobs. If your pay isn’t up to par, consider ways to convince management to spend more on keeping you.

2. You don’t feel recognized or appreciated.

If you work hard and produce excellent results but are constantly overlooked for raises, promotions, and leadership opportunities, it might be time to move on from your current role. It doesn’t just make you feel invisible; it makes you feel underappreciated. And in the workplace and everyday life, feeling valued is critically important.

3. You’re unmotivated and disengaged.

Maybe you just aren’t interested in sharing your ideas anymore. It could be because your ideas have been shot down in the past. And maybe you’re just going through the motions of doing your everyday tasks. It might be time to find a job that motivates you more.

4. You’re in a toxic work environment.

If your workplace is lousy with hostile co-workers or miscommunication, but short on management transparency or a general sense of trust, you’re probably in a toxic work environment. This can make working difficult and stressful and may lead to you dreading going to work every day.

5. Your work-life balance is, well, imbalanced.

Good work-life balance is essential to many people. If your current job puts too much pressure on you and doesn’t let you have much of a personal life or time away from the office, it might be time to walk.

6. You’re burned out.

Stress is normal in any workplace, but job burnout isn’t. If you feel constantly burned out, it could be time to leave your current place of employment. Physical illness, mental problems, emotional issues, and more are all indicators that your current job has you overworked and overstressed.

7. Your values don’t fit with the organization’s values.

It’s important that your values and ethics match your organization’s. For example, if you don’t like to tell people where you work because they aren’t environmentally ethical, but you are, it might be time to look for a new job.

Open the door to your next career with a degree from Excelsior University.

How to Begin Your Next Career Journey

If you think it’s time for a career change, consider what you need to do to land your next job. Research what career aligns best with your goals and ambitions. It might also be time to explore degrees to pursue in order to grow your skills and expand your knowledge. For instance, a master’s degree can significantly improve your chances for career advancement, leadership opportunities, financial growth, and more.

Excelsior University has many programs at the associate, bachelor’s, and graduate levels that can help boost your skills and industry knowledge so you can make your mark in your next career. And if you’re not ready to take the leap from your current (dissatisfying) role, Excelsior’s online courses offer you the flexibility to pursue new educational opportunities while keeping up a full-time work schedule.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to your current job and change careers, consider expanding your knowledge with a degree from Excelsior. Talk to an admissions counselor to get started on your path toward a more rewarding career.

What Is CEH Certification?

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Earning your Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential gives you a cybersecurity certification that is internationally recognized and in high demand. The process of obtaining this credential gives you the skills to identify system vulnerabilities, conduct penetration testing, and understand how malicious hackers attack. Here’s an overview of CEH certification and the career paths it opens.

What Is Ethical Hacking?

Ethical hacking mirrors the techniques and tactics that malicious hackers use to break in, steal, or destroy systems and information. As an ethical hacker, your goal is to uncover, understand, and ultimately fix vulnerabilities and neutralize threats. You will evaluate the effectiveness of your countermeasures with penetration testing and will scan networks while continuously monitoring threats. Particularly challenging are the advanced persistent threats that infect systems and remain undetected for extended periods, quietly executing their attacks.

As a CEH, you will be on the front lines in thwarting attacks and neutralizing threats. Ethical hackers are motivated by a desire to protect systems and data; malicious hackers have criminal intent.

What Is the Certified Ethical Hacker Certification?

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification validates your skills and expertise in counteracting malicious hackers, making you a valuable resource for organizations wanting to strengthen their defenses against cybercriminals. You earn the certification by passing the CEH exam.

This credential enjoys significant support from government organizations at the forefront of fighting cybercriminals, from individual hackers to state-sponsored threat actors. The Department of Defense (DoD), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Committee on National Security Systems advising the intelligence community are examples of the entities that recognize this certification.

IT and cybersecurity professionals can advance their careers and boost their salaries by earning credentials like the CEH. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts earned a median annual salary of $120,360, and as of February 2025, per ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for ethical hackers, in particular, was $135,269 nationally.

Start your exciting career in ethical hacking with a BS in Cybersecurity from Excelsior University.

What You’ll Learn in a CEH Program

  • How to hack systems, networks, cloud servers, mobile devices, and Internet of Things and operational technology (OT) applications
  • Tools and techniques such as sniffers, denial of service, SQL injections, phishing and other social engineering, evading an intrusion detection system (IDS), firewalls, and honeypots
  • Scanning, cryptography, penetration testing, and vulnerability analysis
  • AI-powered cybersecurity, including how malicious hackers use artificial intelligence, automating AI for monitoring, and AI reporting that uncovers patterns and details of attacks

How to Become a Certified Ethical Hacker

The typical CEH process involves getting approved training that puts you in the hacker mindset and provides you with critical knowledge and skills. The EC-Council is vendor-neutral when it comes to training courses. In fact, you don’t need to have CEH training to take the exam. But you do need two years of experience and an educational background in information security, demonstrated by an eligibility application, when signing up for the exam.

The skills and knowledge you need to pass the CEH exam and to thrive in the field are part of the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity offered at Excelsior University, designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency. The degree prepares you for a rewarding career in cyber defense, whether in the corporate world, law enforcement, or government agencies like the U.S. Cyber Command. And pairing a Certified Ethical Hacker credential with your bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity can set you up for the most rewarding roles with a higher salary potential.

How to Make More Money as a Nurse

Posted on by Jenna Kerwin

Your passion is caring for others. You have always wanted to help others recover from their afflictions while providing the best possible bedside manner. Nursing is your calling.

But you’ve heard that becoming a nurse won’t make you a lot of money. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses was $86,070 as of May 2023, with the lowest 10% only making $63,720. And licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses made less at a median annual salary of $59,730.

So, what do you do if the wages you’re earning just aren’t cutting it? Don’t worry! Here’s how you can still land your dream job as a nurse and make some extra money.

Make an impact in health care with a nursing degree from Excelsior University.

5 Ways to Earn More as a Nurse

You’ve got your heart set on becoming a nurse but need to learn how you can make extra money doing it. No problem. There are plenty of ways you can increase your salary potential as a nurse.

Optimize Your Schedule

An easy way to increase your nursing salary without putting too much stress on yourself is to optimize your schedule. Many workplaces offer extra pay for working the less desirable night, weekend, and holiday shifts. According to Forbes, the difference in earnings on these shifts can range from 10% to 15%! For instance, you could switch a couple of your eight-hour shifts for 12-hour shifts or take a night shift in addition to a day shift. The important thing to remember here is that you need to plan accordingly so you don’t burn yourself out.

Become a Travel Nurse

Have you ever considered becoming a nurse who fills in wherever there are staffing shortages at hospitals, clinics, outpatient facilities, and more? You could become a travel nurse and boost your salary earnings. Being a travel nurse requires you to move to various locations, be ready to respond to crises or rapid response assignments, or fill in when there are labor disputes.

Because of the immediate need in these kinds of situations, travel nurses can expect lucrative wages, not to mention the occasional bonus pay. According to ZipRecruiter, as of February 2025, travel nurses made an average annual salary of $101,132. Travel nursing is an excellent choice if you love to explore new places and are looking to bump up your earnings.

Sign Up to Be a Nurse Preceptor

If you’re interested in earning additional compensation as well as developing your leadership skills, becoming a nurse preceptor could be right for you. Preceptors mentor and train new nurses by guiding them through clinical procedures and techniques and the workplace environment. Many workplaces offer increased salary for this added responsibility, and compensation can vary based on your location, employer, and experience.

Specialize

Another good way to boost your salary is by choosing a specialty in nursing. Certain fields can offer a substantial increase in pay. For instance, nurses who work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or specialize in pain management can expect to earn more than the average RN. And advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) typically make even more: Certified registered nurse anesthetists, neonatal nurse practitioners, critical care nurse practitioners, oncology and hematology nurse practitioners, and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are among the highest-paying nursing specialties because of the complexity of knowledge, responsibility, and patient care they require. In addition to higher pay, choosing a specialty that aligns with your interests and career goals can be rewarding and satisfying.

Get an Advanced Nursing Degree

If you’re interested in specializing in a certain field, it’s important that you pursue the appropriate education. Many nursing specialties require advanced degrees—at least a bachelor’s degree, but often a master’s degree or doctorate. Earning one of these higher degrees can greatly boost your nursing salary and improve your career outlook.

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing

A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can improve your career opportunities because it offers more education. When comparing a BSN versus an RN, it should be noted that a nurse with a bachelor’s degree can earn significantly more than a nurse with just an associate degree. With a bachelor’s, you can develop a broader skill set and grow your nursing knowledge, earn special certifications, and apply for leadership positions. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing can give you a competitive edge in the job market, or you could pursue more advanced degrees.

Graduate Degrees in Nursing

Earning an even higher degree in nursing can increase your salary potential even more and set you on the track for executive leadership positions in the field. A Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice can prepare you for advanced careers like nurse practitioner, nursing informatics specialist, clinical nurse specialist, and administrative and academic positions like nurse educator or nurse manager. These positions lend themselves to higher salaries and opportunities to open independent practices.

If you have your heart set on becoming a nurse but have heard negative things about salary, don’t give up your career goal. There are plenty of options you can pursue to make sure you land your dream job of becoming a nurse while also being able to earn enough to meet your financial needs. Whether you want to become a travel nurse, specialize in a particular nursing niche, train others, or get an advanced degree, remember that having the right education will help open more career opportunities, landing you the perfect job with the right pay.

What Is an Executive MBA?

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

If career advancement is one of your long-term goals, there’s a good chance that earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is also on your list. The MBA is a benchmark for business professionals, and it signals you’re serious about building the high-level skills effective managers need.

MBA programs can be found in university business departments across the world, and the specific program you choose depends on your interests and schedule, but an increasingly popular option for professionals in more senior positions is the executive MBA (EMBA.) The first executive MBA program launched at the University of Chicago in 1943 with an aim to strengthen American business in an uncertain world still in the midst of World War II. Unique for the time, the majority of the first 52-student cohort were in their 40s and 50s. They had decades of work experience but little formal business education. Meeting part time, two nights a week, students were able to learn together and make valuable connections while balancing careers in busy midcentury Chicago industry.

Today’s EMBA programs have the same basic mission: to provide high-level business education to experienced adult students seeking to enhance their leadership and management skills while continuing to contribute to their companies and communities.

EMBA vs. MBA

Whether you enroll in a traditional or executive program, the degree you’ll receive will still be a Master of Business Administration. One way of learning is not “better” than the other. The real difference between the programs is the curriculum focus and student experience.

Traditional MBAs are often designed for professionals with a shorter work history to grow or change their careers. Courses have an emphasis on practical skills in marketing, finance, and resource management. Executive MBAs are geared toward those already in management positions aiming for higher levels of leadership. Excelsior University’s program features coursework focusing on strategy, sustainability, and change management. EMBA programs are typically run on a condensed schedule to accommodate working professionals, with classes typically held on weekends, on evenings, or in a hybrid format (online and in person).

Transform your career in a year with Excelsior University’s Executive MBA program.

What Is the EMBA Program at Excelsior University Like?

If you’re considering an EMBA, it’s essential to research different programs, compare their curricula and faculty, and determine which one best aligns with your aspirations. Excelsior University’s Executive MBA program has been designed so working adults can forge new paths in their careers and grow their networking potential, all while working full time.

Intensive 12-Month Program

Because executives don’t have time to waste, Excelsior’s program is an intense but effective 12 months with a curriculum that includes courses like Strategy and Entrepreneurial Innovation, Strategic Brand Marketing, Systems and Sustainability, and Resilient Leadership and Organizational Behavior.

Designed for Experienced Professionals

Excelsior’s Executive MBA program advances past business basics. The curriculum is ideal for seasoned professionals who are prepared for immersive experiences that challenge and strengthen their management style and strategic thinking skills.

Combination of Online Learning and In-Person Residencies

Unlike Excelsior’s online MBA program, the hybrid format of Excelsior’s EMBA balances the convenience of interactive online courses with in-person residencies. In each of three major U.S cities, you’ll have the chance to tackle hands-on projects with industry partners, as well as with your fellow cohort students, that hone your talents in strategy, innovation, sustainability, and more.

How to Get Started

If you thrive on challenge, connection, and personal growth, then you’ve reached the level in your career where you’re ready to invest in your leadership skills with an EMBA. Excelsior University’s impactful hybrid program could be right for you, and our team makes it easy to get started in our next program cohort. Read more about the program details and how to apply today.

Nursing Informatics vs. Clinical Nursing: What’s the Difference

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Careers in nursing offer multiple paths and areas of focus. For instance, take nursing informatics vs. clinical nursing. Both are concerned with patient care, yet they deal with distinctly different aspects of it.

Nursing Informatics: The Intersection of Technical and Clinical

Health care is becoming more data-driven, and the need for people with a combined background of patient care and information management is exploding. You can play a key role in putting health care technology to work for patients and the organizations caring for them.

In nursing informatics, you’ll support all the stakeholders involved with the health of a patient. That starts with providing good, clear information to patients themselves and extends to the medical care team and on to facilities and operations professionals, too.

Harness data to improve patient care with an MS in Nursing Informatics from Excelsior University.

How Is Clinical Nursing Different from Nursing Informatics?

As a clinical nurse, you apply your medical knowledge and patient care skills in hands-on roles assessing patient conditions, diagnosing, and treating conditions in hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices. Your focus is on people.

In nursing informatics, your focus is on data and IT systems. You spend your time on information technology integration, data management, and the maintenance and analysis of electronic health records (EHRs). You contribute to decision support, both for the clinical and the business operations side of health care. You may work at clinical sites but could also work in a traditional office setting for consultants and informatics specialty companies.

Do nurse informaticists care for patients?

Working in nursing informatics, you typically won’t care directly for patients. Instead, you’ll apply your medical knowledge to analyzing data and building systems that help others uncover insights in data. Maintaining complete and accurate health records is part of the role, as is tracking pharmaceuticals, clinical outcomes, and other kinds of health data. Although you won’t care for patients directly, your work is vital to improving patient outcomes.

Do you need to be an RN to be a nurse informaticist?

Getting a start in a nursing informatics career typically requires that you be an RN. Nursing expertise helps you to use health care technology to its fullest and to effectively function as a liaison between the technical and the clinical. However, many organizations may require additional education, like a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a master’s degree.

Can you work from home as a nurse informaticist?

Nursing informatics is one of the few areas in nursing where working remotely and from home is possible.  Whether you work for a health care institution like a hospital, a data consulting company, or a software developer, your work is largely done on a computer. You can work anyplace you can get a secure and reliable connection to data and IT systems.

Which Degree Is Right for Your Career Goals?

The place to start your career is to earn your nursing degree. Excelsior’s associate degree and bachelor’s degree program in nursing prepare you to pass the NCLEX-RN exam, which is necessary for getting licensed as an RN.

You may then wish to explore multiple career paths in nursing to make sure you understand your options to find the right fit for you. If you think you may be interested in becoming a specialist in nursing informatics, you will likely need a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and, if you want to advance, a specialized graduate degree.

The Master of Science in Nursing Informatics at Excelsior offers a robust curriculum that prepares you to make the best use of data in addressing health care challenges, improving patient care, and optimizing operations. The program gives you the right blend of advanced nursing science, data science, and information technology expertise for exciting roles in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, research laboratories, insurance agencies, consulting companies, and more.

Working in nursing informatics is the ideal career for you if you love technology and have a strong interest in life sciences and helping people. Technology in the field of health care is evolving fast, opening well-paying opportunities at the beginning of your career and chances to grow as you progress.

Level Up Your Management Skills with Six Sigma

Posted on by Caitlin Abram

What do Intel, PepsiCo, and Volvo have in common? They all have a not-so-secret weapon helping them manage production and keep customers happy: Six Sigma, a data-driven methodology used to improve systems and reduce defects.

From computer processors to beverage manufacturing, organizations are constantly striving for the smallest margins of error in their processes to meet high levels of competition and satisfy customers accustomed to consistent products delivered fast. Six Sigma is not only relied on by some of the world’s biggest manufacturers but also a philosophy of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction you can use to dramatically enhance your management skills, no matter your industry.

What Is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma can get complicated quickly, but at its core, it is a method for applying statistical analysis to manufacturing processes to remove variation and eliminate error. It operates on the idea that by turning work into data, we can track, measure, and ultimately control the output.

The techniques and tools that form the method were developed in the 1980s by Motorola engineer Bill Smith as a proposal to improve the quality of the company’s products. The system gained even greater prominence in the 1990s when Jack Welch, then CEO of General Electric, championed Six Sigma as one of the key tools he used to overhaul business operations and achieve record growth for the company.

Why Is It Called Six Sigma?

The name “Six Sigma” comes from the bell curve in statistics, where one sigma represents one standard deviation from the mean. When a process reaches six sigma, that means there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The method was developed for large-scale manufacturing processes, and it’s in those industries where you’ll find it most used, but the principles can also be applied to find continuous improvement and efficiency in other areas of an organization’s processes, to identify trends, to predict outcomes, and to make informed decisions that drive positive change.

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How Is Lean Six Sigma Different?

Six Sigma seeks to minimize errors and inconsistencies during production, whereas Lean Six Sigma looks to streamline or “lean out” processes throughout an entire workflow. The traditional method defines waste as defective products and uses statistical analysis to drive improvements. In Lean Six Sigma, waste is defined more broadly as any activity that doesn’t benefit the customer and can include wasted time, effort, or materials. The tools for improvement in Lean rely less on numerical data and more on process visualizations like flow charts and value maps.

What Are the Steps of Six Sigma?

Six Sigma relies on a structured approach to process improvement involving two sets of five key phases that practitioners refer to by their initialisms, DMAIC and DMADV. Which set you use depends on what type of process you’re trying to impact.

DMAIC

Geared toward existing processes, DMAIC stands for “define,” “measure,” “analyze,” “improve,” and “control.” Each phase is designed to produce data that is actionable in the next step.

Define
Identify the problem and process to be improved. Then, create project goals, a project charter, a process map, and the metrics by which you’ll measure success.

Measure
Gather data and measure key performance indicators related to the process.

Analyze
Examine the data to identify the root causes of the problem. Use process data for hypothesis testing, visualization, and validation.

Improve
Generate a solution and create new process maps for improvements. Implement a pilot program, continue measurements, and adjust as needed.

Control
Monitor the improved process to ensure that continuous improvement is sustained over time. Document and standardize changes and then launch a plan of training and communication on new processes for stakeholders across the organization.

DMADV

DMADV shares its first three steps with DMAIC, but they are applied slightly differently. The last two steps, “design” and “verify,” are specifically tailored to creating new processes.

Define
Identify the customer’s needs, goals, and success metrics of the new product.

Measure
Establish parameters for the product and process that are measurable, allowing data to be collected and compared with the specified requirements.

Analyze
Study the proposed specifications, making changes if necessary, to proactively limit future issues and errors.

Design
Using information gathered during analysis, design the complete process and create prototypes.

Verify
Ensure that the final product meets the customer’s requirements and that the process design is viable, sustainable, and error-free under real-world conditions.

DMAIC vs. DMADV

steps for continuous improvement

 

DMAIC is used to improve a process that already exists but is producing an unacceptable number of errors. For example, say you oversee a factory that produces cars, but customers complain that the side mirrors keep falling off. DMAIC can help pinpoint where in the production line the mirrors become faulty, why the fault is occurring, and then what changes need to be made in the process to correct it.

DMADV is used to create completely new processes that meet the customer’s needs and specifications. Now, imagine that your car factory got the order to pivot production and manufacture toasters instead. The steps of DMADV address the process of designing, testing, and implementing the new systems needed to make the switch.

Where Can You Learn About Six Sigma?

If you’re interested in learning more about Six Sigma, there are an abundance of training and certification programs offered online and in person. Certification levels are named after colored belts, much like martial arts, and go from a white belt, where you learn the fundamentals, to a master black belt that designates you have the experience needed to implement Six Sigma projects at an enterprise level and coach others in the method across teams.

By incorporating these principles and methodologies into their management style, leaders can become more effective, efficient, and confident in their decision-making and overall leadership. But Six Sigma is only a tool, and it’s at its most impactful when wielded by those with the comprehensive business education to know how and where to use it. Excelsior offers a bachelor’s degree in business as well as an online MBA program and a hybrid Executive MBA program designed to give you a foundation of analytical skills and leadership ability that complements Sig Sigma training and earns you a seat at the table when important decisions are being made.

 

Cognitive Skills Remain Important in Age of AI

Posted on by David Schejbal

In an interview with Presidents Forum, Excelsior University president David Schejbal discussed the importance of higher education in developing the critical thinking and cognitive abilities of students as they prepare to join the workforce or advance in their careers. President Schejbal speaks on the “soft skills” that higher education imparts and how they will remain essential even as AI and technical abilities gain prominence.

Watch the interview here.

How to Grow Your Network

Posted on by Excelsior Staff

Networking is a powerful way to start and build a rewarding career. The saying about who you know versus what you know holds true: Your personal and professional relations can open doors to opportunities, lead to strategic partnerships, provide careerlong mentorship, be a source of industry insights, and more. Creating and maintaining a professional network can power your advancement in ways that skills and knowledge alone cannot. And meaningful connections enrich your work life on a personal level, too.

10 Tips for Honing Your Networking Skills

Business networking is a skill that gets easier with practice. With these tips, you can build an effective professional network, whether you’re still in school, just entering the job market, or several years into your career.

Set Your Goals

Define what you want to achieve through networking and business relations, such as advancing your career, getting help and advice, learning about an industry, or getting job leads. Consider creating SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound to increase your likelihood of success.

Be Confident

If you’re naturally shy, business networking can seem daunting. Keep in mind that many people at business networking events are in the same shoes. Have a few introductory lines in mind and then boldly walk up and introduce yourself. Most people are delighted to be approached.

Prepare

Take a moment to learn about the speakers at conferences or networking events. See whether there’s an attendee list and identify people you most want to meet and check their LinkedIn profiles. Make a list of a few questions to ask at the event.

Attend the Right Events

Look for events that attract people from your industry and that align with your business networking goals. Conferences are great for learning about industry trends, and job fairs work best for finding your next position. If you’re selling something, trade shows open doors. Although online networking isn’t as easy and natural, virtual events are still worthwhile, and joining LinkedIn groups, particularly if you participate actively in them, can be useful.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

Your goal is to provide people with information that gives them an idea of who you are and why you’re worth knowing. And you often won’t have a lot of time to get your point across—maybe only the length of an elevator ride—so it’s helpful to have your elevator pitch ready to go whenever the opportunity presents itself. Have some ready answers for follow-up questions, too.

Make Your Business Card

Although younger people at business networking events are happy exchanging e-cards from phone to phone, old-fashioned paper business cards can still be of value. They are a physical reminder for people you meet and make it easy for them to connect with you. When you get business cards from others—physical or digital—be sure to follow up with a short email. That way, you’ll be in their address list going forward and can further business relations.

Join Relevant Organizations

Adding memberships to your professional life gives your LinkedIn profile and resume more weight, especially if you volunteer to help in some way or can provide bylined content. Most organizations host events, have active websites, and interact on LinkedIn, giving you more places to connect and potentially showcase yourself.

Be Curious and Ask Questions

Having ready questions supports the back-and-forth that makes conversations interesting. Include questions about the speakers, the event, the hosting organization, and what is going on in the industry. Asking questions of others shows that you’re interested. What’s more, if you’re shy, they focus attention on others.

Leverage Social Media

Online networking through group Zoom meetings, webinars, and question-answer sessions are ways to get your name out there. Beyond these options are social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. Actively sharing your perspective, and particularly adding to the conversations of others, will get you noticed in a good way.

Help Others

If you network purely for selfish reasons, your connections will be superficial and short-lived. Contribute, do favors, answer questions, share resources, and make helpful connections for people without any kind of quid pro quo. Being generous is intrinsically rewarding and establishes you as a person of character that people will want to know.

Transform your business career in a year with an Executive MBA from Excelsior University.

Advanced Techniques to Build Business Relationships

As you gain confidence and experience, you can add advanced techniques to furthering your business relations.

The 3 C’s

Three words beginning with “c” are the heart and soul of networking. It starts with connecting with people and forming genuine bonds with them. Communication is the key to that. Sharing generously and active listening are important. Lastly, collaboration can truly cement business relationships. When you work together with someone, you tend to get to know them on a deeper level.

Be Generous

Begin with giving, not asking for something. And never accept a favor without clear gratitude and an offer of reciprocation.

Don’t Forget the Human Touch

Show your true self. Telling compelling stories, listening, and being humble and vulnerable help people get to know and value you. Take genuine joy in helping others and opening other connections for them.

Leveraging Your Education to Build Your Personal Network

Don’t forget your alma mater when building business relationships: Higher education institutions typically provide an array of networking resources, from alumni networks to events and webinars. Indeed, one reason for continuing your education at the graduate level is to build your professional network.

For instance, networking is a key part of Excelsior’s Executive MBA program, offering three in-person residencies in three different U.S. cities, where you’ll collaborate and network with peers and industry experts. The invaluable experience of these hands-on residencies, as part of a hybrid curriculum that makes the program doable for working professionals, is a big part of what makes Excelsior’s EMBA program different from other MBA programs. And as a graduate, you’ll enjoy access to a community of nearly 200,000 Excelsior alumni worldwide.

To expand your network, gain invaluable experience, and earn a highly sought-after Master of Business Administration, consider enrolling in Excelsior’s 12-month EMBA program. You can transform your career in a year.