Nursing jobs have been considered the most in demand jobs since the 1990s. Every year, more and more students are attracted to take up nursing as their course since there is a considerable shortage of trained nursing professionals and there is a guaranteed high pay for this profession. That is why all of those who become registered nurses have become very proud of themselves as they surpassed the rigid training and studying they have experienced. If you are a nursing graduate, you can be rest assured that there are a lot of job opportunities waiting for you. For you to know more about it, here are the different kinds of nurses with different job specifications.
Registered nursing jobs – Before you become a registered nurse (RN), you must first earn a degree in nursing, that is BS Nursing, and then pass the licensure exam. Registered nurses take care of patients, providing them with adequate treatment, and informing them about their diseases. An RN is also responsible for recording all the medical histories of the patient after several medications and in conducting medical diagnostic tests.
Being an eligible RN can give you much more opportunities. It could be your stepping stone to become a forensic nurse, a legal nurse, and other nursing career paths.
Licensed practice nurse (LPN) jobs – You can become a licensed practical nurse by attending vocational schools or college for one year. Also known as Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), LPNs handle patients with wounds and disabilities as indicated by the physician and registered nurses. Just like RNs, there are many career opportunities in store for LPNs like home health care.
Either you are an RN or an LPN, there’s much more opportunities ahead of you, such as being a:
Legal nurse – Mind you, not only lawyers study state laws and constitutional provisions, nurses also do. Nurses are not only restricted to hospitals and medical sciences, they can also study law and become a legal nurse or consultant for attorneys, physicians, as well as clients. Legal nurses are highly in demand in law firms, hospital risk management sections and even other health care or legal-related industries. This field is new in nursing profession since it entails the hybrid of different areas such as nursing studies, consulting, and legal profession.
Home health care nurse – Switching to a more traditional role of nurses, working in home health care would require nurses to assist the injured and sick people, elderly, and recovering persons who preferred to stay in the comfort of their own home than being confined in a health care facility. Home health care nurses provide care to their patients through preparing meals, providing emotional comfort, measuring respiration rate, temperature, and pulse rate, and giving bedside care. Being in this job can give you a high-paying salary, as high as $35,000, but of course you need first to be a licensed practice nurse.
Forensic nurse – Assisting with investigation of crimes like homicide, sexual abuse, accidents, etc., being a forensic nurse proves to be a flexible nursing profession. As the name implies, forensic nurses are responsible for carrying on forensic testing and procedures. They can also testify to the court revealing the result of his investigation. They can also study law and be involved in law enforcement measures and criminal cases.
You must first earn an RN certification and BSN degree before you can embark on this kind of law profession. Just like being a legal nurse, a forensic nurse has an edge to traditional nurses since they can participate in law implementation and court ruling.
If you’re now planning to take up nursing as your career path, you can be certain that you will not regret it for there’s a great deal of opportunities available for you.
What is a Certified Nursing Assistant?
Certified Nursing Assistant
The primary responsibility of a certified nursing assistant (CNA) just like a registered nurse but in a lesser degree, is to provide aid and quality care to patients, doctor, nurses, and other colleagues in the health care system. Their tasks include giving hygienic needs of patients, assisting in surgical operations, changing dressings, giving proper medication to the patients, and providing emotional needs. CNA can be synonymous to a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) but their difference lies in the location where they work, that is either in federal or state units.
Qualifications
Certified nursing assistants undergo proper training and examinations before they could practice their profession. They should be skilled, trained, and fully familiarized with the necessary procedure and protocol regarding appropriate patient care. Technically, they should be first registered by the State Licensing Board before they could become CNAs. Usually, they are responsible for providing comfort and counsel to patients and their family members, much lighter task than what RNs do, but they should still be taught and trained on how to respond to critical situations such as emergencies.
Training
To become a CNA, you must have at least 75 hours regular study, wherein 16 hours is allotted to clinical work, while the remaining hours must be undertaken in a monitored and controlled setting. The hours of training could be extreme but you’ll see that it’s all worth it. After the training, a two-part exam is also needed to become a CNA.
Exam and background check
A written exam which is based on clinical expertise would be given to prospective employees. Some of the questions are not derived from books and other study-based materials but are still rational. Once the examination process is complete and all of the passing scores are obtained, a background check will be carried out on prospective employees. Doing so does not mean being rude but is only necessary to remove incompetent candidates. However, some health care facilities immediately give contract, training and employment to prospective employees who graduated and passed the qualifying exam.
Being a nursing assistant does not mean being inferior and having a disreputable job, although it may not be a long term and permanent career. But remember, as long as you rightfully passed all the qualifications and training, you should be proud of being a CNA. In fact, it can be your launching pad to become a registered or licensed nurse.
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