In a nutshell, nurses are advocates of good health. Together with other members of the medical community, they give patients proper care and attention. Although they perform a wide array of tasks, one of the most basic roles they play is to carry out healthcare instructions given to patients by their respective doctors. This covers administering prescribed medication, instructing the patient’s relatives of how to care for the patient properly, monitoring and taking vital signs, and more. Nurses also promote wellness to the community through awareness campaigns and the like.
At this time, nurses who finished a two-year RN degree can easily find employment. However¸ more and more sectors of society are pushing to have all nurses to have a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). As such, schools are now offering acceleration programs from RN to BSN and from BSN to a master’s degree (MSN). There are even some institutions who offer acceleration from RN to MSN, and MSN to PhD. These efforts were initiated to respond to the growing demand for more highly skilled nurses in the field.
The field of nursing has four basic advanced practice clinical professions which include: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Anaesthetist, Nurse Midwife, and Nurse Practitioner. All of these require a separate certification and a master’s degree.
The 50 States including the District of Columbia oblige Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to pass a licensure examination after they have finished a State-approved practical nursing program. LPNs or LVNs (Licensed Vocational Nurses) care for the sick, convalescent, disabled, and injured, under the supervision and instructions of the registered nurses and doctors.
The other roles of Licensed Practical Nurses include the following: take vital signs like body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate, give basic bedside care, administer injections and enemas, treat bedsores, give sponge baths, alcohol rubs, monitor catheters, and apply hot and cold compress. LPNs are also responsible for assisting patients in bathing, going to and from the lavatory, dressing, and the like. They also collect blood or urine samples, feed patients if they do not have a relative with them, record solid and fluid intake, and record frequency and amount of bodily excretions if necessary. In addition, they give prescription medicines, and monitor any adverse reaction of the patient to a medication if any.
Aside from hospitals, LPNs can also be found in nursing care facilities and doctors’ clinics. In senior care homes, they give bedside care, create nursing care plans, supervise nursing aides, evaluate the needs of the residents, and more. On the other hand, LPNs in clinics schedule appointments, file patient records, and do other administrative duties.
Nursing offers a wide range of career choices and specialization. Whether you choose to work in the hospital or in smaller medical facilities like clinics and senior homes, there are a wide variety of departments that you can work in. You can opt to work in padiatrics, the operating room, the OB-GYN department, be an emergency room nurse, and so much more. Nursing also provides several opportunities for growth and career advancement. Nurses who have taken their master’s degree or PhD have the chance to become department heads or supervisors. In the field of nursing, you are free to choose the career path that suits your abilities and skills.
For example, if you like giving hands-on care and take pleasure in seeing patients get well, rehabilitation and convalescent homes will give you a chance to be a part of the patient’s recuperation. Nursing jobs in rehab facilities include the following: floor nurses, nursing assistants, charge nurses, and physical/occupational therapists.
Senior care homes are also highly dependent on nurses. However, unlike before where residents of senior care facilities need round the clock care, they are now encouraged to be more independent and only require minimal supervision. Moreover, the work performed by nurses in senior homes is more specialized. For example, there are on-site nurses responsible for helping residents with their medication, give basic medical and bedside care, and work with the residents’ physicians in monitoring and evaluating their medical needs. The other advantages of working in a senior care facility include competitive compensation and having working hours that are closer to regular office hours.
Because the demand for nurses is high and is continuing to increase, these are several job openings that offer promising working hours, benefits, and working environment.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of placement agencies that hire nurses for different institutions and medical facilities. As mentioned before they offer a variety of career options. You can choose to work only a few days in a week, or be a travel nurse who spends a couple of days a month, or a few months on the road. Some employers also offer part-time and contractual positions. You have so many choices to choose from; the important thing to remember is to make sure you are working for a reputable institution. Also, be careful in signing a long-term contract that prevents you from working with other firms, if this is not the kind of work that you prefer.
Nursing is not just for students looking for a good college degree. Due to the security, career growth, and rewarding work experience offered by nursing, people who have already finished other degrees or have been working in different fields are now starting to shift to nursing. Some see nursing as a chance to have a more stable job, others see it as a gratifying vocation, and of course there are those who want to get out of one dead-end job after another. To cater to the increasing number of second-career nurses, there are now nursing schools offering acceleration for students who already have a college degree.
In general, nursing truly gives a lot of people a chance to have a better life; may it be in terms of their economic standing or social responsibility. With a competitive compensation plan, bonuses, flexibility in work scope, and rewarding experiences, what more can one possibly as for?
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