A Complete Nursing Career Overview
With almost 2.6M registered nurses (RN) in the United States,
nursing is now the largest health care profession in the
country. If you think that hospitals are the only place a nurse
could be found, you are certainly misled. Public health
agencies, communities, ambulatory care centers and other places
where health care services are rendered also commonly have
nurses employed.
1. The Nursing Practice
Nursing covers a wide area of practice. It includes
- Childcare - Elderly care - Services for pregnant women -
Services for newborn infants - Specialty area - injury nursing -
Specialty area - cancer nursing - Specialty area - forensic
nursing
2. Choose Your Nursing Program
The first step to be a nurse is to graduate from a nursing
program. This would enable you to take a state licensure
examination. In the US, more than 1500 nursing programs are
offered. Three of these programs prepare you in assuming
different tasks once you graduate.
A. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) This is a four-year
curriculum offered in colleges and universities. A graduate of
this course has the advantage of learning health care settings
that includes leadership and management. A degree in BSN is
preferred and often required in many fields of nursing.
B. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) This is a 2 to 3 year
program offered in community college as well as in junior
collages. This program prepares the student in handling direct
patient care.
C. Hospital Diploma This is a 2 to 3 year program that is based
in hospitals.
3. Nursing Positions
Now that you've covered the basics, let's take a closer look on
some of the nursing positions you can occupy. These positions
are based on your experience and education.
A. Entry-level nursing position This is the Staff Nurse
Position. The nurse takes on making judgments based on
scientific knowledge. You have to rely on procedures and
standardized care plans.
B. Certified Mid-wife This is a specialty nurse position where
the nurse aids childbearing women. It starts during the
preconception stage and goes through the prenatal, labor and
delivery. Postpartum period care is also included in her duties.
The nurse also provides family planning counseling as well as
gynecological care for women.
C. Case Manager Over time, a nurse can become a nurse case
manager. In this position, the nurse will be involved in the
process of organizing as well as coordinating the resources and
services of an entire group of nurses, such as an entire
hospital.
D. Nurse Educator This is also a position a nurse could get
involved with. Educating people about proper health care needs
and procedures would be the basic tasks for this position. A
Nurse Practitioner on the other hand conducts physical exams on
patients, conducts diagnoses and provides treatments. A nurse
practitioner could also write prescriptions and could also
manage patients with chronic conditions such as diabetics and
those with hypertension.
E. Nurse Anesthetist A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
assists during operations. They give anesthesia to the patients
before and after the operation.
There are also various specialty nursing programs that would
help you specialize in a specific area. Radiology Nursing,
Rehabilitation Nursing, AIDS Care Nursing, and Forensic Nursing
are few of these specialty areas. Radiology Nurses are concerned
with patients that undergo diagnosis in radiology imaging
environments. It also includes Ultrasonography, magnetic
resonance and radiation oncology. Rehabilitation Nurses or
Psychiatric Nurses takes on providing physical and emotional
support both to the patient and their families. They deal with
patients having mental incapacities. An AIDS Care Nurse manages
the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of a
patient suffering with AIDS. A Forensic Nurse works in a
different environment with other nurses. They work with the law
enforcement officials to help in the investigation of crimes
like sexual assault and accidental death. They also help in the
treatment of the victims of these crimes.