Registered nurse Essay

The field of nursing has been well-known since the beginning of civilization. People everywhere are familiar with this field because people have always and will continue to experience illness, pain, suffering and death. The purpose of this report is to provide readers with detailed information about the field of nursing including its history, occupation description, education requirements, employment opportunities, job outlook, job availability and salary. The first roots to the modern nursing can be traced back to Florence Nightingale (Career As a Registered Nurse (RN),6). She has inspired numerous people around the world and was considered a heroine in her time. Nightingale was highly educated and would travel through Europe looking at hospitals trying to educate the staff on better patient care and hygiene. She then served as a nurse for the British government tending to ill and injured soldiers during the Crimean War. Nightingale started the first modern, formal nursing school in 1860, naming it the Nightingale School, after herself. Nightingale is said to have created the healthcare model that we follow today, which treats the patient as an individual instead of a disease. (Career As a Registered Nurse (RN),6). This paved the way for other nurses to step up and make nursing a better field to work in. In the United States, Clara Barton cared for soldiers in the Civil War that were fighting for both the North and the South. Clara Barton later developed the American Red Cross. (Career As a Registered Nurse (RN),7). Developments such as these lead to the first nursing school in the US opening. It was opened by the Bellevue Hospital in New York. (Career As a Registered Nurse (RN),7). This helped girls across the country gain insight into the field of nursing which in turn created new schools and new opportunities for people to join the field. A registered nurse takes care of sick and injured people. They are concerned with the â€Å"Whole Person† rather than the disease an individual may have. Registered nurses help with the emotional, physical and mental needs of the patient they are caring for (Registered Nurse (RN)). In the hospital registered nurse’s work under what they call a head nurse. According to the Registered Nurse (RN) web site, â€Å"Registered nurses usually work eight hours a day, forty hours a week, rotating shifts, holidays and weekends. † Registered nurses perform a variety of different jobs. They observe the patient and record the observations they see, they consult with the physicians and others healthcare clinicians with their observations, and they maintain and disconnect intravenous lines for fluid, give medication, blood, and blood products. United States). RN’s help with the plan of care for their patients; the plan may include their activities of daily living, checking the dosages given to the patient, and administering medication (United States). An RN also helps explain to family members how to take care of their family member after they return home. They may explain their diet plan, nutrition, care needs, and the exercise needed (United States). The RN teaches the patient’s family, along with the patient, how to take care of their injuries or illness (United States). These are only a few things that a registered nurse may do on a daily basis as their jobs are crucial for the recovery of sick and injured individuals. They are different educational paths that a registered nurse can choose from. They can get their bachelor’s degree, an associate degree, or a diploma from an approved nursing program (United States). Many registered nurses choose to complete either a two year program with an associate degree or a four year program with a bachelor’s degree. After they have successfully completed the nursing program, then they must take a national examination in order to obtain a nursing license to practice (Career as a Registered Nurse (RN), 23). They are also advanced practice nurses such as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist or nurse specialist. Advanced practice nurses need a master’s degree in order to practice (United States). Degrees There are three different educational paths to becoming a registered nurse. They can choose to obtain a bachelor’s degree (BSN), an associate degree (ADN), or a diploma (Career as a Registered Nurse (RN), 22). Bachelor’s degree programs are offered by universities and take an average of four year to complete the program. Associate degree program is offered by community colleges and take about two to three years to complete the program. Diploma programs are completed in the hospital, and they last about three years (Career as a Registered Nurse (RN), 22). After the student graduates from one of the three types of programs, and they complete their licensing examination, they can qualify for the entry-level positions as a staff nurse (United States). Several nurses that have taken the associate program will return to school to obtain a bachelors degree program; they call this an RN-to BSN program (United States). People who have a bachelor’s degree program can return to school to obtain an accelerated master’s degree in nursing (MSN). After completion of the ADN program to receive the BSN and MSN it takes three to four years to complete as a full time student to receive an award for both (United States). The bachelor’s degree program takes about twelve to eighteen months to earn the degree after completion of the associate degree program. For someone who holds a bachelor’s degree who decides to obtain an MSN, it takes an additional two years to receive their master’s degree (United States). When taking classes at college for the associate degree program, the programs includes courses such as anatomy, physiology, sociology, microbiology, chemistry, psychology, and nursing classes. For associate degree programs liberal arts is also a part of their coursework (Career as a Registered Nurse (RN), 23). Students must participate in supervised clinical experiences. These clinical rotations can be done in hospital departments such as maternity, psychiatry, pediatrics, and surgery (United States). Several other health care facilities that offer clinical experience include public health departments, home health agencies, nursing care facilities, and ambulatory clinics. Advantages and Disadvantages When deciding what degree should be obtained, students must consider everything before choosing what program is right for them (United States). If someone has chosen to take an associates program with a two year community college, they could be limited for advancement opportunities (United States). When someone takes a bachelor’s degree or higher with a four year university, they receive more training in areas such as communication, leadership and critical thinking and will have a better opportunity to obtain a higher position than someone with a associates degree (United States). People who obtain a bachelor’s degree have more clinical experience in nonhospital settings (United States). Bachelor’s degrees are often needed for teaching, consulting, and research positions (United States). Licenses In the United States, students are required to graduate from an approved nursing program before they are allowed to practice nursing. Students are required to take and pass the national licensing examination known as the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN (United States). After successfully passing the NCLEX-RN exam students will obtain their nursing license. Other Qualifications Nurses are people who should love caring for others when they are sick and ill. They should be responsible and sympathetic for all patients. They need to be able to give people direction and supervise other co-workers who are under them. Nurses should be emotionally stable to be able cope with people who are suffering, dying, and emergency situations (Career as a Registered Nurse (RN), 19). Continuing education credits could be required in some states on regular bases (United States). Advancement Registered nurses most often start out as staff nurses in hospitals. The more experience the nurse acquires overtime, the more often the nurse will move to other departments or promoted to do jobs taking on more leadership roles and responsibility (United States). Registered nurses can advance from a head nurse to a senior-level nurse they are more of a director, vice president, chief of nursing and assistant director (United States). This job requires a graduate or an advancement degree in health services administration, and the administration program works with leadership, communication and excellent judgments (United States). If someone chose to advance in their nurse practice, there are four different advanced practice nurses to choose from they are: clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwife, and nurse practitioners (United States). When a nurse chooses one of the four types of advanced practice nurses, it requires a master’s degree (United States). New graduates should consider if they want to advance in their career when first applying for a job in order to ask the hiring team if there is room for advancement within the facility and the position they will be taking.