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Nursing
Nurses, also known as registered nurses (RNs), assist those who are injured or ill. They administer medicine, bandage wounds, and provide emotional support to those they care for and their families.
Nurses inquire about symptoms and maintain meticulous records. They pay attention to symptoms indicating illness. Then, they work closely with doctors.
Nurses sometimes administer tests to diagnose patients. Some work in labs to obtain diagnostic results.
Nurses also instruct patients on how to cure themselves. Some instruct patients about fitness and diet. Some nurses manage immunization and health centers.
Some nurses specialize in certain patient care, such as infant care. They can also specialize in certain health problems. Some assist surgeons while some help patients in emergency rooms or intensive care centers.
Most nurses work in medical clinics. They administer medical tests, medicines, and bandage wounds. Some do administrative or lab work.
Home health nurses assist patients at home. Flight nurses assist people being flown to hospitals in helicopters.
Some nurses are trained to perform difficult medical tasks. Nurse practitioners are permitted to prescribe medicine. Nurse midwives assist women bearing children.
Assisting injured or ill patients is stressful. Nurses working in hospitals frequently care for multiple patients at a time.
Many nurses spend considerable time walking or on their feet. Nurses must adhere to safety rules. Nurses assist people with contagious diseases, and nurses can become injured while moving hospital patrons. Nurses working around machines emitting radiation also must take proper precautions.
Since patients need around the clock care, hospital nurses frequently work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Office nurses usually have normal work schedules. Nurses are frequently employed part time.
How do you prepare for this career?
Nurses must successfully complete a nursing college program. It often requires 2 years to complete an associate’s degree, and it requires nearly 4 years to finish a bachelor's program in nursing.
Selecting the right type of nursing program is vital. Many jobs are only filled by those with bachelor's degrees.
Nursing education combines classroom instruction with real life experience alongside experienced nurses. This process is known as clinical training.
Nurses enroll in nursing theory, psychology, nutrition, chemistry, and anatomy classes.
After school, nurses must pass an exam to become licensed. They must enroll in continuing education programs every few years to stay up to date with new technology and treatments.
Nurses should be considerate and caring. Additionally, they should be detail oriented and able to recognize health problems.
Nurses must have good people skills. Some nurses oversee assistants and other employees.
Nurses can be promoted as directors or head nurses. Certain nurses focus on the business aspect of medical treatment. Some acquire positions in large health care companies planning, marketing, and ensuring patients are cared for.
To prepare for this career, students should enroll in biology and physical science classes. They should also take classes to improve their reading and writing skills. Math skills are additionally vital since nurses measure medicine before administering it to patients.
How much will I earn?
Nurses with salaries in the 50th percentile made between $47,710-69,850 annually during 2008. Those with salaries in the lower 10th percentile made $40,250 or less while those in the upper 10th percentile earned $83,440 or more annually.
How many jobs are there?
There are more registered nurses than other health care professionals. During 2008, nearly 2.5 million nurses were employed. Nearly 60 percent of nurses were employed in hospitals, and nearly 20 percent were employed part time.
What is the future outlook for this career?
There will be numerous job opportunities for registered nurses in the near future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth for registered nurses to increase quicker than average growth in other industries until 2016.
Innovative technology and medical treatments will enable nurses to care for more people, and because of aging populations, more nurses will be needed to administer health care.
Nurses will fill vacancies in hospitals, but many will assist patients in their homes, at medical clinics, and convalescent centers.
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