Seventh Major -Nursing

Becoming a nurse is an important and often very personal decision.

No matter what's your reason for wanting to be a nurse, you have probably done tons of research into the topic, found out more about the types of degrees that are available, and discovered all that you might expect while in nursing school… What’s that? You haven’t done all that research? That’s okay. You can start right now!

 

Types of nurses

1. Registered nurses:

They are nurses with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing. They assist physicians in hospitals and a variety of medical setting and help in treating with illnesses, injuries, and medical conditions.

2. Clinical Nurse Specialist:

 He is an advanced practice nurse and proficient in diagnosing and treating illness. A clinical nurse specialist may focus on patients and their families, nurse management, or administration.

3. Nurse Case Manager:

Nurse case managers coordinate long-term care for patients in hopes of keeping them healthy and out of the hospital. They can choose to specialize in treating people with a specific age group, such as geriatrics. Consider becoming a nurse case manager if you enjoy researching, coordination, and scheduling. 

4. Travel Registered Nurse:

A travel nurse works temporary jobs nationally and internationally, sometimes for weeks at a time and sometimes for a few years. Travel nurses perform many of the same duties as standard registered nurses, often working for an agency that supplements staff to facilities in need. 

5. Home Care Registered Nurse:

Works with patients in the patient’s home. Often times, these patients will be in geriatric care or young people with developmental or mobility issues. This is an ideal position for someone looking to work with patients outside of a traditional hospital setting.

6. Labor And Delivery Registered Nurse:

Helps welcome new lives into the world every day. They care for both mother and baby during labor, childbirth, and even after birth. A labor and delivery nurse may aid in inducing labor, administering epidurals, timing contractions, and educating the mother with breastfeeding advice when the baby is born.

7.  Nurse Supervisor:

Nurse supervisors, also known as nurse managers, oversee the nurses caring for patients. As a nurse manager, you will wear many hats and handle a lot of administrative duties. Nurse supervisors are often responsible for recruitment and retention of nurses as well as occasionally collaborating with doctors on patient care and assisting families in need.

This is a great option for those hoping to step away from direct patient care after gaining some experience in the field.

8. Oncology Registered Nurse:

Oncology nurses provide care for cancer patients and those at risk of the disease. They monitor the patients’ physical condition and administer chemotherapy and other treatments. This is a good fit for someone interested in a challenging, yet rewarding career.

9. Dialysis Registered Nurse:

Dialysis registered nurse commonly referred to as nephrology nurses; administer dialysis treatments to patients with kidney disease or abnormal kidney functions. They work out of patients home, dialysis clinics, and even transplant units, performing dialysis treatments on their patients while helping implement treatment plans.

 

Goals of a nurse:

1. Focus on transformational leadership at all levels of nursing.

2. Redesign care to optimize nurses’ professional expertise and knowledge.        

3. Engage nurses to work with other members of the healthcare team to ensure safe and reliable care.

4. Build systems and a culture of safety that encourage, support and spread vitality and teamwork in all areas of nursing.

5. Put in places structures and processes that ensure patient-centered care.

6. Establish a quality learning system so that nurses at all levels have access to measurement and feedback about innovative care delivery.

5 Professional Nursing Skills

1. Effective Communication: 

As a nurse, you’re on the front line of care. You’ll often find yourself the middleman, relaying critical information from a physician to a patient. You will also need to be able to foster an open dialogue with patients and their families so they fully understand their diagnosis, medication and any other medical concerns. 

2. Flexibility:

As a nurse, you never know what the day will bring. Last minute changes constantly keep you on your toes while you juggle heavy workloads, paperwork, physicians and patients’ families. An ability to adapt to the busy, ever-evolving schedule of a nurse is essential to their success.

3. Critical thinking:

A sharp and critical mind is needed to excel in the nursing field. Nurses must be able to assess a situation and make crucial decisions on the spot. In nursing, there are often multiple options for treatment, which means critical thinking is essential for analyzing the situation and determining the best solution.

4. Desire to learn:

Earning a nursing degree doesn’t mean you’re no longer a student. The best nurses are the ones who continue to question, explore, learn and develop throughout their entire careers. Because the field of medicine is always changing and evolving, nurses should be prepared to continue learning.

5. Attention to detail:

Paying attention to minute details is important in the nursing profession, especially when you have a lot on your plate. For example, nurses must document everything they do on patients’ charts, listen closely to their description of symptoms, ask the right questions and remember to bring medications at appropriate times. 

Nursing annual salaries:

- Certified nurse anesthetist: $160,270

- Certified nurse midwife: $107,460

- Clinical nurse specialist: $107,460

- Nurse practitioner: $107,460

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics 2018-19 Occupational Outlook Handbook.