The Nursing Career

Nursing is a profession focused on assisting individuals, families and communities in attaining, re-attaining and maintaining optimal health and functioning. Modern definitions of nursing define it as a science and an art that focuses on promoting quality of life as defined by persons and families, throughout their life experiences from birth to care at the end of life.

In pre-modern times, nuns and the military often provided nursing services. The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today. For example, in Britain, senior female nurses are known as "Sisters". In recent times in the US and Canada many nurses are flowing back into working in a "religious" field through "Parish Nursing". These nurses work within a church community to perform health education, counseling, provide referrals to community support agencies, and connect volunteers from the church community with those in need of assistance.

Nurses acknowledge that the nursing profession is an essential part of the society from which it has grown. The authority for the practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. The practice of nursing involves altruistic behavior, is guided by nursing research and is governed by a code of ethics.

Nursing continues to develop a wide body of knowledge and associated skills. There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law and entrance to the profession is regulated by national, state, or territorial boards of nursing.

The American Nurses' Association (1980) has defined nursing as "the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems." Just as medical diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of medical care, Nursing diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of nursing care.

Like other maturing disciplines, nursing has developed different theories that are aligned with diverging philosophical beliefs and paradigms or worldviews. Nursing theories help nurses to direct their activities in order to accomplish specific goals with people. Nursing is a knowledge based discipline committed to the betterment of humankind. Nursing has not only developed into a profession, but an art as well.

Nursing is the most diverse of all healthcare professions. It is a universal role appearing in some form in every culture.

Nursing may be divided into different specialties or classifications. In the U.S. , there are a large number of specialties within nursing. Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these areas.

These specialties encompass care throughout the human lifespan based upon patient needs. Many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, signifying that they possess expert knowledge of the specialty. There are over 200 nursing specialties and sub-specialties. Certified nurses often earn a salary differential over their non-certified colleagues, and studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.

Nurses practice in a wide range of settings from hospitals to visiting people in their homes and caring for them in schools to research in pharmaceutical companies. Nurses work in occupational health settings (also called industrial health settings), free-standing clinics and physician offices, nurse-run clinics, long-term care facilities, and camps. Nurses work on cruise ships and in military service. They act as advisors and consultants to the healthcare and insurance industries. Some nurses are attorneys and others work with attorneys as legal nurse consultants, reviewing patient records to assure that adequate care was provided and testifying in court. In many cities, nurses can even enter their names in a "registry" and work a wide variety of temporary jobs.

In the modern world, there are a large number of specialities within nursing:

Ambulatory care nursing

Advanced practice nursing

Behavioral health nursing

Camp nursing

Cardiac nursing

Cardiac catheter laboratory nursing

Case management

Clinical nurse specialist

Clinical research nurse

Community health nursing

Correctional nursing

Critical care nursing

Developmental disabilities nursing

District nursing

Emergency nursing

Environmental Health nursing

Flight nursing

Forensic nursing

Gastroenterology nursing

Genetics nursing

Geriatric nursing

Health visiting

Hematology oncology nursing

HIV/AIDS nursing

Home health nursing

Hospice nursing

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nursing

Intavenous therapy nursing

Infectious disease nursing

Legal nursing

Legal Nurse Investigator

Maternal-child nursing

Medical-surgical nursing

Military and uniformed services nursing, including Public Health Service

Neonatal nursing

Neuro-surgical nursing

Nurse anesthetist

Nurse-midwife

Nurse practitioner

Nursing educator

Nursing informatics

Nursing management

Obstetrics gynecology nursing

Occupational health nursing

Oncology nursing

Operating room nursing

Orthopaedic nursing

Ostomy nursing

Pain management and palliative care nursing

Pediatric nursing

Perianesthesia nursing

Perioperative nursing

Plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing

Private duty nursing

Psychiatric or mental health nursing

Public health

Pulmonary nursing

Quality improvement

Radiology nursing

Rehabilitation nursing

Renal dialysis nursing

Renal nursing

Research

School nursing

Sub-acute nursing

Substance abuse nursing

Tele-medicine nursing

Telemetry nursing

Telephone triage nursing

Transplantation nursing

Travel nursing

Urology nursing

Utilization management

Wound care

Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these specialties.

Nursing assistant skills are the set of learned tasks used in helping residents or patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) and providing bedside care--including basic nursing procedures--under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

In today's hospitals and extended care facillities a nurse assistant is an important part of a healthcare team that includes many personnel outside of nurses. In the quest to make a profit from providing care many hospitals in the United States have reduced their nurse to patient ratios, requiring one nurse to take care of as many as twelve or fourteen patients at a time. In order for good care to be provided to those patients a nurse assistant is needed to provide the routine care so that the nurse can focus on tasks only he/she can do, such as care plans, nursing assessments, administering medication, and assist in surgery room preparation. The nurse assistant must not only be very skilled in the actual procedures being performed but must also be able to make quick observations of a patient's condition and report that information back to the nurse. Since the nurse cannot spend large amounts of time in the room with the patient, the nurse assistant is known as the nurse's "eyes and ears".

A nurse assistant must also have a strong grasp of emergency procedures and be able to stay calm in stressful situations. They must be able to initiate a Code Blue and be well-drilled in CPR.

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Are You Considering a Career in Nursing?   by Timothy Rea

If you think you might want to be a nurse, there are a lot of employment options you can consider.

Nursing is a time-honored profession, and in today's world of modern medicine it can also be a lucrative profession. There is no doubt that a nurse must be dedicated and diligent. If you really aren't the kind of person who can give that extra ounce of energy, nursing is not a career you will enjoy.

But, if you like helping people and are interested in science and medicine, this field may be for you!

Nursing also gives you a lot of options regarding work environment. Most people think of a nurse as the person who stands next to your hospital bed, but nurses today have a lot more options and it is easier to find a work environment that suits your tastes and preferences.

Private Duty Nurses work with one patient in the hospital or at home to help them recuperate from an illness or to care for a patient with a chronic or terminal illness.

Hospice Nurses work with a patient and family to ease the dying process and communicate with doctors and other medical staff regarding medical issues. This care allows the patient to stay at home and be more comfortable during the final days of his or her life.

Operating Room Nurses are in the thick of things, and must understand the use of modern operating room equipment, the type of procedure the doctor is doing and the kinds of tools the doctor will need. The nurse must be ready to assist the doctor on a moment's notice.

Trauma Nurses work in large hospitals and handle trauma patients who may come in by helicopter or ambulance from automobile accidents, train or airplane crashes, fires or other major events. Some trauma nurses also work in the helicopters that are dispatched to pick up the patients.

Institutional Nursing for schools and colleges is also a growing field for nursing jobs. These nurses treat everything from a cold or flu to a sprain or sports injury and often get to know their charges very well. It is a great place for someone who loves kids or just likes less stress on a daily basis. These jobs can also include placement in a women's shelter, homeless shelter or other non-profit outreach organization.

Home Health Care Nursing has evolved. Today, home health care nurses work in rural, suburban and urban areas, traveling from patient to patient to care for and monitor the patient's needs and communicate with doctors and other medical staff. This home care allows the patient to remain at home, with family, or alone, and still get the care they need. Nurses can now use mobile monitoring equipment to monitor everything from heart rate and blood pressure to blood sugar for diabetics and more, so the nurse can treat one patient and check on another one in the car on the way to visiting a third patient.

Hospital Nursing is also a brave new world. Nurses learn to use and monitor new equipment every day, and have the responsibility to care for patient's recuperating from surgery or illness. Their daily care and interaction with the patient has a major impact on how fast the patient recuperates and on the patient's attitude. There is nothing like the feeling you experience when you walk in the door to start your morning shift and your patient says "Boy, am I glad to see YOU". Years after a hospital stay, patients will still speak fondly of a favorite nurse who eased the discomfort of their hospitalization.

It's all in a day's work!

If you think nursing is for you, look into local nursing schools and get started on the path to nursing.

With a short supply of qualified nurses to staff our hospitals, schools, hospices and other facilities, another pair of hands would be most welcome!