Transcript Nurse

Nurse
Jessey Hodge
Nature of the
•
Registered nurses (RNs) work to promote health, prevent disease, and
help patients cope with illness. They are advocates and health educators
for patients, families, and communities. When providing direct patient
care, they observe, assess, record and report symptoms, reactions, and
progress; perform treatments and examinations; start IVs; administer
medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. RNs also
develop and manage patient plans of care; instruct patients and their
families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to
improve or maintain their health.
• Hospital nurses form the largest group of nurses. Most are staff nurses,
who provide bedside nursing care and carry out medical regimens. They
also may supervise licensed practical nurses and nursing aides. Hospital
nurses usually are assigned to one area, such as surgery, maternity,
pediatrics, orthopedics, emergency, mental health, intensive care, or
treatment of cancer patients.
Training or Education
•
Nurses in all fields of healthcare must have college-level training. Licensed practical
nurses (LPNs) are typically required to have an associate's degree in nursing, while
registered nurses (RNs) must have at least a 2-year degree, but a 4-year bachelor's
degree in nursing is more common. Advanced nursing professionals, such as nurse
practitioners or nurse specialists, are usually required to have a master's degree in
nursing. Nurses should have experience communicating with doctors and other
medical professionals, caring for patients and performing various diagnostic medical
tests. Experience is typically gained through clinical opportunities in undergraduate
degree programs. Individuals interested in nursing careers typically enroll in a
certificate, associate's degree or bachelor's degree program in nursing. Nursing
certificate and diploma programs are available to students seeking careers as LPNs,
while those interested in becoming RNs enroll in programs requiring 2-4 years of
study. Students in a 1-year nursing certificate program learn basic patient care
techniques. Certificate programs typically train students to pass the licensing test to
become LPNs or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs).A 2-year associate's degree in
nursing is generally considered the minimum educational requirement for RNs.
These programs include basic courses in medical terminology, patient care and life
sciences. Students receive classroom instruction and clinical training in hospitals and
other medical settings.
Employment
•
Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients
and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional
support to patients and their family members. Registered nurses work in hospitals,
physicians' offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Registered
nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor's degree in nursing,
an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program.
Registered nurses must also be licensed. nurses was $65,470 in May 2012.
Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to
2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number
of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventative care; growing rates of
chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare
services from the baby boomer population, as they live longer and more active
lives. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of registered nurses
with similar occupations.
Earnings or wages
Employment
(1)
2,724,507
Percentile
Hourly
Wage
Annual
Wage (2)
Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
0.5%
10%
$21.62
$44,970
$33.23
25%
50%
(Median)
Wage Mean
annual
(2)
$69,110
75%
Wage RSE (3)
0.3%
90%
$25.85
$31.71
$38.65
$46.46
$53,770
$65,950
$80,390
$96,630
Job outlook
•
Take and record patients' medical histories and symptoms and set up plans for patients’ care or
contribute to existing plans Perform physical exams Observe patients and diagnose various health
problems Perform and order diagnostic tests and analyze results Give patients medicines and
treatments Consult with doctors and other healthcare professionals as needed Operate and
monitor medical equipment Provide counseling and teach patients and their families how to stay
healthy or manage their illnesses or injuries. Conduct research Nursing is a profession within the
health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain,
maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other
health care providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice.
Nurses practice in a wide diversity of practice areas with a different scope of practice and level of
prescriber authority in each.
Many nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has
come to shape the historic public image of nurses as care providers.
However, nurses are permitted by most jurisdictions to practice independently in a variety of
settings depending on training level. In the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a
process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the traditional
regulations and provider roles are changing.
The
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