Nursing Careers

Nursing is a career field that continues to have great opportunities. Professional nurses go through many aspects of training including nutrition, anatomy, and physiology, as well as psychology and medical terminology. A nurse is a valued member of the health care team.

Nursing is no longer governed by gender or age, but is open to anyone who has a keen interest in people, and who can give attention to detail and still maintain that human touch of caring for those who are ill or in pain. Nursing is suitable as a career for those who are young people just starting a career and also for those who are mature and seeking to change jobs. Options for entering the field of nursing are quite varied. A nursing student may work another job full time, and take part time classes at local colleges, or go to a residential school and study nursing full time. Another option for those with difficult schedules or in more remote locations is to go to nursing school online. Steps for entering nursing schools are much like the steps for entering any other college. Prospective students will have entrance exams, and college prerequisites. A nursing student is eligible for financial aid in the forms of scholarships, loans, and grants.

Statistics indicate that nurses in English speaking countries have better compensation. In the US, the average monthly net income is about $3000. Labor statistics websites can tell a prospective nurse about the job market and salary range in any country.

The responsibilities and duties of a nurse are varied. A student nurse can look forward to graduating and giving direct care and advice to patients in hospitals, care homes and any other place that offers medical care. They may also find themselves working in homes either through medical agencies or as private duty care providers. Medical/surgical nurses will assist doctors and surgeons in examining and surgeries of the ill. Other nurses will work in the wellness fields encouraging and educating people to be healthy, and providing immunizations. A nurse will give medication under a doctor’s orders or do other medical procedures as they are trained and instructed. Nurses are a vital part of child birth teams, or may supervise nursing assistants; or assist in other therapies such as physical therapy and in many other interesting specialized fields of care. Older, more experienced professional nurses lead by example and supervision when student nurses are doing clinical rotations.

Nursing Programs

There are many levels of nursing. Licensed Practical Nurses can become licensed after a one to two year course in nursing and passing state licensing examinations. These are the nurses that often are doing the direct contact with patients. They are often compassionate listeners as well as care givers. They do the day to day work of nursing. Registered nurses can be charge nurses and nurse managers. They have more responsibility of documentation and can do more in depth procedures for their patients. For an RN licensure the candidate passes a national exam. A nurse with a BSN has completed both basic science and liberal arts coursework followed by internships or other workplace arrangements that provide first hand nursing experience. A nurse with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is educated in specialized fields such as women's health and acute care. Nurse practitioner's are registered nurses with advanced training in diagnosing and managing complex medical conditions.