Nurse Career and Education
Nursing is the fastest-growing field in healthcare, with a rapidly increasing demand for qualified nursing professionals. Even with more individuals joining the field, the current nursing workforce in the United States is still overstretched and understaffed. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the demand for the overall nursing specialty is estimated to increase by more than double between the years 2018 and 2028.
The duties and responsibilities of a nurse depend on the nursing specialization. However, the similarities in the roles across all nursing specializations outdo the differences. Typical duties of all nurses include providing care, support, and educational services to patients, their families, and society in general. Besides enjoying a high level of job satisfaction, nurses have a wide variety of specialties to choose from. Nursing also provides a potential for job growth for anyone willing to advance their career.
Educational requirements of becoming a nurse
Being one of the highest regulated fields, nursing demands strict educational and licensure requirements. There are two entry-level nursing programs; licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs). LPNs provide primary care under the supervision of RNs and doctors, while RNs have more technical duties, including performing diagnostic tests, administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and helping physicians during medical procedures.
Becoming an LPN requires completing a one-year training program in a community college or a vocational school. The one-year course combines both theoretical study and supervised clinical practice. An LPN can later decide to advance their education and become a registered nurse. The educational requirements of a registered nurse, on the other hand, are more advanced and in-depth. You become an RN by obtaining either a bachelor’s of science nursing (BSN), which takes four years, an associate’s degree in nursing (ASN), which takes two years, or a three-year diploma course in nursing. You must then proceed to acquire licensure by passing the NCLEX-RN exams.
Upon graduating from a nursing program, you can choose to enter into a specialty right away. However, it is recommended that one practice for several years before deciding to specialize in a particular field. Some of the most popular nursing specialties include nurse midwives, neonatal nursing, clinical nursing, and critical care nurse. However, becoming a nurse does not only require formal training and technical skills. A nursing professional is ideal for a person who finds joy in helping and caring for other people. A nurse must also have exceptional social and critical thinking skills, patience, good communication, and be emotionally stable.
References
National Review of Nursing Education (Australia) and Heath, P., 2002. National review of nursing education 2002: Our duty of care. Department of Education, Science and Training.
Robinson, S. and Griffiths, P., 2007. Nursing education and regulation: international profiles and perspectives.
Spector, N., Hooper, J.I., Silvestre, J. and Qian, H., 2018. Board of nursing approval of registered nurse education programs. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(4), pp.22-31.
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