Nursing Career Paper
The field of nursing is very broad. With a degree in nursing, someone could enjoy a range of experiences. With a degree in nursing from NCCU State University, there are a number of career paths I could follow such as, becoming a Registered Nurse Case Manager, Nurse Practitioner, or Patient Advocate. Within this research paper, I will explore the nursing job field and also give statistics on the nursing field. Nursing is a profession filled with limitless personal and professional rewards. When choosing a career in nursing, you are choosing to spend your life giving, and helping others. As nursing is an Art along with being a Science, it requires compassion and caring and promotes quality of life from birth to death. Nursing is one of the
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most flexible professions around. Nurses can find work where and when they want, full-time or part-time. Some nurses take career breaks to raise a family or to go back to school. Most can easily start their careers where they left off, even if absent for years. Today nurses have more choice where to work than ever before. As there is a significant shortage of nurses, once qualified most Nurses do not find it difficult to be appointed to an entry level position. Due to advances in health care it is also predicted that there will be a shortage of nurses for some years to come. This is also due to the fact that people are living longer. Qualified nurses with Bachelor of Science Degrees in Nursing (BSN) are pretty much guaranteed jobs straight from college, and can be assured of a secure career for the future. A career in Nursing involves much more than science, and is often viewed as a vocation. To make a good nurse you need a compassionate and caring side, otherwise you may not be cut out for the job. The nursing field is composed of many different types of nurses, from Occupational Health Nurses to Ambulatory Care Nurse, Nurses who help with supervising patients to Nurses in high traffic hospitals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nursing is among the Top Ten Occupations with the Largest Job Growth. There are many different things I could do with a degree in nursing from NCCUSU. One of which is become an emergency nurse. Emergency nurses “specialize in rapid assessment and treatment when every second counts, particularly during the initial phase of acute illness and trauma. Emergency nurses must tackle diverse tasks with professionalism, efficiency, and above all—caring.” Emergency nurses care for patients and families in hospital emergency departments, ambulances, helicopters, urgent care centers, cruise ships, sports arenas, industry, government, and anywhere someone may have a medical emergency or where medical advances or injury prevention is a concern. Emergency nurses provide education to the public through programs to promote wellness and prevent injuries, such as alcohol awareness, child passenger safety, gun safety, bicycle and helmet safety, and domestic violence prevention. “Emergency Nurses CARE (EN CARE) is a not-for-profit organization with more than 6,000 trained emergency health care professionals who volunteer their time in their local communities in 50 states. EN CARE's mission is to reduce preventable injuries and deaths by educating the public to increase awareness and promote healthy lifestyles.” I could also become a case manager. They are responsible for “patient education/monitoring the patient's well-being, identifying resources, and coordinating care for a specific/targeted patient populations. The role of the Case Manager may vary, and in some settings, may be considered an Advanced Practice Role in which some of the care decisions are governed by approved protocols.” Flight nurses deliver patient care on board a helicopter or airplane. Flight nurses provide continuous patient care while in-flight to transport patients from one medical facility to another and from emergency or trauma scenes. Flight Nurses manage patient care during airlifts and brief medical providers at the receiving medical facility on the patient's status. Hospice nurses integrate expert assessment skills, critical thinking, and advance knowledge of comprehensive pain & symptom management to develop a plan care for patients with life limiting and terminal illnesses. The Palliative Care Nurse is a member of an interdisciplinary team whose focus of care considers the patient as a complete system and the patient’s interrelationship to the environment, spiritual, family, and extended family and whose care may be delivered in a variety of setting. The role of a nurse practitioner requires advanced study and certification. The Nurse Practitioner has advanced skills and knowledge in performing physical and psychological patient assessment. Expert clinical interviewing skills facilitates data collection, and accurate problem labeling, orders diagnostic exams, prescribes medication, and has a practice or caseload. An operating room/circulating nurse provides care for a patient immediately before and during a surgical procedure. They work closely with the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist to monitor the patient's vital signs, warmth and safe positioning. They prepare the operating room with supplies, equipment, and instruments, and serves as the communication liaison to family, other departments, and members of the operating team. Pediatric nurses provide care for: infants, toddlers, children, and teens, and encourages the involvement of parents/family. The nurse develops a plan of care to meet the specific growth and development and cultural needs of the patient and family. The pediatric nurse may work in a variety of settings and or may have specialized training. For example, a setting may be a well-baby or teen clinic and a specialty may be pediatric critical care. “Diabetes Management Nurses are registered nurses who assist patients to manage diabetes. Their main duty is to educate patients and their families about diabetes and the self-management skills required. They provide advice on exercise, diet and medication and monitoring insulin levels. These nurses often work in outpatient clinics and often travel to hold clinics in regional areas.” I will now give some statistics on the nursing career, especially relating to minorities in general.
“There are 2,909,357 licensed registered nurses in the United States. Approximately 168,181 RNs are men – only 5.8% of the total nursing population. Only 8.0% of all RNs are under the age of 30. The average age of the RN population in the United States is 46.8 years. Approximately 4.2% are Black or African American (non-Hispanic); 3.1% are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic); 1.7% are Hispanic or Latino; 0.3% are American Indian or Alaska Native; and 1.4% categorize themselves as two or more races and non-Hispanic.” RNs working full-time ranged from 75.2 percent for Hispanic or Latino RNs to 81.2 percent for non-Hispanic minority RNs. In comparison, 68.5 percent of employed non-Hispanic White RNs worked full-time. Black or African American (non-Hispanic) nurses were more prevalent among the nurse populations in the South Atlantic (7.3 percent), West South Central (6.4 percent), and East South Central (6.3 percent) areas than elsewhere. The predominant minority nurse group in the Pacific area were those of Asian background; 9.0 percent of the nurse population. Asian nurses were also more likely to be a part of the nurse population in the Middle Atlantic and West South Central areas (3.3 and 3.0 percent respectively) than in other parts of the …show more content…
country. “In 2005, African American women were 10% less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were 34% more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white women.
Asian/Pacific Islander women were 30% less likely to have breast cancer as non-Hispanic white women. In 2004, Hispanic men were 13% less likely to have prostate cancer as non-Hispanic white men. In 2004, Hispanic women were 33% less likely to have breast cancer as non-Hispanic white women. In 2004, Hispanic women were twice as likely as non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. African American adults were 1.9 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
” As you can see, Registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients' family members. RNs record patients' medical histories and symptoms, help to perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation. Because of the many opportunities that I nurse could have, I have made the decision to become a part of this field.
most flexible professions around. Nurses can find work where and when they want, full-time or part-time. Some nurses take career breaks to raise a family or to go back to school. Most can easily start their careers where they left off, even if absent for years. Today nurses have more choice where to work than ever before. As there is a significant shortage of nurses, once qualified most Nurses do not find it difficult to be appointed to an entry level position. Due to advances in health care it is also predicted that there will be a shortage of nurses for some years to come. This is also due to the fact that people are living longer. Qualified nurses with Bachelor of Science Degrees in Nursing (BSN) are pretty much guaranteed jobs straight from college, and can be assured of a secure career for the future. A career in Nursing involves much more than science, and is often viewed as a vocation. To make a good nurse you need a compassionate and caring side, otherwise you may not be cut out for the job. The nursing field is composed of many different types of nurses, from Occupational Health Nurses to Ambulatory Care Nurse, Nurses who help with supervising patients to Nurses in high traffic hospitals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nursing is among the Top Ten Occupations with the Largest Job Growth. There are many different things I could do with a degree in nursing from NCCUSU. One of which is become an emergency nurse. Emergency nurses “specialize in rapid assessment and treatment when every second counts, particularly during the initial phase of acute illness and trauma. Emergency nurses must tackle diverse tasks with professionalism, efficiency, and above all—caring.” Emergency nurses care for patients and families in hospital emergency departments, ambulances, helicopters, urgent care centers, cruise ships, sports arenas, industry, government, and anywhere someone may have a medical emergency or where medical advances or injury prevention is a concern. Emergency nurses provide education to the public through programs to promote wellness and prevent injuries, such as alcohol awareness, child passenger safety, gun safety, bicycle and helmet safety, and domestic violence prevention. “Emergency Nurses CARE (EN CARE) is a not-for-profit organization with more than 6,000 trained emergency health care professionals who volunteer their time in their local communities in 50 states. EN CARE's mission is to reduce preventable injuries and deaths by educating the public to increase awareness and promote healthy lifestyles.” I could also become a case manager. They are responsible for “patient education/monitoring the patient's well-being, identifying resources, and coordinating care for a specific/targeted patient populations. The role of the Case Manager may vary, and in some settings, may be considered an Advanced Practice Role in which some of the care decisions are governed by approved protocols.” Flight nurses deliver patient care on board a helicopter or airplane. Flight nurses provide continuous patient care while in-flight to transport patients from one medical facility to another and from emergency or trauma scenes. Flight Nurses manage patient care during airlifts and brief medical providers at the receiving medical facility on the patient's status. Hospice nurses integrate expert assessment skills, critical thinking, and advance knowledge of comprehensive pain & symptom management to develop a plan care for patients with life limiting and terminal illnesses. The Palliative Care Nurse is a member of an interdisciplinary team whose focus of care considers the patient as a complete system and the patient’s interrelationship to the environment, spiritual, family, and extended family and whose care may be delivered in a variety of setting. The role of a nurse practitioner requires advanced study and certification. The Nurse Practitioner has advanced skills and knowledge in performing physical and psychological patient assessment. Expert clinical interviewing skills facilitates data collection, and accurate problem labeling, orders diagnostic exams, prescribes medication, and has a practice or caseload. An operating room/circulating nurse provides care for a patient immediately before and during a surgical procedure. They work closely with the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist to monitor the patient's vital signs, warmth and safe positioning. They prepare the operating room with supplies, equipment, and instruments, and serves as the communication liaison to family, other departments, and members of the operating team. Pediatric nurses provide care for: infants, toddlers, children, and teens, and encourages the involvement of parents/family. The nurse develops a plan of care to meet the specific growth and development and cultural needs of the patient and family. The pediatric nurse may work in a variety of settings and or may have specialized training. For example, a setting may be a well-baby or teen clinic and a specialty may be pediatric critical care. “Diabetes Management Nurses are registered nurses who assist patients to manage diabetes. Their main duty is to educate patients and their families about diabetes and the self-management skills required. They provide advice on exercise, diet and medication and monitoring insulin levels. These nurses often work in outpatient clinics and often travel to hold clinics in regional areas.” I will now give some statistics on the nursing career, especially relating to minorities in general.
“There are 2,909,357 licensed registered nurses in the United States. Approximately 168,181 RNs are men – only 5.8% of the total nursing population. Only 8.0% of all RNs are under the age of 30. The average age of the RN population in the United States is 46.8 years. Approximately 4.2% are Black or African American (non-Hispanic); 3.1% are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic); 1.7% are Hispanic or Latino; 0.3% are American Indian or Alaska Native; and 1.4% categorize themselves as two or more races and non-Hispanic.” RNs working full-time ranged from 75.2 percent for Hispanic or Latino RNs to 81.2 percent for non-Hispanic minority RNs. In comparison, 68.5 percent of employed non-Hispanic White RNs worked full-time. Black or African American (non-Hispanic) nurses were more prevalent among the nurse populations in the South Atlantic (7.3 percent), West South Central (6.4 percent), and East South Central (6.3 percent) areas than elsewhere. The predominant minority nurse group in the Pacific area were those of Asian background; 9.0 percent of the nurse population. Asian nurses were also more likely to be a part of the nurse population in the Middle Atlantic and West South Central areas (3.3 and 3.0 percent respectively) than in other parts of the …show more content…
country. “In 2005, African American women were 10% less likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, however, they were 34% more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to non-Hispanic white women.
Asian/Pacific Islander women were 30% less likely to have breast cancer as non-Hispanic white women. In 2004, Hispanic men were 13% less likely to have prostate cancer as non-Hispanic white men. In 2004, Hispanic women were 33% less likely to have breast cancer as non-Hispanic white women. In 2004, Hispanic women were twice as likely as non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. African American adults were 1.9 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
” As you can see, Registered nurses (RNs), regardless of specialty or work setting, perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients' family members. RNs record patients' medical histories and symptoms, help to perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation. Because of the many opportunities that I nurse could have, I have made the decision to become a part of this field.