Nursing Delivers!

Many careers promise excitement, challenge, travel, life-long learning, higher wages, flexibility and opportunities for growth and advancement. However, nursing really delivers. Can you picture yourself calming the fears of a child? Holding the hand of a dying woman? Participating in a team conference discussing the newest care treatment options? Developing a community program addressing the needs of teenagers? Then nursing may be the career for you.

Nurses work in a variety of settings from the hospital to the community to the courtroom. Nurses work in hospitals at the bedside providing hands-on care to hospitalized people. There are a variety of career tracks available to the hospital nurse: pediatrics, adult care, geriatrics, mother/baby (obstetrics), mental health (psychiatric nursing), surgery, emergency room, intensive care unit, oncology, case-management, administration, and information systems. Each area offers a different pace, a different focus, and different scheduling options related to hours worked. Some hospitals provide four, eight, ten and/ or twelve hour shifts. Perhaps working two weekend shifts better meets your needs, allowing you to pursue other goals during the week. There is an area and a schedule to match anyone’s interests.

Nurses are employed in community settings. These settings range from home health care agencies (including private duty care) and public health agencies, to urgent care facilities and schools. The list goes on and on. A new facet of nursing is emerging in the field of forensics, assisting law officials and forensic scientists in solving crimes. Another growing field of nursing is parish nursing in which the nurse helps address the health care needs of a specific congregation.

Nurses also use their knowledge, talents, and skills in the courtroom. Many nurses have chosen to pursue further education in law and ethics becoming nurse attorneys, expert witnesses, consultants, etc. Nurses have historically represented the voice if patients and are needed in these arenas to move health care forward and assure that health care needs are met for all.

Working as a traveling nurse allows you to see the country or even the world. You can spend six months enjoying the beach and six months skiing in the mountains of Colorado depending on the contract agreed upon. There is also a need for experienced nurses overseas.

Advanced practice nurses (those who have earned a master’s degree in nursing) function as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse anesthesiologists and nurse educators. These nursing roles offer greater responsibility, independence, and higher wages. As there is a shortage of nurses in the United States at this time, there is also a shortage of nurse educators. Students who are interested in teaching and guiding the next generation of nursing are encouraged to pursue graduate and doctoral degrees in nursing early in their careers.

Wages vary according to license held, employment setting, and location. According to the Department of Labor website, annual earnings for a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in 2002 were, on average $31, 440 while a registered nurse (RN) earned an average of $48,090.

Nurses are needed more than ever right now. There is currently a national shortage of nurses and this is expected to worsen. What this means to the person considering nursing is assurance of employment. There is a certain degree of job security in nursing. No matter what happens with the economy, people will always be in need of health care. In today’s world, this means vast opportunities for nurses.

Nursing is not just a career, it is a calling. It is a demanding profession. However, the rewards are great. It is a respected and personally satisfying profession. One must be people-oriented and willing to serve others. Skills learned throughout school and gained through experience assist nurses in influencing the health and well being of mind, body, and spirit.

Nursing is an academic, scholarly career. College preparation courses are strongly recommended throughout high school with emphasis on science and math. Once you have decided on a career in nursing, you then need to choose which type of program would best meet your needs. An LPN/LVN program can be completed in one year. If you’re interested in becoming a registered nurse, you have a choice between a two-year, three-year, or four-year program. Two and three year programs are offered through community colleges, universities, and hospital based diploma programs.

If advanced practice nursing interests you, then plan on an additional two years of college after completing a four-year degree. Many colleges have accelerated placement for previous course work or credentials earned. This allows people interested in nursing to obtain their goal one step at a time.

Knowledge of medicine, nursing, the behavioral sciences, and technology is constantly changing. To provide the best care possible, nurses must keep current. Regardless of what your chosen educational path may be, you can count on continued education and life long learning in the field of nursing.

Contact your state’s Board of Nursing, League of Nursing, or state/local professional nursing organizations and associations for further information regarding nursing schools in your area. Additionally, many of these organizations offer mentoring programs that can provide you with the support and encouragement you need to become a nurse.

Editorial Provided by Penni-Lynn G. Rolen, MSN, RN, CNS, Assistant Director of Huron School of Nursing - Cleveland Clinic Health System, East.