Nurses
Healthcare Staffing, Employment & Recruiting Agency
What is a Nurse?
In their day-to-day work, nurses monitor patients, administer medications and treatments, assist with procedures, educate patients and families, coordinate care plans, and operate medical equipment. They serve as patient advocates and key members of the collaborative healthcare team.
Their training enables them to measure vital signs, assist with exams and testing, administer medications and IV fluids, change dressings, operate specialized equipment, collect samples, record information, counsel patients, and much more. Specifically, nurses may work in settings such as:
Nursing offers versatile career paths in areas like pediatrics, oncology, geriatrics, community health, psychiatry, critical care, and more. The distinctions between nurses and other licensed clinical roles like nurse practitioners relate to differences in educational requirements, scopes of practice, and licensing. For example, while NPs obtain state APRN licensure, RNs are licensed as registered nurses. Both roles collaborate closely in patient care delivery.
What Skills Does a Nurse Require?
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities allow nurses to collaborate with all members of the care team. They explain complex information simply, educate patients and families, advocate and coordinate care. A caring, compassionate manner is fundamental to providing patient-centered care.
In addition to communication talents, sharp critical thinking and organizational skills help nurses rapidly assess changes in patient condition, report to providers, prioritize tasks, and make quick decisions in fast-paced, chaotic settings. Nurses rely heavily on observation and reporting to aid diagnosis and treatment.
Nurses also need emotional resilience to handle traumatic situations, deliver bad news compassionately, and support distressed patients and families. Regular exposure to suffering requires the ability to manage emotions skillfully.
Ultimately, the nursing role requires flexibility, stamina, skill and quick thinking to fulfill the many essential functions from routine care to emergency response. Dedication and care for people are equally vital.
How Do You Become a Nurse?
The journey to becoming a licensed, registered nurse takes 2-4 years of education and training after high school. It’s a demanding yet rewarding path that prepares you for a meaningful career caring for patients.
To qualify for nursing school, you must first complete science prerequisites and gain healthcare experience showing your commitment to nursing. Strong academic records and recommendation letters are vital when applying to competitive nursing programs.
Once in nursing school, coursework covers an enormous range of topics from pharmacology to care coordination. You apply these concepts directly with patients under supervision during clinical rotations in specialties like pediatrics, critical care, oncology, and community health.
After graduating nursing school, you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam before applying for state licensure allowing supervised practice. Some go on to gain experience while others pursue Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees to access advanced roles. With licensure, doors open to diverse fields from bedside hospital nursing, to outpatient clinics, home care services, research, education, public health, administration, and more.
Regardless of setting, becoming an RN requires smarts, compassion, resilience, teamwork, and a lifelong commitment to helping the suffering and infirm.
The journey is demanding, but nursing is an honorable profession where you can make a real difference in patient’s lives.
Types of Nurses
The healthcare industry employs many different types of nurses across various settings. The wide range of nursing classifications, certifications, and responsibilities allows these essential healthcare professionals to provide competent, compassionate care tailored to the diverse needs of patients and health organizations.Â
Registered Nurses
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses trained and licensed to diagnose, prescribe medications, and manage patient care with a high degree of autonomy. NPs often serve as primary and specialty care providers in clinics and hospitals.
Nurse Practitioners
Specialty hospitals center their facilities, equipment, staff expertise, and treatment plans around serving patients with specific conditions or undergoing focused types of care. Some examples include cancer hospitals, heart hospitals, orthopedic and surgery centers, children’s hospitals, burn recovery units, physical rehabilitation centers, psychiatric hospitals, geriatric care facilities, women’s health clinics, and more.
Specialized hospitals are equipped to provide targeted, efficient care calibrated to the medical issues faced by particular patient categories.
Certified Nurse Midwives
Certified nurse midwives provide care and support to women before, during, and after pregnancy and delivery. They have specialized expertise in childbirth, women’s reproductive health, newborn care, and family planning.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) administer anesthesia to patients in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, podiatrists and other qualified healthcare professionals. They play a vital role in ensuring patient safety and comfort.
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Clinical nurse specialists are advanced practice nurses who have specialized skills and knowledge focused on a particular population, health condition, nursing specialty, type of care, procedure, or setting. They aim to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes through their focused expertise.
Nurse Educators
Nurse educators develop curriculum and teach the next generation of nurses. They instruct nursing students to prepare them for licensure and the transition into nursing practice, often maintaining their own clinical competencies as well.
Industry Insights
Nurse Anesthetist vs Anesthesiologist: A Comparison
Nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists work closely to provide anesthesia, but have notable differences in education and practice. While nurse anesthetists specialize in anesthesia delivery itself, anesthesiologists have extensive medical training covering pre-operative care, operating room support, and post-op needs. Learn more!
The 10 Hottest Healthcare Jobs Right Now
We list the top 10 in-demand healthcare jobs in 2024 and beyond. It states registered nurses, medical assistants, physical therapists, medical managers, diagnostic sonographers, pharmacists, surgical technologists, occupational therapy assistants, dental hygienists, and speech language pathologists are seeing high growth.