Nursing is described as an art and a science. Art is a skill at doing a specified thing, typically one acquired through practice. Nurses learn to deliver care (wound care, assessment, foley insertion etc) artfully with compassion, caring, and respect for each patient’s dignity. As a science, nursing practice is based on a body of knowledge that is continually changing with new discoveries and innovations.
Nursing as a Profession
The patients and their families are the center and focus of a nurse’s practice. Being a nurse is a privilege. Nurses care for patients with variety of health care needs; it is for this reason nursing programs are considered rigorous, because being a nurse requires the knowledge and the skill to effectively deliver safe and effective care. The reward from the nursing profession is personal and professional. Personal because having the ability to help some can be very satisfying. In addition to being satisfying, the job stability makes nursing worthwhile. Professional, there are many areas in which a nurse can practice and lot of opportunity for professional growth.
Understanding the career opportunities available in nursing are important when making the decision in becoming a registered nurse. The career opportunities are endless; registered nurses can work in clinical practice (healthcare organization), education, research, administration, law, and even entrepreneurship.
Clinical practice:
- Administer medication
- Dress wounds
- Insert tubes (foley or nasogastric tube)
- Assess the patient
- Implement doctors order
- Evaluate the outcome of the implementation
- Document care
Education:
- Teach in the academic setting (prelicensure nursing students)
- Didactic (lecture) or clinical
- Administrative
- Teach in the clinic setting (License nurses)
- Orientation
- Competencies
- In-services
- Certification courses
Research nurse
- Conduct research (requires a PhD)
- Coordinating clinical care.
- Assuring participant safety.
Administration
- CEO
- CNO
- ACNO
- Nursing Supervisor
- Nurse Manager
Law
- Forensic nursing
- Expert witness
Entrepreneurship.
- Business owner
- Clinics
- Assisted Living facilities
- Nursing Schools
- Real estate
- Politics
- Senator
- Congress man / women
- Mayor
- Councilman / women