A CAREER IN NURSING

Becoming a Registered Nurse (RN)

CREDENTIALS You need a high school diploma to enter nursing school Some nursing schools require a pre-admission test called the

National League for Nursing (NLN) Pre-admission Exam. Credentials can be acquired by completing one of these

three programs offered at many registered nursing schools: Associate degree in nursing Bachelor's of science degree in nursing Nursing diploma The most popular program is the associate's degree in

nursing, which takes an average of two-to-three years to complete.

After completing any of these programs a nurse must pass a national licensing examination (NCLEX-RN)

NCLEX exam, also known as the National Council Licensure Examination, is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice.

JOB REQUIREMENTS Registered nurses (RNs) make up the majority of workers in

the health care industry. They hold a position of seniority over licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants and are often in charge of assigning tasks in a hospital environment.

Being a registered nurse can be both a challenging and a rewarding profession. Some RNs work evening, weekend or on-call hours, and are exposed to a variety of medical conditions. But they also have fairly lucrative salaries as well as the satisfaction of making a valuable impact on the lives of patients and their families. RNs can also have quite diverse jobs, depending on their work setting and area of expertise.

Some of the job requirements include; observing and recording patient medical history and symptoms

Establishing a plan of care for patients or adding to an existing one then putting the plan into action

Managing and assigning tasks to licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants

Advising and providing emotional support for patients and their families

SALARY Salaries can range from about 37,000 to

83,000 annually depending on the specific specialty as well the years of experience a RN has.

ADVANCED DEGREES 

Degree Completion Programs for RNs: (RN to BSN/RN to MSN) Hundreds of bridge programs are offered for nurses with diplomas and ADN degrees who wish to complete a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in nursing. Many programs are offered online and in flexible formats designed for working nurses.

Master’s Degree: (MSN) Master's degree programs prepare nurses for more independent roles such as Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse-Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, or Nurse Psychotherapist. Doctoral Degree: (PhD, EdD, DNS, DNP) Doctoral programs prepare nurses to assume leadership roles within the profession, conduct research that impacts nursing practice and health care, and to teach at colleges and universities.

Post-Doctoral Programs: Post-Doctoral programs provide advanced research training for nurses who hold doctoral degrees. Currently, 24 research-focused universities across the country offer post-doctoral programs in nursing.

REWARDS Very gratifing job because you focus on

the care of others Well paid Many oppurtunities for advancement Great benefits

BACKGROUND Before Florence Nightingale, nursing was seen as an apprenticeship, often

undertaken in religious orders such as convents by young women, although there has always been a proportion of male nurses, especially in mental health services. In 1860 Nightingale set up the first nurse training school at St Thomas' Hospital, London. Nightingale's curriculum was largely base around nursing practice, with instruction focused upon the need for hygiene and task competence. Her methods are reflected in her Notes on Nursing, (1898).

Some other nurses at that time, notably Ethel Gordon Fenwick, were in favor of formalized nursing registration and curriculums that were formally based in higher education and not within the confines of hospitals.

Nurse education in the United States is conducted within university schools, although it is unclear who offered the first degree level program. So far as known Yale School of Nursing became the first autonomous school of nursing in the United States in 1923. In Europe the University of Edinburgh was the first European institution to offer a nursing degree in 1972.

WORKS CITED Evangelist, Thomas A.; Orr, Tamra.; Unrein,

Judy. Publication: New York McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009. Product ID: 251051 eBook ISBN: 9780071599382 ISBN: 9780071599375

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, Jan/Feb2011, Vol. 40 Issue 1, p131-134, 4p; DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01214.

Vallano, Annette T.; Publication: Kaplan Publishing, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-4108-3 Apr. 14, 2010. Journal.