Nursing Job Descriptions Demystified
The field of Nursing has experienced exponential growth in the last 10 years as Americans age. The upcoming retirement boom will only increase the need for more nurses to care for the Baby Boomer generation as they age. There are many Nursing job descriptions in the field of nursing. In this article, we are going to go over the high level Nursing Job and their descriptions so you have a better understanding of what options are available for you entering the field of Nursing. If you are looking at pursuing a career in Nursing or are a recent High School graduate you may want to look at some of the different Nursing job descriptions closely before you make your final decision. The most common Nursing jobs are: · Registered Nurse (RN) · Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) · Nurse Practitioner · Head Nurse or Nursing Supervisor · Home Health Nurses · Nursing Aides Most of the above Nursing jobs require at least four (4) years of school from an accredited Nursing school. To help you get a better glimpse of the different Nursing specialties, I am going to go over the Nursing job descriptions for each type of nursing position. Registered Nursing Job Description - (RN) Registered nurses make up the largest percentage of health workers in the US. Nurses are typically the point of contact with the patients and families. In addition, they are the primary point of contact between the patient and the world of health care, both at the bedside and in out-patient settings. Registered Nurses perform patient evaluations, track patient vitals, and perform medical procedures such as IV's, and often administer medications. RN's are very important to the Physician as they often are in touch with the patient's status and well being. There are several specialties that registered nurses can perform such as Trauma Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, OB/GYN Nursing, and Surgical Nursing. RN's are responsible for the overall nursing plans of the patients and provide the direct coordination with the other healthcare staff. Each work environment is different, but one thing is in common is that RN's are critical to patient care and the ability for patients to recover quickly. Licensed Practical Nurses Job Descriptions (LPN) Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), provide very custom and personalized care to patients. LPN's typically report directly to either the Physician or RN. Most LPN's assist very closely in the daily care of the patient hands on. Some LPN's administer medicine and IV's for patients. They often handle bed sores, enema's, bandages, and other hands on care for patients. LPN's play a vital role for the patients in dealing with their illness. Nurse Practitioner Nurse practitioners are usually the primary care givers of their patients. Like physicians, Nurse Practitioners are the first ones to diagnose and treat illness and other medical issues. Nurse practitioners can also prescribe medication which is not allowed by Registered Nurses. Some would argue that in the US we need more Nurse Practitioners than Physicians in the health care system. Some say this would help in reducing the cost of providing healthcare across the board. The education requirements to become a nurse practitioner require a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, and often a Master in Nursing as well. Many times nurse practitioners will handle secondary roles as well in obstetrics, anesthesiology, and midwifery. Head Nurse or Nurse Supervisor Head Nurses are typically the Nursing managers in the healthcare scene. Their typical responsibilities range from work schedules to performance reviews for nursing staff. Other tasks include quality control, standards review, medication review, care reviews, and training. Nursing Managers and supervisors are critical in managing nurses in larger Hospital and clinical environments. For those interested in not all becoming a Nurse but also enjoy managing people, this is great job for you. Home Health Nurses Job Description Home Health Nurses provide their care in the patients home. It has been found that many patients recover much quicker when they are able to recover in the comfort of their own home. Some common uses for home health nurses are those recovering accidents, cancer, and childbirth. Home health nurses must be able to work independently and often supervise others such as home health aides in providing care to the patients in their homes. Nursing Aides Job Description Nursing aides, or nursing assistants perform most of their tasks under supervision of medical staff and other nurses. Some of the tasks include answering patient requests, delivering messages, serving meals, and help patients eat, bathe, and dress themselves. Nursing Aides provide skin care to patients, take patients temperatures, and vitals such as blood pressure and respiration. Many times they assist patients in and out of their beds. Nursing Aides are also key in keeping patients rooms neat and in order. It is important for patients to have someone to rely on in assisting them to appointments and back and forth to their room. Aides are also key in reporting physical and emotional status to the other nursing staff and physicians when they notice changes in behavior that may indicate failing health. |
