Nursing (Registered Nurses)

Definition of Nursing

Nursing is a profession that involves autonomous and collaborative care of patients of any age, groups, communities, families, sick or well people in all settings of life. It includes prevention of diseases, promotion of health as well as caring for the disabled, sick and dying individuals. Nursing has become an essential profession in the 21^st century (American Nurses Association, 2012). It is a glue that holds the patients’ recovery and health care journey together. In all the patients’ experiences and whenever and wherever someone needs care, nurses are there and work tirelessly to identify and protect the needs of the patients. Nursing a reputable profession that needs compassion and dedication to address the evolving needs of the community continually. The nursing process involves assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation the plans and evaluating the care plans in order to provide the best care to the patients

Job duties of Registered Nurses

There is no exact duty for the nurses. The responsibilities and duties of a nurse range from making treatment of acute illnesses tong provision of vaccinations in schools. The duties also vary depending on the type of nurses that are there. There are many types of nurses which include registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. In this occupation research paper, the duties of registered nurses will be discussed. Today, there are more than 4 million registered nurses in the United States. This large number of registered nurses means that one in every one hundred people in the United States is a registered nurse.

Some of the key duties of registered nurses are performing physical examinations and conducting health histories of patients before they can make critical decisions on the care that should be provided to the patient. Registered nurses ensure that every critical decision they take on a patient is based on the thorough physical examination of the patient as well as health history. Secondly, the registered nurses educate, counsel and provide health promotion to patients through the provision of appropriate care all the time. Thirdly, the registered nurses also administer medications and other personalized interventions to help the patients recover from their illnesses (American Nurses Association, 2012). Finally, another duty of a registered nurse is coordinating care, in collaboration with other many professionals such as physicians and doctors in the field of health care.

Pieces of equipment used by nurses

For nurses and medical students to work effectively, they need to have the right pieces of equipment to enable them to do their job diligently. Having the right gear allows the nurses to assess the right conditions of patients, being organized, manage their time well as well as stay connected with the other professionals in the health center. In this occupation research paper, five common pieces of equipment used by registered nurses at healthcare centers as well as nursing and medical students who have just started training in the field of medicine.

Nursing Attire

From far, one can differentiate between a nurse and other professionals in the health care facility. This attire is important as it helps patients to understand where they can seek assistance. Since nurses also get involved in many activities, like dealing with patients suffering from different illnesses. The nursing attire includes professional work scrubs, professional nursing shoes, and high-quality compression socks. Scrubs serve as important and recognizable pieces that enable nurses to do their tasks effectively and efficiently. They can be of different colors. The reasons why scrubs are desirable for nurses is because it maintains a professional outlook of patients, are comfortable to move in, easy to clean, are lightweight and breathable, and easy to remove after working (Nurse Theory, 2018). Although nursing shoes may not be common in the healthcare field, they make a big difference as the shoes provide support, protection and comfort throughout their long working hours which involves standing most of the times. Another important nursing gear is of high-quality compression socks. These socks are essential in maintaining the daily health of patients. They improve the flow of blood, increase support of legs and feet as well as reduce swelling of legs due to long hours of standing.

Premium Stethoscope

Stethoscope help nurse to observe and assess the general health of the patient. For healthcare professionals, including nurses, doctors and physicians, the stethoscope is the fastest, cheapest and most useful instrument used to detect physical health problems of a patient (Nurse Theory, 2018).

Professional Sphygmomanometer

Sphygmomanometer help doctors, physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers to monitor the blood pressure and heart rate of patients. This helps the nurse to evaluate the patients’ basic level of blood pressure and the health of the heart aiding them to detect and identify possible health problems.

Educational Medical Guides

It is compulsory for a registered nurse to carry educational, medical guides with them. The guides consist of drug handbooks, medical reference guides, pocket guides, and anatomy and physiology guides (Nurse Theory, 2018). These educational books assist the nurses in making educated decisions and avoiding medical mistakes during their practice.

Electronics such as smartphones

Smartphones have become vital devices in almost every profession. In the nursing profession, smartphones help nurses to be organized, receive vital reminders, track and record crucial assignments that they have to undertake, manage their work schedules, set essential notifications as well as stay connected with the other nurses and other healthcare providers (Nurse Theory, 2018). This makes nurses remain productive throughout the day.

Work Environment

Registered nurses work in healthcare centers, hospitals, home healthcare facilities, physician’s offices, as well as nursing care facilities. They can also work in outpatient schools and clinics.

Career Advancement Opportunities

There are four career advancement opportunities for a registered nurse. These opportunities include the nursing supervisor, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anaesthetist. A nursing supervisor is just a registered nurse who has a bachelor’s of degree and experience to supervise other registered nurses. A nurse practitioner must acquire a master’s degree in a certain field and have the authority to see patients on their own, diagnose and treat them in addition to performing basic nursing care. Nurse Midwife helps physicians during prenatal and postnatal care, gynaecological examinations, and family planning and during caesarian births, delivery of babies, and handling emergencies during labor (American Nurses Association, 2012). Nurse anaesthetist provides patients with anaesthesia, especially patients who have gone through surgery, therapeutic, obstetrical or diagnostic procedures.

Training

For one to become a registered nurse, they should have either associates or Bachelor’s degree in nursing courses. The required course work includes basic nutrition, chemistry, psychology, human anatomy, nursing science, human development, and microbiology (American Nurses Association, 2012).

Licensing

RN needs to have an RN license which is acquired when one has associates or Bachelor’s degree. The license is renewed every two years in the US.

Salary Range

As at 2019, the average salary range for RN was $73,550 annually, which means that an RN is paid an average of $35.36 per hour (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor).

Accrediting organization

RN accreditation is done by the national accreditation body, which is the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The purpose and mission of this national accreditation body are to provide accreditation for Bachelor’s, graduate, and residency nursing programs.

Bibliography

American Nurses Association (2012). Nursing advocacy and practice. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm

Nurse Theory, (2018). The Ultimate Guide to Nursing Gear, Essentials & Equipment. https://www.nursetheory.com/standard-nursing-gear-and-equipment-list/