By: Karen P
Submitted: 2011-10-10 20:09:46 | Word Count: 526
In uncertain economic times, there is still one fact that holds true. There aren't nearly enough health care workers. One job title for which there is always demand is Registered Nurse. What does it take to become a Registered Nurse (RN), and what do they do?
An RN is a licensed medical professional, who treats and educates patients, educates the public, and advises and provides emotional support to patient's families, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics description. Yes, that's part of the picture. But getting there takes a lot of work and a lot of empathy and concern for others.
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Registered nurses attend diploma schools (which used to be the typical way) affiliated with a hospital, or earn an associate degree from a community college or a four-year degree from a university. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is becoming the standard for the best jobs and career enhancement, and some states issue provisional licenses to nurses with associate degrees, with the stipulation that they earn a four-year degree within a fixed timeframe.
Nursing, unlike many professions, involves a great deal of supervised clinical practice in addition to classroom work. In the health care professions, registered nurses are the sergeants in the war on disease, with the doctors as the officers and the state-licensed Practical or Vocational nursing staff as the infantry and the surgical technicians, physical therapists, and others the specialists. Among Registered Nurses, there are specialties like Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, which are like warrant officers in the military.
More than half of all Registered Nurses work in hospitals. Some are floor supervisors, managing a squad of LPN/LVNs and CNAs caring for a ward of patients. Some work in the operating theater, as the patient advocate, making sure everyone else is doing their job so the surgeon can focus on the operation. And always, the RN interacts directly with the patient, the physician, and the patient's family, interpreting and relaying information in all three directions to ensure the best outcome for the patient.
In larger hospitals and clinics, the RN may specialize in one area or another, such as ophthalmology, oncology, pediatrics, obstetrics, or orthopedics. In smaller institutions and rural areas, the RN may do all of these things, plus public outreach and education. Biomedical instrument manufacturers employ Registered Nurses as testers, systems analysts, and programmers. Health insurance companies employ Registered Nurses in many roles. An RN might evaluate claims to reduce billing errors and stop fraud, or review policies and procedures to establish coverage for new procedures and products. Registered Nurse Case Managers work with patients and providers to get the best outcome for the patient under their policy benefits. In our health care system, physicians treat the disease, but nurses treat the patient.
The career path for the Registered Nurse does not stop at the floor supervisor level. Nurses can earn a Master of Science in Nursing and go into hospital administration or earn a PHD in Nursing and teach in universities. Nursing is hard work, with strict protocols and stress, but also a rewarding lifetime career for men and women dedicated to providing the best health care available.
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