Registered nurses offer and coordinate patient care, educate the public and the patients regarding various health conditions and also offer advice and emotional advice to patients and their family members. Registered nursing is one of the top ten largest occupations in the world according to the bureau of Labor statistics. For one to be a registered nurse, one has to have a large base of knowledge that is used to assess, intervene and plan to promote health, prevent disease and also help the patients to cope with illnesses and disease. When offering direct patient care, the nurses have to assess, observe and record the reactions and progress of their patients which offer a basis for care planning and intervention. Moreover, registered nurse are health educators, and advocates for patients, communities, and families (Brown et al., 34)
Registered nurses have numerous roles to play in their occupation. These roles include; recording the symptoms and medical histories of patients, contributing and setting up plans for patient care, observing and recording observation of patients, monitor and operate medical equipment, teach the patients and their families how to monitor their equipment, analyze test results and help perform diagnostic tests, and finally assist in informing both the patient and their corresponding families on what to do once the patient has been taken home.
In order for one to be a registered nurse, they have to take different education programs that include courses in physiology, anatomy, microbiology, nutrition, chemistry, psychology and other various behavioral sciences in addition to liberal arts. All the education programs that registered nurse take have to include supervised clinical experience. The bachelors degree programs that the nurses take have to include an additional education in social and physical sciences, critical thinking, leadership, and communication. In non-hospital settings, these additional programs also enable the nurses to gain more clinical experience. For managerial positions, a Masters or a bachelors degree is required for research, teaching, and consultations.
While working, the registered nurses often spend a lot of time bending, walking, standing and stretching. Jones (33) notes that in the long run, nurses are vulnerable to back problems due to the fact that they often move and lift patients. Moreover, the work environment of the nurses may put them in close contact with patients who are ill. Some of the patients may have infectious diseases, therefore, the nurses may have to frequently come in contact with harmful and potentially hazardous substances and drugs. It is thus imperative that nurses have to follow some strict and standardized guidelines that have been created to so as to guard them against diseases and other dangers that may include accidental needle sticks, radiation or chemicals that are used to create a clean and sterile environment.
Provision of healthcare requires around-the-clock care. This means that nurses have to work in an environment that requires the use of shifts that covers all the 24 hours of a day. Moreover, the nurses may work during nights, holidays, weekends and they may also be on calls. Some nurses, however, work in some places such as schools and work offices that do not necessarily offer or need the round-the-clock atmosphere and are thus more likely to work during regular business hours.
Some of the vital skills that registered nurses should have included;
Communication skills: this is a vital aspect that a registered nurse should have in that it enables the nurse to be able to communicate effectively with both the patient and their families. Moreover, the nurse has to explain instructions that may include how to take medications. It is also imperative to comprehend that the nursing profession is done in a teamwork format. Therefore, there is a need to have proper communication skills such as to communicate the needs of the patient with other healthcare providers.
Emotional stability; due to the nature of their work environment, registered nurses have to be able to cope with human suffering, emergencies, stresses and have the resilience and ability to manage all sorts of behaviors exhibited by the patients and their families.
Physical stamina; due to the fact that nurses are on their feet almost every time, they need physical stamina to enable them to perform physical tasks such as moving and lifting patients.
Detail oriented; nurses have to be detail oriented since they must be responsible and make sure that the families and their patients get the correct information, treatment, and medicine at the right time.
Critical thinking skills; registered nurses have to be able to assess the changes in the health status of their patients. This also includes the ability to determine if the patients need corrective actions or whether the patients may need referrals.
Compassion; according to Temple et al. (45), when caring for patients, registered nurses have to be compassionate and caring.
Most of the registered nurses start their careers as staff nurses in the community of health settings. As they continue to get more involvement and good performance, they can then move to other positions in the healthcare settings or be promoted to positions that have more responsibility in the healthcare settings.
In management, registered nurses can advance from the position of associate clinical nurse manager to the position of a charge nurse. After holding to these positions, they may then be promoted to more senior-level managerial roles in the hospital settings such as the associate director or the director of nursing. After a few years in the industry, they may be promoted to the vice president of nursing to the position of chief nursing officer. As the nurses career continue to rise, there are various education-related requirements that are needed especially in the managerial roles. In most instances, managerial roles require communication skills, leadership, and upright judgment.
Some registered nurse moves into the commercial side of healthcare provision. Their nursing experience and expertise enable them to manage acute, ambulatory, household based in addition with chronic care businesses. Most of the employers such as insurance companies, hospitals, managed care organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers require the expertise of registered nurses for consultations, marketing, policy development, planning and progress and quality assertion. In some instances, registered nurses choose to be nurse midwives, nurse practitioners or nurse anesthetists. These are varieties of progressive practice of registered nurses.
In terms of job outlook, it is projected that the employment of registered nurses will grow by almost 16% from 2014 to 2024. This growth in percentage is much faster than most of the other professions or occupations worldwide. There are a number of motives as to why the growth would be higher. Some of these reasons may include an increase in emphasis on preventive care, increase in the growing rates of chronic diseases that include obesity and diabetes, and a general demand for the provision of healthcare by the baby boomer generation. All the registered nurses have to be licensed.
In conclusion, registered nursing is one of the top ten largest occupations in the world according to the bureau of Labor statistics. Provision of healthcare requires around-the-clock care. It is also imperative to comprehend that the nursing profession is done in a teamwork format. Therefore, there is a need to have proper communication skills such as to communicate the needs of the patient with other healthcare providers. All the registered nurses have to be licensed.
Works cited
Temple, Jenny, and Becky Taylor. Becoming a Registered Nurse: Making the Transition to Practice. , 2012. Internet resource.
Jones, Dale C. Trends in Registered Nurse Supply. Research Triangle Park, N.C: Research Triangle Institute, Center for Health Studies, 1975. Print.
Brown, Marie A, and Louise Kaplan. The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse As a Prescriber. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Internet resource.
