Do you feel like you are being called to a nursing career? And you are ready to start a career path that provides you enough personal and work satisfaction because it gives you the chance to help others in need. However, there are several different nursing career paths to choose from, which have confused you. So, what should you do? What type of nurse should you become? Some people pursuing this nursing career path know what they want to specialize in. From the very moment they want to become a nurse, they know what type of nurse they want to be. They also know what type of patients they want to work for and what type of facility. Other people only feel like they want to become a nurse but are often confused between what specialty they should choose or where to start their career.
In some instances, people also doubt their choices in terms of profession. We will answer all the questions and help solve your doubts in this blog. So you can figure out what type of nursing career you should choose.
What Is The Work Of A Nurse?
Nurses are the ones who play many roles in the medical field. From being able to offer complete care to the patients to be able to coordinate with the doctors. Here are a few common and important responsibilities across several different nursing specialties.
- The nurses have to operate and look after the medical equipment.
- Guide the families on the patient’s state and post-hospital supervision and needs.
- The nurses evaluate the patients’ medical state and help doctors create a treatment plan.
- Communicate and work expertly with other members of the healthcare team.
- They collect data on patients’ medical health and relevant behavior.
Skills Required To Become A Nurse
Below are the following skills which are required to become a nurse:
- Organizational skills
- Communication Skills
- Empathy
- Patient Care skills
- Multitasking
- Leadership
- Time management
- Confidence
- Calm personality
- Teamwork
- Logical Thinking.
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Types Of Nursing Career
There are several careers in nursing that students can select from after completing their required educational qualifications. For nursing careers, the job profile may also differ depending on the healthcare industry’s requirements and needs and the aspirants’ choices. Mentioned below are a few job profiles for the same.
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Licensed Practical nurses work under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses. The LPN is responsible for maintaining and checking medical requirements and giving patients injections.
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
These nurses are skilled in detecting and treating illnesses within their expertise.
- Home Health Nurse
Home Health Nurses are the ones who provide medical support and health to patients in their homes. These nurses mostly provide care services to people with development or mobility problems.
- Registered Nurse
These nurses are registered under medical organizations or institutions. They work with physicians in established hospitals and do work in various medical settings.
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Registered Nurse
ICU registered nurses have a definite and prescribed role created only for maintenance related to the ICU of nursing homes or hospitals and taking care of any medical requirement.
- Travel Nurse
Travel nurses are also registered nurses who work temporarily in their own country as well as internationally.
- Nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioners work under the guidance of a physician or a doctor and can also choose to become independent medical practitioners diagnosing diseases and prescribing medicines.
How To Choose A Nursing Career Specialty
Some prospective nurses can pull toward a specific kind of nursing career, while others have to think and decide their options by researching and searching for what is right for them. If you are here, you probably are still figuring out what specialty is ideal for you.
Many experienced and new nurses can corroborate that working in a place that provides experience in the treatment and illness unit is the best way to gain experience and become a registered nurse. These places generally offer care to several different kinds of clients, which gives the chance to work with a multi-disciplinary team, do procedures, switch between clients, and so much more. However, these places can give you a great learning experience and opportunities; it is crucial that you select a job or specialty that makes you feel content, excites you, and enhances all your great attributes.
Advantages Of Becoming A Nurse
Most individuals choose this field because they are passionate about helping others in need. But that doesn’t mean the profession is bad or has no advantages. Like any career, a nursing career has its own unique benefits that can play a major role in selecting a career for indecisive people.
1. Helping Others
Whether they are fighting for patients’ rights or caring for sick people in the hospital, nurses work towards saving and improving people’s lives. In fact, a nurse plays a huge and important role in shaping the wellness and health of communities they serve, individuals, and even families.
2. High Demand
Registered nurses, particularly those having a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, are and will continue to stay in demand across the country. Between the years 2016 to 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated an increase in the employment of registered nurses by 15%. This growth is faster than any other occupation’s average. Moreover, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also created a list that suggests that the metro area of Arlington, Chicago, and Naperville Heights has one of the highest employment rates for registered nurses in the country.
3. Earning Potential
As per recent internet articles, the average annual income of a nurse in the United States is $63,000, which is way higher than the global average salary of $26,698. Also, notice that the salary of a registered nurse is generally higher in metropolitan cities than in rural regions. The U.S. Bureau lists that the average salary of a nurse in the Arlington, Chicago, and Naperville Heights Metropolitan Area is as high as $76,640.
4. Diverse Opportunities
Even though hospitals have always been the biggest employers of registered nurses, today, nurses can choose to use their skills in any practice setting, from cruise ships to planes and military bases to camping sites. There are also over a hundred specialty areas, including informatics, forensic, travel, and holistic nursing career.
5. Flexible Work Schedules
Generally, point out that becoming a nurse offers a lot of flexibility. Based on who your employer is, registered nurses can choose to work on an on-call, full-time, or part-time basis. Several healthcare employers have nurses who prefer to work three days a week but on a twelve-hour shift basis, which is amazing for nurses who do not mind working long shifts to get four days off.
6. Trusted Profession
When it is about ethical standards and honesty, the nursing sector has retained its No. 1 place in the yearly Gallup poll for the last sixteen years. In 2017, 82% of Americans stated that nurses possess very high ethical standards.
How To Get Into A Nursing career
If you are still unsure of a nursing career path, you need to choose for yourself in the nursing sector, then the career advisor at Alnicor consulting can help you figure it out. Since a nursing career offers a huge pool of choices, it can be difficult for people to decide which nursing career specialty is right for them. In addition to working in hospitals, people can also choose a career in nursing homes, public health agencies, or daycare centers.
If you want to work in a hospital, you have to specialize in a specific medical service. The base requirements for nurses in hospitals are to attend to newborns’ needs, assist physicians during a patient examination or surgical procedures, and give bedside care to sick or healing patients. As a nurse, you can work in healthcare facilities as a private duty nurse or become a home nurse for private patients.
Various sectors recruit nurses and support nursing career opportunities. For example, you can work in public health care centers, medical colleges with attached hospitals, industry clinics, school clinics, government hospitals, and residential school and college clinics. This list can go on and on.
Conclusion
If you want nurse career counseling on how to become a nurse, go and register at Alnicor Consulting. The experts at Alnicor will help you select the right path to become successful in your nursing career. If you are facing difficulty in pursuing your career, have any queries, or need counseling, our experts will help you with the correct suggestions. We created this platform to help people and offer them the necessary mentorship in healthcare and nursing.