If you have ever thought about becoming a nurse, then this article is perfect for you. You'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about becoming a nurse, where a nurse work, how much they get paid, what kind of additional in-service training they need, how you can become a nurse, some of the dangers involved in the job, when you can expect to retire and how you can make difference in the lives of the people you serve.
Nurses help prevent disease and injury and care for the sick and injured, but within these parameters, there are no limits to what the job can entail. “Nursing offers you the opportunity to do a million different things, in a million different places,”While there are many different areas of specialization, some individuals are general nurses, who assist doctors by performing a variety of tasks as needs arise, and will often have secretarial duties as well if they work in HMOs or private offices. More specialized nurses include surgical nurses, who ensure the sterility of instruments and assist doctors during surgery; obstetric-gynecological nurses, who help to deliver babies; neonatal nurses, who care for newborns and teach new mothers how to feed their babies; nurse anesthetists, who work with anesthesiologists to provide proper sedation for patients; or psychiatric nurses, who care for patients with mental or emotional disorders. Occupational health nurses work at factories or other worksites to offer preventive education, and community or public health nurses spend time on the road to instruct various groups in their community on diverse health-related topics. Another variety of nurse is the private duty nurse, who has only one patient in his or her charge and works in the patient’s home or in the hospital. Some are also hospice nurses (refer to page 62 of this section). These days, nurses with more advanced degrees handle many things that were once the sole province of physicians, such as treating some ailments and setting fractures. Nurse practitioners can even make diagnoses and write prescriptions. Clinical nurse specialists also have additional patient responsibilities in such areas as geriatrics or pediatrics, depending on the nurse’s specialty. Nurses can advance to become department heads or supervisors, overseeing other nurses as well as caring for patients.
A nurse works in a variety of place. Nurses work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, corporations, and sometimes even in businesses of their own.
People who want to become nurses can choose from four training programs. The two-year program takes place in a junior or community college combined with hospital training. The degree program, run entirely by a hospital or school and based solely on nursing, lasts three years. The longest is the BSN program, which awards applicants a Bachelor of Science degree after four or five years of study at a college or university. However, none of these programs qualify the nurse for practice. To practice, every nurse must pass a national licensing exam. After completing one of these programs and passing the exam, the nurse becomes an RN or Registered Nurse. The fourth and fastest option is to become an LPN or Licensed Practical Nurse, which requires only one year of training. While for most entry-level jobs the RN license opens the door, a BSN is required to be eligible for some supervisory positions. For the most senior management positions or to teach in nursing school, a master's degree in nursing is standard. Some specialties even require a doctorate.
The salary ranges for a nurse are between 26.00 and 44.00 per hour.
A nurse can take her retire at 60 years old or if she had 40 years of services
My path to becoming a nurse takes place in Cégep. I have to do three years of courses and internships to be able to access the final professional exam to have my license to practice.