Careers in Registered Nursing Today and in the Future
The need for registered nurses has never been greater. In today's healthcare environment, cost and quality, as well as an organization's ability to delivery positive outcomes, will largely determine its success. Further, rapid developments in science and new community responsibilities require new approaches to nursing today. In addition, and perhaps even more importantly, Americans are getting older faster, and the demands on the healthcare system to provide for timely and appropriate levels of care for this growing segment of the population will require innovative approaches to healthcare delivery, including expanded roles for registered nurses. This paper examines the current status of registered nursing in the United States including typical wages and benefits, followed by a description of the types of duties and responsibilities generally encountered in healthcare settings. An analysis of current and future trends for registered nurses is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.
Review and Discussion
Background and Overview. "Nurses' work has both sacred and profane aspects. Day after day, nurses participate in the human events of suffering, healing, and dying" (Robinson 1988:x). Some hospitals use nurse-midwives in maternity departments. Registered nurses who occupy specialty position often work in a number of other areas as well, such as medical, surgical, obstetric, pediatric, psychiatric, and rehabilitative; these nurses frequently cross over to other fields as consultants (Scarborough 2004). For example, registered nurses ease patients' transition when returning home and assure planned continuity of health care; a few registered nurses provide ombudsman, or patient-advocate, services and still others perform research aimed at solving problems and at devising improved ways of caring for patients (Scarborough 2004). The healthcare community in general has...
The huge numbers of these practitioners is attributed to their ability to work in diverse settings that are well-lit and comfortable. Furthermore, their huge numbers are attributed to their work schedules i.e. rotating shifts that cover the entire 24 hours due to the need for round-the-clock care in hospitals and nursing care centers. As a result, registered nurses may work on weekends, during holidays, and at night. Therefore, registered
Moreover, other key benefits of a baccalaureate education include increased self-direction, improved ethical conduct, enhanced performance, increased responsibility, and professional enhancement. (Leonard, 2003) This situation is what they call the RN to BSN program that encourages registered nurses with ADN or diploma course as entry-levels for nursing licensure, to go back to school and get a bachelor's degree. http://www.y-axis.com/healthcare/career/facts.shtml, para 11) In 2004, there were 600 RN-to-BSN programs in the
Nursing Education Two relatively brief and recent articles by the Institute of Medicine (IOM; 2011a, b) offer some intriguing solutions regarding the future of the nursing profession, particularly advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). The gist of both of these brief reviews is basically that in order to keep up with the demanding healthcare needs and changes in the healthcare system the nursing profession should: (A) stress higher levels of education across
Nurses working the late shift (3-11, or overnight, 11-7) are subject to negative impacts due to physical and mental health issues. This paper delves into those issues for nurses and provides scholarly reference information detailing those health matters. Nursing and Shift Work Sarah Bills explains that about 4.6% of American employees work the 3:00 P.M. To 11:00 P.M. shift and 3.5% of workers are at work from 11:00 P.M. To 7:00 A.M.
Nurse The nursing career differs from the medical field in that nursing is solely focused on the care and advocacy of the patient. Nurses are the intermediaries between doctor-patient relationships; they are the bridges that enable patients to understand the situation regarding healthcare and healthcare practices. Nurses depend on the human responses and the human condition in order to better care for the patients. They are responsible for further interactions
Nurses have come a long way in a few short decades. In the past our attention focused on physical, mental and emotional healing. Now we talk of healing your life, healing the environment and healing the planet. Lynn Keegan, 1994 The Field of medicine is growing at a rate unlike ever before. The reason for this growth is not due entirely to the population's general health but more to personal responsibility and
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now