Registered Nursing
Registered nurses are medical practitioners who offer and coordinate patient care in addition to advising and providing emotional support to patients and their families. These professionals work in diverse health care settings including home healthcare services, hospitals, nursing care centers, and physician's offices. Moreover, registered nurses work in schools, with the military, correctional facilities, and summer camps. Since these medical professionals work in different settings, they have three education paths i.e. diplomas from authorized nursing programs, an associate nursing degree, and a bachelor's in nursing. In addition to either of these education paths, registered nurses must be licensed through passing a national licensing exam.
As part of their initiatives to provide and coordinate patient care, registered nurses carry out several duties including recording patients' symptoms and medical histories, giving medicines and treatments, and developing patients' care plans. They also observe patients, record their observations, consult with other healthcare practitioners, manage and supervise medical equipment, and help conduct diagnostic tests and evaluate results. With regards to advising patients' families, they teach patients and their families on management of diseases or injuries and explain necessary procedures after treatment ("Registered Nurses," 2012). In some cases, these professionals are mandated with the task of supervising licensed practical nurses, home care aides, and nursing aides.
The duties and titles of registered nurses is usually dependent on their work settings and their patients since they can focus on several specialties like a specific health condition, a particular body part, a certain group of people, and a specific working environment. While some of them combine two or more of these specialties, there are several possibilities for specializing.
In the current health care setting, registered nurses account for the largest healthcare occupation with more than 3 million jobs. 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 nurses are important practitioners in the healthcare system to an extent that only 20% work part time.
One of the dangers of being a registered nurse is that an individual is vulnerable to back injuries. This is primarily because their work involves a lot of standing, walking, stretching, and bending as well as lifting and moving patients. Secondly, the probability of contacting infectious diseases is high because they work with such patients and come into contact with potentially hazardous and harmful drugs and substances. However, they can prevent such injuries and illnesses through following strict and standardized regulations for the practice.
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