| Nursing is more than checking vital signs at regular | | | | As patients get older, nursing assistants will be |
| intervals. The nursing field is full of opportunities for | | | | needed in big numbers. |
| the new and experienced nurse who doesn't want to | | | | 3. Emergency Room Nursing - Have you been to an |
| be limited in his or her choices. Here are five of the | | | | emergency room lately? You have a few doctors |
| top choices in the nursing profession. | | | | that see patients, but the majority of the staff is |
| Once you graduate from nursing school, take a deep | | | | comprised of nurses. Nurses assess the patients and |
| breath. The hard part is over and the fun begins. | | | | triage them according to injuries. They monitor them |
| Now, you get to choose where you want to start | | | | while they wait for a doctor or transfer to another |
| your nursing career. The hospital floor is not the only | | | | department in the hospital. Emergency room nursing |
| choice out there anymore. | | | | is a fast-paced and stressful atmosphere that |
| 1. Home Health Nursing - People are living longer. With | | | | satisfies the adventure junky in some of us. Nurses |
| that comes the issue of care in the home. More | | | | that think fast on their feet would get quite a bit of |
| seniors are opting to stay in their primary residence | | | | enjoyment from this area of nursing. There is no |
| and take advantage of the home health benefits of | | | | shortage of accidents on the road, in the home, and |
| their insurance plans. One popular nursing job is that | | | | in the air. The job of these nurses is critical to the |
| of a home health nurse because they have the | | | | survival of patients that are hanging on by the |
| benefit of making their own schedule. They can take | | | | thinnest thread. |
| on as few or as many patients as they can handle. | | | | 4. Floor Nursing - There is a wide variety of options in |
| Home health nurses aid in bathing, wound care and | | | | this area. Floor nurses have the options of maternity, |
| dressing, general health assessments, and any other | | | | critical care, orthopedics, telemetry, surgical, geriatric, |
| issues that the patient may have. There patients can | | | | and pediatrics. Within these general categories are |
| be invalids or ambulatory folks that don't get around | | | | also oncology and burn units. A nurse can gain lots of |
| so well and seek a nurse that is willing to tend to | | | | experience working within one or several of these |
| their care within the home setting. Home health | | | | areas during their nursing careers. Floor nurses are |
| nurses are well paid for their skills and friendly | | | | responsible for a certain number of patients each |
| bedside manner. | | | | shift. Patients have the comfort of getting to know |
| 2. Nursing Assistants - Nursing assistants are an | | | | their nursing staff and the staff has the pleasure of |
| integral part of the nursing profession. They are not | | | | taking care of them. |
| registered nurses but they provide patient care that | | | | 5. Operating Room Nursing - Nurses work in the |
| falls under the category of the nursing profession. | | | | surgical area as well. Nurses can pursue careers as a |
| Nursing assistants are not only found in nursing | | | | circulating nurse in the operating room suite, surgical |
| homes. They work in hospitals, senior living | | | | first assistant to the surgeon, and nurse anesthesia |
| communities, home health, psychiatric facilities, and | | | | care. Nurses that provide anesthesia have at least |
| other facilities where their care is needed. They care | | | | two years of critical care experience and have |
| for terminally ill patients including children. Nursing | | | | attended a nurse anesthesia school for training. |
| assistants provide the care that others shy away | | | | Circulating nurses are responsible for everyone in |
| from such as changing bedpans, bathing patients that | | | | their operating room that day. They function as |
| can't bathe themselves, and feeding those patients | | | | patient advocates--making sure that the patient being |
| whose disabilities prevent them from doing it for | | | | operated on is the correct patient and that the |
| themselves. They bring respect to the area of | | | | doctor is performing the correct procedure. |
| nursing care and dignity to their patients. Nursing | | | | Nurses have many career paths available to them. |
| assistants see, on a daily basis, how their jobs impact | | | | They can pursue any of these five areas or another |
| the quality of life of their patients and their families. | | | | that they feel drawn to follow. |