My Passion for Becoming a Registered Nurse

Career planning is essential because it allows a person to explore diverse aspects affecting their progress. This analysis aims to explore the job description, education and certification requirement, employment opportunities, and professional tasks inherent to registered nurses. An individual’s career path determines their associated job description and academic qualifications to gain meaningful employment opportunities.

The selected career path is that of a registered nurse. A registered nurse performs a raft of roles within the health care sector. They are responsible for performing a patient’s physical examination once they arrive at the hospital. Insights from their examination enable clinical officers and doctors to make a faster diagnosis. Registered nurses compare the client’s current condition with their health histories. Part of the investigation focuses on a recurrence of some conditions or a predisposition to illness based on the extended family medical history. Insights gained from the investigation help in making critical decisions, including recommendations for medication and intervention plans. Thus, a registered nurse will analyze a client’s medical history and compare the results with physical health status to develop better decision-making.

Registered nurses act as human resource directors in the nursing sector. They are responsible for counseling and educating both nursing professionals and patients. These registered nurses assess a client’s knowledge level and customize the education needed to inform the patient of the problem. The aim is to help the client understand the issue surrounding their ailments, which helps in developing an inclusive and actionable intervention plan.

Medication administration is the responsibility of a registered nurse. According to Salmond and Echevarria acknowledges an increased susceptibility of making medication errors in a health care setting. For instance, some medications cause weakness and drowsiness, requiring clients to receive appropriate instruction regarding the side effects and avoid falling or acquiring other infections while at the facility. Thus, the registered nurse administers medication or modifies the dosage based on the patient’s response.

A registered nurse also coordinates care delivery across diverse disciplines. Salmond and Echevarria confirm that collaboration across diverse medical sectors improves patient outcomes. Mainly, these registered nurses liaise with caregivers in different professional sectors to understand the patient, condition, and medication outcomes.

However, registered nurses must operate within the confines of the law and scope of practice. For instance, the registered nurse is not the final decision-maker, but rather an arbitrator. Patients and other professionals must be included in the decision-making process. The registered nurses must operate within the limits of the Code of Professional Conduct for nurses. Thus, their operations and autonomy must be consistent with the set limits of their job description. However, registered nurses reserve the right to make a proper judgment to enhance patient outcomes.

Nursing professionals require formal education to help understand various aspects relating to human health and care delivery. Individuals seeking to become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) must acquire at least a Master’s degree in nursing. However, individuals must sit for various exams tailored to assess their proficiency level. Some states demand an SAT or ACT, combined with BSN. The federal and state requirements for registered nurses vary significantly. Some states offer consistent academic requirements as does the federal government, while others are strict in their fundamental requirements.

The Board of Nursing assesses and approves nurses for the RN roles. Spector, Hooper, Silvestre, and Qian confirm that the Board of Nursing (BON) establish comprehensive programs to help learners to acquire the necessary skills and competencies to improve their performance at work. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs take between three and four years in most institutions, while the Master’s programs usually take two full-time years. However, nursing professionals seeking to enroll and qualify as registered nurses should have between one and three years of working experience.

The cost of nurse education varies depending on the area of specialty. For instance, an LPV and LPN program costs between $ 5,000 and $ 25,000 in most public institution and $ 20,000 to $ 40,000 for private establishments. The duration would be 12 to 18 months on average. However, an ADN program takes two years to complete and costs between $ 6,000 and $ 40,000 in public colleges and between $ 30,000 and $ 40,000 in private sectors. Moreover, BSN programs take approximately 4 years for full-time learners, with tuition in public schools being between $ 40,000 and $ 200,000. Private schools offer BSN programs at the cost of between $ 40.000 and over $ 200,000. In addition, an RN certification from BON is necessary for providing the necessary approval.

Registered nurses can work in the public and private sectors. McCamish notes that registered nurses can work as travel nurses in various sectors, such as the airlines and sports sectors. Likewise, these nurses can act as midwives in public and private establishments. There are opportunities to work as nurse anesthetists or forensic nurses. Hospitals with research sections take advantage of case management nurses and informatics nurse specialists. McCamish contends that registered nurses can act in a legal capacity, as research, and school nurses. Other employment opportunities available for registered nurses include corporate nurses and agency nurses. Thus, registered nurses have immense job opportunities to serve clients both in public and private establishments.

The diversity inherent in employment opportunities shows chances for growth. A registered nurse is not limited to one area of specialization. On the contrary, a nurse can study to gain competence in diverse fields. For instance, a nurse can study law and become a legal nurse. That same nurse can then pursue advanced programs in midwifery, anesthesia, informatics, and forensics. Such qualifications improve competency and chances of finding employment opportunities in many fields.

Experience is a critical part of the nursing profession because it allows practitioners to gain meaningful familiarization to understand the difference between theory and practice. Nursing experience is essential in gaining in-depth knowledge regarding patient reactions. McCamish states that the starting salary for LPN is around $ 46,240, while ADNs are between $ 48,690 and $ 60,300 depending on the state in which the nurse starts working. A BSN nurse should have a starting salary of around $ 71,730 in most states. Thus, the starting salary depends on the initial experience and professional qualification.

Members of professional organizations can gain continuous education through scheduled learning. McCamish considers the use of student loans to advance their academic qualifications, while others might want to take advantage of institutionalized funding. Nurses can add a diploma, certificate, or degree qualifications to improve the outcome.

Nursing practitioners can join different professional organizations to improve their livelihood. For instance, an online RN program that offers members a learning opportunity. They also provide employment avenues for those intending to shift workplaces. Nurses pursuing careers in research can join different professional programs such as OJIN to help publish their research for peer review. Most of these programs vary in their cost because they are subscription-based. Some require members to pay for the publication only and not a monthly or annual subscription fee. Others require members to pay a subscription fee with a raft of benefits, including championing for better pay and working conditions. Members can continue with an education program through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. They can pursue diverse certification programs to improve their professional skills and gain the requisite experience.

I see myself fitting into this career path because I am already enrolled and pursuing a nursing degree. I intend to seek several certificates starting with the research nurses’ program before embarking on a case management nurse certification after graduation. I then intend to gain accreditation as a registered nurse. I will pursue working experience in busy areas, especially in research institutes. These areas will help me in gaining first-hand experience in research and case management. There are opportunities for enrolling in various online professional organizations, and I intend to take advantage of at least two of them to help me shape my career path. My objective in life is to become the most proficient registered nurse in my region of operation with a diverse range of skills that will help me become a role model for young and upcoming nurses.

Registered nurses require educational, experiential, and accreditation to operate effectively. A registered nurse has a range of roles that include assessing, diagnosing, and implementing patient health intervention programs in liaison with other professionals. As a result, registered nurses must have the requisite academic qualifications. Registered nurses can work in a wide range of fields, including legal and forensic sectors, among others. Nurses have a lot of opportunities to improve their qualifications. I intend to pursue this line of service and become a role model for future generations.

References

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