Nursing Can Be More Than Working In Patient Care

There's a lot more to nursing than direct patient care

. Yes, most registered nurses work in hospitals (the vast majority do) as well as in doctor's offices, nursing homes and the growing home health care field. Yet once a nurse has been a nurse for a while, especially if he goes on to earn a masters degree in nursing, the possibilities are practically endless.

For example, many registered nurses who have gone onto to earn an ADN to MSN degree can teach other people to become nurses. a masters degree nursing educated nurse may teach in a community college RN program, in a hospital's nursing program or even an undergraduate or graduate nursing program.

There's a critical nursing shortage looming for this country. Some experts (the journal Health Affairs) has estimated a shortage of 256,000 registered nurses in 2025. Part of the reason for the looming shortfall is a current shortage of nursing faculty. Earn your masters degree in nursing and you can become part of the nursing shortage solution by teaching another generation of nurses.

Even if a nurse wishes to stay at his or her hospital, nursing students must spend clinical time in a hospital setting. Many experienced nurses can help train these new nurses.

Another avenue is a clinical nurse specialty. A nurse with expertise as a lactation specialist can help new parents learn how to breastfeed their babies. Other specialities include, but are not limited to, work as a wound and/or skin specialist. Elderly patients in particularly have very thin and sensitive skin and can see lesions and other wounds come up frequently and quickly. A nurse with expertise in caring for this special population is increasingly needed in an America with an increasingly aging society.

If you've ever wondered how your patients are doing once they leave your hospital, a career as a public health nurse could be in order. Many public health nurses visit patients - especially elderly patients -- to make sure they're taking their pills as prescribed.

Have you ever thought of working in forensics? A masters degree in nursing isn't necessarily required to work with police and a medical examiner to help determine when and how a person died, but it won't hurt, either if you're looking to enter this exciting nursing career.

Do you have an interest in the law? A clinical licensed nurse consultant (CLNC) helps malpractice attorneys review medical records and other medical information when someone is thinking of, or already has, suing a doctor, hospital or other medical entity for malpractice.

Speaking of the law, nurses with RN MSN degrees often can be called upon, and paid well, to testify during malpractice trials. Work as an expert witness can offer nurses the opportunity to see that justice is done when malpractice has occurred (or when someone is misusing the court system).

by: Jean Henshaw

POST COMMENT

Important Skills Made Specifically Honeymooners Young Professionals And Visitors In Taking Advantage Tips To Create Professional Powerpoint Presentations I Found the Way How to Produce Hip Hop Beats That Sound Professional Why Hire A Professional San Diego Web Design Company? How To Choose A Professional SEO Company San Diego Manage money, analyse risks for a safe future with finance assistant jobs Spyder jackets with special STF materials is more professional Compared the professional ski wear with the common wear Working In Accounting Executive Search Firms MIND Research Institute Choice of Professionals Ping i15 Driver Review Medical Practice Manager Jobs Gearing Up For A Professional Awards Banquet?