subject: 3 Main Hierarchical Positions Of The Nursing Career [print this page] They take care of us, nurse us back to health, work long hours to make sure we get better soon, nurses are surely the gentlest of human beings. Day and night they work to take care of the sick and unhealthy. With more and more people becoming health conscious, they are more in demand. What we may not know is how hard they work to serve us better. There are three basic types of nurses, depending on the qualifications they hold. Here are the most common types of nurses we encounter in our lives, presented in a hierarchically.
*Licensed Practical Nurse: Licensed Practical Nurse or LPN is the most junior of the nursing staff. They are the nurses who would attend to you as soon as you enter a clinic or a hospital ward with a burn or an injury. They would console you, take care of your wound, clean and dress it and would be assisting the doctor attending you. They would provide mental and emotional support to you during your crisis and always have kind words for you. They generally are Diploma holders, which takes 2 years and have a LPN certificate, which takes 1 year. Thanks to their diploma training, they have the practical knowledge and can take care of basic injuries and wounds.
*Registered Nurse: A Registered nurse or RN would have had completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing or the BSN. They take care of more complicated health issues like medication for accident or trauma victims. RNs with higher education and additional degrees and certifications are given more responsibilities. They are required to handle more tricky situations, involved in creating health plans and advise and educate families and patients.
*Nurse Practitioner: A Registered Nurse with additional qualifications and degrees becomes a Nurse Practitioner. They would have the same duties as a doctor. They can treat patients, recommend diagnosis and may also prescribe medicines. They are very high in demand as they are senior nurses and take excellent care of patients. They have the expertise of a doctor, and therefore, are highly reliable.
With degrees and experience, nurses gain more and more expertise, being more in demand. In spite of their hectic schedules and busy work life, nurses always try to pursue higher education. Being in the healthcare sector, which undergoes advancement constantly, they try to be on top of the game and their career.
