Becoming A Registered Nurse Essay

Becoming a registered nurse is another career I have strongly thought about pursuing. One of my main interests in life is to help others so I think that interest would be satisfied if I became a registered nurse to do so. As I mentioned before, I enrolled in several health science classes in high school, which provoked my love for learning about human anatomy and physiology, as well as my passion to serve those who may not be able to help themselves. Registered nurses are required to have a numerous amount of work responsibilities, skills, education and training, working conditions, earnings and benefits, and employment opportunities.
Registered nurses are responsible for a large number of tasks in their occupations, and it is imperative that nurses perform these tasks in an effective manner so that patients receive the best quality of care. Many responsibilities of the nurse depend on their area of specialty, such as a geriatric psych nurse like my mother, but for the most part, nurses have at least some similarity in their roles. Registered nurses must first establish a plan of care for patients based on their previous and most recent medical conditions. Nurses use the plan as an outline of what needs to occur for

those patients to rehabilitate or maintain their current status and be available to monitor patients they have developed these plans for. An element of the plan of care is often how medications will be distributed in order to partially or completely treat patients’ conditions. Because patients have family members, it is also the responsibility of the nurses to communicate their findings from tests performed on the patients, as well as the findings of the physicians, to patients and their family members. After the nurses have helped the patients rehabilitate to a place where they are well enough to return home, registered nurses must educate their patients on how to care for themselves in the setting of their own home. Overall, the effect a nurse has on patients due to the many duties that are required of them can lead to an increase in the health of those patients.
For registered nurses to be qualified to fulfill their duties at work, they are obligated to exhibit distinct qualities or skills. Critical thinking skills are at the top of the list in transferable skills because “registered nurses must be able to assess changes in the health status of patients, including when to take corrective action and when to make referrals” (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-4). In other words, registered nurses have to think on their own at difficult times and pay attention to each patient’s care in great detail. Also, registered nurses work with people constantly whether those people be coworkers, physicians, patients, and family members so oral communication skills are absolutely required in order to effectively describe to patients and their families the treatment received and to describe to coworkers possible changes in the patients. Written communication is just as important because one of the job duties of nurses is to record nurse observation notes, which give in detail the statuses of the patients. Furthermore, my mom had pointed out in her interview that registered nurses have to be physically and emotionally prepared to deal with the stresses of the job because both can have a negative effect if not handled properly so nurses must exemplify skills in these areas to prevent harm to their bodies and minds. One way to be emotionally prepared is to not only have compassion for the patients but to also be prepared to keep emotions under control in a time of distress. Without these skills, many patients would not get the care that they deserve.
As with any career choice, there are certain education and training prerequisites that must be completed before registered nurses can use their skills in the medical field. Although registered nurses can take several educational routes in order to obtain a license, including an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or nursing program diploma, most employers are setting the entry-level to a bachelor’s degree. The typical major to receive a bachelor’s degree in nursing is a science major, including classes in anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and other social sciences. Nursing majors are often required to additionally take a public speaking course. After education requirements are met, nurses must pass the NCLEX for registered nurses to gain their licensure and can then become certified in a specialty area. It is after this test that nurses can begin their career search.
From the beginning to the ending of registered nurses’ careers, they will have endured a substantial amount of working conditions. Generally, registered nurses work in shifts of twelve hours for three to four days a week at hospitals to account for the twenty four hours patients need to be cared for. However, registered nurses that work in settings with regular business hours, such as home health nurses who travel from site to site to treat their patients, do not work such long hours and holidays. All nurses no matter the setting are required to follow the dress code in which scrubs and tennis shoes are the only clothing items to be worn due to the fact that they are comfortable for the physical activity of the job, and uniforms demonstrate unity and professionalism of the team of nurses. In addition to these working conditions, registered nurses can also come into contact with hazards in their work environment. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook website, registered nurses “are vulnerable to back injuries” (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-3). These injuries are often due to the physical exertions nurses place upon their bodies to make patients mobile and comfortable. They are also at risk of deadly diseases due to the nature of some of their patients so it is imperative that they follow policies to prevent the contraction of these diseases, and if they do come in contact, they should report to their supervisors, which may include physicians or director of their unit. Overall, nurses face great challenges in their work, and those who are considering pursuing a nursing career should be aware of those challenges.
The earnings and benefits of registered nurses are exceptional with an average yearly wage of $66,640 in which ten percent of registered nurses earned $45,880 and another ten percent of registered nurses earned $98,880 (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-5).

In the state of Tennessee, the annual wage fell in the lower percentile. However, benefits outweigh the lower wages because registered nurses often get to pick their schedules and are offered bonuses for working at specific times, such as weekends or holidays. Childcare may also be provided by their employers so it allows for convenience, and employers may often pay for the advancement in education. With this being said, nurses reap all the benefits of their chosen

career.
Without a doubt, registered nurses have such a rewarding career, and this career will reward many new registered nurses because of the expected sixteen percent growth of the job between the years of 2014 and 2024 (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-6). This statistic is suggested due to the increase in patients with insurance and with a number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. The need for nurses in homes for the elderly will also increase due to the aging population. However, there will be a large number of nurses competing for jobs so it is most likely that not all nurses will be hired.
None of this information is particularly surprising because I have heard much about nursing as an occupation, which I have chosen as my career.