ABOUT NURSE

Nurse WHO IS THAT?
A nurse is responsible—along with other health care professionals—for the treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill or injured people, health maintenance of the healthy, and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health care settings. Nurses may also be involved in medical and nursing research and perform a wide range of non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of health care. Nurses also provide care at birth and death.

Education and regulation
The nursing career structure does not vary throughout the world. Typically there are several distinct levels of nursing practitioner distinguished by scope of practice. The major distinction is between task-based nursing and professional nursing. Nurses throughout the world are increasingly employed as registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners. At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may gain a PhD or another doctoral degree, specializing in research, clinical nursing, and so forth. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing, and carry out nursing research. As the science and art of nursing has advanced, so has the demand for doctoral-prepared nurses.

In various parts of the world, the educational background for nurses varies widely. In some parts of eastern Europe, nurses are high school graduates with twelve to eighteen months of training. In contrast, Chile requires any registered nurse to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Nurses are the largest group of providers in the health care system–there are over two million registered nurses in the United States of America (U.S.) alone, comprising about 13% of the fifteen million workers in the health care and social assistance category tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Nursing is one of the most female-dominated occupations, but the number of males entering the profession is increasing. For example, in 2000 only 5.4% of registered nurses in the U.S. were male, however, that percentage represents a 226% increase over the previous two decades. In 2007, internationally, 10.7% of registered nurses and 10.4% of licensed practical nurses were male. Although the rise in the number of males entering and working in the nursing profession is an ongoing trend, females continue to predominate in nursing, as well as in the health care sector as a whole.

Governments regulate the profession of nursing to protect the public.

Other healthcare workers

Health care settings generally involve a wide range of medical professionals who work in collaboration with nurses.

Examples include:

* Nursing assistants, orderlies, auxiliary nurses, medical assistants. These types of health care workers work both in acute and primary settings, with the supervision of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses (in the US). They assist nurses by giving basic care, taking vital signs, administering hygienic care, assisting with feeding, giving basic psychosocial care, housekeeping, and similar duties. See also hospital volunteers.
* EMTs and Paramedics work closely with emergency and critical care nurses to stabilize life-threatening trauma and medical emergencies and to provide a seamless transfer of care from incoming ambulances to awaiting medical/surgical teams.
* Technicians: for example, certified medication aides in the US, are trained to administer medications in a long-term care setting. There are also phlebotomy technicians, who perform venipuncture; surgical technologist (US), and technicians trained to operate most kinds of diagnostic and laboratory equipment, such as X-ray machines, electrocardiographs, and so forth.
* Medical practitioners rely on nurses’ ability to follow orders to ensure a continuity of patient care.
* Pharmacists are responsible for the safe dispensing of medicine and offering of expert advice on drug therapies.
* Allied health professionals such asrespiratory therapists, medical technologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nurses operating department practitioners (UK) and physical therapists work with nursing staff.

United States

Main article: Nursing in the United States

Education

Registered nurses (RN) in the U.S. generally receive their basic preparation through one of four avenues:

* Diploma in Nursing
* Associate of Science in Nursing
* Bachelor of Science in Nursing
* Master of Science in Nursing

An academic course of study at any level typically includes such topics as anatomy and physiology, ethics, psychology, nursing theory and legal issues. Additionally, extensive training in nursing practice is required.

All U.S. states and territories require graduation from an accredited nursing program and successful completion of the NCLEX-RN to obtain state licensure as an RN.

Legal regulation

In the U.S., the individual states have authority over nursing practice and its scope. Nurses may be licensed in more than one state, either by examination or endorsement of a license issued by another state. Licenses must be periodically renewed. Some states require continuing education in order to renew licenses.

Types of nurses

* Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) usually have eighteen months to two years of training in anatomy and physiology, rehabilitation medication, and practical patient care.
* Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) is a title used in some states which is roughly equivalent to Licensed practical nurse.
* Registered nurses (RNs) are professional nurses who often delegate tasks performed by LPNs, orderlies, and nursing assistants. They provide direct care and occasionally make suggestions regarding plans of care for individuals and groups of healthy, ill, and injured people. RNs are the largest healthcare occupation in the U.S.
* Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are registered nurses with advanced education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. They perform primary health care, provide mental health services, diagnose and prescribe physical therapy and minor rehabilitation treatments, carry out research, and educate the public and other professionals.
* Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNPs) advanced nursing degree. They focus more on evidence-based practice and systems leadership that has an immediate impact on the quality of healthcare delivery, rather than on developing programs of original research (as the traditional PhD program graduates do). Very few nurses are prepared at the doctoral level with the skills to transform the practice environment in an immediate way, so the professional opportunities for graduates of the DNP program will be extensive.

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