Nursing Career Issues - Essay Example

Other responsibilities include making vital decisions on some actions regarding patients, interpreting patient information, and guiding and monitoring care rendered by other healthcare personnel such as nurse aides (American Nurses Association, 2013).

Nursing requires well-trained professionals with excellent social skills, and extensive knowledge, skills, and training in specialized medical fields. There are different levels in the nursing field and they all depend on the program an individual takes. Those who attend community colleges or technical institutes for one to one and a half years qualify as licensed practical nurses. An individual can become a registered nurse by completing the associate degree program, the diploma program, or the Bachelor's degree program (Grice, Tony, and James, 23).

All nursing programs require a secondary school diploma for one to be enrolled. The associate degree limits the career opportunities that an individual can access since they don’t prepare one for administrative or leadership functions. They last for two academic years and are offered by technical institutes, community and junior colleges, private institutions, and some senior colleges and universities. Diploma programs last for three academic years and graduates are limited to hospital staff positions as they do not qualify for some roles in community health. A bachelor’s program takes four years for an individual to complete. The education program combines both theory and practice work. After completing one or all three programs, an individual takes the Registered Nurse state licensing examination (American Nurses Association, 2013).

In some states, it is a requirement for nurses to undergo constant training to keep their skills sharp. For one to obtain a specialization in nursing, furthering education is very important. There are higher levels that nurses can train for in the United States. These include the masters and doctorate levels. At the Master’s level, specialization in certain medical fields is emphasized. The master's program requires an individual to study for a full year and it prepares graduates for roles and positions in teaching, clinical practice, research, consulting, and administration (American Nurses Association, 2013). Requirements for enrollment include a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and a registered nurse licensure. Demand for nurses with advanced degrees is growing hence the program is expected to have a high number of students. Doctorate programs require an individual to possess adequate experience as a nurse, hold a license, a bachelor’s degree, and a Master’s degree in nursing. The highest levels and best-salaried positions are found with master's degrees and doctoral degrees (Grice, Tony, and James, 37).

All states have a committee of nursing, which ensures that the citizens are shielded from harm. For an individual to practice nursing in any state, one needs to obtain a license. This is done through administering an examination. The licensing examination is also referred to as the NCLEX-RN and is a computer-based test that is meant to evaluate the skills and knowledge that a potential nurse possesses (Grice, Tony, and James, 39). The higher the number of correct questions a student answers, the faster the individual rises through the levels. Nowadays, several states have signed the Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement, which permits nurses to practice in a different state without getting a new license.

Registered nurses practice in a broad array of healthcare surroundings and settings. These include the private and public sectors of health care. Registered nurses may work in areas such as hospices, laboratories hospitals, psychiatric care facilities, nursing homes, specialized doctor offices, emergency rooms, military camps, research centers, intensive care units, geriatric centers, schools, and community centers among other healthcare environments. Many nurses work in comfortable, well-lit medical facilities while those who provide services in homes, schools, and community centers, have to walk to their places of work. Nurses are vulnerable to back pains as their work entails a lot of moving and lifting patients. They may also come into close contact with patients who have infectious diseases, harmful drugs, and other substances; therefore, they have to take extra precautions when working (American Nurses Association, 2013).

Nurses’ salaries vary with the level of education and specialty, where those holding doctorate and master’s degrees have the highest income with the amount decreasing with subsequent levels of education. Registered nurses have an estimated average income of sixty-five thousand dollars per year. They also have an hourly wage of thirty-two dollars (Grice, Tony, and James, 38).

Nurses are in high demand because of an increasing population of aging hence heightened health services are required. An increase in people being diagnosed with lifestyle diseases only increases the importance of nurses; therefore, job opportunities are in plenty. Nurses retire at an age of forty to forty-five thus providing many opportunities for students leaving nursing schools. There is also a shortage of nurses in various states, which means that adequate opportunities are available for nurses (American Nurses Association, 2013).