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Nursing covers a wide area of practice. It includes

- Childcare
- Elderly care
- Services for pregnant women
- Services for newborn infants
- Specialty area – injury nursing
- Specialty area – cancer nursing
- Specialty area – forensic nursing

2. Choose Your Nursing Program

The first step to be a nurse is to graduate from a nursing program. This would enable you to take a state licensure examination. In the US, more than 1500 nursing programs are offered. Three of these programs prepare you in assuming different tasks once you graduate.

A. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
This is a four-year curriculum offered in colleges and universities. A graduate of this course has the advantage of learning health care settings that includes leadership and management. A degree in BSN is preferred and often required in many fields of nursing.

B. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)
This is a 2 to 3 year program offered in community college as well as in junior collages. This program prepares the student in handling direct patient care.

C. Hospital Diploma
This is a 2 to 3 year program that is based in hospitals.

3. Nursing Positions

Now that you’ve covered the basics, let’s take a closer look on some of the nursing positions you can occupy. These positions are based on your experience and education.

A. Entry-level nursing position
This is the Staff Nurse Position. The nurse takes on making judgments based on scientific knowledge. You have to rely on procedures and standardized care plans.

B. Certified Mid-wife
This is a specialty nurse position where the nurse aids childbearing women. It starts during the preconception stage and goes through the prenatal, labor and delivery. Postpartum period care is also included in her duties. The nurse also provides family planning counseling as well as gynecological care for women.

C. Case Manager
Over time, a nurse can become a nurse case manager. In this position, the nurse will be involved in the process of organizing as well as coordinating the resources and services of an entire group of nurses, such as an entire hospital.

D. Nurse Educator
This is also a position a nurse could get involved with. Educating people about proper health care needs and procedures would be the basic tasks for this position. A Nurse Practitioner on the other hand conducts physical exams on patients, conducts diagnoses and provides treatments. A nurse practitioner could also write prescriptions and could also manage patients with chronic conditions such as diabetics and those with hypertension.

E. Nurse Anesthetist
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist assists during operations. They give anesthesia to the patients before and after the operation.

There are also various specialty nursing programs that would help you specialize in a specific area. Radiology Nursing, Rehabilitation Nursing, AIDS Care Nursing, and Forensic Nursing are few of these specialty areas. Radiology Nurses are concerned with patients that undergo diagnosis in radiology imaging environments. It also includes Ultrasonography, magnetic resonance and radiation oncology. Rehabilitation Nurses or Psychiatric Nurses takes on providing physical and emotional support both to the patient and their families. They deal with patients having mental incapacities. An AIDS Care Nurse manages the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of a patient suffering with AIDS. A Forensic Nurse works in a different environment with other nurses. They work with the law enforcement officials to help in the investigation of crimes like sexual assault and accidental death. They also help in the treatment of the victims of these crimes.

When most people hear the term “Certified Nursing Assistant” (better known as CNA), the first thing that comes to mind is a career in a nursing home. While it’s true that this is probably the industry’s biggest demand for CNAs, there are other places to use this certification. But what exactly is a CNA, and how can it work for you?

The Certified Nursing Assistant is a person who aids in the daily care of those needing nursing care. Think there’s nothing to the job? Think again.

One of the first things many nurses say they learned is that nursing isn’t about dispensing medicines, giving shots or even taking orders from the doctor. It’s all about learning to listen to your patients. The CNA training takes that to a very basic level and the job of the CNA is often vital to the effective medical treatment of other health care professionals. For example, the CNA who spends the most time with a nursing home patient may be the first to notice a change in that person’s attitude that reflects a serious medical condition or a reaction to a change in their drug regimen. And while some people are simply observant enough to notice those kinds of things, learning what to do with the information is a vital part of the training for the Certified Nursing Assistant.

But is there anything else you can do with CNA training other than work in a nursing home? CNAs are also commonly called on for home visitation. Typically, these are older people or those with disabilities who have trouble performing routine daily tasks. The CNA may help the person get a bath or handle other chores. Think it’s not that important. Consider it from the view of the person receiving the help. Without the services of that CNA, that person would likely be moved to a nursing home, rehabilitation facility or be forced to live with relatives – devastating for some people.

Some daycares and schools also employ CNAs to help handle minor health issues at school. While these CNAs don’t dispense medication or do any of those jobs handled by a nurse, they do use their training to help children with health issues and help the school deflect problems before they become serious issues. A CNA for a school will quickly learn to spot infections and to help curb the spread of problems such as ringworm.

CNAs may also work in rehabilitation programs or similar facilities. While licensed professionals will do therapy, the CNAs often have more time to devote to patients, meaning they develop relationships and become an integral part of the recovery process.

If you’ve considered a job in health care – especially in nursing – the CNA could be just what you need. You can work in the industry while you’re working on your degree in nursing as an LPN or RN. On the other hand, you may very well find that a Certified Nursing Degree isn’t a stepping stone to some other career, but is a rewarding career in itself.

If the allure of a nursing career appeals to you, check out the links below.