The Role of Nurses: an Overview of a Rewarding Career

The first point of contact for patients and clients in the healthcare field are Nurses. For this reason, nurses should demonstrate compassion and sympathy. Nurses are one of the vertebrates of the health care industry. They are one of the first people a patient sees before the doctor and after the doctor leaves. As a nurse, you provide care to people through your own mortality along with professional and ethical standards. The nursing profession is a complex occupation and has high prospects to warrant that the highest level of safety, ethical, and quality care are being provided to patients and their families. So in this essay I will talk about nursing and why I want to be a nurse.

In most nursing facilities, some nurses may combat conflicting subjects from their workplace, colleagues, the patients, or even their own personal beliefs. Nurses are accountable for contributing to a moral atmosphere that demands their respect. Nurses are obligated to scrutinize the conflicts that mount between their own personal and professional values, the ethics of their associates who are also responsible for patient care, and healthcare decisions according to the American Nurses Association (2015). It can be difficult to distinct what is considered legally right and morally right.

Nurses can either accept or reject a precise role based on demands and assignments. They use their judgement grounded on their level education, knowledge, competence, experience, following their assessment of the level of risk for patient safety. It is not wise to take on a role that one is not trained to do, no matter what leader ask it of you. Nurses are required to understand and know their own evaluation and their own competency. When the needs of a patient are beyond the qualifications or competencies of the nurse, that nurse must pursue examination of knowledgeable co-workers and collaboration from qualified nurses, other health professionals, or other appropriate resources according to American Nurses Association. A Nurse taking on a role that they are not prepared or trained for could be a deadly mistake. Nurses may not assign responsibilities such as assessments and evaluations, however, they may commission selected interventions according to state nurse practice acts. Nurses must not knowingly assign or represent to any member of the nursing team a task for which that person is not prepared or qualified to do. Assigning a task to a nurse that is beknown to him could be costly and unsafe for patients. Nurses in administration, education, and research also have obligations to the recipients of nursing care. Although the relationships a Nurse administration has with patients are less direct, they still share a form of responsibility for the care provided by those whom they supervise and teach. Laws that are prohibited should not be practiced by any nurse whether their work environment is in the vicinity of patients or not. When a nurse professional is teaching, you are providing skills and lessons to others that they will utilize in the nursing field. It is not only a reflection of them as a student, but you as a teacher as well.

Every state encompasses a legal sanction known as the Nurse Practice Act. Each licensed nurse is to grasp and observe the content of the nurse practice act in their state. Professions collaborate to determine the nature and scope of nursing exercises within the state to protect the health and safety of the general public. “Individuals who become nurses are required to not only comply to the guidelines and moral norms of the profession, however, cooperatively embrace them as an area of what that means to be a nurse”. Following the Nurse Practice Act holds nurses to a standard and keep them within guidelines to avoid being careless and operating as they see fit in the healthcare field.

For one to become a RN, they must first graduate from an accredited school of nursing and pass a licensing examination known as NCLEX to be a Registered Nurse. There is no passing score for the NCLEX, but you are required to pass 50 percent of the questions of the test. The primary purpose of the licensing examination, like all other important healthcare fields, is to protect the public from unsafe or uneducated practitioners. As seen in the news and other journal articles, patients are entrusting their lives into the hands of non-licensed practicing healthcare professionals, causing a deathly reaction. Licensing is a legal requirement in every state. Nurses are permitted to be licensed in more than one state. There are several ways this can occur, either by examination, endorsement of a license issued by another state, or through an agreement between multiple states to accept a nurse license.

There are two ways to earn a degree and become a RN, either get an ASN or BSN. The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) is a program that only requires 2 years and is traditionally offered at a community college. A Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) is a 4-year degree program typically from a University. BSN’s are often highly recommended by most healthcare facilities. Many employers look more favorably upon graduates of a 4-year program. There are roles that nurses who acquired a BSN are more likely to be able to take on or oversee that those who only has an ASN are not. An education in Nursing includes classroom instruction, supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other health facilities. During clinicals, this is where nurses get their hands-on experience to ensure confidence when out in the field. Before qualifying or being accepted into the nursing program, students must take and pass the following courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and more to name a few sciences. In a 4-year bachelor’s degree program, the nursing major is often focused on in the last 2 years of school. It’s foreseen where there will come time when a bachelor’s degree will be the minimum degree required to become a RN and in some healthcare facilities today this is already in practice. Some Nursing positions require a BSN such as administrative, analyst roles, and nursing specialization.

Locally in my state of Miami, FL, Miami Dade College or MD has an ASN program in which a student can receive their degree in 2 years. To receive a BSN a student could attend FIU or any 4-year university of their choosing that has an accredited nursing program. After which they can take the required registered test and start in their field. There is a major cost gap in attending a Community college vs. a University. To attend a nursing program at a community college such as MDC with a degree in BSN it would average to a $1,559.00 per term for residents and $6,432.00 for non-residents. At a Miami University such as FIU the cost of attending would average out to $14,390 for residents and $43,321 for non-residents.

According to Travel Nursing Guide the demand for nurses in 2017 is the highest it’s ever been. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that employment for registered nurses will be expecting to increase by 16 percent through the year 2024. That growth rate is much faster than the average for all occupations, making nursing a valuable field to get into. The number of new RN jobs created through 2018 will be 581,500.

When driving around Miami, FL there are a copious number of billboards that I see advertising for people to become nurses throughout the city. When doing research, I’ve only come across a couple of news articles, advertising on how to become a nurse.

When thinking about why to become a nurse, a lot of people look at salary rates. An RN salary will range from as low as $30,000 to $65,000. There are influences that can determine your salary such as where you work, what state you work in, educational background. Nurses with a M.S are paid a higher salary than those with just an ASN. As well as the number of nurses in your area if there is a shortage then you would make more compared an area that is overpopulated with nurses. After 5 years of employment, annual salaries average out to about $50,000, and after working10 to 15 years, the average increases in average about from $15,000 to $65,000. The median annual earnings are about $45,000. The middle 50 percent earn between $37,750 and $55,000. For career advancement and an increase in income, further education is needed such as a M.S. or Ph.D.

After researching there are organizations that Registered Nurses can join in local as well as national level. For example, according to Florida Nurses Association, to become a member of the FNA it is an annual fee of $190.00. The fee helps with the cost of administration and cost of other nursing benefits. Joining an organization will help keep you in the loop of what is happening in the healthcare industry. There are also Nursing Journals that one can subscribe to. There is a myriad of journals, but one of the most popular is the American Journal of Nursing (AJN), the subscription is $34.00 annually. Being knowledgeable would not only keep one informed of what is going on nationwide, but when you need to continue your education.

There are times when it is required for practicing licensed workers to continue education after obtaining license. This is to help them informed on changes made in the medical field. Continuing education units are required to be completed annually in many states and will usually cover a variety of topics focusing on many nursing interests. For the state of Florida, RNs are required to complete 24 hours of applicable continuing education during each renewal period Florida Board of Nursing.

There are ways of advancing in the nursing field without having to get another degree. There are many certifications and other continuing education programs that can help nurses to accomplish higher paid positions which can cause a raise in their salary and increase their ability for advancement. For example, an ADN could go back to school to obtain their bachelor’s in nursing. Some healthcare facilities have reimbursement programs. While employed, if a RN returns to school to further their career, their employer will reimburse for the schooling. I believe this is critical, because it gives advancement opportunities in the workplace. According to Nursejournal.org (2019), having a BSN can also give nurses an edge when applying for new job opportunities in the healthcare field.

So why nursing? Different people have different reasons to become a nurse. For me, science has always been a passion of mine as well as a career in the medical field. I see myself working as a RN in a Miami hospital utilizing skills I’ve learned while obtaining my degree. Compassion and patience are primary to me, and these are a couple of the many non-teaching skills needed to become a nurse. I plan on graduating from Miami Dade College with an ASN. After receiving my degree, obtain a job in a local hospital or facility as a nurse. Subsequently, after a year of being a nurse and becoming acclimated to the scenery, I will return to school to receive my BSN. There are more opportunities for nurses with a BSN and would like to provide myself with those opportunities. One of the many things I enjoy most about nursing is that there are an abundant of nursing careers in hospitals, research facilities, and teaching. Nurses are not limited to just working in hospitals or clinics. Three years after receiving my BSN I plan to work as an E.R nurse. According to Fitzpatrick (2012), some hospitals require that nurses have at least 1 to 3 years of acute care experience before working as an E.R nurse. Although I want to be an E.R Nurse, I do not want to limit myself to just there but exceed to as far as I am able to go. After 2 years of working as an E.R nurse, I will return to school to receive my M.S in Nursing. Having a master’s degree will further my opportunities in the nursing field and minimize the limits of nursing areas that I can pursue. To obtain my ASN, BSN, and M.S.N will require another 5 years of schooling. I can do anything with determination.