THE WORLD IS CHANGING RAPIDLY, SO ARE HEALTH CARE CAREERS
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Registered Nurse (Nursing)
DID YOU KNOW? (click to hide) Registered Nurse - Did-You-Know:
1. Nursing Informatics is the newest nursing specialty recognized by the American Nurses Association. As defined by Graves and Corcoran, nursing informatics is "a combination of computer science, information science and nursing science designed to assist in the management and processing of nursing data, information and knowledge to support the practice of nursing and the delivery of nursing care." (Graves JR, Corcoran S: The study of nursing informatics. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship 1989; 21(4): 227-231)
2. Healthcare information technology is “impacted by numerous dynamics — patient outcomes, government legislation and regulation, emerging technologies, industry standards and cost/revenue constraints to name but a few.” Some of industry`s hottest issues include electronic health records, ambulatory care applications, privacy and security of health information and HIPAA, bar coding and other technologies that can improve patient safety, national disaster preparedness, integration and interoperability of information systems, and patient quality outcomes. (http://himss.org/ASP/topicsHome.asp)
How is technology impacting any of the following areas in the Registered Nursing field?
1. Education: Online teaching/learning technologies provide students in all levels of healthcare education with an opportunity to develop life-long learning skills. This technology also provides healthcare professionals with “just-in-time” resources and learning opportunities that can be delivered either in the workplace or home setting. Newer “push” technologies such as podcasting offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to receive a stream of information specific to their role or practice.
2. Research: Technology is inherent in many nursing research initiatives – particularly those studies related to nursing informatics. The incorporation of information systems and “smart technology” in patient care delivery offers many research opportunities for nurse researchers seeking to impact patient care.
3. Direct patient care: Patient care delivery benefits from technology through the introduction of biomedical devices, information management that can streamline and improve patient care and patient safety, as well as those technologies related to tele-health that can provide healthcare services to patients who might otherwise not receive care. Implementing he electronic health record is perhaps the biggest target on the agenda of most healthcare organizations since it offers many benefits related to streamlining patient care, patient safety and quality of care, as well as for coding/billing.
4. Administrative issues: Administrative information systems for healthcare are available for all aspects of management such as financial, performance management, billing, resource management, communication, etc.
Registered Nurse (2 of 2)
How is technology impacting any of the following areas in the Registered Nursing field?
1. Education: The use of high fidelity simulation manikins will significantly improve our ability to teach students critical thinking and clinical judgment-making.
Problem based learning will become increasingly important in teaching nursing.
2. Research: Research will continue to develop evidence to guide best practices.
3. Direct patient care: The field of ergonomics will transform our ability to care for patients safely. In the future, the Safe Patient Handling movement will infuse health care delivery settings, allowing for patient lifts to assist in moving patients. This will enable nurses to move patients safely as well as prevent injuries to caregivers.
4. Any other area you deem important: Nursing will continue to be the profession that has the honor of caring for individuals, families and communities at the most vulnerable times of their lives. |
DESCRIPTION OF WORK:
Registered nurses have more education, skills, training and responsibility than licensed practical nurses. They direct or work within a team of health professionals in providing patient care and preventing illness. They educate patients on illnesses and strategies for leading healthy lifestyles. They also monitor patients` illnesses and record and study their symptoms, administer medication and treatments, and help patients rehabilitate from illnesses or injuries.
Mean annual salary for this position is $51,250.
WHERE EMPLOYED:
Registered Nurses may work in hospitals, health clinics, doctor`s offices, nursing homes, first-aid stations, camps, schools, rehabilitation centers, outpatient centers, prisons and a variety of other organizations that provide health care services.
PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
As a registered nurse, it is most important to be caring, compassionate and interested in helping others and working as part of a health care team. Must have good communication skills and be sensitive to the needs of patients. It is helpful to have an interest in sciences, such as biology and chemistry.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Graduation from an accredited registered nursing educational program and passing score on the NCLEX-RN® licensure exam.
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
There are several different educational paths of entry into professional registered nursing. RN Diploma programs are based in hospitals and are usually 24-36 months in length. Associates degree registered nursing programs are of similar length, and are usually based in community colleges. Baccalaureate degree programs are 3 to 5 years in length usually based in universities. Once the educational program is completed, the national licensing exam must be passed. Many registered nurses begin their careers through the 24-36 month programs, gain some work experience, and then return to school to complete their baccalaureate degrees.
Educational program types for this career.
EMPLOYERS:
Potential employers for this career.
LAST UPDATED:
9/9/2007 - Update
Current status - Active
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