There is nothing to despair.  With medical sciences opening the gates of opportunities, there is plenty to look forward to.  In many places the position of a certified nursing assistant is considered as the most basic level.  Here the nursing assistant mainly works as per the instructions of the senior nurse and does not have any decision making powers.  Moreover, the training course of a nursing assistant extends only for a few weeks and once they are through with the test, they can begin with their work.  Now you may begin to wonder as to what is the difference between a qualified nurse and a nursing assistant.  The job responsibilities of a nursing assistant are limited and they carry out the most basic functions.  The basic functions include making beds for the patients, helping them in dressing, bathing and feeding the patients and monitoring their vital parameters.

Now there is a great demand for the two types of nursing degrees offered by the community colleges.  One is an Associate Degree and the other is a Diploma.  There is also an accelerated program offered by many community colleges called the Bachelor of Science in Nursing which can easily be completed within three years.  For a nurse to obtain a license to practice in the state of their choice it is necessary for them to graduate with an Associate degree or diploma in Nursing.  Depending upon the nature of license examination taken by the nurse, they are classified either as a Registered Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse also addressed by the abbreviations RN and LPN respectively.

As the name suggests, a LPN performs the most basic functions and their duties are similar to those of a nursing assistant.  In addition to the basic functions, a LPN performs far more advanced functions than the nursing assistants.  This may include assisting the doctors in the delivery rooms, bathing and feeding the newborn babies, keeping a strict vigil on the patient’s health and monitoring the improvement, providing medications and giving injections to the patient.  To become a LPN, the students will have to equip themselves with a nursing diploma which may extend for a year.

The LPNs are required to take instructions from the senior nurses.  A RN is usually senior to a LPN and is eligible to perform the sum total of all the functions performed by the nursing assistants and LPNs.  A RN reports directly to the doctor and receives instructions from the doctor himself.  Their functions include providing medication and giving injections to the patients, assisting the doctors in surgeries, operating advanced medical equipments, design care plans for patients and monitoring the work of junior nurses.  Most of the RNs are expected to equip themselves with an Associate Degree and ought to have at least two years of nursing education.  However, most of the hospitals prefer their RNs to equip themselves with a Bachelors degree usually extending for four years.

For all the RNs who wish to pursue their education, plenty of nursing degrees are offered by both graduate and undergraduate programs.  These types of nursing degree programs are available at all leading universities and colleges.  For registered nurses, who hold an Associate degree or a diploma, there are programs where a RN can be converted in to a BSN.

Providing anesthesia or administering anesthesia to patients to reduce their pain is one of the most important jobs in the medical field.  This job requires plenty of skill, experience and patience.  Ideally, a registered nurse who has an expertise in administering and providing anesthesia to patients before the medical procedure starts and after is called a Certified Registered Nurse anesthetist (CRNA).  There is a great demand for CRNA professionals in various places like hospitals, health centers, in the offices of dentists and private doctors and military health centers.

Usually, the dosage of anesthesia, administered to patients depends upon the degree of pain a patient experiences and also depends upon the type of medical procedure.  For example, a patient with a tooth problem may require a very little amount of anesthesia to be injected in to his gum and the nurse would be able to administer this little amount of anesthesia with the help of the needle itself.  Whereas, in the case of a major operation, a patient may be required to inhale an appropriate amount of anesthesia in the gaseous form.  This job is done carefully by the nurse anesthetist.  This form of anesthesia, which essentially constitutes of nitrous oxide, is administered to the patients to prevent pain and provide sedation during the surgical process.

The role of the nurse anesthetist just does not end with administering anesthesia.  These nurses are required to strictly monitor the patients before administering anesthesia and after.  This is done in order to ensure the safety of the patients and to mainly prevent overdosing or under dosing.  In certain medical surgeries, the patients have to be administered continuous anesthesia and therefore the nurse anesthetist is required to work along with the surgeons inside the operation theater.  Even after the surgery is over, the nurses need to ensure that the patient is looked after well and if necessary, administer anesthesia in case the patient experiences pain.  At times, when they are not performing their nurse anesthetist duties, the nurse performs the retinue functions of a registered nurse.

How to become a nurse anesthetist?

In order to pursue a career as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, there are certain qualifications to be acquired.  First and foremost, an individual is required to receive a master’s degree in either anesthesia or nursing.  In addition to acquiring a degree, he or she must have passed a certification test that is nationally accredited, should have practiced in a hospital as a nurse for at least a year and should have a license for practicing as a registered nurse.  Prior to enrolling for a masters program in anesthesia, he or she must have successfully completed the bachelors degree in nursing which usually takes around four years to complete.  The masters program usually takes around two years to complete and in certain cases may extend up to three years.  In the masters program, students receive in depth training in anesthetist functions as well as general nursing duties.  All these skills are imparted through proper practical and classroom training.  CRNAs receive much higher salaries compared to registered nurses.

The salary of registered nurses (RNs) has always been a much talked about subject and statistics indicate that it is indeed a lucrative profession.  The salaries of registered nurse practitioners also depend a great deal on the kind of jobs they perform.  It is obvious that a registered nurse who performs advanced functions and one who is highly qualified will definitely be paid more.  In addition to the job functions, the salary of nurse practitioners also depends upon other factors like the qualifications and work experience of the nurses, the place where they work and the place where they reside.

The demand for registered nurses, hence their salaries depend on locations  also the state and city in which they are residing.  In certain cities and states, the cost of living is very high and therefore the registered nurses have to be paid a high salary.  In most cases, the salary of the registered nurse also depends upon the duration of the day and nurses working during nights and attending emergencies tend to get paid more.

As discussed earlier, the registered nurses performing the toughest tasks tend to get paid more.  For example, a nurse working in an elementary school will draw a much lower salary than the registered nurse working in the delivery and labor department.  A nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital is well paid due to the complex and intense functions performed by them.  In the same way, nurses working in the houses of patients are paid much less than the nurses working in city hospitals.

One of the main reasons for RNs drawing high salaries is due to the shortage of nursing staff.  The nurses are able to negotiate a better deal and the hospitals are also willing to pay well for the qualified candidates.  At many places, the registered nurses are offered a high bonus of ten thousand dollars while signing the appointment letter.  At some places, the bonus offered during the time of signing the appointment letter stands at a whopping fifty thousand dollars.

Registered Nurse Salaries by State

Let us now take a look at the salary structure of  RNs in some of the states.  It has been reported that the base salary stands at a whopping $75,000 for a registered nurse in California.  For the state of Indiana, the base salary is a good $55,000.  According to a reliable source, in Boston, the registered nurses earn anywhere between $70,000 to a high $83,000., and in the southern states, the average salaries of registered nurses is marginally lower than their counterparts in Boston and California.  For the southern states of Georgia and Atlanta, the average salary of nurse practitioners was put at $64,000.  The average salary of a registered nurse in Mississippi was reported at $53,000.  For the states of Nebraska and Omaha, the average salary of a RN stands at an impressive $60,000.

The health care industry is having a growing requirement for nurses.  Nursing, with two million jobs is amongst top 10 occupations that have largest number of new jobs. As there is already a shortage of qualified nurses world wide the opportunities seem extremely good.  The salary of a nurse is above average.  This is especially true in the case of advanced nurses having additional training and education.

Many degrees are available in the field of nursing which can be pursued with the help of a nursing school or nursing program.  This can be done on campus and can also be done online. Here are some of the degrees you can consider if you want a career in nursing.

CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)

A CNA training class is easy and quick to complete and the requirements are lesser.  It is an entry level position and is considered a stepping stone towards becoming a LPN.  It gives you an exposure to every facility and environment you might find after becoming a nurse.  You will work under and perform tasks under the directions of a nurse.

ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing)

This involves -3 years of study and is available at a lot of community colleges.  On its completion you will be able to give RN care in different settings.  After completion you can become a LPN or an RN depending on the license examination type.

BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

This is a four years course and is also sometimes known as a Baccalaureate degree.  It is offered at the California State University and also in some private colleges.  You will be able to give  RN care on completion.  You can also move to leadership and administrative positions with the help of this.

Masters Entry Level Program in Nursing

This program is for those adults who already possess a degree in some other field and want to become RNs.  It takes about 1-2 years.  The time period varies in terms of nursing course pre requisites that you may have already completed.  It is considered a Masters Degree.

APRN (Advanced Practical Registered Nurse)

An APRN specializes in complex nursing care. Most of the APRN licenses require you to have studied four years and are having  a bachelor’s degree.  Also  a bit of post graduate study. Some may even require a Masters degree.

You may or may not find a campus program close to your home depending on the type of degree you opt for.  You can consider going in for online degree and courses if you are unable to.  These are available for almost all areas and specialties although they might limit you from clinical experience.

After completion of your nursing degree you will be required to send a nursing application to your states ‘Board of Registered Nursing’.  Your transcripts will need to be sent by your Nursing School as well.  Your final requirement will be to clear the’ National Council Licensing Examination’.

The salary and job responsibility of a person will depend on the education and training received.  Hence if you have a higher degree you have more opportunities in securing a job of your choice.  With some consideration and good thought one can enter into a nursing level of their capabilities and be satisfied with a rewarding career.

Acquiring a Bachelors degree in Nursing (BSN) is the ultimate dream of every nursing student.  And why not?  Not only does a BSN degree equip a student with all the best nursing skills but it also opens a sea of opportunities with the best job offers coming their way.  Besides getting a chance to work in the best hospitals, it also prepares the students for administrative and leadership roles in the field of health and medicine.  For all Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who aspire to become a Registered Nurse (RN), there is great news.  There is a provision wherein all the LPNs can convert their LPN diploma into a BSN degree.

These LPN to BSN programs would give a boost to the careers of LPNs.  As we have already seen, a BSN degree usually takes a good four years to successfully complete.  However, certain concessions and credit are given to those students who already have a LPN diploma.  The first year at the BSN degree consists of all the topics covered in the LPN diploma.  It is precisely due to this reason that the selected LPN students are able to graduate to the second year, foregoing the first year.

One of the main benefits of acquiring a LPN to BSN degree is that, you will be able to take the license examinations required to work as a Registered nurse.  These examinations are conducted by NCLEX-RN.  Such nurses are in great demand, since they come up with plenty of advanced skills. When a LPN nurse completes the BSN degree, they are now equipped with double qualifications sending their demand rate soaring.  So when a doctor or a hospital approaches you, you can negotiate a good salary package.

Now the question arises as to where can you find these LPN to BSN courses? There are plenty of options.  Many LPN nurses would not like to leave their jobs and would like to work and study at the same time.  For such students, plenty of fast track programs are available, thus allowing them to continue with their job.  These programs are also available at the local colleges and state universities.  But here the classroom sessions are scheduled weekly, thus making it inconvenient for working LPNs.

LPN to BSN Online Programs

Although the LPN to BSN online courses may prove to be a boon for the working nurses, it has a major disadvantage. Many of the working nurses fear that without direct interaction with the fellow students and not attending classroom sessions may make them lose out on certain skills.  The University of Phoenix is a pioneer in providing online courses and it has come up with a novel idea.  It has designed the course curriculum in such away that all the working LPN students are able to attend the first few classes and the last few classes of the classroom session.  This will enable them to have a fair idea of what the classroom sessions are all about.  The remaining part of the course can be completed online.

A  LPN to BSN degree is truly rewarding and also gives rise to plenty of employment opportunities.

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The role of a pediatric nurse is to provide specialized care for children from infant stage till teenage.  A pediatric nurse deals with a vast range of children’s health issues, helping manage patient care, and helping find and assign resources for future care.   Some pediatric nurses grow to specialize in neonatal or infant care to the extent where they are able to identify likely infant diseases, respiratory infections, and problems with normal development.  They also assist in directing the patients having particular diseases to care centers.  Pediatric nurses can also specialize in individualized care of sick children offering home-treatment or in hospitals for children.

Duties of a pediatric nurse entail starting IVs, performing catheterizations for collecting urine and stool samples, checking and obtaining vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates), performing eye exams, full body assessments, administering medications (intramuscular, intravenous, oral and rectal), educating patient and their families, CPR administration, helping apply splints for fractures, and other allied functions.

Requirements for becoming a Pediatric Nurse

Education
Basic education required is a Bachelor’s degree in Science (BSN) or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).  There is some pediatric content included in every nursing program.

Preparation and advanced education
The pre-requisite for undertaking pediatric training is to first become a nurse.

There are two certain ways of becoming an accomplished Pediatric Nurse.  One is by applying and getting trained on-the-job to receive specialized training and the other is by taking continued education classes to keep oneself updated.

The most important tool for a nurse is to make an accurate diagnosis based on her assessment of the patient by using her eyes, ears, and hands while using a stethoscope, thermometer or a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer).

Certification
To become a Certified Pediatric Nurse, some experience in a children’s hospital setting is required along with taking a national exam.  Study materials are available with the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.

Considerations
Keeping up with the latest technology and procedures required for optimum care of children by taking specialized courses with continued education will enhance the pediatric nurse’s speciality.

Salary
Range would be between US$45,000 and US$50,000 in the first year and between US$43,000 to US$73,000 for nurses with a 20 years plus experience. Advanced education is by far the definite way to earn more money.

Reward
A pediatric nurse’s ultimate reward is being successful in reassuring parents of her patient and ensuring her patient’s complete recovery.

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You can join a nursing school offering an accelerated nursing program to get either your Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) in just about an year and half, if you have a bachelors degree in some other field.  Direct entry accelerated master’s degree programs in nursing usually take about 3 years to complete.  Let us see the pros and cons of going for an accelerated nursing degree program.

The first advantage of an accelerated nursing degree program is that you can complete your Bachelor of Science in nursing degree in just about 12 to 18 months.  So you get your nursing degree through Accelerated Degree program in shorter period than it takes to get an ASN degree.  This program basically compress full time nursing school of four years into an average of about one and half year.  Nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree normally earn higher salaries that those who have completed the two year associate degree in nursing (ASN).  So, the main advantage in going for an accelerated nursing program is that you can get high salaries without investing four years for a usual BSN degree.  Accelerated second degree BSN gives the credit for non-nursing classes, you already took in college.   It covers a sequence of clinical classes and nursing theory required for NCLEX (National licensing exam for Registered Nurses), and once you pass the NCLEX exam, you are eligible to become an RN (Registered Nurse).

You have to however remember that Accelerated Nursing degree programs is an intensive program which requires full-time attendance and commitment.  This is not something you can take up as a part time course.  You have to attend full-time classes when you take up the accelerated program.  Most of the accelerated nursing degree programs require the students to sign a commitment saying they will not work while attending school.  In short, accelerated nursing program is not something you can do in your spare time.  The other disadvantage of these programs is they are quite expensive – typical program costs are around $35k.

Accelerated nursing programs are available for you in 43 states as well as in the district of Puerto Rico and Columbia.  As of last year, 57 accelerated master’s programs and 218 accelerated Bachelor programs were available at nursing schools all over the United States.  You can get an updated list of accelerated nursing programs here.

Many students prefer Accelerated nursing programs as the waiting lists at traditional nursing schools growing longer and longer.  Even nurses with a bachelor’s degree are attracted towards this alternative of accelerated nursing degrees for pursuing MSN degrees.

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Travel nursing involves traveling as a part of the nurse’s job.  Nurses are expected to travel to some other location and work there for some specified period of time.  The existing dearth of nurses in the United States has increased the demand for travel nursing jobs.  Many travel nurse recruitment agencies and hospitals offer incentives like furnished housing, higher wages, bonuses and relocation assistance to hire qualified Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), Registered Nurses (RN) and other health care professionals.

Many health care professionals prefer to travel due to the benefits like professional growth, higher pay and also to try out some personal exploration.  Travelers usually select many recruitment agencies as a mediator between the traveler and hospitals or other potential employers.  As of last year, there are more than 340 Travel Nursing Companies in the U.S. which recruit qualified nurses for the travel nursing jobs.

Travel nurses generally work on short-term based contracts which span only for 4 to 13 weeks. Salary and other benefits vary widely from state to state.  In general, areas in the northern or western United States pay more compared to southern areas.  If the cost of living in any area is high then this can have impact on salary range.  If the travel nurse maintains a “tax home” while living and working away from that home then there may be tax benefit known as “Per Diem” or “Tax Advantage” pay.

Nurses often consider this traveling job as an opportunity to improve their financial status as well as to see the world.  Just imagine if you are a travel nurse then you have this privilege to select the – the health care facility, city where you want to work and even the shift you want to work in.  You also have the freedom to change shift after 13 or 26 weeks as per your convenience.  You decide each and every move of yours and carry on at your own speed which eventually leads you to the path of success in your nursing career.

As far as the nursing career is concerned, no other career in health care can offer you adventure and experience that travel nursing offers.  You will be able to work with the nation’s most prestigious facilities and also get to know new dimension of your own abilities.  You get this chance to live in unique and some of the most exciting destinations our country can offer and simultaneously earn handsome salary which is much more than offered in any permanent nursing jobs.

Travel nursing is one of the  new types of nursing job opportunities. To become a travel nurse one needs to have atleast one year of practical experience in one’s specialty and licensure in the state of employment.   Even though only one year of practical experience is mandatory to become travel nurse, it is highly recommended to have two or more years of practical experience before becoming a travel nurse.  To become a successful traveler one should have a flexible outlook and a good sense of financial planning, and most importantly how to negotiate with recruitment companies.

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The NCLEX exam is governed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It comprises of 2 types the NCLEX-RN for practicing as a registered nurse and the NCLEX-PN for practicing as practical/vocational nurse.

Each state in USA separately conducts this NCLEX exam and entire tests are professionally supervised. You have to pay examination fees to enroll yourself for this test. In case if any one fails in this exam then he/she has to wait for about 45-90 days which is a grace period after which one can again undertake the test. Every state has different criteria based on which it is decided how many times any student can appear for the exam. This exam is comprises of multiple choice questions, mathematical questions, arranging nursing procedure according to chronological order and also drawing body parts based on the questions. NCLEX examinations are conducted in (CAT) computerized adaptive testing format.  This test helps the examiner to get better idea about candidate’s knowledge related to nursing. If you want to practice nursing in USA then passing the NCLEX exam is definitely added advantage.

All your years of hard work put in to pass in nursing school program will go waste if you fail to pass in the NCLEX exam. So it is very important to prepare well for this exam. Though there are few nursing school programs which review the NCLEX as part of their curriculum but it is not enough. Seeking an extra guidance and putting in extra effort is very important. Once you graduate from any of nursing school it is important to take up the NCLEX test as all the knowledge is fresh in your mind. You can find help from NCLEX study groups or purchase NCLEX review materials and most importantly practice. Study every topic especially pharmacology and triage information because these are most likely questions. NCLEX examinations are specially designed to test your skill, knowledge, and abilities to practice effective and safe nursing at the entry-level.  This is you opportunity to prove yourself so just go for it.

As a nursing school graduate, the NCLEX is one of the most vital tests which you take up. By successfully passing the NCLEX exam you can show your ability to become a qualified licensed nurse. Now, whether you become NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN it is entirely your decision but one thing is for sure Nursing is one of the well respected profession were apart from earning good salary you’ll also have job satisfaction of helping needy.

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Nurses must vow not to reveal patients private information to third party, do not cause any harm to them and most importantly help the patient recover fast. The general public is completely dependent on nurses when they are ill as they are in a very helpless stage so they must be assured that those who are responsible to take their care should look for their welfare.

Purpose of the Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses serves as a foundation for nurses’ ethical practice. It provides guidance for ethical responsibilities, relationships, behaviors and most importantly decision-making. The Code of Ethics should be used in combination with the existing professional standards, regulations and laws that guide practitioners.

There is certain purpose behind these codes of ethics which is as follows:-

1] Every patient being admitted to hospital or any health care center has right to maintain privacy and they have to be contented with the fact that their private affairs which they share with any of the medical personnel will be kept confidential.

2] All the nursing practitioners should abide by the code of ethics.

3] In nursing profession, the patient’s well being and safety should always be given the first priority. Nurses have to always do their best to maintain the trust and confidence laid on them by the patients.

The Code of Ethics serves the purpose of self-reflection and self-evaluation for principled nursing practice and it also forms the basis for peer review and feedback. It is a kind of ethics based on which all nurses can practice under quality work environments so as to support the deliverance of ethical, compassionate, safe and competent care.

Nursing is very reputable profession and people involved in this profession have the opportunity of being part of a self-regulating profession and should value this responsibility. The Code of Ethics informs all the nurses, general public as well as other health-care professionals about the moral commitments and social responsibilities which nurses have to accept for becoming part of this self-regulating profession.

According to the Code of Ethics for nursing, Primary Nursing Values involves tasks like:-

• Providing competent, compassionate, safe and right care to all the patients.
• Promoting and respecting informed decision-making of every patient
• Promoting health and well-being of all the patients
• Preserving dignity
• Promoting justice
• Maintaining confidentiality and privacy
• Being accountable for their actions

Consequences of disobedience

When any of the nurse or nursing student disobeys the code of ethics in nursing homes, this can make patients as well as their families distrustful and very fearful of all the staff.
This in turn causes distress and argument amongst the staff members of respective health care center and has adverse effects on its functioning. Even the single disobedience from any of the staff member can leave a stain on all of their coworkers.

Conclusion
The code of ethics in nursing signifies not only commitment and pledge, but also the devotion of individuals involved in this missions of mercy. The disabled, the elderly, the young and the weak are at the mercy of people engaged in the healing arts and nurses are more trusted than any of the caregivers. This is really a great honor and nurses must respect the trust and belief laid on them by public and always strives to do their best for patients.

Above mentioned specific values and ethical responsibilities are expected of each of the registered nurses as well as nursing students and they should abide by them.

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