Nursing — Beyond ER

Career World, Oct, 2001 by Rita Cook

The demand for nurses will grow as our population ages. An estimated 400,000 to 1 million new nurses will be needed by 2020. Will you be one of them?

Television often portrays nurses as sexy, smart, and perfect. The real life of a nurse goes far beyond what you'll see in the latest ER episode, however. Saving people's lives and helping them regain their health and strength are challenges that can never be accurately portrayed on television. Yet, the satisfaction of doing those things is far-reaching.

This field is wide open for men and women alike. In fact, nursing is no longer a female-only profession, as men are becoming accepted and necessary as well. According to Nurses.com, the number of men in this field has increased by about 10 percent in the last five years.

While no two days are alike in the life of a nurse, a nurse's job focuses primarily on making sure a patient has a smooth recovery. One part caregiver and one part health technician, nurses must understand a doctor's orders pertaining to a patient's care, and be able to carry them out.

There are many types of RNs (registered nurses), from private duty nurses responsible for individuals, often in a home setting, to operating room nurses, to critical care nurses, to nurses who work in environments outside the hospital, such as school nurses, occupational health nurses, and nurse educators. Responsibilities vary depending on the specific area of interest.

No matter what area of nursing you choose, it will always be necessary for you to obtain additional training throughout your career. For example, Kathy Brady, an RN who has worked in both Chicago and Los Angeles, has taken continuing education in CCR (Critical Care) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), both important for her work in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). "You can't just take a test and say, 'Now I know what I am doing,'" Brady says. "You have to continue your education, and it is up to each individual to do that."

Brady was lucky because she was able to start her nursing career in the ICU straight out of college. "Usually you have to do a couple of years working on the floor [of a hospital ward] to get experience and get your organizational skills down, and then [you] go into an ICU setting." Brady trained at Loyola University Medical Center, where she had the chance to "rotate" through different nursing specialties and gain experience along the way.

With experience comes understanding. In Brady's case, it was an understanding of the patient as a whole person--physically, mentally, and spiritually. Often a big responsibility for a nurse is being a caregiver to the patient's entire family as they make tough decisions that pertain to the life and death of their loved one. "It's hard when family members are trying to decide, especially in the ICU and it's an elderly family member, if they want to continue life support," Brady says.

Brady puts in a 12-hour day, always beginning at 7:00 a.m. "For an ICU nurse," she explains, "you are going to have to take care of at least one or two patients for a full 12 hours. The whole idea of 12-hour shifts is the consistency of care." Much of her work consists of caring for patients who have had surgery. Before they can leave the ICU, they need to be stable enough to get off life support, which generally takes two or three days. "That's the nice part," she says. "You might take care of the same patient for a few days and get to know them."

Beginning in High School

If you think you might be interested in a nursing career, classes that are important to take in high school include any basic math and science courses. A special emphasis on biology, chemistry, and anatomy is important. Brady also recommends courses in nutrition and communication. "Communication classes are important because often you have to interact with the family for the doctors," Brady says. "The doctors are not always available, so you are kind of their voice."

Learning to Care

The nursing field is a career that can begin with a two-year degree offered by many community or technical colleges. There are also three-year diploma programs; and it is possible to get a bachelor's degree, or BSN, from a college or university.

As Brady says, "The education never stops." A person can become an RN if he or she takes the board exams, which are offered in all 50 states. If a nurse moves from one state to another, he or she does not have to be retested, but must apply to practice in the new state. In order to specialize in certain areas, nurses are often required to take additional classes and continuing education.

Brady believes that this is an "excellent time" for high school students to be thinking about a career in nursing. "I see everything coming full circle, and in the next 10 to 20 years there is going to be a big crunch again, and they are going to need nurses." She adds, "It's a very rewarding profession."

LPN or RN?

Any of several paths lead to a career in nursing. Choose the one that's right for you.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) care for patients under the supervision of doctors and registered nurses (see below). LPNs must complete a state-approved nursing program, which typically lasts about one year. Applicants are usually required to have a high school diploma, but some nursing programs will accept students without one. An LPN must pass a licensing examination.