Nursing

kimberlyjennery asked:

This little micro-kitten got abandoned after birth, and has been taken in by Mama Callie and her five calico 3-week old kittens. He needs some supplementation from a bottle, because he isn’t really strong enough to fight for a nipple, yet.

history of nursing

Josh Stone asked:


A nurse is a health care professional who is engaged in the practice of nursing. Nurses are men and women who are responsible (along with other health care professionals) for the treatment, safety and recovery of acutely or chronically ill or injured people, health maintenance of the healthy, and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health care settings. Nurses may also be involved in medical and nursing research and perform a wide range of non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of health care.

Nurses develop a plan of care, sometimes working collaboratively with physicians, therapists, the patient, the patient’s family and other team members. In the U.S. (and increasingly the United Kingdom), advanced practice nurses, such as clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners, diagnose health problems and prescribe medications and other therapies. Nurses may help coordinate the patient care performed by other members of a health care team such as therapists, medical practitioners, dietitians, etc. Nurses provide care both interdependently, for example, with physicians, and independently as nursing professionals.

According to the US Department of Labor’s revised Occupational Outlook Handbook (2000), “Registered nurses (R.N.s) work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities. When providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, responses, and progress; assist physicians during treatments and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. R.N.s also develop and manage nursing care plans; instruct patients and their families in proper care; and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health.”

The nursing career structure varies considerably throughout the world. Typically there are several distinct levels of nursing practitioner, distinguished by increasing education, responsibility and skills. The major distinction is between task-based nursing and professional nursing.

In various parts of the world, the educational background for nurses varies widely. In some parts of Eastern Europe, nurses are high school graduates with twelve to eighteen months of training. In contrast, Chile requires any Registered Nurse to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may gain the PhD or another doctoral degree such as Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), specializing in research, clinical nursing, etc. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing and carry out nursing research. As the science and art of nursing has advanced, so has the demand for doctoral-prepared nurses.

Registered Nurses generally receive their basic preparation through one of three basic avenues:

Graduation from an Associate of Science in Nursing degree-granting nursing program (two to three years of college level study with a strong emphasis on clinical knowledge and skills) earning the degree of ASN/AAS or ADN in Nursing.

Graduation with a three-year (Diploma in Nursing) certificate from a hospital-based school of nursing (non-degree). Few of these programs remain in the U.S. and the proportion of nurses practicing with a diploma is rapidly decreasing.

Graduation from a university with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (a four - five year program conferring the BSN/BN degree with enhanced emphasis on leadership and research as well as clinically-focused courses).

There are also special programs for “LPN to RN”, for people who hold undergraduate degrees in other disciplines, and for paramedics or military medics. Graduates of all programs, once licensed, are eligible for employment as entry-level staff nurses.

A typical course of study at any level typically includes such topics as:

Anatomy and physiology

Microbiology

Pharmacology and medication administration

Psychology

Nursing ethics

Nursing theory

Nursing practice

Legal issues in nursing practice

All pathways into practice require that the candidate undergo clinical training in nursing. Care is delivered by the student nurses under academic supervision in the hospital and in other practice settings. Clinical courses typically include:

Maternal-child nursing

Pediatric nursing

Adult medical-surgical nursing

Geriatric nursing

Psychiatric nursing

While in clinical training, student nurses are identified by a special uniform to distinguish them from licensed professionals.

In many nursing programs in the United States, a computerized exam is given before, during and upon completion to evaluate the student and nursing program outcomes. This exam upon completion of the nursing program is done to measure a student’s readiness for the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN state board licensure exam. The exam identifies strengths and weaknesses and provides the need for remediation prior to taking the state board exam. This is not a requirement of all nursing programs in the United States, but has increased its usage in the past three to four years.

It is common for RNs to seek additional education to earn a Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Science to prepare for leadership or advanced practice roles within nursing. Management and teaching positions increasingly require candidates to hold an advanced degree in nursing. Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement or assistance to nurses who want to continue their education beyond their basic preparation.

Many nurses pursue voluntary specialty certification through professional organizations and certifying bodies in order to demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in their area of expertise.

All U.S. states and territories require RNs to graduate from an accredited nursing program which allows the candidate to sit for the NCLEX-RN, a standardized examination administered through the National Council of State Nursing Boards. Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN is required for state licensure as an RN.

Nurses from other countries are required to be proficient in English and have their educational credentials evaluated by an association known as the Council of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools prior to being permitted to take the U.S. licensing exam.

Government regulates the profession of nursing to protect the public. In the U.S., the individual states have authority over nursing practice. The scope of practice is defined by legislative and regulatory laws which are administered by State Nursing Boards.

Many states have adopted the Model Nursing Practice Act and Model Nursing Administrative Rules created by the National Council of State Nursing Boards (NCSNB). In addition, many State Nursing Boards model their licensure requirements on the Uniform Core Licensure Requirements which set forth competency development and competency assessment principles.

Nurses may be licensed in more than one state, either by examination or endorsement of a license issued by another state. In addition, the states which have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact allow nurses licensed in one of the states to practice in all of them through mutual recognition of licensure.



nurse education

smith13305@sbcglobal.net asked:


The kittens have been nursing now for 7 weeks with no problem. so I am wondering if there is an infection?

nursing research

jessie asked:


I want to be a Nurse Practioner I am a junior in high school. What exactly does it take to be this. An answer from a person in this profession would be nice. Does it just take going to a university and getting your bachelors in nursing or is there a seperate school for nursing. Just explain the process from high shool to actual job. ANd also include time span

career nursing

apeywine7 asked:


My husband and I are trying to conceive our final child, but I am still nursing my 17 month old. Does it make it harder to get pregnant this late in nursing since I am no longer her single source of nourishment? BTW~spare me the comments of~my daughter is too old to nurse, I could care less about your opinion on that matter! Thanks!

nursing education

Kelly Blackwell asked:


Regardless of your motivation for moving your nursing career overseas, you will have many of the same questions as others who want to nurse abroad. Here are the answers to three of the questions that I am asked most frequently…

Where can I get a nursing job overseas?

Most developing countries are suffering from an increasingly severe nursing shortage. They simply are not training enough nurses each year to replace the nurses that are reaching retirement age. This is an immediate problem for countries which also have an aging population who are putting more strain on the health systems in those countries.

Countries like the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand all have a significant number of internationally educated nurses already working in their health systems. And there are still many vacancies that nursing recruiters are unable to fill!

If you are already a registered nurse at home, moving your nursing career overseas to any English speaking country is only limited by your ability to speak the language well enough to pass the required English language test. Similarly, if you are a qualified nurse who is fluent in a language other than English, Arabic or Cantonese for example – there are many nursing vacancies abroad in the United Arab Emirates or Singapore.

How do I get a job nursing abroad?

Each country has their own way of registering nurses. And nurses who want to nurse abroad in the United States, Australia or Canada face the added challenge of being required to register with the State Board of Nursing relevant to where they will be working as there is no nationwide system of nurse registration.

Generally speaking, you will have to:

* provide evidence of your nursing education

* provide evidence of your nursing license in the country you are currently working in

* provide evidence of your nursing experience, usually recommendation letters on official letterhead will be accepted

* provide evidence of your fluency in the official language of the country you are applying to register in

In the UK you’ll also have to take part in an Overseas Nursing Programme, and in the USA you’ll have to take either the NCLEX-RN exam, or the CGFNS exam… or both.

Finding information on how to register as an overseas nurse can be a lengthy process as much of the information is buried deep inside websites that are not dedicated to providing information to foreign nurses. You can find detailed, step-by-step instructions to moving your nursing career abroad in the Nursing-Overseas Ultimate Job Hunting System.

Do I need special qualifications?

Your nursing qualifications and any specialist training you have undertaken may not be the exact equivalent of what is required or offered of registered nurses in the country to which you are moving.

Most countries have a service you can use that will work out what your qualifications are equivalent to in their education system. For example, you can contact NARIC in the UK and they will check your qualifications against the UK standards and issue you a report.

Even if your qualifications do not transfer exactly, you will most likely be able to register as a general adult nurse. Once you are working in a nursing position overseas, you can explore whether you would like to upgrade your nursing qualifications by up-skilling in a new specialism.



nursing guidelines

Kelly Blackwell asked:


If you are looking for a career change in nursing then you should consider nursing overseas. Countries around the world are experiencing an acute nursing shortage which has created opportunities for nurses to refresh their nursing careers by going abroad to fill vacancies in other countries either short term or long term.

Moving your nursing career overseas can restore your enthusiasm for the profession.

Are you disenchanted with management? Working too many shifts and never having any time for fun? Can’t remember the last time you worked with a full shift of nurses? Are you ready to give up on nursing but do not really want to…

Why not make a change? Consider a career change and nurse abroad.

Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the USA are all actively recruiting internationally educated nurses. Taking a nursing job overseas can invigorate your nursing career in the following ways:

1. Working with new people - fellow healthcare professionals and patients alike.

Nursing in a new country will present you with rewards as well as new challenges. Getting to know your colleagues and patients and learning to understand their culture will add an extra dimension to your working day.

There are whole books dedicated to the differences between countries like the United Kingdom and the USA. Even the differences between the culture and language of such close neighbors as New Zealand and Australia can be immense. Your lifestyle will be very different in a new country and your nursing credentials and experience are your ticket to working abroad.

2. Provide opportunities for professional development in nursing specialties that are not open to you at home.

Are you interested in nursing in a different specialty? There could well be opportunities to transfer into a new specialty and receive specialized professional development if you move your nursing career abroad.

Moving your nursing career overseas may open up the possibility of working in specialties you do not have at home, such as nursing informatics, legal nursing, expedition nursing, travel nursing.

The most likely scenario is that you will be hired to work in an area of nursing that you have experience with and from there you can apply for other positions on the strength of your experience and flexibility.

3. Working in a different healthcare system. Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland all run a national health service where hospital services are provided by the government. New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland do not run a federal system but have one central government. This can offer an alternative to the politics and organization you are used to dealing with in your job at home.

Nursing jobs abroad are not restricted only to nursing in hospitals either; you can get nursing employment in nursing homes, private hospitals, doctor’s offices and schools too.

A career change in nursing abroad can also allow opportunities to improve your life outside of the workplace. If you are bothered with pollution or rising crime rates, then consider moving to a country that has a lower level of each!



nursing interventions

Alex89 asked:


My husband is graduating from college with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. However, most places want some kind of nursing degree. How long would it take to earn this degree on top of the one that he now has?

nursing job

Ryan Anderson asked:


If you are looking for a job in nursing, you have probably noticed variations in the job descriptions. Although there are some common threads among all of these job postings, the majority of the differences will mainly revolve around the specific specialty or the particular nursing position.

Regardless of your particular specialty, there will be certain duties that should appear in almost all nursing job descriptions. Though it may be worded differently, providing nursing care to patients will usually be in the job description. As well as general duties like, maintaining confidential patient records, providing medical advice to patients and/or their families, and explaining procedures and conditions to patients.

A general nursing job description may also give a brief account of the type of healthcare professionals and patients that you will be working with on a daily basis. All job descriptions will require a RN license, but will encourage nurses with additional certifications or credentials. Some even detail the certifications that they would prefer. This documentation will usually need to be presented before a nurse can successfully obtain a particular position.

Other basic information to be included in the job description for a nurse could be the salary range, which will be influenced by the size of the healthcare organization, its location, and the job market for that area. It will also detail the level of nursing experience that they are hoping to attract. Though, most are more concerned with the licensing and credentials, others require a set number of years within the nursing field. The actual working shift may or may not be included, as nursing schedules are typically pretty flexible.

Though these are the basic aspects of a job description for a registered nurse there will be changes for other types of nurses. The differences between nursing job descriptions for particular specialties and general nurses will revolve around the additional certifications and experience levels. The duties will be more detailed and specific to the specialty. For example, instead of saying “to provide care for patients,” the description for a surgical nurse may read, “to prep patients for surgical procedure.” Another detailed difference would be in the clarification of the type of patients that the nurse will care for and the healthcare professionals they will work with on a daily basis. Some job descriptions for nursing specialties may even set working hours. For example, school health nurses, will usually work only during school hours.

The job description for a nursing supervisor or head nurse usually mentions the need to provide care to patients. However, this is not the main duty of a nursing supervisor. Their job description will note the need to head up the nursing staff by setting work schedules, assigning duties, reviewing medical records, and ensuring that nursing supplies are in stock. Most importantly, whether it is specifically stated in the job description or not, the nursing supervisor’s greatest duty is to be responsible for their nursing staff. So, ensuring that they have the proper training and knowledge of policies and procedures is vital.

The job description for a nurse practitioner will explicitly state the need for a higher level of credentials than the RN license, usually a bachelors or masters degree in Nursing. A specific number of years of experience as a nurse practitioner may also be required within the job description. This is a direct result of the advanced duties of a nursing practitioner. The job description for a nurse practitioner may be more closely related to that of a physician than that of a registered nurse. Nurse practitioners are in many cases the first to diagnose and treat an illness. Depending on the state which they are in, a nurse practitioner may also have the ability to prescribe medication.

LPNs or licensed practical nurses job description duties are almost always spelled out. Most of these positions require the nurse to monitor progress, track vital signs, dressing wounds, taking care of a patient’s hygiene needs, and alerting registered nurses and/or physicians of changes in a patient’s status. LPNs may also be required to start IV’s and administer medicines, but these duties will vary by state.

The final difference in job descriptions for nurses will be for those that work in a particular type of healthcare facility. For instance the job description for nurses that work in burn centers, rest-homes, and pediatric facilities will usually differ from those of nurses in typical hospitals. Yet, these job descriptions will revolve around the type of patients being treated. The nurses may develop treatment plans, work with rehab specialists, and teach family members and other caregivers how to assist in the caring for the patient at home.



free nursing journals

mom4lifellc asked:

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nursing role