In the medical industry, nursing is the largest profession in the field of health care. Florence Nightingale provided the building blocks for the field more than one hundred and fifty years ago. Florence said, “every woman must at some time or other of her life become a nurse.” Through the years, the profession has become a highly respected occupation that requires proper training and good education. Aside from that, nurses provide various types of care to all kinds of patients.
The kind of care a nurse provides will depend on the preparation she or he has had. There is one category that doesn't require a degree which includes the CNAs (Certified Nurse Aides or Assistants) and LPNs or Licensed Practical Nurses. Though it doesn't require a degree, they still have to undergo training and get the required certification to perform their duty. Let's take a look at the different types of nurses.
CNA (Certified Nurse Aides/Assistants)
A CNA usually needs supervision from a registered nurse before being able to help patients or clients with their healthcare needs. CNAs often work in different settings: personal homes, nursing homes, adult day care centers and hospitals. Plus all assisted facilities that require assistance with duties between the patient and a registered nurse or licensed practical nurses. In most cases, CNAs serve as the eyes and ears to the RN or LPNs. They are responsible with providing information to nurses and patients. They help to gather vital information on the patients and their medical condition. Sometimes, a CNA’s workload can be fast paced and intense. Their ability to help those people with medical needs serves as a motivation to them. Their compassion to patients and desire to help people also helps them get through tough days.
LPN (Licensed Practical Nurses)
Licensed Practical Nurses often have a nursing certificate and a year of nursing education. They are expected to report even the minor changes in a patient’s condition. LPN advancement opportunities are limited beyond qualifying for expanded functions. You’ll find them taking vital information from the patients or administering their medication. But, you’ll never see them in neonatal ward taking care of premature infants cause they do not have that kind of specialization. Both LPNs and registered nurse undergo certain certifications and screening in order to qualify for the job. To learn more about the requirements needed to become a LPN, read this article.
RNs (Registered Nurses)
Registered Nurses or RNs either have a bachelor’s or associate's degree or diploma from a hospital-based program. Having a bachelor’s degree in registered nursing offers more career opportunities than an associate’s degree. The demands for registered nurses are increasing more and more than the demand for LPNs and CNAs. We see them as the people who are racing around the hospital. Their roles are not limited in just a single setting. Nurses are responsible for both the medical and administrative aspect of health care. They personally assess the patients of all backgrounds and ages. They have a variety of tasks to accomplish daily. Nurses administer medication, keep records, monitor patients, educate them and their family and consult with other healthcare professionals. RNs should keep themselves up to date with technology and the latest medical procedures. These skills will help them to attend to their patient’s medical concerns in a better way.
Our Lady of the Lake RNBSN Degree is an ACEN-accredited program that prepares registered nurses to fill leadership roles for efficient delivery of nursing care based on clinical evidence and research.
Nurse Specialists
Higher up, we have the nurse specialists and nurse practitioners. These are the nurses that have completed a master’s or doctorate degree. Nurse specialists typically have a national certification dealing with advanced knowledge and a set of skills that are particular to a patients’ population or specialized field in nursing. They work directly with patients to mitigate or resolve psychiatric or medical issues. Nurse specialists are engaged in shaping a larger system of healthcare by serving as mentors to other nurses and applying observations for research purposes. Their responsibility is to provide the best healthcare while trying to improve it as well.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners are allowed to treat medical conditions without direct supervision from a doctor. Nurse specialists provide a higher level of care that RNs are not allowed to perform. They specialize in different areas like gynecology, obstetrics, anesthesiology and neurology. They work alongside physicians or have autonomy to perform their own practice. NPs assess the patients thoroughly by giving them complete physical examinations and examining their medical history.
