As COVID-19 has taken its hold on Oregon, there have been many news reports about regional nursing and school nurse shortages. Becoming a nurse is an excellent career path; not only can you work anywhere, but you’ll also be making a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. The path to becoming a nurse is varied and depends on what type of nurse you’d like to become. This guide will help you learn about the various nurse occupations, how to find your first job, and how to further your education and career.

Determine a pathway When you’ve decided to become a nurse, there are a number of factors to consider. First, what type of nurse do you want to be? Do you want to work in a hospital, or would you be happier in a nursing home? It’s also important to determine whether you’d like to support medical staff as part of a team, or if you’d rather manage other nurses or oversee systems. Let’s take a closer look at some different types of nursing degrees.

When it comes to education, you can earn a nursing diploma or Associate Degree in nursing from a community college or vocational school, or pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing from a four-year college or university. Beyond your undergrad, you can earn a Master of Science or a Doctoral degree if you want to expand your learning and your career options.

Many nurses will choose to earn a master’s degree in nursing to further their careers. It’s possible to pursue a master’s degree while still working: many colleges now offer online training to obtain a master’s in nursing education, nursing leadership and management, or nurse informatics.

Before you start looking for jobs, it’s necessary to obtain a license.

Career options The career paths are varied for nurses: whether it’s assisting in labor and delivery or working in an emergency room, you can pursue nursing in a number of different settings.

If you want to jump right into the hands-on nursing experience, you could become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). You can become a CNA with just a certificate in nursing, which can be obtained from a community college or vocational school. The next step up is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), which requires about a year of schooling and allows you to work more directly with patients.

Many who earn a two-year associate’s or four-year bachelor’s nursing degree will become a Registered Nurse (RN). RNs do more hands-on medical work, including administering medication, assisting doctors with exams and surgeries, and more.

There are more advanced nursing careers for those with four-year degrees and master’s degrees: you could become a Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or a Nurse Practitioner.

Finding your first job Once you’ve finished nursing school and obtained your license, determine in what setting you’d most like to work. Nurses have a variety of environments to choose from, whether it’s a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or school. You can even work as a traveling nurse, filling in for temporary stints all over the country.

One of the challenging aspects of finding your first job is overcoming your lack of experience. You can gain more experience through internships, job shadowing, or filling in as an on-call nurse. This can be a great way to learn what you do and don’t like before committing to a full-time job.

A nursing career can be varied with plenty of options depending on the amount of schooling you’re prepared to complete. Consider what kind of education you’d like to pursue, and where you’d most like to work. Becoming a nurse will provide you with job security and a diverse array of opportunities—use this guide to help you get started.

Julia Merrill is a retired board certified nurse practitioner


--Julia Merrill

Post Date: 2020-10-25 17:20:07

Last Update: 2020-10-27 01:04:15