Careers in Nursing

Chapter 14 Medical Careers

Key Terms• Advocate: – one who represents the needs of the client

• Long-Term care facility:– Nursing home

• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA):– Long term care facilities wanting Medicare or

Medicaid funding are to provide services so that each resident can “attain and maintain her highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.”

– creates a set of national minimum set of standards of care and rights for people living in certified nursing facilities.

Licensed vs Unlicensed Nursing Personal

• Unlicensed personnel: able to perform basic nursing tasks after specific training

• Licensed personnel: take post-secondary education, must pass a licensing test, held accountable for actions through standards set by the state agency

Importance of Unlicensed Nursing Personnel

• Due to the rapidly rising cost of health care, there needs to be a more cost effective way of delivering health care

Four levels of unlicensed nursing personnel

• Certified Nursing Assistant– Performs basic health care task, ie: Activities of

Daily Living (ADLs)– Works under the supervision of licensed

personnel

• Home Health Aide:– Works with clients in the home – Assists with medications, cleaning, laundry,

shopping, transportation, ADLs

Educational Requirements of Nursing Personnel

• Certified Nursing Assistant:– 75 hours of training, completion of a manual and

written test

• Home Health Aide: – on-the-job training in most states… some states

require formal training– If assisting with medication federal government

suggests 75 hours of training (med aide)

• Dialysis Technician:– Operates the kidney

dialysis machine

• Surgical Technician:– Operating room assistants– Perform sterilization procedures,

know order of surgical tools needed during surgery, prepares clients for surgery, checks vital signs

• Dialysis Technician– Often nursing personnel are trained in this area– 16 to 18 weeks of training for lay person

• Surgical Technician– 9 to 24 month program of training at an

accredited program

Three Levels of Licensed Nursing Personnel

• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN):– Take vital signs, do treatment procedures,

administer medication, care of dressings, catheter insertion and care, assessments, assist in L & D, education of client

Three Levels of Licensed Nursing Personnel

• Registered Nurse (RN):– Provides holistic health care, may work

independently or in a team, responsibilities range from basic care to administrative positions, a client Advocate

• Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN):– 1 to 2 years of education, must pass a licensing

exam

• Registered Nurse (RN): – 2 to 4 years of education, must pass a licensing

exam

• Advanced Practice Nurse:– RN who successfully

completes additional training requirements

– Works under the supervision of a physician

– Able to diagnose (dx) and treat (tx) common ailments

– Nurse Practitioners (NP) able to prescribe medication

• Advanced Practice Nurse: – 4 years of nursing education (Bachelors degree)

plus one to two years of graduate-level education

REMEMBER!!!

• Primary responsibility of the Registered Nurse is to be a patient ADVOCATE!

Job Opportunities for Nursing

• Industrial Health

Office Nursing

Long-term Care FacilitiesHospital Nursing

Home Health Nursing

Job Opportunities for Nursing

School Nursing

Traveling Nurse

Research Nursing Nurse Educator

Flight Nurse

Job Opportunities for Nursing

Health Administration Psych Nursing

Forensic NursingNurse Supervisor

Legal Nursing

Nurse Missionaries

Advanced Practice Nursing

• RN who successfully completes additional training requirements and obtain an advanced practice certification or degree

Three Types of Advanced Practice Nurses

• Clinical Nurse Specialist:– Specializes in specific nursing areas• Obstetrics• Med-Surg• Pediatrics

– Nurse Anesthetist• Trained in the use of anesthetics

– Certified Nurse-Midwife• Trained in the care of the pregnant woman, assists with

the delivery of babies

• Nurse Practitioner– see patients of all ages– treat both physical and mental conditions – physical exams– order tests and therapies – Prescribe medication– Work under the supervision of a physician

Nursing Shortage• Average age of Nurses is 45 to 48 years• Large majority retiring in the next 12 years• Not enough people going into nursing field to cover the

nurses leaving• Baby-Boomers are getting older and needed more care

• Therefore a BIG nursing shortage!!!!!!