| The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment | | | | It's a demanding job with serious responsibility. In return, |
| among nurses will grow faster than the average for all | | | | you have the satisfaction of knowing that you make a |
| occupations. Demand for quality nurses continues to | | | | real difference in reducing suffering and promoting the |
| escalate. Much faster-than-average growth will be | | | | health of people in your care. |
| driven by technological advances in patient care, which | | | | Children's nurses care for sick children and provide |
| permit a greater number of medical problems to be | | | | support to their families. Children's nursing can take you |
| treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive | | | | from intensive care of a new-born baby with breathing |
| care. In addition, the number of older people, who are | | | | problems to looking after a six-foot-tall adolescent |
| much more likely than younger people to need nursing | | | | whose leg has been broken in a soccer match. |
| care, is projected to grow rapidly. | | | | The onset of symptoms can be sudden and extreme. |
| More and more sophisticated procedures, once | | | | Because children are still growing, the impact of the |
| performed only in hospitals, are being performed in | | | | illness or injury on their development has to be taken |
| physicians' offices and in outpatient care centers, such | | | | into account. A rich mix of emotions often surrounds |
| as freestanding ambulatory surgical and emergency | | | | child illness such as panic, anxiety, anger, |
| centers. Accordingly, employment is expected to grow | | | | powerlessness, guilt. Children's nurses work closely |
| much faster than average in these places as health | | | | with patients' families as part of the caring process. |
| care in general expands. | | | | Mental Health Nurses care for people with mental |
| Hospital nursing is just one of the many areas where | | | | health problems in hospitals and in the community, |
| nurses practice. Examples of other practice settings | | | | helping patients to overcome their ill health, or to come |
| include home care, private practice, public health, | | | | to terms with it, so they can lead as normal a life as |
| extended care centers, clinics, offices, schools, military | | | | possible. The one-to-one personal relationships that |
| service, corporations, health-related industries, hospice, | | | | mental health nurses form with people are at the heart |
| occupational settings, and health and wellness centers. | | | | of the care process. |
| The profession of nursing offers a wide variety of | | | | Mental Health Nurses have to identify if and when a |
| specialties. From pediatrics to geriatrics, nursing impact | | | | person may be at risk of harming themselves or |
| is felt across the lifespan. Here is a sampling of | | | | others. You'll therefore find yourself liaising |
| specialty areas from which you can choose: | | | | professionally with a wide range of other services |
| Ambulatory care, Burn care, Developmental disabilities, | | | | including social workers, police, charities, local |
| Emergency, Geriatrics, Home care, Intensive care unit | | | | government and housing officials. |
| (cardiovascular, medical, neonatal and surgical), Medical | | | | As a mental health nurse you are likely to be dealing |
| telemetry, Mother/baby care, Oncology, Operating | | | | with people of all ages and from a wide range of |
| room, Pediatrics, Psychiatric nursing, Recovery, | | | | backgrounds. As your career develops you may |
| Rehabilitation, Renal (diabetes and dialysis), Research, | | | | choose to specialize in areas such as drugs and |
| School nursing. | | | | alcohol misuse or working with offenders. You could |
| Nursing school requires a high school diploma and a | | | | also become involved in education, research, or |
| sound academic standing in English, algebra, chemistry, | | | | management roles. |
| biology and psychology. An understanding of | | | | Learning Disability Nurses work with people with |
| computers and technology is a great asset. Leadership | | | | learning disabilities to help them become as |
| and organizational skills are equally important. You will | | | | independent as possible. People with a learning disability |
| do well in nursing if you can combine these skills and | | | | can struggle to cope with aspects of everyday, |
| characteristics with a commitment to easing human | | | | independent living. |
| suffering and a capacity to respond quickly in | | | | The distinctive contribution of learning disability nurses is |
| emergency situations. Getting along with people and | | | | their concern to influence behaviors and lifestyles that |
| good communications skills also are important since | | | | promote health and well-being for individuals, and their |
| nurses relate to people from all backgrounds. | | | | families and careers. You will be working in a wide |
| The nursing courses include classroom instruction and | | | | variety of settings: people's homes, their family homes, |
| supervised clinical hands-on experience in health care | | | | residential care, schools, workplaces and leisure. As |
| settings. Students need good study habits and the | | | | your career unfolds you can maintain this broad |
| ability to analyze and think through problems to be | | | | spread of activity, or you could choose to specialize in |
| successful in nursing school. At the end of the nursing | | | | an area such as sensory disability, education, or |
| program, graduates must pass the state board | | | | management of learning disability services. |
| licensure examination to become licensed as a | | | | The main challenge is to remain constantly sensitive |
| registered nurse. | | | | and alert in how you relate to people, helped by new |
| When studying, nursing is organized into four branches. | | | | technology tools such as sensory stimulation and |
| During the first year of your course you will be | | | | interactive learning systems. Adaptability and |
| introduced to these as part of the Common | | | | resourcefulness in very varied work settings becomes |
| Foundation Program. In the second and third years you | | | | second nature. Progress can be slow, but seemingly |
| will focus on the branch you choose. | | | | small things do mean a great deal. You are increasing |
| Adult nurses are primarily concerned with nursing sick | | | | people self-confidence and sense of worth, and |
| and injured adults back to health in both hospital and | | | | enabling them to share more fully in the challenges and |
| community settings. What makes adult nursing such a | | | | pleasures of living. |
| challenge is the sheer diversity of situations you will | | | | Today's nurses can now be found in professional |
| have to respond to. You will be working with people | | | | venues once thought impossible. Nurses influence |
| who have acute and long-term illnesses. The mark of | | | | legislation, change health care delivery systems, write |
| the professional is the ability to observe and assess | | | | and publish, educate about disease prevention and |
| what is happening with a patient at any one time and | | | | health promotion, and participate on boards of |
| to select the most effective response. | | | | directors. |