Nursing Job Description
Nursing jobs encompass a varied spectrum of careers. The nursing industry used to be much narrower and limited to licensed practical and registered nursing. But the field has grown into a wide variety of nursing careers that include entry-level nursing specialties such as certified nursing assistants and advanced nursing careers such as nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists, among others.
Whatever the specific nursing vocation one chooses, nursing jobs can run the gamut from administrative and clerical nursing positions that to traditional clinical roles.
Nurses work in diverse environments, from administrative offices and clinical offices to bedside care, operating and emergency rooms, home care specialties, and travel nursing.
The great thing about nursing jobs is you can choose one that fits your personality and overall preferences and have a career in a role that suits you best.
For instance, if you enjoy building rapport with patients and giving one-on-one care, a job caring for patients in their homes might be the way to go.
If you’ve always wanted to be a doctor but don’t quite want to commit the extra time to education, becoming a nurse practitioner could be the answer.
Perhaps you’re better suited to remote work from home and would be great at fielding patient questions and addressing complaints online. Telehealth careers are on the rise, and it might be just the perfect thing for you.
The central focus of nursing careers is to help patients get the healthcare they need.
Registered nurses, for example, take on a broad range of responsibilities when it comes to patient care. Ultimately, an RNs job is to ensure that patients get the care they need.
Nursing Job Duties
Depending on the specific nursing job, your responsibilities might include but are not limited to:
- Caring for convalescing patients
- Taking vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature
- Monitoring patient symptoms and complaints
- IV initiation and administering treatment and medication
- Following policies and procedures to ensure a safe and sterile treatment setting for patients
- Cleaning and dressing wounds
- Assisting physicians with exams and medical procedures
- Ordering tests
- Disinfecting instruments, exam rooms, and medical equipment
- Entering information into patient medical records
- Counseling patients and families on the management and treatment of their condition
The specific duties for your chosen career will depend on the job description.
Nursing Jobs Salary
Various factors will impact how much your salary might be. For one, the exact type of nursing job you train for and work in. Nursing anesthetists, for example, make more money than registered nurses.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average annual salary for nurse anesthetists at $202,470, while a registered nurse earns a mean salary of $77,600 per year. But nurses working in outpatient care centers and hospitals are likely to make more than average.
The state where you work also affects how much your nursing job pays. For instance, nursing jobs in California, New York, and Texas command the highest salaries in the country, while South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi pay nurses some of the lowest nursing salaries in the country.
For Instance
Mount Sanai in New York is consistently looking for best-in-class nurses and has a Nurse Residency Program to help get your nursing career off the ground.
City of Hope, designated as a comprehensive cancer center, is often hiring for nursing jobs including RNs, clinical nurses, and nurse managers.
Remote healthcare firm, Fonemed, is seeking several telehealth triage nurses for many of its locations across the U.S.
Nursing Jobs Training and Requirements
The level of education and training needed varies from one nursing job to another. For example, certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, only need a high school diploma or equivalent plus training at a community college or trade school. Some healthcare facilities will even train their CNAs while on the job.
But before working as a CNA, you should ensure that your state’s nursing board approves your level of training.
Higher-level nursing positions, such as registered nurses, need more in-depth training. For instance, depending on where you live and what your state requires, you will need either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing or training with a nursing program approved by your state.
Following training, you will need to take the NCLEX-RN exam and pass it before you can get licensed to work as a registered nurse in your state.
The bottom line is that each type of nursing career has its own training and requirements. However, nursing is a rewarding career with ample opportunities for growth. Best of all, you’ll be contributing to a better life for the patients you serve.
