Career Advice 2: How to Become a Registered Nurse

in life •  7 years ago  (edited)

Hi Steemit! I'm back with another Career advice post. This time, it's about how to become a Registered Nurse. I really enjoy making these, so if there's a career you're interested in learning about, feel free to post it here!
Check out my last article! https://steemit.com/life/@persimmon/career-advice-how-to-become-an-accountant

How to become a Registered Nurse

Why Nursing?

For many people, there is no greater joy than helping others. For this and other reasons, Nursing is a popular choice for anyone who wants a fantastic career while helping people. When we hear the word "nurse", we usually either think of the nurses who work in hospitals or school nurses. However, nursing is a rich career with almost 60+ different types of nursing jobs. Some nurses work closely with the some of the sickest people, while other nurses work in large corporations helping companies develop new products or ensure their staff is healthy. Nurses can be found in almost every industry including business, IT, law, education, and more. The possibilities and opportunities are bountiful in this wonderful profession! If you're interested, keep reading to find out how you or someone you know can become a Registered Nurse!

Education

Different countries have different kinds of nurses. However, this article will focus specifically on registered nurses. Older registered nurses received their training within a hospital. Today, many registered nurses have either an associates degree, a diplomas, or a bachelor of science in nursing degree. Many organizations specify what kind of education the nurses that work for them require, so make sure you take a look! For certain nursing roles, additional certifications may be required.

Training

Registered Nurses often receive training while in school. These placements help nursing students solidify the concepts they learned in their theory courses using hands on experience. Nursing students usually complete their education with a final placement which allows them to hone many of the skills they developed in school. Nursing is one field where you have a lot of real-world practice with what you've learned!

Nursing Specific Certifications

In Nursing, certain certifications can make it easier for you to start in the area of nursing you want. For some positions, at least two years of experience and a certification is required. Here is a list off some interesting certifications available for Registered Nurses:

  • BC-ADM — Board Certified-Advanced Diabetes Management
  • CNRN — Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse
  • CARN – Certified Addictions Registered Nurse
  • LNCC — Legal Nurse Consultant Certified
  • CFRN — Certified Flight Registered Nurse
  • ACRN – HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse

.... and so much more! For more useful certifications, click here: http://www.nursingcenter.com/career/guideto-certificationEach certification has its own requirements. Some require that you take a couple of courses, while others may require you to have a certain number of years of experience. Regardless, looking into this early will definitely help plan your career path.

Where can I work?

As I mentioned above, nurses can work almost anywhere. A majority of nurses work in hospitals, but some nurses work on cruise ships, in major software companies, clinical research laboratories, government agencies, and so much more. With the right combination of knowledge and skills, you can work anywhere as a Registered Nurse!

Skills & Certifications

After perusing a number of nursing jobs, here are the most popular skills and certifications employers are looking for right now. Certifications are a great way to boost your employability, help get you into a specific niche, earn more money, and open more doors for yourself. Having these skills (and more!) will make you a much stronger applicant and it can help increase your salary, make you more employable, and help get you promoted.

  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification
  • Current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS) certification.
  • Advanced Life Support (ACLS, NIH Stroke Scale) certification
  • Computer skills (including using email, Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel), etc)
  • Experience using common EHRs
  • Cerner
  • Epic
  • Meditech
  • Allscripts
  • N95 Mask Fitting 
  • Valid Driver's License 

... and more!There you are! I hope this post was informative and if you guys like what you've seen here, let me know and I'll make more. Keep Calm and Steem On!! 
What career guide would you like to see next? Comment below and i'll make another post like this!

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very good information, my auntie Nina is a Nurse, it is hard but rewarding :)