Jobs of Emergency Room Nurses

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Emergency room nurses are trained in dealing with disaster and emergency situations. They're in charge of giving preliminary treatment or medication for patients in critical level of their illness and injury. Emergency room nurses are renowned for their efficiency, speed and ability to multitask and give medical care. How does one turn into an emergency room nurse?

Formal training and education is requisite to be an emergency nurse. They must possess the skill to handle basic life support because they're the ones in charge of the patient when the doctor is unavailable. Those interested in becoming an emergency room nurse must be a graduate from a recognized nursing school. Their licenses must be legal and of course, in good standing. Emergency room nurses must be amenable to engage in nursing Practice Act.

An experience in emergency medicine is crucial. One must also develop the power to lead in the thick of crisis. A grade of 80 percent must at least be achieved on competency exams. A recent certification from ACLS or Advanced Cardiac Life Support must also be owned by the soon-to-be emergency nurse. Emergency rooms are certainly fast paced surroundings. There will be physical demands to deal with like lifting 50 pounds more or less, standing and walking for long periods, fine motor skills, bending, leaning and stooping with no hindrance, paying attention to details and working precisely over frequent interruption

There are some emergency departments that require the nurses to have an RN degree. This is two year associate degree program. Further training like the BSN or Master of Science in Nursing might be requisite for supervisory or executive function associated to the emergency department.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics envisioned an increase of over 27 percent in the next decade for ER nurses. The American Association of Colleges and Nursing marked that in 2006 there was a modal understaffing of ER nurses by of 8.5 percent.

There can be 3 kinds of emergency nurses. In the United States, there is a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) who is a licensed registered nurse. A CEN has demonstrated technique in emergency nursing. The Certification has a validity of four years and it could be renewed by simply passing another examination or accomplishing 100 continuing education units under the specialty.

Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENP) are chiefly found in the United Kingdom. They can independently diagnose, assess, investigate and handle a wide scope of common accidents and injuries. ENPs have gone through training in advanced nursing which is entirely medical in nature. Their training includes gathering full medical history and examination, prescribing, x-ray interpretation, suturing and plastering.

Emergency Care Practitioner, found also in the United Kingdom, is a specialist paramedic or specialist nurse who practices in the pre-hospital setting handling emergency problems. The main responsibility of an Emergency Care Practitioner is to diagnose, assess and treat patient in an emergency setting.

Emergency nurses are quite coveted. Healthcare professionals are currently needed in several hospitals particularly in the emergency departments who are undergoing staff shortages.

Shortage of ER Nurses and Health Professionals

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There are numerous hospitals in the United States alone that are going through vast shortages of emergency nurses, registered nurses and other health care professionals.  Roughly about 80 to 85 percent of American hospitals remark shortage while 15 percent convey worry about the serious shortage they're undergoing.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, America would need about 2.8 million nurses.  This figured demand will be a million more than the projected turn out of nurses.  The U.S. isn't rapidly substituting nurses at the same pace they're leaving the profession.

The average age of nurses in the U.S. is 45 years old. In the year 2010, and estimated 40 percent of all the working registered nurses is already over 50 years old.  Between 2010 and 2020, the biggest group of registered nurses in the United States labor force would be between 50 to 60 years old.  Along this time, the nursing shortage should be exceeding 36 percent. 

What’s happening to America isn't a unique case.  Numerous nations are also experiencing the same problem.  In Ontario, Canada lost 14,000 of its 81,000 nurses because of retirement last 2004.  Although as early as December 2000, the World Health Organization accounted that Poland was graduating approximately 10,000 nurses yearly.  But the figures dropped down to 3,000. In Chile, only 8,000 are working in the field out of 18,000 nurses in the country.

So what are the steps done by the United States government to address this problem?

In April 2008, Congressman Robert Wexler from Florida presented a bill in the United States House of Representatives. This bill is called F.R. 5924 of The Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act.  Presently, this bill has 11 co-sponsors. 

This bill allows supplemental visas to be reserved for foreign trained physical therapists and nurses. The H.R. 5924 will save 20,000 employment based visas in each of the next three years for the said nurses and therapists. 

This bill also provides funds to help U.S. Schools of nursing to expand the local supply of nurses using funds coming from the $1,500 fee from those who will be applying for the visa.  This will also launch a three-year pilot program targeted in keeping U.S. nurses in the work force. 

Immigrant visa applicants would have to certify that they don't owe their country of residence any indebtedness that was obtained for their education so that they will be granted the working visa. Both the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration and the American Hospitals Association (AHA) expressed their support for the bill.

Because of visa retrogression, many foreign professionals who wish to work in the United States are turned away. The U.S. government gives only a certain amount of immigrant visas (green card) available every year and these are apportioned amongst the diverse immigrant visa categories.

Lately, there are more immigrants given immigrant visas that are employment-based and has run out of visa numbers which caused temporary backlog or retrogression. The U.S. Bears a waiting list for employment-based visas for nurses, and its nurse education programs refused more than 150,000 certified applicants last year because of deficiency in faculty and clinical space.

A Background on Traveling Nurse Jobs

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The nursing profession is the most popular career in the health care community today, as particularly evidenced by the growing number of its practitioners. Nursing is the most in demand career because of its nurturing nature and individualized approach. In this day and age, where everything is virtually computer aided, having nurses available to render that utmost care needed when you're at your humblest is best. What more when you're in a distant place in your neighborhood? Surely, these traveling nurses would be a sight to give just what you require to make your ailment all right.

Good thing that there are actual journeying nurses today giving the same significant functions for ailing individuals in distant areas. These nurses likewise attend to those that are unable to proceed to hospitals and institutions downtown. They render just the same caring and educated functions as when you are hospitalized.

These are some of the health practices they provide:

• Carry out, with a doctors' approval, the most appropriate treatment or medication for sickly patients in remote regions.

• Assist mothers in giving birth to their babies as well as care both the mother and baby in their post natal medical needs.

• Physical exams are likewise accomplished by traveling nurses  to check the patients’ proper health to avoid the unnecessary worries on having to run to the nearest public or government hospital.

• Counsel and teach patients and family members, and help explain what they can anticipate throughout the recuperation process.

• Checks spiritual, emotional, and social conditions of every remote patient to guarantee that they'll only be given the correct treatment.

• Teaching and counseling about health care in the community.

• Nurses are commissioned to make assessments, observations, evaluations, and records of the progress and situation of the patient. They report the condition of the patient to doctors together with other members of the health care team.

• Nurses aid patients and families to decide on the best combination of health and social services - home care, physical therapy, hospice, rehabilitation and others.

• Assisting patients with terminal illness to accept and face death graciously, and help the remaining members of the family to manage the situation.

• Planning and accomplishing activities assuring the correct medical care.

 Looking at the traveling nurses themselves, they are well salaried and are even supplied with extra incentives and hazard pays by performing what they love most-- that is providing care to the numerous ailing people mostly during long period of their lives. In days that they're not able to get home in-between travels, living accommodation such as apartments and dormitories are provided.  There are many job providers online that can be found who are offering traveling nurse job opportunities.

Forensic Nursing Duties

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Must you get involved in forensic nursing? When you do, you have to ask yourself is how much will you make should you choose to make a career of it. Luckily, the job prospect is quite assuring since the Bureau of Labor and Statistics consider it to go up in the following 10 years.

Just how much do forensic nurses make nowadays? Nearly all professionals today earn around $26 to $100 per hour which is approximately $54k to $208k annually. You need to keep in mind that this is commensurate on your skill, tenure, location, specialty, and experience. So do not anticipate earning a great deal yet when you are just beginning.

Money must not be the chief element in selecting whether or not to go after a career in this area. Much like nurses who function in the hospital, you have to love helping people. Rather than helping patients, a lot of the times, you are assisting victims.

Several who work in forensic nursing are called for in assisting victims of sex crime. This is carried out by carrying out an evidentiary examination. Anything gathered will allow for easier arrest the person responsible. Among the wonders we have nowadays is the use of DNA. When there is a match, there's without doubt that the police will have the correct person in custody.

Other forensic nurses do work in the field of pathology by assisting the medical examiner find out the cause of death. This entails opening up the victim then giving the investigating team vital clues for the arrest of the responsible party.

Solving crimes isn't the only matter that a forensic nurse manages. They also provide psychiatric evaluations to check when a person is viable to stand trial or to help inmates who are discharged from prison to get hold of a decent job. Finding employment is not easy if you have played out some time in the joint.

You can also find a permanent job in the hospital by working on tissue and organ donation by speaking to the family of the terminally ill patient and then asking if they are amenable to do so. While others won't agree to this, there are others who are willing. Part of your job then is to make certain that the paperwork has been accomplished correctly.

Forensic nursing is a fresh field that was just instituted in early nineties. Though the program is like that of the regular nurse, what constitutes the difference is that you'll likewise be centering on forensic mental health, criminal justice system, perpetrator theory, interpersonal violence, and victimology.

The wage range of forensic nurses is quite broad. You can be employed by the local authorities or set up your own private practice. What is crucial is that you love what you're doing.

The Broad Range of Nursing Career Opportunities

A lot of people are surely aware that there's a great deficit of nurses in numerous societies nowadays. Hence, obtaining a career in this arena is easy. Still, you can get bewildered having all the nursing fields and career alternatives available. Thus, when you wish to become a nurse, you can anticipate to chance upon several and different alternatives when it bears on selecting the right nursing career.

By getting the necessary information you require, you can be guided in getting your decision as to which of the several nursing careers are available for you. First,  you must grasp the encompassing idea of the different kinds of nursing careers and positions. With this, you are able to easily get hold of the specific route of nursing career that help you fulfill your goals and objectives.

Different kinds of Nursing Careers

• Critical Care Nursing:

Critical care nurses are the most in demand among the different kinds of nursing careers. Fundamentally, critical care nurses provides aid to patients that are affected with life threatening injuries or diseases. In a lot of instances, critical care nurses are appointed to work in emergency rooms and different forms of intensive care units in hospitals and medical centers.

 • Nursing Informatics:

This career is meant for both women and men. If you believe you possess a competitive aptitude using computers as well as management; then, you could consider getting this one because this demands an important responsibility in information management. It should be taken note that information management is all important to the correct treatment and care of today’s patients.

• Neonatal Nursing:

Neonatal nurses are responsible in providing care for new born babies. Their duty also requires them to hold cases of premature babies including those infants who are not thriving and are really sick.

• Oncology Nursing:

Oncology nurses are particularly allotted to give health care and help to patients who are ailed by cancer. These nurses importantly care for the patients at every stage of remission and treatment. This is one of the reasons why oncology nurses are considered as the backbone of each treatment program for patients putting up with cancer.

• Pediatric Nursing:

Pediatric nurses are certainly different from neonatal nurses. Unlike caring for newly born babies, pediatric nurses render health care to kids of all ages. These nurses are also responsible for giving all aspects of healthcare for the children.

• Psychiatric Nursing:

A different nursing career that can be much of a challenge is psychiatric nursing. Nurses in this field are required to give care for the patients having psychiatric or mental illnesses. Such duty is definitely significant.

Data on nursing careers are abundant on the Internet, you just have to take your time to seek the information that you require so you can resolve the journey on nursing path you would take on.

Looking for Alternative Nursing Careers?

For a few nurses, the every day hospital life can be too taxing and stressful. You have to render care to your patients 8 hours a day, and this entails you can get caught up coping with other people’s troubles. Also, at some point in time you can cause an error that might take someone’s life. That is quite painful, correct? If you are getting sick and tired of your conventional hospital job, you better begin searching alternate nursing vocations.

There are plenty of career routes out there that would pave your way out of the clinic or hospital. But it does not imply you have to abandon your hard-earned nursing expertise; you only have to use it in another way.

Yes, there are several opportunities that need your nursing skills in alternative settings. So if you're a seasoned nurse who’s not pleased having your job any longer, you have no grounds to fret. Keep in mind: you are capable of more than you feel. You got skills and gifts so you are typically well-equipped for working out of the traditional clinical environment.

Here are a few interesting career options for nurses:

• Clinical Research Associate

A CRA assures that clinical tests are done the right way and without sacrificing the patient’s well-being. She also assures accuracy of the accumulated data. So if you prefer to be a CRA, a lot of your time would be spent visiting clinicians who do such trials. You could work on different companies like academic medical centers, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, government agencies, and the list goes on.

Clinical test is a research study of a drug, a medical device, or a biologic treatment in humans. Pharmaceutical products, for instance, go through clinical trials to determine if they're safe and effective prior to approval. Clinical skills are very significant in this job; that is the reason why nurses are the most suitable prospects for such.

• Telecommuting Nursing Career

It's one of the more practical alternatives for nurses who want to stand back from the traditional nursing jobs. You are able to work by telecommuting for Clinical Research Centers, Health Information Technology Companies, medical transcription centers, health organizations, and freelance sites searching writers in the medical field.

• Nurse Contractor

Become an Independent Nurse Contractor and unleash the entrepreneur in you or by set up a Nursing Agency Business. This career won't only give you financial freedom but would also make you realize your worth. You only require to know the ins and outs of such business and voila, you'll be able to be a successful nurse entrepreneur.

• Legal Nurse Consultants

Be a healthcare professional and use your nursing expertise. Why not take Certified Legal Nurse Consultant training and afterwards, you can begin admitting clients on medical-related cases. You can work for lawyers who aren’t quite familiar with medical records and languages. Also, you'll be able to provide services to private corporations, government agencies, and even for insurance companies. One of the services a nurse can give are reviewing and researching medical history, setting up reports on the area of illness and injury, sorting out standards of care and many other services.

• Travel Nurse

A travel nursing career will certainly make a difference not only in your own but in your patient’s life too. Aside from living up to your traveling desires, you could also serve your patient in a sense that satisfies both of you. You can work at your own tempo and in different places. You only have to be mindful in selecting your placement office. Pick the one that would help make your aspiration a reality. Go for the agency that provides a  free housing, competitive hourly rate, medical coverage, complete insurance plans and retirement plans and enticing bonuses.