Choosing a career isn’t easy, especially when you’re young. While the lucky few might have a clear idea of what they want to do, for most of us, we only have a general idea of the sort of jobs that interest us. For example, you might know that you want to work with children or animals, that you want a role involving travel, or simply that you want to make a lot of money. Alternatively, it might be that you want to dedicate yourself to helping others – in which case, one of the career paths that’s definitely worth considering is nursing.
Being a nurse means that you get to help people every day and positively impact your local community. In addition, it enables you to work in the medical field without the cost and time commitment of going to medical school, and thanks to the availability of online programs, it’s also an area that you can retrain in as a mature student even if you have existing work and family obligations.
This article goes into more detail about the role of a nurse, the advantages of having a career in nursing and options for career progression, and the kind of skills and characteristics you’ll need to succeed in the job. Then if you decide that it’s a career you’re interested in pursuing, there’s also some information on how to become a nurse and applying for nursing degrees like BSN to DNP programs online.
What does the role of a nurse involve?
In some ways, it’s difficult to define the exact role of a nurse because it’s an umbrella term that covers lots of more specific job roles. Therefore, to make things easier, we’ll focus here on the role of a registered nurse (RN). An RN plays a critical role in healthcare teams in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools, and community centers. They can specialize in a number of different areas according to their personal interests. For example, if you like working with children, you could be a pediatric nurse, or if you’d like a fast-paced environment, you could work as a critical care nurse.
The specific duties you undertake as a nurse will vary according to the type of patients you work with and the healthcare setting you are employed in. However, the following list gives you a good overview of the types of tasks you can expect to perform:
• Monitoring and recording a patient’s vital signs and their progress
• Administering certain medications and treatments
• Preparing patients for surgery
• Assisting with certain medical procedures
• Drawing blood
• Running diagnostic tests
• Collecting lab work
• Creating care plans for patients
• Educating patients on healthy living, medical conditions, and disease prevention
• Dressing wounds
• Taking patient histories and maintaining medical records
• General administrative tasks
• Providing emotional support to patients and their families
What are the advantages of a career in nursing?
There are many advantages to taking BSN to DNP programs online and becoming a registered nurse. Perhaps most obviously, it’s a job in which you get to help people and make a real difference in the world every single day. This leads to high levels of job satisfaction and fulfillment, and for many nurses, is reason enough. Plus, of course, nursing is a very well-respected profession, frequently topping polls of the jobs people consider to be most ethical and honest.
Beyond that, however, nursing is also a very stable field to work in. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for registered nurses is set to grow by 7% between 2019 and 2029. This is a faster rate than average and demonstrates the high employability and job security levels you can expect after qualifying. Plus, with the US population aging, demand for healthcare services is only set to increase.
Another advantage of working as a nurse is the variation. Every day is different, with new patients to see and new challenges to tackle. You have the choice to work in a number of different settings, plus the option to specialize in an area of healthcare that particularly interests you. All of which enables you to tailor your career to suit you.
Finally, when it comes to training to be a nurse, you have lots of different pathways open to you. Whether you’re interested in BSN to DNP programs online or shorter development courses, it’s a field in which you always have options for further professional development. In line with this, there are also plenty of options for career progression.
What skills do I need to be a good nurse?
In addition to the specialist nursing knowledge and clinical skills that you learn on BSN to DNP programs online and other nursing degrees, there are a number of more general transferable skills that will be very useful if you want to be a nurse.
For instance, due to the fact that you will be dealing with many different patients every day, strong organizational and time management skills are a must. You need to be able to stay on top of all the tasks assigned to you without being reminded. Having the ability to multitask effectively will also make this much easier.
Interacting with so many patients and other healthcare professionals also means that communication and interpersonal skills are critical. In addition, you’ll be working with people of all ages and backgrounds and sometimes need to convey complex medical information to those with no prior knowledge of the subject or who are in a state of distress.
Another crucial aspect of nursing is attention to detail. You need to be able to handle precise dosages of medication, pick up on symptoms that might be hard to spot, and check information such as expiry dates and batch numbers carefully – even after many hours on shift. Mistakes can mean the difference between life and death, so the importance of this can’t be overstated.
Other key skills include critical thinking and decision making, even in high-pressure situations, and confidence in your own abilities. Don’t worry if you feel like you don’t have all of these yet, as you can work on them while studying for BSN to DNP programs online.
What kind of person makes a great nurse?
Of course, it’s not only your skills that matter. To be a truly fantastic nurse, there are certain personality traits that you’ll want to have. For instance, it’s important to be empathetic and compassionate so that you can put yourself in your patients’ shoes and understand what they are going through. This will enable you to better care for them and also support their family more effectively. Similarly, it’s vital to always exhibit honesty and integrity in everything you do. This will help patients to trust you and open up to you.
Due to the unpredictable nature of nursing, it’s also necessary to be flexible and adaptable. This is so that you can deal with any unexpected problems that arise without losing your professionalism. Linked with this, nurses often work very long hours in busy environments and might be on their feet all shift. Therefore a certain level of physical and mental fitness and endurance is required in order to not get overwhelmed or burn out.
Finally, it’s crucial to remember that nursing can be a difficult job at times. For example, you might have to deal with situations that are emotionally challenging or handle troublesome patients. As such, it’s important to have both mental toughness and the ability to set clear boundaries between your work life and your home life. That way, you can do your job to the best of your ability without it having a negative impact on your own wellbeing. If you’re worried about this, be sure to talk to your advisors when studying BSN to DNP programs online.
How do I become a nurse?
If everything you have read so far has convinced you that you want to become a nurse, that’s great. The first step to take is to study for a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN). This typically takes four years and will combine nursing modules and hands-on clinical training to prepare you for entry-level positions in the field or taking a higher degree in the subject. These days you have the option to study either online or on campus, and on either a part-time or full-time basis, to suit your personal circumstances.
After graduating from an approved BSN program, you will need to sit the National Council Licensure Examination (also known as the NCLEX-RN). Once you have passed that, you will be able to apply for RN licensure in the state that you wish to work in. Each state has slightly different requirements, so be sure to check what’s necessary for you. Once you have your license, you’ll be able to start applying for jobs.
What options are there for career progression as a nurse?
One of the great aspects of nursing is that there are so many choices available to you for career progression. For example, in terms of academic courses, you could go on to take a master’s of science in nursing (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) – BSN to DNP programs online are available for those who wish to take both curriculums together at an accelerated pace.
As well as degrees, there are also many specialist certifications you can take in specific areas of nursing, for example, oncology or cardiology, in order to further your specific job goals. In fact, nursing is a field in which professional development is both important and encouraged, so you can expect to continue learning throughout your career.
When it comes to the higher-level jobs that are available, these can be broadly divided into those involved with direct patient care and those that focus on indirect patient care. Regarding direct patient care, one of the most popular paths to take after BSN to DNP programs online is becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). This role gives you greater responsibilities in comparison to being an RN, with options to specialize in fields such as midwifery, anesthetics, and clinical nursing.
Suppose you’d prefer to move into an indirect patient care role. In that case, you could consider becoming a nurse educator and training up the next generation of nurses or a nurse researcher if you have an interest in data and science. Nursing informatics is another great area for those with talents in computing and information science, while if you have more of a political mind, then you could think about working in healthcare policy and lobbying for changes that improve patient outcomes all across your state or even the country. Alternatively, those who are skilled in management might want to consider trying out for leadership roles after taking their BSN to DNP programs online.
Applying for BSN to DNP programs online and other nursing degrees
Whether you’re thinking of applying for BSN, MSN, or BSN to DNP programs online, the first step is to research your options thoroughly. Take a look at the curriculums offered by different colleges to find the courses that most appeal to you and will give you the chance to focus on the aspects of nursing that are most relevant to your career aspirations. Be sure to check you meet all the entry requirements before putting together your application.
As part of the process, you might need to sit entrance exams, provide letters of recommendation, have an interview in person or online, and submit a personal essay about why you want to take the course and your career goals. Having some relevant volunteering or community service experience can be very helpful at increasing your chances of being accepted on a nursing program.
Another aspect to start thinking about is funding. Look into any financial aid and scholarships that are available to you, and be sure to get your applications in early – sometimes the deadlines for these are earlier than for the actual course itself, so don’t get caught out. Finally, let your passion for nursing and helping others shine through in everything you do, and you’re sure to go far!