Nursing

Cindy
Cindy Seltzer, Ed.D., MBA
Helen Wallace ’33 Director, Health Professions Advising
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Layne Flynn
Assistant Director, Health Professions Advising
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护理是一个多样化的领域，这意味着护士到底做什么没有一个典型的答案. 责任范围可以从制定小的治疗决定到在学校提供疫苗接种. Nursing is a career that takes both skill and drive, 因为有必要对病人的健康采取全面的看法. In the U.S. today, there are over 4 million registered nurses, which means that one in every 100 people is a registered nurse. According to the American Nursing Association (ANA), 角色范围从直接的病人护理和病例管理到建立护理实践标准, developing quality assurance procedures, and directing complex nursing systems. 

While doctors specialize in one area, nurses coordinate care for all areas of a patient’s overall health. A nurse would ensure prescriptions don’t negatively interact with each other, and that a patient understands and is prepared for treatment. When diagnostic results come in, 护士应该首先阅读它们，并在必要时通知合适的医生. 如今，护士扮演着和医生一样对病人的健康负责的角色.2

Job Settings

Registered nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in outpatient clinics and schools. A majority of nurses (over 60%) work at hospitals.1 有了护理学位，人们可以担任很多不同的角色.

Daily Responsibilities

A nurse’s daily responsibilities will vary depending on the specialization. In general, a nurse has to continuously monitor and evaluate patients. 他们还必须与多个专家协调，以确保病人得到良好的管理. 具体来说，以下是护士在典型的一天中所做的一些事情:2

  • Conduct physical exams
  • Take detailed healthcare histories
  • Listen to patients and analyze their physical and emotional needs
  • Provide counseling and healthcare education to patients
  • Coordinate care with other healthcare providers and specialists
  • 及时了解医疗保健选择、药物和治疗计划的最新进展
  • Draw blood, and perform other health-related testing
  • Check a patient’s vital signs 

Important Skills

Nurses typically have to possess several critical skills. This includes empathy, effective communication, organization and time management, and networking skills. 一个有同理心的护士能够通过理解病人正在经历的事情与病人建立联系. 有效的沟通技巧使护士能够解读病人的语言和非语言暗示.通过对工作进行优先排序和多任务处理来保持组织的能力是至关重要的. Finally, 护士必须能够有效地与医疗保健专业人员进行沟通和合作，以便为患者提供最好的护理. 

Salary

In May 2020, the median annual wage for registered nurses was $75,330. 收入最低的10%的人收入低于53410美元，收入最高的10%的人收入超过116230美元. When surveying the top industries where nurses work, nurses working in government tended to earn the highest wage whereas nurses in educational services; state, local, and private tended to make the least.3

Job Outlook

从2019年到2029年，注册护士的就业人数预计将增长近7%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. About 175,900 openings are expected each year. However, for some areas of the country, there is more competition. 

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Ability to help others护士在塑造个人健康方面发挥着重要的作用, families, and communities.
  • Career in high demand
  • High earning potential
  • Diverse opportunities: As mentioned earlier, 护理是一个如此多样化的职业，不仅有大量的实践设置，而且有许多不同的专业领域和路径.
  • Flexible schedule根据雇主的不同，许多护士可以选择全职、兼职或随叫随到. Work days also can vary greatly in length. 
  • Trusted profession: According to various polls, 在诚实和高道德标准方面，护士的排名很高.
  • Work attire: Most nurses abide by a simple and comfortable dress code.

Cons:

  • Can be physically demanding对于长时间站在脚上的护士来说，足部问题和背部受伤是很常见的, both moving and lifting patients.
  • Long hours医院护士通常工作12小时一班，资历较低的护士通常要工作很多个晚上, weekends, and holidays.
  • Possible illness exposure虽然护士采取预防措施，但总有可能感染疾病的危险. 记住，大多数医疗机构都有测试和清洁协议.
  • Stress and pressure护士在非常困难和紧张的情况下必须保持镇静. This can also lead to emotional burnout if not properly monitored.

4

Why become a nurse?

Nurses practice on the frontlines of patient’s care. Whether it be administering IV fluids or simply listening to a patient, nurses are the eyes, ear, and voice of healthcare. Most people underestimate the multi-faceted role that nurses play. 他们不仅要了解复杂的情况及其影响, but they also need to have empathy and interpersonal skills. Nurses are with patients for the long haul. 他们职业的灵活性使他们能够调动到不同的部门或跨几个单位工作. 一般来说，他们的工作时间比医生要好，不需要把病历和文书带回家. A nursing degree also allows one to enter the workforce quicker.6

Career Path

Take a look at this infographic to view an overview of the nursing career pathways.

Having already obtained a bachelor’s degree (in a field other than nursing), some may look at an accelerated nursing program. 这些课程建立在以前的学习经验基础上，并为个人提供其他学科的本科学位，以过渡到护理工作. 

快速入门级学士学位课程通常需要大约11到18个月才能完成，包括先决条件. 指导可能是激烈的，因为参与者接受相同数量的临床时数, and admission often requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. 速成课程也经常将课程分组在一起，而不是传统的学期. With the completion of one of these programs, 毕业生应准备通过nclex -注册护士考试并进入注册护士领域.7

快速入门级硕士学位课程通常需要三年左右的时间才能完成. 正因为如此，它们的费用也更高(有时是BSN学位的两倍)。. 有可能直接从加速MSN项目转到博士学位或高级护理专业学位. MSN nurses have even more flexibility when it comes to choosing their role. While RNs are more limited to working in direct patient care, MSN prepared nurses can choose managerial or leadership positions.7

可以找到美国护理学院协会的项目目录 here. 

Benefits of accelerated nursing program:

  • Flexibility
  • Accelerated time frame
  • Focus on essential courses
  • Stronger clinical skills
  • Increased maturity
  • Increased marketability

Financing Your Degree

费用完全取决于学生选择哪一门课程. 例如，速成课程的费用差别很大，从3万美元到12万美元不等. 重要的是要记住，由于课程过于严格，你很可能无法在速成课程中工作. Many schools also offer both merit based and need-based scholarships. 

Preparation

有些程序使用NursingCAS，即护理集中应用服务. Most programs require GRE scores and undergraduate transcripts. 有些课程确实需要先决条件，通常是人体解剖学和生理学, Microbiology, Statistics, and Human Growth and Development.4 However, 评估你正在考虑申请的个人项目和课程是非常重要的. 

Additional Resources

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