Nursing

**MtlMom** · 08-12-2009, 11:25 PM

Have you thought about a career in Nursing or another health care field? If not, let me talk you into it.

**dogfood** · 08-12-2009, 11:42 PM

well actually,
ive been applying for jobs as a recovery worker. i used to live with a mate who is a quadrapledric.
so i kinda know what they do.

**redbaron** · 08-12-2009, 11:49 PM

I'm working on going back to school right now. I just have to get some cashola together and wait for life to settle down a touch, and then i'm headed for an ADN as a start. I'm having my midlife crisis at 26 and medicine is an attractive career field.

Can you tell me about going past RN to like CRNA & whatnot? what other specialties are available?

**Thrash** · 08-12-2009, 11:52 PM

I've often thought of going this route... I don't know though. Convince us!

***Art*** · 08-12-2009, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbaron

I'm working on going back to school right now. I just have to get some cashola together and wait for life to settle down a touch, and then i'm headed for an ADN as a start. I'm having my midlife crisis at 26 and medicine is an attractive career field.

Can you tell me about going past RN to like CRNA & whatnot? what other specialties are available?

If it exists in medicine, you can likely specialize in it as a nurse. Such an amazing field...

**Epaphras** · 08-13-2009, 07:22 AM

I'm in a Masters of Public Administration program, and am considering switching my concentration from Nonprofit Management, to Health Care Administration. Everyone I talk to says, "Get into health care". I would do the MHA program, but it's not accredited at my university yet.

I am aware there is a nursing shortage: is that from too many retiring nurses and not enough recruits to fill, or some other reason? Is it because no one wants to be a nurse, but a PA or a doc instead?

Butterfly16 · 08-13-2009, 07:49 AM

I just graduated from the nursing program. I love it so far. Trouble is now I have no idea what I want to speacialize in, I had such a great time in all the different areas while in school.

Oncology/palliative care, paediatrics and mental health were my favorites. Right now I am taking some courses in mental health so thats kinda the route Ive chosen.

The best thing I realize I love about this job is if I get sick of the area I am working in in like 5 years I could go right into another area of nursing I like better maybe just by taking a course or two to update myself with skills in that area that I am missing.

**MtlMom** · 08-13-2009, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogfood

well actually,
ive been applying for jobs as a recovery worker. i used to live with a mate who is a quadrapledric.
so i kinda know what they do.

I'm not sure what a recovery worker is in NZ. In the US it usually applies to drug rehabilitation. It's a noble job, but it doesn't pay well and there's not a lot of room to progress. However, since you went on to talk about a quadraplegic friend, I'm guessing maybe you mean something more like a physical therapy assistant.

So - let me change your mind to Nursing, and if you are still committed to Recovery at the end of the program you can work on a Rehabilitation Unit. Rehab nurses work with people who have had accidents and are regaining the use of limbs, they work with people who have had strokes and are learning to talk again, people who have had cardiac surgery and need to get stronger, etc. They work closely with Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists. The nurse, however, is focused on the health of the whole person, not just the rehab component. That same person who had the accident and is working on learning to use an artificial limb might also be diabetic, have bi-polar disorder, and a pressure wound from lying in an ICU bed for too long. The nurse cares for the whole person.

Then, if you get tired of rehab nursing, the transition another specialty is usually just a transfer slip away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbaron

I'm working on going back to school right now. I just have to get some cashola together and wait for life to settle down a touch, and then i'm headed for an ADN as a start. I'm having my midlife crisis at 26 and medicine is an attractive career field.

Can you tell me about going past RN to like CRNA & whatnot? what other specialties are available?

An ADN is a great place to start, because it puts you in the money-making job quickly so you can pay your way through the rest of your education. From there you would need to get your BSN, which can be done mostly online now if you choose to go that route. The BSN opens up lots of doors for advancement. If you are still thinking about specializing as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at the end of your program, I would suggest that you get a job as a surgical nurse when you get your ADN. Once you know your way around a surgical suite, you would need to go back to school for an Advanced Practice degree to be a CRNA. The great news is that they are so much in demand that your employer will no doubt pay for you to go back to school if you are a strong surgical nurse.

Other specialties are in very high demand as well. If you enjoy computer work, Nursing Informatics is a very hot field. With the medical field headed toward all electronic medical records, the need for people who understand both nursing and information systems is growing fast. Very few people get to this through the backdoor - meaning computer geeks can't just pick up a nursing degree to do this. You have to be a competent nurse who has an affinity for computers.

Right now the field that is probably most in demand in my area (and most of the US) is Labor and Delivery. Gentlemen, do not let that scare you away. For some reason people have no trouble imagining a male OB/GYN doctor, but a male L&D nurse seems like a misfit - until you work with one and realize it's just a stereotype. Our L&D Manager is a superbly capable man. People get advanced degrees from this specialty and become Certified Nurse Midwifes.

Open almost any newpaper and look in Classified Ads and you will see positions for NP/PA. A Nurse Practitioner has a BSN and an advanced degree (MSN). The medical field could not survive today without them. It is pretty common to have 2 or 3 Nurse Practitioners working with one doctor in a practice, with the doctor primarily providing oversight and consultation. The demand for NPs will continue to grow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrash

I've often thought of going this route... I don't know though. Convince us!

There are very few careers out there where you are pretty much guaranteed a job when you finish school. If you want to see the world, you can work as a traveling nurse and see the country. Many agencies are international. If you decide that you hate working at the bedside, you can work for an insurance agency and review claims or do utilization review for a hospital. If you are an adrenaline junkie, you can work as a trauma nurse in the emergency room. If you like a predictable work environment, work in a dialysis clinic M-F, 8:00 - 5:00, no holidays.

Another perk: once you are established in a hospital, many will help pay for your continuing education. Whether you get a job as a CNA, dietary assistant, physical therapy assistant, etc - most large hospital systems have programs to keep their good employees and funnel them into nursing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art

If it exists in medicine, you can likely specialize in it as a nurse. Such an amazing field...

^^ what he said ^^

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epaphras

I'm in a Masters of Public Administration program, and am considering switching my concentration from Nonprofit Management, to Health Care Administration. Everyone I talk to says, "Get into health care". I would do the MHA program, but it's not accredited at my university yet.

I am aware there is a nursing shortage: is that from too many retiring nurses and not enough recruits to fill, or some other reason? Is it because no one wants to be a nurse, but a PA or a doc instead?

Retiring nurses are a huge part of the problem, but there is also just an increasing need because of demand. The population of the world is getting older. As more people live longer, the need for healthcare is extended. Also, because it's still primarily a woman's field, nurses often take breaks to raise families, or cut back to part time when they start a family. There's also the problem that nurses are qualified to do so many other things besides nursing. The organizational skills that you develop as a nurse make you a perfect candidate for other roles.

However, the most limiting factor is the lack of Nurse Educators. To teach nursing, you have to know what you are doing. Education doesn't pay nearly as well as healthcare, so to get an experienced nurse to become a teacher usually means a pretty significant pay cut.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly16

I just graduated from the nursing program. I love it so far. Trouble is now I have no idea what I want to speacialize in, I had such a great time in all the different areas while in school.

Oncology/palliative care, paediatrics and mental health were my favorites. Right now I am taking some courses in mental health so thats kinda the route Ive chosen.

The best thing I realize I love about this job is if I get sick of the area I am working in in like 5 years I could go right into another area of nursing I like better maybe just by taking a course or two to update myself with skills in that area that I am missing.

Do it all, Jodi. I've worked in pediatrics, surgery, med/surg, emergency, L&D (hated it), Case Management, geriatrics, psych, and of course Administration.

***

I will tell you all about Case Management later. It's awesome.

One more thing: at the hospital where I work, we start brand new RNs at $34.00/hour.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 08-13-2009, 11:10 AM

If I wasn't a class 4 latex allergy... I'd be going back to school for a nursing degree. Seriously. I am married to a nurse with her ccrn who works at a trauma center. Most of the stuff doctors do on tv, (except for rampant workplace sex, and prescribing meds, breaking laws, etc.) my wife does. Seriously it is some crazy stuff. Pay is good, and working 3 days a week...

roscoestring · 08-13-2009, 01:45 PM

Mom, it's funny that you should mention this. I have been struggling with my job for several months now. I work with a bunch of idiots. **I wonder if I could nurse them back to sanity?** I have been considering going back to school for something. I'm not sure what I want to do though. I remember when I was young that I always wanted to be a doctor. I did become an EMT once. I let that expire though.

Like I have told you in the past, I think you to be very wise, and I trust what you say. I am thinking about it right now.

How long does it take to become a nurse? What all is involved? I'm sure you can tell us all of the benefits of nursing, but what would be the downfalls?

OiBoyz · 08-13-2009, 01:52 PM

I would very much like to go back to school and get at least an ADN. My current family obligations won't let that happen, so if I ever do get to do it, I may end up being the worlds oldest grad nurse.

Nurses are some of my favorite people.

**slap_j** · 08-13-2009, 02:30 PM

I would like to be a wet nurse but it seems that a male very rarely finds work in that profession.

Butterfly16 · 08-13-2009, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slap_j

I would like to be a wet nurse but it seems that a male very rarely finds work in that profession.

There needs to be more guys that go into nursing. In my entire class in University of like 150 in first year there were only 7 guys.

I think the environment we work in would be a lot different too if there were more guys.
Sometimes working on a floor full of all women can get rather interesting

Butterfly16 · 08-13-2009, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roscoestring

How long does it take to become a nurse? What all is involved? I'm sure you can tell us all of the benefits of nursing, but what would be the downfalls?

Where I am it's 4 years of University to get your degree in nursing.

One of the obvious downfalls is the shiftwork but there are even ways to get around that if you want to. Do something like public health or work in a doctor's office.

Mostly anything that falls into community nursing will help you avoid that one.

**redbaron** · 08-13-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butterfly16

There needs to be more guys that go into nursing. In my entire class in University of like 150 in first year there were only 7 guys.

I think the environment we work in would be a lot different too if there were more guys.
Sometimes working on a floor full of all women can get rather interesting

I think you missed slap_j's joke there

He wasn't referring to healthcare, so much as the care & feeding of infants in the familial sense