The Opportunities in a Nursing Career and Demand for Quality Nurses

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employmentIt's a demanding job with serious responsibility. In
among nurses will grow faster than the average forreturn, you have the satisfaction of knowing that
all occupations. Demand for quality nurses continuesyou make a real difference in reducing suffering and
to escalate. Much faster-than-average growth will bepromoting the health of people in your care.
driven by technological advances in patient care,Children's nurses care for sick children and provide
which permit a greater number of medical problemssupport to their families. Children's nursing can take
to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis onyou from intensive care of a new-born baby with
preventive care. In addition, the number of olderbreathing problems to looking after a six-foot-tall
people, who are much more likely than youngeradolescent whose leg has been broken in a soccer
people to need nursing care, is projected to growmatch.
rapidly.The onset of symptoms can be sudden and
More and more sophisticated procedures, onceextreme. Because children are still growing, the
performed only in hospitals, are being performed inimpact of the illness or injury on their development
physicians' offices and in outpatient care centers,has to be taken into account. A rich mix of emotions
such as freestanding ambulatory surgical andoften surrounds child illness such as panic, anxiety,
emergency centers. Accordingly, employment isanger, powerlessness, guilt. Children's nurses work
expected to grow much faster than average inclosely with patients' families as part of the caring
these places as health care in general expands.process.
Hospital nursing is just one of the many areas whereMental Health Nurses care for people with mental
nurses practice. Examples of other practice settingshealth problems in hospitals and in the community,
include home care, private practice, public health,helping patients to overcome their ill health, or to
extended care centers, clinics, offices, schools,come to terms with it, so they can lead as normal a
military service, corporations, health-related industries,life as possible. The one-to-one personal relationships
hospice, occupational settings, and health andthat mental health nurses form with people are at
wellness centers.the heart of the care process.
The profession of nursing offers a wide variety ofMental Health Nurses have to identify if and when a
specialties. From pediatrics to geriatrics, nursing impactperson may be at risk of harming themselves or
is felt across the lifespan. Here is a sampling ofothers. You'll therefore find yourself liaising
specialty areas from which you can choose:professionally with a wide range of other services
Ambulatory care, Burn care, Developmental disabilities,including social workers, police, charities, local
Emergency, Geriatrics, Home care, Intensive care unitgovernment and housing officials.
(cardiovascular, medical, neonatal and surgical), MedicalAs a mental health nurse you are likely to be dealing
telemetry, Mother/baby care, Oncology, Operatingwith people of all ages and from a wide range of
room, Pediatrics, Psychiatric nursing, Recovery,backgrounds. As your career develops you may
Rehabilitation, Renal (diabetes and dialysis), Research,choose to specialize in areas such as drugs and
School nursing.alcohol misuse or working with offenders. You could
Nursing school requires a high school diploma and aalso become involved in education, research, or
sound academic standing in English, algebra, chemistry,management roles.
biology and psychology. An understanding ofLearning Disability Nurses work with people with
computers and technology is a great asset.learning disabilities to help them become as
Leadership and organizational skills are equallyindependent as possible. People with a learning
important. You will do well in nursing if you candisability can struggle to cope with aspects of
combine these skills and characteristics with aeveryday, independent living.
commitment to easing human suffering and aThe distinctive contribution of learning disability nurses
capacity to respond quickly in emergency situations.is their concern to influence behaviors and lifestyles
Getting along with people and good communicationsthat promote health and well-being for individuals, and
skills also are important since nurses relate to peopletheir families and careers. You will be working in a
from all backgrounds.wide variety of settings: people's homes, their family
The nursing courses include classroom instruction andhomes, residential care, schools, workplaces and
supervised clinical hands-on experience in health careleisure. As your career unfolds you can maintain this
settings. Students need good study habits and thebroad spread of activity, or you could choose to
ability to analyze and think through problems to bespecialize in an area such as sensory disability,
successful in nursing school. At the end of the nursingeducation, or management of learning disability
program, graduates must pass the state boardservices.
licensure examination to become licensed as aThe main challenge is to remain constantly sensitive
registered nurse.and alert in how you relate to people, helped by new
When studying, nursing is organized into fourtechnology tools such as sensory stimulation and
branches. During the first year of your course you willinteractive learning systems. Adaptability and
be introduced to these as part of the Commonresourcefulness in very varied work settings
Foundation Program. In the second and third yearsbecomes second nature. Progress can be slow, but
you will focus on the branch you choose.seemingly small things do mean a great deal. You are
Adult nurses are primarily concerned with nursing sickincreasing people self-confidence and sense of worth,
and injured adults back to health in both hospital andand enabling them to share more fully in the
community settings. What makes adult nursing such achallenges and pleasures of living.
challenge is the sheer diversity of situations you willToday's nurses can now be found in professional
have to respond to. You will be working with peoplevenues once thought impossible. Nurses influence
who have acute and long-term illnesses. The mark oflegislation, change health care delivery systems, write
the professional is the ability to observe and assessand publish, educate about disease prevention and
what is happening with a patient at any one time andhealth promotion, and participate on boards of
to select the most effective response.directors.