Ayder Referral Hospital - Nursing

 

 




Nursing
includes a range of specialties and definitions that vary from country to country. According to the International Council of Nurses:

"Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles."

Some agencies highlight the duty of nurses to assist individuals in performing activities that contribute to health, recovery, or peaceful death, that the patients would perform if they had the strength, will, or knowledge required. Nurses strive to achieve the best possible quality of life for their patients, regardless of disease or disability. They use clinical judgment to protect, promote, and optimize health, prevent illness and injury, alleviate suffering, and advocate in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations.
What does a nurse do?
A nurse is a healthcare professional who is focused on caring for individuals, families, and communities, ensuring that they attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and functioning. Nurses are capable of assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating care independently of physicians, and they provide support from basic triage to emergency surgery.

Nurses may practice in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, private homes, schools, pharmaceutical companies (usually as researchers), industry (occupational health settings), schools, cruise ships, retirement homes, hospice facilities, long-term care facilities, military facilities, and even camps. Some nurses may also advise and work as consultants in the the healthcare, insurance, or legal industries. Nurses can work full- or part-time, and many work on a per diem basis or as traveling nurses.
What are the different types of nurses?
The formal classification for nurses differs from country to country. In the United States, nurses can be broadly classified as licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), and advanced practice nurses (APNs). LPNs usually have 18 months to two years of training and must pass state or national boards to renew their license. These nurses perform both simple and complex medical procedures, but they must operate under the supervision of a RN or physician. LPNs can administer most medications, take measurements, keep records, perform emergency life-saving techniques like CPR, and administer basic care.

Registered nurses (RNs) have a diploma, associates, or bachelor's degree in nursing, many hours of clinical experience, and they must pass state board examinations before earning the title of registered nurse. These nurses often supervise LPNs, orderlies, and nursing assistants. RNs provide direct care and make decisions on the care required for healthy, ill, or injured people. They provide scientific, psychological, and technological knowledge in the care of patients and families in several health care settings.

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are RNs with advanced education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. These professionals usually possess an advanced degree in nursing and have additional qualifications. As certified nurse midwifes (CNM), nurse practitioners (NP), clinical nurse specialists (CNS) or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), APNs perform primary health care, provide mental health services, diagnose and prescribe, carry out research, and teach the public and other medical professionals.

In the UK, nurses are classified as first level nurse, second level nurse, specialist nurse, or manager. Most nurses are first level nurses, and the second level nurse category is being phased out. Nurses with more experience and extra education or training may be considered specialist nurses. Specialties include nurse practitioners who work in a role similar to doctors in primary care and emergency departments, specialist community public health nurses such as school and occupational health nurses, clinical nurse specialists who provide clinical leadership and education, nurse consultants who provide clinical education and training and conduct research, lecturer-practitioners who work for the NHS and universities, and lecturers who work full time at universities. Other nurses choose to become managers, working in NHS administration.
How does one become a nurse?
In order to become a nurse, you must earn one of the various nursing credentials. Common paths to the RN designation in the United States include:
  • Associate of Science in Nursing - two to three years of college level study with a strong emphasis on clinical knowledge and skills.
  • Diploma in Nursing - three years of study at a hospital-based school of nursing (these programs are deprecated).
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing - four or five years that lead to the BSN/BN degree with emphasis on leadership, research, and clinical practice.
At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may earn a PhD or another doctoral degree, specializing in research, clinical nursing, and so forth. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing, and carry out nursing research.

In other parts of the world, nursing education varies. In the United Kingdom, aspiring nurses attend a university to obtain a High National Diploma or a Bachelors degree in order to become a nurse. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) determines the course requirements and qualifications. A typical student nurse completes three 42-week academic years, splitting time between theoretical and practical training. During training, students are placed in rotations where they gain experience caring for elderly people, medical and surgical patients, communities, and patients in critical care. Nurses in the UK register in at least one of four branches: adult, child, mental health or learning disability.
News on Nursing / Midwifery

For the latest news and research on Nursing please visit our Nursing / Midwifery news section.

Written by Peter Crosta M.A.
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

RNs and RPNs

In Ontario, nursing is one profession with two

categories — Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered

Practical Nurse (RPN).

Nurses are accountable for their decisions and

actions, and for maintaining competence throughout

their careers. Although all nursing students learn

from the same body of nursing knowledge, RNs

study for a longer period of time, allowing for greater

depth and breadth of foundational knowledge in

the areas of clinical practice, decision-making,

critical thinking, leadership, research utilization and

resource management. RPNs study for a shorter

period of time, resulting in a more focused body of

foundational knowledge in the areas identified above.

What Do Nurses Need to Know?

Nurse educators use the College's standards and

entry-to-practice competencies when designing

programs. Doing so helps ensure that applicants

will meet the College's entry-to-practice

requirements. Comprehensive scientific knowledge

is one component of a nurse’s basic education,

but there are others. These include: how to apply

nursing knowledge in various situations and

practice settings; how to deal effectively and in

a caring manner with the public; how to behave

professionally and ethically; and how to assure

continued competence in nursing.

To maintain competence and ensure public safety,

nurses pursue lifelong learning as part of the

College’s Quality Assurance Program. Continued

learning can be achieved by reading professional

journals, attending courses and conferences, or

pursuing specialized education. Because of today's

rapidly changing healthcare environment, nurses

must possess current knowledge and skills, and

exercise good judgement, in order to provide

quality care to clients.

What is the College of Nurses of Ontario?

The College regulates the nursing profession in

Ontario. Established by, but at arm’s length from,

the provincial government, the College sets the

criteria for becoming a nurse in Ontario and the

standards of practice that must be met to maintain

that designation. Title protection is also within

the jurisdiction of the College. Only those with a

valid Certificate of Registration from the College

can practise as a nurse in Ontario and use the titles

“nurse”, “Registered Nurse” or “Registered Practical

Nurse.”

In Ontario, the

Regulated Health Professions Act

(RHPA) and the

legal framework for nursing as a self-regulating

profession and give the College the responsibility

for carrying out nursing regulation to protect the

public interest.

Nursing Act, 1991, provide the

What is Nursing?

fact sheet fiche d’information

The College has approximately 140,000 members,

making nurses the largest group of regulated health

care professionals in the province.

For More Information

Visit the College website at

more information on nursing education. The site

also contains information on how to register with

the College, downloadable versions of practice

standards and guidelines, notices about upcoming

Council meetings, and resources such as e-Learning

modules and the

prevention video.

www.cno.org forOne is One Too Many abuse

JAN 2007

44033

2007-09

Copyright © College of Nurses of Ontario, 2007

 

fact sheet fiche d’information

 

Introduction

The goal of nursing is to restore, maintain and

advance the health of individuals, groups or entire

communities. It is a science and an art. The

science is the application of nursing knowledge

and the technical aspects of practice. The art is the

establishment of a caring relationship through which

nurses apply nursing knowledge, skills and judgment

in a compassionate manner. Both focus on the whole

person, not just a particular health problem.

Nurses have many different roles – clinical

practitioner, administrator, teacher, researcher – in

many different settings, including hospitals, longterm

care facilities, clients’ homes, clinics, industries

and classrooms, to name just a few. They care for

individuals at all stages of the life cycle and in all

states of health, from normal functioning to crisis.

 
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