Educational and Professional Requirements for Nursing
Nursing is a highly respected and critical profession in healthcare, requiring specific educational and professional qualifications to ensure the safety and well-being of patients. We have mentioned the key educational and professional requirements for nursing.
Nurses are considered the backbone of healthcare and they carry out innumerable tasks, from providing basic healthcare services to assisting surgeons with advanced and critical procedures. The best way to become a registered nurse and obtain nursing leadership is to earn an advanced master’s degree of Science in Nursing and in nursing administration.
Educational Courses
Educational courses for training as a nurse are typically found in both public and private colleges, technical schools, and universities. Many hospitals and high schools offer these courses as well. Besides liberal arts courses, nursing programs require students to take courses related to the nursing field such as biology, physiology, chemistry, and anatomy.
All nursing programs contain a supervised clinical component, and upon graduation from the nursing programs, nurses have to obtain a nursing license by passing an exam in order to begin work.
Nurses who graduate from approved nursing programs have several options including educational options that conform with their career aspirations and the level of care they would like to provide for their patients. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) provide basic care while supervised by registered nurses and doctors.
Registered nurses (RNs) care for patients, provide support to patient’s families and assist doctors in medical procedures. Additional education can lead to further specialization as an advanced practice registered nurse.
Licensed Practical Nurses
Licensed practical nurses (LPN), also referred to as licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), work under the supervision of registered nurses. They examine and observe patients, support and lend a hand in patient care and treatments, and the collection of samples for laboratory tests. Most nurses work in general healthcare and don’t specialize in any specific discipline.
On the other hand, Registered nurses (RNs) organize and manage the medication and healthcare of patients. They work with doctors and other health professionals to administer medicine to patients, monitor their progress, and educate their families on how to manage the patient’s illness.
In addition to hospitals, RNs can work at long-term healthcare facilities, outpatient healthcare centers, and patients’ homes. The other types of registered nurses are nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.
These nurses undergo highly developed and sophisticated education and must gain experience besides completing a graduate degree in nursing with a specialized program of studies such as women’s health, critical care, or public health. Though they perform the same duties as registered nurses, they work more independently and can be primarily responsible for a patient’s care.
