Modern nursing is the thread that connects a patient's medical journey together. Wherever there is someone in need of care, nurses work relentlessly to recognise and safeguard the requirements of the individual throughout the whole patient experience.
Beyond their well-founded reputation for dedication and compassion, there is a highly specialised field that is constantly transforming to meet the needs of society. Nurses are very important to preserving public health because they ensure the most accurate diagnoses and continuously educate the public about essential health issues.
What do nurses do?
In a field as diverse as nursing there is no typical response. Making decisions about urgent medical care to administering vaccinations in schools are just a few examples of nursing duties. The ability and motivation required to be a nurse serves as the primary unifying factor in all roles. Nurses are in the best position to take a comprehensive view of a patient's wellness due to ongoing observation of patients' behaviour and knowledge-based expertise.
What are the various nursing specialties?
All nurses successfully complete a challenging programme of in-depth education and study. While adhering to the fundamental principles of the nursing process they interact closely with patients, families, and communities. The exact duties that a nurse performs in the United States can be categorised into three groups.
Registered Nurses
Registered nurses (RNs) are the foundation of American health care. RNs provide critical health care to the general population wherever it is needed.
Important Responsibilities
- Do physical examinations and health histories before making important judgements.
- Provide counselling, education, and health promotion
- Dispense prescription drugs and other individualised treatments
- Coordinate care in cooperation with various healthcare specialists.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN’s) possess at least a master's degree together with the initial nursing education and licence necessary for all RNs. Providing the public with essential primary and preventative health care is one of the main duties of an APRN, among others. APRNs diagnose and treat diseases, inform the public on health problems, handle chronic diseases and participate in continuous education to persist at the very forefront of any technological, methodological or other advances in the field.
APRNs Practice Specialist Roles
- Other than prescribing medications, nurse practitioners also diagnose and treat minor illnesses and injuries.
- Low-risk obstetric and gynaecological care is provided by certified nurse-midwives.
- A variety of issues relating to physical and mental health are managed by clinical nurse specialists.
- More than 65% of all anaesthetics are administered by certified registered nurse anaesthetists.
Licensed Practical Nurses
The core healthcare team is supported by licenced practical nurses (LPNs), also referred to as licenced vocational nurses (LVNs), who operate under the direction of an RN, APRN, or MD. They guarantee the wellbeing of patients throughout the entire healthcare process by offering fundamental and routine care.
Important Responsibilities
- Checking your vital signs and keeping an eye out for any changes in your health.
- Performing basic nursing procedures like changing bandages and wound dressings.
- Making sure that patients are comfortable, fed and hydrated.
- May give medication in various circumstances.
What is the nursing process?
All nurses use the same nursing process, a scientific procedure created to give the best patient care through five easy steps, regardless of their sector or speciality.
Assessment - Nurses carefully assess patients' physiological, financial, social, and lifestyle conditions.
Diagnoses are made by nurses after carefully analysing both the patient's behaviour and their physical symptoms.
Outcomes/Planning - The nurse employs his/her knowledge to establish workable objectives for the patient's recovery.
Implementation - By accurately carrying out the care plan and carefully documenting their progress, nurses provide consistency of care for the patient.
Evaluation: By carefully examining the success of the care plan and observing patient response, the nurse fine-tunes the plan to provide the best patient outcomes.
Nurses are essential for the country's health
Today, there are more than 4 million registered nurses working in the country, which means there is one registered nurse for every 100 people in the United States. Nurses are present in every community, big and small right from the time of birth to the end of life.
The United States is expected to experience a registered nurse shortage and there is a great demand for talented nurses at various medical facilities.
Conclusion
As you have read in this blog, nurses perform a variety of tasks, from delivering direct patient care and handling cases to setting nursing practice standards, establishing quality control procedures, and managing intricate nursing care systems.
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a nurse in the US or any other country, contact our experts at MWT Education Consultancy for further assistance. We have helped thousands of applicants to successfully launch their international careers in nursing.
