A Nurses Guide To Nursing

The definition of entrepreneur is a person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business adventure. Nurses have always considered their services only marketable as an employee of someone else. It is time nurses take charge of their profession and market their own services to health care institutions. Nurses need to be aware that there are other nursing career options. Independent Nurse Contractor is one that more and more nurses are turning to for career fulfillment. Nurses are finding that they can double or even triple their income; increase their choices as to how often when and where to work, gain professional autonomy and increase over all job satisfaction.

In today’s market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices. We as nurses have the skill, knowledge and motivation to be successful entrepreneurs. Nurses are tired of being told how much our services are worth. The economy is ripe for the nurse entrepreneur.

Nurses are the perfect business owners. They have the communication skills and the ability as assess, implement and organize a plan. These are the same criteria that any business owner uses. We as nurses use this system everyday of our nursing careers. An Independent Nurse Contractor is one who contracts with a healthcare facility for nursing services. You will be able to negotiate your compensation, hours worked and length of time your services will be needed. This could be the change you have diligently been looking for.

There’s no shortage of nursing schools offering course-work for those who aspire to become a part of the ever-growing healthcare industry. These certified nursing schools will not only train you to become a professional nurse but many offer post graduate courses as well, to better help you develop your nursing career.

Those currently holding nursing degrees have the option to enroll in the various post nursing degree programs that are now available - from Registered Nursing Degrees to Parish Nursing. There’s a wide range of choices for aspiring healthcare professionals. They can choose which type of nursing degree they would like to specialize in and contrary to popular belief, an individual with a nursing degree is no longer limited to working in just a hospital. There are numerous other places wherein people need the care and attention only a qualified nursing professional can provide.

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Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $48,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,140 and $57,490. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,670. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of registered nurses in 2002 were as follows:

Employment services - $55,980
General medical and surgical hospitals - $49,190
Home health care services - $45,890
Offices of physicians - $44,870
Nursing care facilities - $43,850

Many employers offer flexible work schedules, childcare, educational benefits, and bonuses.

Job opportunities for RNs are expected to be very good. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, and because the occupation is very large, many new jobs will result. In fact, more new jobs are expected be created for RNs than for any other occupation. Thousands of job openings also will result from the need to replace experienced nurses who leave the occupation, especially as the median age of the registered nurse population continues to rise.

Faster-than-average growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of medical problems to be treated, and an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly.

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Most nurses work in well-lighted, comfortable healthcare facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients’ homes, schools, community centers, and other sites. Nurses may spend considerable time walking and standing. Patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities require 24-hour care; consequently, nurses in these institutions may work nights, weekends, and holidays. RNs also may be on call - available to work on short notice. Office, occupational health, and public health nurses are more likely to work regular business hours. More than 1 in 5 RNs worked part time in 2002 and nearly 1 in 10 held more than one job.

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When most people hear the term “Certified Nursing Assistant” (better known as CNA), the first thing that comes to mind is a career in a nursing home. While it’s true that this is probably the industry’s biggest demand for CNAs, there are other places to use this certification. But what exactly is a CNA, and how can it work for you?The Certified Nursing Assistant is a person who aids in the daily care of those needing nursing care. Think there’s nothing to the job? Think again.

One of the first things many nurses say they learned is that nursing isn’t about dispensing medicines, giving shots or even taking orders from the doctor. It’s all about learning to listen to your patients. The CNA training takes that to a very basic level and the job of the CNA is often vital to the effective medical treatment of other health care professionals. For example, the CNA who spends the most time with a nursing home patient may be the first to notice a change in that person’s attitude that reflects a serious medical condition or a reaction to a change in their drug regimen. And while some people are simply observant enough to notice those kinds of things, learning what to do with the information is a vital part of the training for the Certified Nursing Assistant.

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A few decades ago, nurses across the country and around the world wore uniforms. Typically, these professionals were noted for their solid white dresses, starched white caps and white uniform shoes. And all nurses conformed. Whether it was the country nurse who made rounds with the doctor or the nurse in the largest city hospitals, white was the recognized color and there were few variations in the style of clothing.

Those days are gone. For nurses and those who use their services, there are two words to be said - Good riddance. But what caused the change and what are the new options?

The change may have been a simple matter of fashion making its way into the industry, but there were probably some general mindsets about health care that also played a role. Over the past few years, it’s come to be accepted that the attitudes of those who are sick, their families and their caregivers play a role in the potential for recovery. Sick people simply don’t need to be reminded that they’re sick. There’s no need for the white color or the “swishing” professionalism of the starched uniforms.

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Nurses are in high demand and that demand has created an excellent opportunity for those in the health care field. It’s not only a chance for better wages than ever before; it’s also an opportunity to choose your benefits. That means that you’ll look more closely at the individual companies and what they can offer.

So what benefits can you expect as a nurse? Take a look at some options you’ll find from the various nursing agencies and health care facilities.

Favorable working conditions and hours - While there’s no doubt that more nurses and other health care professionals are constantly in demand, many companies and facilities are offering nurses and technicians time off as an incentive to work for them. These companies do whatever it takes to keep working hours to a reasonable level, including hiring temporary workers from other companies. This means that there’s less demand to work overtime, leaving even nurses time for themselves and their families. The goal is two fold. Not only do these companies want to attract and retain quality employees, they also realize that nurses and others health care professionals are more likely to be at the top of their game when they’re handling reasonable working hours with adequate backup staffing.

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Travel nursing is an up-and-coming profession that appeals to many nursing professionals for several reasons. Excellent pay and benefits, the chance to travel at the expense of someone else and variety are among the positive points of travel nursing. Sound great? It’s not all the “bowl of cherries” that some believe.

The idea of getting paid to travel appeals to many people. The problem is that we want to have time to take in the sights, relax and enjoy our travels. Travel nursing is similar in some ways to driving a truck. You may get to see some incredible sunsets and view awesome scenery, but you’re seldom going to have the opportunity to stop and smell the roses, visit those tourists destinations and take photos (unless you snap them from the window of a moving vehicle). In many cases, those panoramic views will be nothing more than spots from an airplane window.

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People are living longer, mainly due to changes in lifestyles but also because of incredible advances in health care. One of the results is the need for more healthcare professionals, including nurses. One way the industry is changing is by offering career choices in the form of more educational opportunities and options.

The Associate’s Degree in Nursing has only recently become an option, though it’s quickly gaining favor in the health care industry. While there are naturally some differences in the training for an associate’s degree as opposed to a bachelor’s degree, many health care agencies - including hospitals and doctor’s offices - are recognizing the fact that those graduating with associate’s degrees can perform many of the same duties and handle many of the same responsibilities as those with bachelor’s degree. But is there really a difference?

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