How to Become a Nurse Job Description Nurses provide care for others who are sick, injured, or disabled, and they help and advise others on maintaining health. They monitor patients, assist doctors and administer medications and treatments. Work Environment Nurses who work in a hospital or clinic usually work a day, weekend, evening, holiday or night shift. Scheduling is most often based on seniority. Some nurses may be on-‐call. Nurses can specialize in a particular department within a hospital or clinic, such as geriatrics, maternity, intensive care, oncology, and surgery, psychiatric, pediatric, or emergency. Nurses have physical demands to reach, bend and move patients and equipment. As a result, a person has to be able to lift objects weighing between 20 – 50lbs. Nurses are exposed to communicable diseases and may even work in natural disasters or war zones. Career Outlook The nursing job outlook for the next decade is excellent, but may vary depending on geographic location and type of employment. With increasing health concerns and advancing technology, the need for qualified nurses steadily increases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found nursing will grow much faster than other careers through 2016, and it is expected that there will be about 587,000 new jobs in the next decade in registered nursing alone. Income Income varies depending on Geographic location and the size and type of the employer, but a registered nurses salary can range from $40,236 to more than $92,240, with average salary being $62,450. Education Requirements To become a registered nurse: 1. Completion of a State Board approved nursing program, either: An Associate degree, a Diploma from an approved nursing program or a Bachelors degree. 2. Advanced practice nurses such as clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners require a Master’s degree. 3. A passing grade on the State board of Registered nursing examination to obtain a State license. • Associate degree in nursing/Associate of Science in Nursing (ADN/ASN): Associates degrees in nursing take 2 to 3 years to complete and are offered by most community colleges and even offered at some four-‐year universities. Students who have earned an ASN are then eligible to sit for a State Board Licensing exam and apply for a license as a registered nurse. 1 How to Become a Nurse • Diploma from approved nursing program: In the United States this Diploma is offered by hospital-‐based nursing schools, and takes 3 years to complete. The number of hospital-‐based nursing schools continues to decrease but many still exist. Some require that non-‐nursing prerequisite courses be completed at another school prior to admission or coordinate their program with classes at a nearby school, but some are self-‐contained. Students awarded a Diploma in nursing are then able to sit for a State Board licensing exam and apply for a license as a registered nurse. • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): Offered at four-‐year colleges and universities, takes 4 years to complete. Advancement opportunities are more readily available for students who have completed a BSN as compared to those who have earned a Diploma or Associate degree. Bachelor’s degree programs in nursing offer more clinical experience in nonhospital settings, and more training in areas such as communication leadership and critical thinking. A bachelor’s degree or higher is often required for administrative, research, consulting and teaching positions. • Master of Science in Nursing: Usually take 18 to 24 months to complete. Most master’s degrees in nursing require a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN), an RN license and minimum clinical experience. Local Colleges: Canada College City College of San Francisco College of San Mateo DeAnza College Evergreen Valley College Gavilan College Mission College CSU East Bay CSU Sacramento State Univ. CSU San Francisco State Univ. CSU San Jose State Univ. CSU Sonoma State Unvi. UC Davis UC Irvine UCLA UC San Francisco Licensing & Certification All Nursing students must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass a national licensing examination given by the State’s Board of Nursing, known as the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-‐RN, in order to obtain a nursing license. Other requirements for licensure vary by state. Warnings Nurses may be in close contact with patients who have infectious diseases, as well as with toxic, harmful or potentially hazardous solutions and medications. Nurses must follow strict guidelines to guard against disease and other dangers such as those posed by radiation, accidental needle pricks, and anesthetics and by chemicals used to sterilize instruments. Nurses may also be required to frequently lift and move heavy objects and equipment 2 How to Become a Nurse Sources of Additional Information For information on a career as a registered nurse and nursing education: National League for Nursing 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor New York, NY. 10006 www.nln.org For additional information on registered nurses: American Nurses Association 8515 Georgia Ave., Suite 400, Silver Spring MD, 20910 http://nursingworld.org For a list of accredited clinical nurse specialist programs: National Association of Clinical nurse Specialists 2090 Linglestown Rd, Suite 107. Harrisburg, PA, 17110 www.nacns.org For General information on registered nurses in all fields and specialties: American Society of Registered Nurses 1001 Bridgeway, suite 233, Sausalito, CA 94965 www.asrn.org Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-‐2011 Available in Career Center Library Eureka: The California Career Information System www.eureka.org Site Code: For current Foothill students only, please contact the Career Center Career Center Resource Library Room 8329 (650) 949-‐7229 3