National Occupational Health Nursing Week on April, 2024: Nursing school?

National Occupational Health Nursing Week 2024. Gifts for Nurses - 300+ Gifts Starting at Just $1.00‎ Totes, Mugs, Pens & Much More!

Education & Training

To become a registered nurse, you must earn a high school diploma, then complete a post-secondary nursing program. Entrance requirements for nursing programs differ depending on the college or university. Generally, you should graduate from high school with senior level science, math, and English courses. Be sure to contact the nursing school you are planning to attend to find out what their admission requirements are.

After high school, you have the option of earning either a degree or diploma in nursing. There are two types of degree programs: the 4 year Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) and the 2 year associate’s degree in nursing (ADN). Diploma programs take 2 to 3 years to complete.

The higher your level of education, the more advantages you will have in the workforce. For example, some hospitals will only hire graduates who have a bachelor’s degree. In addition, there are more advancement opportunities open to nurses with bachelor’s degrees than those with associate degrees or diplomas.

All states require nurses to be licensed, which means you must pass a national licensing exam after graduating from a nursing program.

Working Conditions

Nurses work in hospitals, nursing homes, walk-in clinics, prisons, schools, factories, offices, and many other places. There is a movement toward community-based health care, so in the future there may more opportunities in public health areas.

Nursing requires a lot of physical activity. There is a great deal of standing, bending, and lifting. It can be emotionally demanding, especially if you are working with severely ill or dying patients. Of course, it can also be a tremendously rewarding profession.

Occupational hazards for nurses are similar to those of other health workers. They include contact with patients who have infectious diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis and injury from instruments, chemicals, and gases.

Some nurses work very irregular hours. Those who work in hospitals or nursing homes may work 12 hour shifts, including nights or weekends. Others, such as those in community centers, may have more regular schedules. Most full-time nurses work between 35 and 45 hours a week and have between 15 and 30 vacation days a year.

Job Description

Registered nurses, also known as RNs, are the most well-known of the various types of nursing professionals. They require more education than licensed practical nurses and usually take on a wider range of responsibilities.

Many registered nurses are involved in providing direct patient care. However, their work might also include a variety of other duties. For example, they may present health information to large groups of people, perform urgent procedures in an emergency department, manage and instruct 100 other nurses in a large teaching hospital, or teach and do research at a university.

Their work with patients can be divided into four general duties. First, they assess patients’ physical, mental, and emotional health status. This involves collecting information on patients’ personal, family, and community background; taking blood pressure, temperature, and other vital signs; and performing basic physical exams.

Next, nurses help design and carry out treatment plans for patients. This could mean bandaging a wound, giving medications or injections, coordinating treatments with other health care professionals, or referring a patient to another caregiver.

Third, nurses monitor the results of treatments to see if the medical problem has been taken care of and to make sure that the patient is satisfied. Finally, nurses keep patients and their families informed about their medical options and educate them about health issues like nutrition, personal hygiene, and lifestyle choices.

Nurses also maintain records, such as patients’ charts, and supervise licensed practical nurses and other health support staff.

Nurses have many options. They can choose to specialize in certain areas, such as surgery (assisting in the operating room), pediatrics (working with children), critical care (working in the intensive care unit), psychiatric nursing (working with the mentally ill), or geriatrics (working with older people). Nurses can work with individuals, families, or communities.

I hope this helps you! =)

nurse practitioner or physician assistant?

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with advanced academic (having a masters degree) and clinical experience, which enables him or her to diagnose and manage most common illness, including chronic ones, either independently or as part of a health care team. NPs largely focus on health maintenance, disease prevention, counseling and patient education in a wide variety of settings.

Median Salary of Sample of 23,850 NPs Nationwide (2004):

$73,620 annually, working 36+ hours a week

(Taken from American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 2004 National NP Sample Survey)

Specialty Areas: Family NPs, Pediatric NPs, Adult NPs, Geriatric NPs, Women's Health Care NPs, Neonatal NPs, Acute Care NPs, Occupational Health NPs, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.

A Physician Assistant (PA) is formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive health care services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members of the health care team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X rays, make diagnoses and treat minor injuries. PAs record progress notes, instruct and counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy. PAs also may have managerial duties and some supervise technicians and assistants.

Median National Salary (2006):

$69,517 annually, working 32 hours a week

(Taken from American Academy of Physician’s Assistants 2006 Census Highlights)

Specialty Areas: General internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. PAs specializing in surgery provide preoperative and postoperative care, and may work as first or second assistants during major surgery.

How do I become an Occupational Therapist?

You can find more detailed information at this link:

Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists are regulated in all 50 States. Individuals pursuing a career as an occupational therapist usually need to earn a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or education deemed equivalent.

Education and training. A master's degree or higher in occupational therapy is the typical minimum requirement for entry into the field. In addition, occupational therapists must attend an academic program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in order to sit for the national certifying exam. In 2009, 150 master's degree programs or combined bachelor's and master's degree programs were accredited, and 4 doctoral degree programs were accredited. Most schools have full-time programs, although a growing number are offering weekend or part-time programs as well. Coursework in occupational therapy programs include the physical, biological, and behavioral sciences as well as the application of occupational therapy theory and skills. All accredited programs require at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork as part of the academic curriculum.

People considering this profession should take high school courses in biology, chemistry, physics, health, art, and the social sciences. College admissions offices also look favorably on paid or volunteer experience in the healthcare field. Relevant undergraduate majors include biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, and anatomy.

Licensure. All States regulate the practice of occupational therapy. To obtain a license, applicants must graduate from an accredited educational program and pass a national certification examination. Those who pass the exam are awarded the title “Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR).” Specific eligibility requirements for licensure vary by State; contact your State’s licensing board for details.

Some States have additional requirements for therapists who work in schools or early intervention programs. These requirements may include education-related classes, an education practice certificate, or early intervention certification.

Certification and other qualifications. Certification is voluntary. The National Board for Certifying Occupational Therapy certifies occupational therapists through a national certifying exam. Those who pass the test are awarded the title Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). In some States, the national certifying exam meets requirements for regulation while other States have their own licensing exam.