The prospect of becoming a nurse holds so many possibilities! Once your nursing school days are behind you and you have passed the state licensing exam then you can find work and begin to put all that you have learned to work (and to the test!). Now you are a trained and qualified nurse. This is when the fun part really begins. Now you can start the nursing career that you worked hard to train for.
So many choices open up to you once you have all of the qualifications to be employed as a nurse. In fact this profession holds a great deal more paths to meander down and try out than do most jobs. You can apply for work in hospitals or clinics. If you prefer non-traditional settings then you can apply at private companies, government agencies, educational institutions or non-profit organizations. The wonderful thing about nurses is that their services are far reaching and are needed everywhere!
RNs and LPNs
You have probably heard of the terms registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN). They are not one and the same. While both of these professionals’ are nurses who perform similar tasks, an RN is a specialist in the field of nursing while an LPN is a generalist.
An LPN will work under and report to an RN. The nurses that you see in hospitals and clinics making rounds and taking the blood pressure and temperatures of patients are licensed practical nurses. They also give shots and check in with patients routinely to make sure that they are doing all right.
While RNs can do all of the above tasks of the nursing trade just as LPNs can they most often can be found working with patients in other ways. For example, they work with those who require diabetes management; those who have HIV or AIDS and in ambulatory care.
Registered nurses require more education than licensed practical nurses do. It may take you longer to become a registered nurse and get your degree but it will open more doors to you in the health-care field.
Another career opportunity you might wish to explore is that of a nurse practitioner (NP).A nurse practitioner must obtain a masters degree in nursing. He or she is then qualified to perform many of the same duties as doctors, such as writing prescriptions for patients. Studies have shown that most NPs make in the area of $61,000 a year.
Find out more about what the job titles of RN, LPN and NP have to offer you. You can then decide which one most closely matches your goals and objectives for your future.
