Job Description
Being a registered nurse comes with a great amount of responsibility and dedication to provide patients with all types of care. Nurses must be familiar with their patient’s needs. Administering medications, assisting with the transfer of patients, scheduling appropriate treatments, monitoring patients (includes taking vitals), and keeping patients and family members well informed may all be a part of the care that registered nurses provide on a daily basis (What Do Registered Nurses Do, n.d.).
As argued by Benjamin J. McMichael, the “scope of practice” laws can be restricting for nurses. Nurses work under laws which apply to all registered nurses and laws which apply to individuals depending on their state of practice. Typically, the state scope of practice laws tends to be more restrictive (McMichael, 2020). One component of a nurses scope of practice is delegation. Registered nurses are legally responsible for executing nursing practice and, as expressed by the American Nurses Foundation, “…may delegate tasks or elements of care but cannot delegate the nursing process itself” (Ulrich, 2014, p. 241). In cases where nurses delegate, they must use their own judgement to determine the level and complexity of care needed by a patient and communicate this information to other health care professionals associated with the patient. Nurses can also pursue opportunities to supervise other health care employees by managing a health care department (Mitchell & Haroun, 2012).
An essential resource for all nurses is the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. This instrument is a great place for nurses to turn to when they want to be informed or reminded of the duties, values, and ethical obligations of their job. It also provides a realistic view of nurses’ understanding of these commitments (‘Ethics’, 2020).
Education, Registration, and Certification
In order to become a registered nurse (RN) one must first earn their associates or bachelor’s degree, however a bachelor’s degree is typically required by most hospitals. It is also required to graduate from an approved nursing program and to pass the National Council Licensing Examination for nurses (Mitchell & Haroun, 2012). Universities like the University of Florida and Florida International University offer a generic/traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing. At the University of Florida both the accelerated BSN and the traditional BSN are completed in four semesters. The traditional program takes two years to complete while the accelerated program can be completed in 15 months. At the University of Florida the cost of the BSN program, regardless of it being traditional or accelerated, is estimated to be between $3000 and $3400 (“Accelerated BSN” & “Traditional BSN”, 2020).
Upon completion of these programs, one must pass the NCLEX exam in order to become a licensed registered nurse (“Nursing Certifications”, n.d.). Aside from earning a bachelor’s degree and becoming a registered nurse, individuals who complete the BSN program may earn certifications which may specialize in areas such as pediatric oncology, trauma nursing core, and critical care (“Traditional BSN” & “Advancement Opportunities for Registered Nurses”, 2020).
Employment
Many would say that the need for nurses is increasing throughout time. This growth is estimated to be 12% from 2018 – 2028. Experience in the field is not required in the field, however increased experience is directly correlated to an increase in salary (Registered Nurse Careers and Salary Outlook 2020, 2020). In my findings I was able to locate registered nurse jobs listed by the Miami Herald however, was not able to identify a specific number within Miami. The “median salary or registered nurses by career experience” is averaged to $53,580 at the entry level, $68,680 with experience, and $72,470 in the late career (Registered Nurse Careers and Salary Outlook 2020, 2020).
Nursing comes with many opportunities in career advancement. Personally, after gaining experience as a registered nurse, I plan to seek my master’s degree in order to become a nurse anesthetist. There are many post graduate opportunities like such, that allow registered nurses to expand their horizons. A nurse can also choose to go into management by becoming a nurse manager, or charge nurse (“Advancement Opportunities for Registered Nurses”, 2020).
Professional Activities
Nurses have a variety of professional organizations to be a part of on a local, state, and national level. Nursing Ethics Network (NEN) is a non-profit national organization that dedicates its efforts to ethics within the field of nursing (“List of Nursing Organizations”, 2020). In the state of Florida, the Florida Nurses Association welcomes full time students at no cost as long as a valid student ID is provided (“List of Nursing Organizations”, 2020). On a more local level, the National Black Nurses Association has a Miami chapter with 2020 student dues of $300.00 (Miami Chapter Dues, 2020).
Professional journals are a great way to stay informed and involved as a nurse. The “American Journal of Nursing” is offered at $33.90 a subscription and can be purchased at https://shop.lww.com/American-Journal-of-Nursing–AJN-/p/0002-936X (“American Journal of Nursing”, 2020). The “Nursing2020 Critical Care” also offers a subscription for $33.90 and can be purchased at https://shop.lww.com/Nursing2020-Critical-Care/p/1558-447X (“Nursing2020 Critical Care”, 2020).
Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) are required of registered nurses. Sixteen general hours are needed and two hours each of prevention of medical errors, Florida laws & rules, recognizing impairment in the workplace, human trafficking, and domestic violence are required. Aside from this, one hour of the HIV/AIDS CEU must be completed. Generally, these licenses must be renewed biannually, however the first time you receive the license it may not be valid for the full two years. Florida registered nurses can renew their CEUs through CEBroker using either a free or professional account. These courses can be completed in person or online from home (“Registered Nurse (RN)”, 2020).
Reflection/Personal Career Plan
I can see myself having a great impact in the health care field through my profession. My greatest passion lies within helping others and making a difference in the community. Although individuals in any career can make a difference, I am curious to find the unique ways that I can do so as a nurse.
I was recently admitted into Florida International Universities Generic BSN program. I begin the two-year long program in August of 2020 and hope to find a job in an ICU upon completion of the program. The reason I would like to work in this unit is because several years of experience in an ICU is required to gain a post-secondary education in a nurse anesthetist program. Although this process may sound simple, it will require a great amount of focus and discipline in my studies. Focusing on each step along the way and not getting overwhelmed by the lengthy process will be key. I am a very dedicated and studious individual; as a result, my main goal is to maintain a balance between obtaining my academic and career goals while leaving room for my personal life.
References
- Accelerated BSN. (2020b). Retrieved from https://nursing.ufl.edu/programs/bachelor-of-science-bsn/accelerated-bsn/
- Advancement Opportunities for Registered Nurses. (2008-2020). Retrieved from https://www.bestnursingdegree.com/msn/faq/nurse-career-advancement/
- American Journal of Nursing (AJN). (2020). Retrieved from https://shop.lww.com/American-Journal-of-Nursing–AJN-/p/0002-936X
- Ethics. (2020). Retrieved 21 June 2020, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/
- Everything nurses need to know about the NCLEX licensing exam. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.allnursingschools.com/how-to-become-a-nurse/nclex-exam/
- List of Nursing Organizations. (2020). Retrieved from https://nurse.org/orgs.shtml
- Miami Chapter – BNA. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.nbna.org/af_membercommittee.asp?committeeid=39
- Mitchell, D., & Haroun, L. (2012). Introduction to health care. Cengage Learning.
- Nursing certifications. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.registerednursing.org/certifications/
- Nursing2020 Critical Care. (2020). Retrieved from https://shop.lww.com/Nursing2020-Critical-Care/p/1558-447X
- Registered Nurse Careers and Salary Outlook 2020. (2020). Retrieved from https://nursejournal.org/registered-nursing/rn-careers-salary-outlook/
- Registered Nurse (RN). (2020). Retrieved from https://floridasnursing.gov/renewals/registered-nurse-rn/#tab-ce
- Traditional BSN. (2020). Retrieved from https://nursing.ufl.edu/programs/bachelor-of-science-bsn/traditional-bsn/
- What do registered nurses do on a daily basis? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nursingjobs.com/explore-travel-nursing/things-to-know/content/what-do-registered-nurses-do-daily-basis#:~:text=As the day goes on,any signs or symptoms of
