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Career Details : Registered Nurses

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Description

Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes advance practice nurses such as: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nursing is practiced by RNs who have specialized formal, post-basic education and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles.

Experience

A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Tasks

  • Provides health care, first aid, and immunization in facilities such as schools, hospitals, and industry.
  • Observes patient's skin color, dilation of pupils, and computerized equipment to monitor vital signs.
  • Records patient's medical information and vital signs.
  • Prepares patients for and assists with examinations.
  • Prepares rooms, sterile instruments, equipment and supplies, and hands items to surgeon.
  • Orders, interprets, and evaluates diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.
  • Delivers infants and performs postpartum examinations and treatment.
  • Instructs on topics, such as health education, disease prevention, child birth, and home nursing, and develops health-improvement programs.
  • Advises and consults with specified personnel concerning necessary precautions to be taken to prevent possible contamination or infection.
  • Administers stipulated emergency measures and contacts obstetrician when deviations from standard are encountered during pregnancy or delivery.
  • Informs physician of patient's condition during anesthesia.
  • Discusses cases with physician or obstetrician.
  • Provides prenatal and postnatal care to obstetrical patients under supervision of obstetrician.
  • Contracts independently to render nursing care, usually to one patient, in hospital or private home.
  • Directs and coordinates infection-control program in hospital.
  • Maintains stock of supplies.
  • Conducts specified laboratory tests.
  • Refers students or patients to community agencies furnishing assistance and cooperates with agencies.
  • Prescribes or recommends drugs or other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy, inhalation therapy, or related therapeutic procedures.
  • Administers local, inhalation, intravenous, and other anesthetics.

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    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Responsible for Others' Health & Safety
    • Consequence of Error
    • Deal With External Customers
    • Provide a Service to Others

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