What career interests you the most? There are thousands of different choices when it comes to choosing a career path in registered nursing. But if you are thinking about starting a career in nursing, you may want to examine your top three options. This may help you determine which one will be the best fit for you. If you can answer these questions honestly, you will have narrowed down the fields of available careers for registered nurses.
The traditional career path as a registered nurse is to work in a hospital setting. You will normally work directly under the supervision of a registered nurse supervisor and report to him/her on a daily basis. You will normally be reporting to either the floor supervisor or an area nurse. In some smaller hospitals, the nurse will report to a junior level nurse who is responsible for the supervision of junior nurses. However, if you work in a larger hospital or long term care facility, you will work under the supervision of a nurse manager who will assign you to a specific floor or department.
A clinical nurse assistant is a slightly different career than a registered nurse assisting. Many people confuse this career with nursing assistants. Although they have similar responsibilities, a clinical nurse assisting typically has more responsibility. They may perform tasks like scheduling appointments or conducting health assessments on patients.
Certified nursing assistants (CNA) perform a similar task to that of a CNA but they have more education and can be hired without having a medical background. To qualify for this position, you must first be certified as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) who has passed the Certified Nursing Assistant National Examination (CNA Examination) and has a two-year certificate in LPN practice. If you are interested in pursuing a career as a certified nursing assistant, you must pass a CNA examination.
You can also choose to pursue an alternate career for registered nurses that offers health care opportunities outside of the traditional health care setting. If you are interested in becoming a physical therapist, chiropractor, massage therapist, or any other type of professional in the health field, you can do so as a patient care technician. These professionals work in conjunction with a licensed physician, intern, or other registered nurse.
In some areas, a nurse aid is the same as a nursing aid, but they perform duties that help patients with daily living activities. Nurse aids perform activities such as helping with bathing, moving, or grocery shopping. Some nurse aids may even provide companionship services to elderly patients. For more information on this type of nursing, contact your local human resources office.