Careers in Nursing

Nurses are needed in many areas and industries. Many of these settings go beyond the hospital or the doctor's office. Below is a list of several settings and a short description of just a few of the things that nurses do in each. You can also view the job outlook for nursing by going to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Handbook - Registered Nurses.

Hospitals

In hospitals, nurses provide bedside care to all in-patients. This care includes medication and fluid administration, dressing wounds, monitoring diet and activity and assessing and recording symptoms.

Urgent Care Facilities

Nurses are needed in these facilities to assist patients during a crisis. Here, nurses will treat patients, administer medications and dress wounds.

Physician's Offices

In doctor's offices, nurses prepare the patients prior to the doctors' examination. This includes taking the patients temperature, recording blood pressure and answering many of the patients questions. The nurse will also administer medications and assist the doctor in any procedures that are necessary. Office Management is also a work function for many nurses.

Nursing Homes

As in hospitals, nurses working in nursing homes provide their patients with bedside care and medication administration. The nurse will also work with the staff dietitian to ensure that patients are receiving the appropriate dietary nutrients.

Public and Private Schools

School nurses work with children of all ages. These nurses are there whenever the student becomes sick or injured while at school. These nurses dress wounds, administer medication and serve as a liaison between the school and the parents when communicating the students' health needs. School nurses also spend a great deal of time assisting students with testing eye site, hearing and personal hygiene.

Colleges and Universities

While there has been a great deal of emphasis placed on the nursing shortage, there is also a shortage of nursing faculty. Experienced and educated nurses are always being recruited to teach the next generation of nurses. This not only involves teaching in the classroom, but also teaching students in clinical settings and in simulations.

Law

Many law firms are seeking RN/paralegals to assist with court cases that involve medical information. Many attorneys utilize nurses in malpractice cases to explain to the attorneys and clients what some of the medical information means in layman's terms.