As the nursing profession matured during the course of the twentieth century, a number of different occupations began to diverge, all still referred to collectively as nursing. By the second half of the century, these jobs were very diverse, ranging from people who were little more than cleaners or unskilled laborers, all the way through to highly skilled professionals who take a large part of the responsibility for patient care.
At the same time nursing training became much more sophisticated. Originally this had taken the form of an apprenticeship, with or without some additional classroom teaching component. Eventually university courses emerged, with four year bachelor degrees in nursing being the norm for nursing professionals.
The term “registered nurse” arose around the time of the Second World War, largely to distinguish educated professional nurses from those who were merely domestic help in hospitals.
In the absence, at that time, of vocational courses in universities or technical colleges, control of the profession rested on nurses having to obtain a license to practice, usually by passing some form of state-supervised examination. The holders of these licenses became known as registered nurses and the term retains to this day.
How Does a Registered Nurse Differ From Other Nurses?
The registered nurse today is a highly skilled professional who is able to carry out a number of functions within the health care industry. These may range from the traditional role in hospitals of being responsible for patient care and the administration of therapy prescribed by a doctor, to nurses working in education or the public health sector where they are responsible for public education about health.
The role of the modern nurse may also include such functions as research into nursing practices, with many nurses now obtaining doctorates for original research work.
Modern registered nurses may also operate within a nursing practice where they are independently responsible for a limited range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Nurses working directly with patient care are usually still considered to be operating under the supervision of medical practitioners, but in practice these highly educated nurses may have considerable autonomy, although always with the option and obligation to refer patients to a medical service.
How Do You Become a Registered Nurse?
The usual qualification for a registered nurse is a four-year bachelor degree. This course will include the basic scientific subjects related to health care, such as anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, and will usually also include a practical component in the form of supervised clinical experience in a teaching hospital or medical practice.
The basic education of the registered nurse is completed with gaining the degree and obtaining professional registration, which in some areas may require sitting a special registration examination or passing a registration interview.
In the United States, registered nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination before being granted a license to practice and being given a unique identifying number.
The nurse may then be required to work for some period as an intern under direct supervision of a senior nurse before being fully licensed.
What Other Qualifications are Needed?
It is important for anyone considering nursing as a profession to be committed to providing sympathetic care to people. They should be good communicators who are able to maintain a high level of openness towards people who may be at low points in their lives either physically or emotionally.
In addition to the aptitude for completing a demanding initial qualification, they should also be responsible by nature and able to work with great attention to detail. Good observational skills are also one of the personal qualities that are important for successful work as a professional nurse.
Registered nurses working in hospitals or busy medical practices will inevitably have to take a high level of responsibility for the day to day organization of workloads and should be confident in supervising others and directing the running of a busy ward or clinic.
Is There a Structured Career Path For Registered Nurses?
The vast majority of registered nurses begin by working as staff nurses in hospitals. Once they have gained experience and, depending on how they perform, they may be promoted to more responsible positions.
Higher positions for nurses may involve either clinical supervision for a larger number of patients, or administrative positions in which they are responsible for supervising the nursing staff in a larger department or an entire hospital or large clinic.
What Specializations are Available?
Nurses with several years’ experience who have the ambition and the capacity to undertake more advanced work may opt for a specialization in which they take greater responsibility for a particular area of patient care.
- Advanced practice nurses work on a collaborative basis with medical consultants, providing primary care services independently of direct medical supervision. These specializations will almost always require an advanced degree in nursing.
- Clinical nurse specialists will usually administer private care in a field such as psychiatric care, emergency care or pharmacology.
- Nurse anesthetists specialize in anesthesia for surgical procedures as well as pain management and the care of patients following surgery.
- Obstetric nurses or midwives are the primary caregivers for reproductive health in women and may be responsible for routing gynecological examinations as well as reproductive health education and caring for patients during labor and delivery.
What About Higher Degrees?
Most nurses who want to move into advanced practice will be required to complete a master’s degree course and often further supervised clinical experience before they are able to begin working independently in the area of their choice.
However, many nurses opt to continue studying beyond the master’s degree and obtain a Ph.D. in nursing. A number of universities now offer doctorate courses for nurses.
These degrees are intended to equip nurses with advanced skills and leadership qualities to work at higher levels of the profession. The doctorate also prepares scholastically oriented nurses to work in research on the theory and practice of nursing and healthcare practice. This may often lead to a career as a researcher in an academic or government position or in a commercial setting such as a pharmaceutical research unit.
