All The Careers In Nursing – Job Descriptions & Salary

Careers In Nursing

No matter which one of the careers in nursing you may be interested in, statistics show that all levels of the nursing professions are in high demand and will be for a very long time. This gives one an opportunity to obtain the credentials needed to start a career in nursing and do so with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that there profession will always have job opportunity as well as be demanded, offering excellent job and salary security. Below are the 4 main careers in nursing as well as the credentials needed to begin the career, job tasks and salary range, ranging from a CNA to an advanced practice nurse.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Careers In Nursing

Not exactly a nursing career, but it can provide one with the basic knowledge of how the health care profession works as well as get clinical training that can be demanded out of nursing degree programs like an associates degree in nursing or a bachelors degree in nursing. All that is needed to start a career as a CNA is obtaining a CNA certification which is done by taking an accredited training course, which last anywhere from 75 to 125 hours of training, running around 4 to 8 weeks. Some of the jobs duties of a CNA include; testing the vitals of patients, keeping track of the amount of food and liquid consumption of patients, helping patients with their exercises, answering to call lights, keeping rooms cleaned up, making patients beds and upkeep of patient hygiene. Accredited CNA courses can be found by contacting your states CNA registry. Salary ranges for careers in nursing as a CNA range from $20,000 to $33,000 a year.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Careers In Nursing

This is the lowest level of practice as far as careers in nursing go, but can provide one with a great foundation that can prepare them for higher practice as well as allow them to get a feel for whether they really want to continue hold a career in nursing for the long run. An LVN is one who hands a majority of the activities of an actual Registed Nurse (RN) without having to obtain as much formal training and licensing. Responsibilities are dictated by the physician or the nurse on staff as they work under the direct supervision of these two positions which ultimately the state in which one works dictates what the LVN can do as far as job tasks go, which some states allow an LVN to do more than others. When it comes to the job description of careers in nursing as an LVN, job tasks can include; taking vitals, preparing and administering shots, monitoring patient progess, taking patients medical history, assisting with procedures as well as with diagnostic tests, dress wounds, monitor input and output and more. Some choose to get special certifications to do more serious tasks like administering IV’s, taking blood and giving medicine. An LVN training course lasts anywhere from 12 months to at most 24 months, where LVN careers in nursing are found in places like hospitals as well as nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. In order to start a career as an LVN you must complete a state approved training course which you can find by contacting your states Board of Education, which after you complete the program you must receive a passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Careers in nursing as a LVN can bring about a salary range of anywhere from $35,000 to $47,000 or more per year in which larger salaries are shown to be earned by those working for health care agencies.

Registered Nurse (RN) Careers In Nursing

A registered nurse is one who has obtained a degree in nursing, which can range from an associates or science in nursings (ASN) or a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) and has passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which most states require that the program is accredited by national accrediting agencies, either the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in order to be able to take the NCLEX. As far as the RN job description goes, the daily tasks can include; testing vitals of patients, taking down medical history, helping patients understand different treatment methods that are both clinical as well as alternative and if there are any restrictions or things that should avoid, analyzing and interpreting tests to patients, giving emotional support to patients and the families of patients, pateint rehabilitation and in some states administering medication. Salary ranges differe depending on which level of nursing degree you obtained so for those who received their Associates of Science in Nursing (ASN) they can expect to earn anywhere from $45,000 to $55,000 or higher whereas someone who has graduated from a bachelors nursing program can expect to earn anywhere from $60,000 to $75,000 a year or more. To start an accredited nursing program in your area, you can call you states Board of Nursing and they can give you more information about where the accredited degree programs are near you.

Advanced Practice Nursing/Specialized Careers In Nursing

Now this is where the most job freedom as well as highest pay factors in as for example just one of the advanced practice nursing specialties, that of the nurse anesthetist earned an average salary of $186,000 which is $10,000 a year higher than a family physicians salary which is $176,000 a year. Now this isn’t the case for all advanced practice careers in nursing, but when one obtains the advanced practice status, their salary is a substantial amount higher than that of a regular registered nurse with an ASN or BSN. When it comes to the credentials needed to become an advanced practice nurse, specialty careers in nursing begin after one has completed 2 or 3 years of postgraduate training as well as passing and specialty related tests and licensing exam related to the specialty one is looking to start a career in. The job description of an advanced practice nursing career obviously will vary due to the fact that there are some many specialties, some of which include; gyneclogy, surgery, labor/delivery, public health, orthopedics, nursery, phsyciatry, pediatrics, nurse practitioner, critical care and cardiac nurse among others. Being that there are some many different job descriptions, each on differing with each specialty, a general job description of careers in nursing as a advanced practice nurse is one who diagonses and treats illnesses through the form of things like medication, surgery as well as alternative treatment and therapy.