If you are currently in a nursing school program and wondering where you will apply your skills upon graduation you should know that the sky is the limit. Nursing is a helping profession that allows for application of skills in many different settings. Unlike other professions, nursing is very versatile and there is always a need for qualified nursing professionals across a broad spectrum of areas. Finding your nursing niche may take some time but there is definitely a practice setting to suit anyone considering or pursuing the field of nursing.
One of the main practice settings for a nurse is the hospital. Most people are introduced to the hospital nursing setting while in a nursing school program through a clinical. The hospital setting is considered by some to be formal. It is also one of the few practice settings that allows a nurse to experiment with a variety of specialties. In one hospital alone you can gain experience working in neonatal or pediatrics, medical/surgical, the emergency room, the operating room and even the intensive care unit.
Nurses who work in a hospital setting work a variety of different shifts including weekend only options that give them the entire week off if they agree to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hospital practice settings offer lots of overtime and opportunity to advance but can be somewhat stressful given the nursing shortage.
An additional practice setting is a nursing home or a hospice. Nurses who work in nursing homes and hospices are usually devoted to providing quality care to patients who are older and/or stricken with illness. One of the main concerns may be to provide comfort to these patients while they are on their last days. Many of these nurses also work a variety of different shifts available 24/7 and in the nursing home setting you will also find certified nursing assistants who are of valuable help to these particular nurses. Nurses who work in the nursing home or hospice practice setting must be able to have a great amount of compassion and sympathy and the willingness to deal with issues of death and loss. Many of these nurses are available on an on-call basis to deal with sudden deaths or urgent care matters for particular patients.
For those who love interacting with students using your nursing skills in a school may be the practice setting for you. Some consider school nurses public health nurses because they are not working in a clinical environment and many focus on the prevention of disease. School nurses can be found in schools both public and private from kindergarten to university level. Their main job is to ensure the health of the students and the school staff. Many administer immunizations and keep track of these records. Some also provide education on sexually transmitted diseases, promote nutritional programs and provide medical attention to the student body when necessary.
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