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General Nurse - Career Profile |
Career OverviewWhen most people think of a career in nursing, they imagine it involves working in a hospital as subordinates to doctors and surgeons. Most people imagine they are thinking of general nurses, but general Nurses have far greater professional responsibility and autonomy that most people realize.
General nurses often hold advanced degrees but their most valued assets are their skills and credentials to work in the various area of nursing, whether it's critical care or home help nursing they are practicing.
True to their title, general nurses work in virtually every area of medicine. They may work in critical care emergency rooms or intensive care units, assessing patients for airway, breathing, circulation, bleeding, physiological and neurological impairments and risk. They may perform wound care and nutritional and fluid therapy; they may administer medications and provide a variety of general assistance to promote the comfort of patients and their family members.
General nurses may also play a key role in education and communication with patients, patient families, general communities, and other staff members, providing educational materials and general health information targeting different age-groups, literacy levels, and cultural norms.
The training a general nurse receives enables them to practice general medicine in a hospital, clinic, or freelance capacity, just like nurse practitioners. General nurses work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and for various health care agencies, depending on what they want to do. Some work as administrators, researchers, policy-makers, educators, and consultants, as well as, or rather than as practitioners.
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Career RequirementsTo become a general nurse, individuals typically studies for a nursing certification and may receive advanced training in nursing. General nurses must graduate from an accredited nursing program and must hold a current state licensure.
A general nurse works in clinical practice, sometimes in hospitals, in clinics, in specialist clinics, and health care centers.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center awards licenses to qualified Clinical Nursing Specialists and is the official source for more information about finding an accredited training course. Contact information features below.
American Nurses Credentialing Center
600 Maryland Ave., SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, D.C. 20024-2571
(800) 284-2378
American Nurses' Association
8518 Georgia Ave.,
Ste. 400,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.nursingworld.org
National League for Nursing
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006
www.nln.org
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Job OutlookIn the next decade, nursing will be one of the top 10 fastest growing professions in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care facilities will be looking to cut back on general costs so clinical nurse specialists may become the preferred alternative to more specialized medical professionals.
The future looks bright in the nursing field, with the number of jobs for registered nurses expected to increase at a rate far greater than that of most other jobs in the next couple of years.
Over the next decade or so, the nursing profession is expected to change as well. Nearly one out of every eight Americans is over 65 years of age and the size of the elderly population looks set to double by 2050, according to the US Census Bureau. Nurses specializing in care of the elderly will be in particular demand.
Hospitals are constantly downsizing, cutting back on the number of general staff, and reducing the time of patients' stay as well, so at home patient care is likely to be the standard practice for nurses in the not too distant future.
There has also been some discussion about dividing the field of nursing into professional nurses and technical nurses. This will distinguish between those who have four-year degrees and those who have associate degrees. General nurses with bachelor degrees in nursing, as opposed to associate degrees will likely be more secure in the job market if such a distinction occurs.
As the field develops, there will certainly be increased opportunity for general nurses to take on more responsibilities to assist senior nurses, physicians, and other medical staff members.
Trends suggest that the education role of general nurses will become increasingly important, too. As patients spend less time in hospital, patient education will become an increasingly crucial part of the overall patient experience.
The role of the general nurse is and will remain a vital ingredient to ensure a positive experience for patients and staff.
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Career TrackGeneral nurses have credentials that allow them to take numerous responsibilities in the field of medicine. They can choose to work day-to-day on a general hospital ward, practicing general medicine, or they can assist specialists in the treatment of patients requiring in a particular area of medicine.
The career track of every general nurse may vary considerably. However, the general education, training, and experience of general nurse offers an excellent foundation for a career track in a variety of areas and in a variety of capacities, from patient care to hospital administration. Wherever your ambitions take you, the qualifications and experience of working as a general nurse is likely to help you get there.
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CompensationAlthough compensation for general nurses varies considerably, depending on where they work, the annual pay is generally above that of a nursing practitioner working in the same type of situation.
- General nurse: $40,000 to $60,000
- Licensed practical nurse: $35,000 to $45,000
- Nurse practitioner: $60,000 to $125,000
- Nurse supervisor: $55,000 to $85,000
- Registered nurse: $40,000 to $65,000
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