Evolution of Nursing Jobs

Florence Nightingale stated in 1859, "The goal of nursing is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him, primarily by altering the environment."

The standards of nursing have undergone a drastic change since the mid-nineteenth century ...

Nurses can specialize in specific medical areas and they can also work in a variety of environments, no longer bound exclusively to hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Career Opportunities for Nurses

The field of nursing has expanded so much, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nursing as the fastest growing occupation over the next five years and one that will continue to provide long-term stable jobs for future generations.

While hospitals are anticipated to remain the largest employers of nurses, many non-traditional employment prospects are opening as well. These career opportunities include pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, corporations and law firms, the internet, traveling nurse, correctional nursing and home care.

• Nursing Jobs on The Internet

  Disease management is one of many employment prospects for nurses on the World Wide Web. This field of nursing assists populations living with chronic diseases such as diabetes by providing ongoing support in addition to the patient’s primary care plan. Other internet jobs include writing clinical content and consulting for software companies that are developing future medical applications.

  
  

• Traveling Nursing Jobs

  This is a good prospect for nurses who are willing to travel, especially to remote and rural areas. Agencies pay travel expenses and handle the nurses’ housing and utilities. Some agencies also offer health insurance, retirement plans and completion bonuses.

  
  

• Medical & Legal Nursing Jobs

  Many attorneys are hiring more and more nurses to assist them with cases involving product liability, medical malpractice and workers compensation claims. These types of nursing jobs require research, explaining complex medical ideas to laypeople, writing clearly and locating expert witnesses.

  
  

• Nursing Jobs in Correctional Health Care

  With approximately 1.8 million individuals behind bars, the United States leads the world in incarceration. Even though incarcerated, these individuals retain a constitutional right to health care. Some experts project the correctional nursing industry will grow by $6.5 billion a year by mid-decade.

  
  

• Nursing Jobs Caring for Geriatrics

  As more and more Baby Boomers reach their golden years the field of geriatrics will provide further opportunities for nurses. These jobs may be in the traditional hospital setting, assisted living facilities and home health care.

  
  

• Nursing Jobs Around the World

  Following the tragic disaster of the Tsunami in South Asia there is a huge demand for skilled nurses worldwide. Many nurses today have the option of traveling the world while providing much needed care.

Job Search for Nursing Jobs

With the number and variety of nursing positions open today, nurses can afford to be choosy when selecting their next job. Nurses who wish to shop around for their next employer can do so by utilizing the abundance of online databases providing job listings for nurses. Just a few of these databases include:

• All Nurses
  

• Nurse Week
  

• Nation Job
  

• Hospital Web
  

• CDC & P
  

• MedJump

In addition to searching for positions online nurses may choose to look for jobs using job fairs through colleges and universities. Resume distribution services also offer another alternative for nurses who are job searching. Many online services allow nurses to distribute their resumes to thousands of prospective employers through e-mail for a small fee.

Cover Letters for Nursing Jobs

While nursing resumes focus on the type of work a nurse has done in the past, cover letters allow nurses to really fine tune their objectives and goals. Nursing cover letters give nurses the opportunity to be very specific about the type of work they are looking to move towards and what career goals they hope to accomplish.

Resumes for Nursing Jobs

When creating winning resumes for nursing positions, job seekers should remember to create a goal-precise, focused and specific resume. Functional resumes are best for nurses who are making lateral career moves because they focus on skills. Nurses, however; who are looking towards climbing the healthcare ladder should consider chronological resumes because they show a nurse’s progression.

Qualifications for Nursing Jobs

The amount of nursing qualifications depends upon the level of nursing an individual wants to achieve, but at the very minimum involves a requisite amount of intensive training in an approved nursing program, clinicals and passing the state board exams as well as NCLEX; The National Council Licensure Examination

Training for Nursing Jobs

Training for licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses lasts for about a year. Once on the job LPN’s and LVN’s usually provide bedside care, monitor patients and assist them with hygiene care such as bathing and dressing patients.

Training for registered nurses takes about 3-4 years to complete.