Registered Nurses

Nurses: the heart of the hospital. A registered nurse does many jobs to care for their patients. In a recent article the American Nurses Association helps explain what registered nurses do. They write:
   RN's perform physical exams and health histories, they provide health promotion, counseling and education, they administer medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions, they coordinate care, in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals, and they direct and supervise care delivered by other healthcare personnel like LPNs and nurse aids.
These nurses are the main people their patients see. Nurses are the people that interact with their patients and make sure they are cared for properly. Registered nurses are the first and last people you see when you go to a doctor's office or a hospital. They come in and check your vitals and then they go get the doctor. When the doctor is done, your nurse comes back in to make sure you understand everything and to give you information on how to care for what you have.
I am in the process of getting my bachelor's degree in nursing. In 2008, the American Nursing Association passed a statement saying it would be recommended that all RN's get their BSN within 10 years of licensure. Nursing Link states 80% of all nurses should have their BSN by the year 2020. "According to the IOM, core competencies for today's nurses include: leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, teamwork and collaboration, competency in specific content areas such as community and public health geriatrics, and technological knowledge." Also, there is a shortage of nurse educators and with getting a BSN in nursing it puts you in a good spot to be evaluated for a teaching position.
University Alliance wrote an article on the expected shortage of qualified nurses. There is a shortage of nursing educators resulting in applicants being turned away from being able to become a nurse. Also, opportunities expanded creating more jobs for men and women. This results in less people going to school to become a nurse. "In as many as 30 states, healthcare organizations are finding i difficult to fill nursing positions. For example, America Journal of Medical Quality reported that by 2030, states such as Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa will lack sufficient numbers of RNs". This is a nerve-racking statement due to the fact people need nurses when they become ill or they are injured. Though, some states are trying extremely hard to get their students to go to nursing schools and get a degree in a healthcare profession. For example, many states are giving grants and scholarships to bring awareness to these types of jobs. There are also campaigns aimed at middle and high school students to help them learn about the positive aspects of a nursing career. With these campaigns and scholarships, hopefully, the healthcare profession will stop decreasing at the rate it is now.