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THE GEORGIA NURSES
ASSOCIATION |
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is a constituent member association of the American Nurses
Association |
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“Nursing: A Rewarding Career” |
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Nursing Facts
Brochure
(.pdf file) |
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Nursing is a most rewarding career. While the
economic outlook and rising unemployment are troubling these days,
nurses are in demand. But it is not just the job security that makes
nursing a good career choice. Nurses have the opportunity to make a
difference in people’s lives, to care and connect every day.
Registered nurses are independent professionals,
licensed by the state and legally responsible for their own practice.
Their role in health care combines science and technology with the more
personal arts of healing, counseling, and education. A career in nursing
is open to men and women, young people graduating from high school, and
adult learners re-entering the work force or changing careers.
Nursing offers its practitioners enormous
flexibility. Nurses are among the few professionals who can choose to
work almost anywhere in the world. Jobs are available in urban centers,
small cities, resort towns, suburban communities, and rural areas, as
well as in the armed services, the Peace Corps, and overseas. Nurses
are among the few professionals who can select their schedules and
modify them to fit their own changing needs. Nurses can work full or
part time, by the day, the week or the month. They can work eight or
twelve hours a day and select from night, evening, or day shifts.
The majority of nurses work in a hospital setting,
from patient care units to executive offices. Although most are staff
nurses, their roles may be strikingly different.
- A neonatal intensive
care nurse suctions a critically ill infant weighing less than 2
pounds.
- A psychiatric nurse
calms a man suffering from hallucinations.
- A nephrology nurse
monitors a young man who has received a kidney transplant.
- A utilization review
nurse examines patient records for reimbursement costs.
- An orthopedics nurse
teaches an elderly woman how to manage the cast on her broken leg.
- A discharge planning
nurse reviews records to determine what services a patient will need
when he or she returns home.
- An operating room
nurse assists at open heart surgery.
- The emergency room
charge nurse aids a trauma victim.
- A staff development
specialist explains infection control procedures to newly hired
employees.
- An oncology nurse
administers chemotherapy to a teenage leukemia patient.
- An obstetrics nurse
guides a first-time mother through the birth of her child.
Advances in health care technology, the aging of the population, and
rapid social change have increased the need for nurses in traditional
specialties such as public health nursing. There are new demands in
occupational health, nurse-midwifery, psychiatric nursing, forensic
nursing, women's health care, and alcohol and drug abuse treatment. As
the health care system undergoes restructuring, new opportunities are
emerging in case management, home health nursing, and primary care. In
addition, more and more nurses are involved in research, consulting, and
private practice. Some nurses practice in specialty areas which are
hospital based; others can be practiced in patients' homes, clinics,
universities, offices, long-term care facilities, industries, and
community agencies.
For the last couple of years the public has heard a
good deal about the nursing shortage. There are concerns about too few
nurses to care for those who are in need. In fact, shortages exist in a
number of health care professions. Thankfully, in Georgia there are many
efforts underway to find solutions to the problem.
The Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) is committed
to working on short and long-term solutions to the nursing shortage. In
the near future a career development program will be available at our
website:
www.georgianurses.org. GNA’s three Commissions; Nursing Practice,
Workplace Advocacy, and Legislative/Public Policy; are involved in
solving the day-to-day issues that impact nurses delivering care to
Georgia citizens. Our related entity, the Georgia Nurses Foundation,
recently conducted a Nursing Leadership Initiative to bring together
eminent nurse leaders in our state to strategize about the priorities
for the profession. The work of this group will be published soon.
Georgia has taken a state-wide multi-organizational
approach to solving this shortage of health care professionals.
Georgia’s Health Care Workforce Policy Advisory Committee, working
through the Department of Community Health, was established in July
2001. The Committee is charged with monitoring and addressing the
supply, mix, distribution and practice aspects of nursing, allied health
and behavioral health professionals. Efforts to address the shortage
have been focused on getting the message out through various media
opportunities, developing recruitment materials, and increasing
scholarships and service-cancelable loans. Funding is available to
educate undergraduate students to be registered nurses and graduate
students for nursing faculty positions.
Recruitment strategies must be equally matched by
efforts to retain nurses in quality workplaces.
State-wide forums have been conducted to allow
various health care organizations to share process improvements, best
practices and innovative ideas related to the work environment. Plans
are underway to develop a mentoring program focused on easing the
transition from student to practicing nurse. Educational opportunities
to prepare knowledgeable nurse managers are on the horizon. The report
of the Committee’s first year of work is available at
http://www.georgianurses.org/pac2002annualreport.htm.
The Georgia Nurses Association works everyday to
support the 93,000 registered nurses in our state—to practice this most
rewarding career. As Nurse Week recognition approaches, we want Georgia
citizens to know that there are major efforts underway to solve this
critical nursing shortage. |
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A Career Rich in Options and
Opportunity, |
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A Career That Will Challenge Your
Mind |
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And Touch Your Heart |
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Registered nurses are independent professionals, licensed by the state and
legally responsible for their own practice. Their role in health care
combines science and technology with the more personal arts of healing,
counseling, and education.
A career in nursing is open to men and women, young people graduating from high
school, and adult learners re-entering the work force or changing careers.
The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the nation will
need at least 2,575,000 by the year 2020.
Nursing offers it's practitioners enormous flexibility. Nurses are among the
few professionals who can choose to work almost anywhere in the world. Jobs are
available in urban centers, small cities, resort towns, suburban communities,
and rural areas, as well as in the armed services, the Peace Corps, and
overseas. Nurses are among the few professionals who can select their schedules
and modify them to fit their own changing needs. Nurses can work full or part
time, by the day, the week or the month. They can work eight or twelve hours a
day and select from night, evening, or day shifts.
Nurses work throughout the hospital, from patient-care units to executive
offices. Although most are staff nurses, their roles may be strikingly
different.
-
A neonatal intensive care nurse suctions a
critically ill infant weighing less than 2 pounds.
-
A psychiatric nurse calms a man suffering from
hallucinations.
-
A nephrology nurse monitors a young man who
has received a kidney transplant.
-
A utilization examines patient records for
reimbursement costs.
-
An orthopedics nurse teaches an elderly woman
how to manage the cast on her broken leg.
-
A discharge planning nurse reviews records to
determine what services a patient will need when he or she returns home.
-
An operating room nurse assists at open heart
surgery.
-
The emergency room charge nurse aids a trauma
victim.
-
A staff development specialist explains
infection control procedures to newly hired employees.
-
An oncology nurse administers chemotherapy to
a teenage leukemia patient.
-
An obstetrics nurse guides a first-time mother
through the birth of her child.
Advances in health care technology, the aging of the population, and rapid
social change have increased the need for nurses in traditional specialties such
as public health nursing. There are new demands in occupational health,
nurse-midwifery, psychiatric nursing, women's health care, sex education, and
alcohol and drug abuse treatment.
As the health care system undergoes
restructuring, new opportunities are emerging in case management, home health
nursing, and primary care. In addition, more and more nurses are involved in
research, consulting, and private practice.
There are now over 75 different specialties in nursing. Some nurses practice in
specialty areas which are hospital based; others can be practiced in patients'
homes, clinics, universities, offices, long-term care facilities, industries,
and community agencies.
You can become a registered nurse by graduating from one of several different
types of education programs that will prepare you to take the national RN
licensure exam. It is necessary to pass this exam before you can practice as an
RN. Admission to these RN programs requires a high school diploma with courses
in algebra, biology, and chemistry.
Earn a
Bachelor's Degree
in Nursing (BSN)
You can earn a bachelor's degree by enrolling in one of the state's public or
private four-year college programs. There programs offer a college education
with a specialization in nursing. The bachelor's degree is a requirement for
all advanced degrees in nursing and, increasingly, for most positions beyond
staff nurse level. Special bachelor's degree programs are available to those
who have earned a college degree in another field. These programs can be
completed in fewer than four years.
Earn an Associate Degree
in Nursing (AS)
You can earn an associate degree by enrolling in one of the state's public or
private two-year colleges. These programs will prepare you for the RN licensure
exam and make you eligible for the many thousands of excellent jobs that require
RN licensure. Many students earn an associate degree and then continue to
pursue their bachelor's degree after they are employed as a registered nurse.
Employers often have tuition reimbursement programs that help fund such efforts.
Visit this link for a complete list
of
nursing education
programs in Georgia.
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