Increasing Demand for Nursing Assistant jobs

Almost as important as doctors or nurses today are nursing assistants without whom a medical procedure cannot be begun, nor ended. Certified nursing assistants are in high demand and are required by almost every nursing home, health facility, hospital and sometimes even by private homes where patients are recuperating.

While the primary duties in nursing assistant jobs include checking and monitoring the patient’s blood pressure, pulse, heart rate and respiratory rate, they are also required to perform a number of other activities like administrating medication, keeping the patients room clean and hygienic, mapping the patient’s condition constantly and reporting same to the nurse and a few other non medical yet highly crucial duties that are imperative to the treatment.

Nursing assistants are also required to bathe, groom, feed, walk and basically help patients recover from illnesses or injuries, or recuperate after a strenuous surgery or long treatment.

With the help of modern technology, more and more lives are being saved and extended. People are living longer but not necessarily in the best of health. Most aged people still need long term care and that is where nursing assistants play a major role.

The demand for Certified Nursing Assistants is increasing steadily and as per the U.S department of Labor’s projections, it is expected to grow at a rate between 22 to 28 % by 2018.

Various factors have lead to an increase in demand for nursing assistant jobs. Some of these include:

·         Growth in the number of residential nursing care homes

·         Increased life expectancy and thus geriatric population

·         Increased number of public and private healthcare facilities and hospitals

·         Increased medical attention required for babies, particularly those born premature.

·         High rate of turnover amongst nursing assistants

·         Vital and indispensable nature of the duties they perform

·         Specialization and branching out of nursing assistants making them experts in niche medical genres

Certified nursing assistants also have a better chance of getting accepted into a nursing school program. Most budding nurses prefer to train as nursing assistants first for a few years before the go on to study at nursing school.

All these and few other factors have significantly contributed to the increase in demand for nursing assistants.

The Benefits of Nursing Jobs

There are many benefits to getting a nursing job. Great pay, flexible hours, and the ability to work in practically any location are three top benefits to becoming a nurse, not the mention the rewards that go along with caring for patients.

Flexibility of hours draws many nurses to this profession. You can have your pick of any shift, especially if you are a more seasoned nurse. In virtually any hospital in the country there are a large variety of shifts and number of hours per pay period for a nurse to work.  There are 8 hour shifts, 10 hour shifts, and 12 hours shifts, on days, evenings, or nights.  Those could be anywhere from 20 to 80 hours per pay period (a 2 week pay period). A nurse can work part-time, full time, or PRN, meaning they come in when they are called. Clinic or school nurses work a typical eight to ten-hour schedule.

Variety is another great characteristic of nursing jobs. There are no limits to the areas where nurses can work. The army, a hospital, a rehab clinic, a doctor's office, a school - the options are limitless. The biggest nursing employment settings will be hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient care centers, nursing care facilities, and home health care.

A nurse can choose to specialize in what medical field they want to work in - oncology, operating room, pediatrics, geriatrics, neurology, psych, urology, ob/gyn. Also there are several different nursing positions to choose from.  Staff nurse, floor charge nurse, floor unit manager, educator, hospital wide nursing supervisor, research nurse are examples of the options a nurse has, depending on their experience and specialty.

There are five ways a person can become a nurse. He or she can get their Bachelor of Science Nursing (BS/BSN), which is a four-year program offered at colleges and universities. BSN graduates have the best opportunity in terms of nursing career choices. Then there is the Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN), which is offered at junior and community colleges, and even some universities and hospitals. The ADN is a two-to-three year program that trains and prepares nurses to provide direct patient care in a variety of settings. Many hospitals are now asking ADNs to go back and get their BSN.  The hospital diploma is two to three year program that specializes in preparing nurses to give direct care to patients in a variety of settings. Nurses can also become an Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Under the direction of doctors and registered nurses (RNs), an LPN administers basic care (takes temp, vital signs, etc.) directly to patients. Accelerated Programs (Accelerated BSN/MSN) are for nursing candidates that already have Bachelor's, or even Master's degrees.

After the schooling portion is finished, the nurse must pass the NCLEX-RN, a state board exam that has a skills portion and a written portion. If the nurse passes these, they can practice medicine in the state they are in.

Practicing diligence and tenacity will enable the potential nurse to graduate and realize all of the opportunities that are waiting for them in the real world.

Information about Nurse Practitioner Jobs

The nurse practitioner performs many of the same duties as nurse, but with a higher level of complexity and responsibility. They are an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who has completed graduate-level education (either a Master of nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree). Nurse Practitioners treat both physical and mental conditions through comprehensive history taking, physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests. They care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled, provide bedside care, record patients' vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration, and monitor signs continually for changes.

They prepare and give injections, insert and monitor catheters, administer alcohol rubs, give massages, check and dress wounds, apply topical ointments, assist with bathing and dressing, feed patient, supervise nursing assistants, collect samples for testing, perform laboratory tests, record food and fluid intake and output, clean and monitor medical equipment, deliver, care for, and feed infants, and report adverse reactions to medication.

NPs also obtain medical histories, complete insurance forms, complete pre-authorizations and referrals, teach relatives how to care for patients at home, develop care plans, make appointments, keep records and perform other clerical duties, and prepare meals.

But nurse practitioner have more responsibility than the average nurse. They can also provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services, take medical histories, ascertain allergies, examine patients and determine reason for visit, order and interpret laboratory tests, order x-rays, treat minor injuries, apply antiseptics, dressings, bandages, and other wound care accoutrements, and apply sutures.

NPs can splint and cast broken bones, record patient's progress and make further recommendations, instruct and counsel patients on a variety of topics, prescribe physical therapy and medications, order medical supplies, supervise medical technicians, nurses, and assistants, confer often with supervising physician, make house calls, administer inoculations, order and set up special equipment, provide surgical assistance, attend to patients in hospitals, and recommend follow up visits.

Nurse Practitioners can be educated and nationally certified in areas of Family Health (FNP), Pediatrics, including Pediatric Acute/Chronic Care, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Oncology and general Pediatrics (PNP), Neonatology (NNP), Gerontology (GNP), Women's Health (WHNP), Psychiatry & Mental Health (PMHNP), Acute Care (ACNP), Adult Health (ANP), Oncology (FNP, ACNP, ANP, PNP or ANP) Emergency (as FNP or ACNP), and Occupational Health (as ANP or FNP).

An NP provides high-quality, cost-effective and individualized care for patients, families and communities. NPs are authorized to practice across the nation and have privileges to prescribe medications, in varying degrees in all 50 states. NPs are licensed in all states and the District of Columbia.  They practice under the rules and regulations of the state in which they are licensed.  Most NPs are nationally certified in their specialty area and are recognized as expert healthcare providers.

They practice in clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care sites, private physician or NP practices, nursing homes, schools, colleges, and public health departments, to name a few.  

According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, more and more people are choosing NPs as their primary, acute and/or specialty healthcare provider. In addition to being top-notch healthcare providers, NPs deliver a blend of nursing and medical care because they provide comprehensive, personalized health education and counseling.  

What It's Like to be a Nursing Assistant

Nursing assistants have some of the most difficult jobs in healthcare. They are tasked with the everyday healthcare management of individuals on a highly personal basis. They do a lot of the grunt work, including ambulating, transferring, bathing, feeding, cleaning, and much more.

Nursing assistants provide basic care to patients in hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, hospice care, rehab centers, doctor's offices, and clinics. They visit residents as soon as they clock in to determine what should be done first and what the priorities are.

These assistants are extremely active and perform a lot of labor-intensive work. Since they transfer patients, many of them use belts and proper lifting techniques to avoid injury. They may be more prone to injures than workers in other jobs.

Simple range of motion exercises keep the patient's blood pumping and muscle tone. The aide will gently adduct limbs from the body and pay attention to signs of pain. They perform these exercises on the arms and legs on a regular basis.

Some nursing aides have the certification to dispense medicine. They pour out the proper dose or cut pills in half and give to patients. They carefully record all the medicines each patient takes.

Nursing aides take a lot of orders from both doctors, nurses, and practical nurses. They change sheets, refresh linens, tidy rooms, empty trash cans, and call for help if there are spills on on the floor. If a patient has had a stroke, the aide will feed the patient and make sure they don't choke on the food. They pay careful attention to the doctor's prescribed diet.

Aides assist with activities of dialing living, or ADLs. ADLs are defined as "the things we normally do...such as feeding ourselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, work, homemaking, and leisure." While basic categories of ADLs have been suggested, what specifically constitutes a particular ADL in a particular environment for a particular person may vary.

The most common ADLs are personal hygiene and grooming, dressing and undressing, bathing, feeding, brushing teeth, functional transfers, bowel and bladder management, and ambulation.

In nursing homes, aides and attendants are often the principal caregivers. They have more contact with residents than other members of the staff. Because some residents stay in a nursing home for months or years, aides and attendants may develop close, caring relationships with their patients.

It can difficult on aides when a patient gets very sick or passes away. This is one of the most difficult aspects of the job. Often after the patient passes the aide is charged with cleaning the body and prepping for transfer.

But the nursing aide jobs can be a very rewarding experience. Because care is one-on-one, the aide gets to follow every aspect of the patient's treatment. Every activity the aide performs assists in helping the patient get better. In the case of someone who is living in a long-term facility, the aide will help the patient retain some of their independence even though they need daily assistance.