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Industry Profile -- by Mark Sproxton
Nursing has long been viewed as a traditional career. Traditional
in the respect most people have had some contact with nurses and have
a few ideas about what some of them do at work. Nursing, however, is
an ever changing field. Roles and responsibilities are constantly
shifting. On-going learning and training are required to keep current
and retain licensing.
Partially because nurses work in so many different areas of health
care, and partially because of an aging workforce, they are in huge
demand across the country. For instance, the Canadian Nurses
Association predicts there will be unfilled job openings for 78,000
registered nurses by 2011. So just how many nurses are currently
working in Alberta? As of September 2002 there were 25, 881
registered nurses, but the total doesn't stop there as there are
other kinds of nurses. Currently there are about 5,000 licensed
practical nurses and 1,400 registered psychiatric nurses in the
province.
Regardless of nursing title, they work in a variety of settings
from hospital wards dealing with broken bones or cancer patients, to
old folks homes, to mental health clinics to rehabilitation clinics.
Some nurses also like to work travel contracts, which allows them to
work in a hospital in the U.S. for instance for a specific length of
time. Other nurses prefer to work in places such as mining camps in
the middle of the tundra in the Northwest Territories.
Needless to say, opportunities abound. But don't believe for a
minute the work is easy. Ever-increasing patient workloads, lack of
respect and cuts to health care spending by governments place daily
demands on nurses. Along with the hard work, however, come many
rewards. Most nurses receive much in return for knowing they played a
part in helping someone else.
In this issue of nextSteps.org we caught up with several nurses including a licensed practical nurse and a registered psychiatric nurse. Additionally, we talked to three registered nurses working in markedly different areas of health care: one who works in pediatric mental health; another working in the operating room; and a nurse scientist. This month's Hot Tip points out that nursing isn't quite what
you see on TV, while the Jump Start looks at the many places nursing
training is offered in addition to listing some sites where nursing
jobs are found.
Here's a brief summary of some of the jobs available in this
industry with links to more information from the Occinfo career
database:
Registered nurses provide patient care and take on supervisory or management positions in a variety of health care settings. Post-secondary education of two to four years is required as is successfully completing a national exam prior to being licensed to practice.
- Pay will range from $23,000 - $67,000 or more a year.
- Above average occupational growth is expected to 2006.
Licensed practical nurses provide daily-living care to patients in a variety of health care settings. A one-year post-secondary program and successfully completing a national exam is required before being licensed to practice.
- Pay will range from $16,000 - $56,000 or more a year.
- Above average occupational growth is expected to 2006.
Registered psychiatric nurses help assess and treat mental health patients in a variety of settings. A two-year
post-secondary diploma is required as is successfully completing a provincial exam prior to being licensed to practice.
- Pay will range from $45,000 - $65,000 or more a year.
- Above average occupational growth is expected to 2006.
Orthopedic technicians work primarily with casts, braces and bandages in a variety of settings. Advanced education is required after becoming a LPN.
- Pay will range from $30,000 - $36,000 or more a year.
- Above average occupational growth is expected to 2006.
Operating room technologists are like orthopedic technicians in that they are jobs held by LPNS with specialized training in operating room theory and procedures. See LPN for more information.
- Pay will range from $16,000 - $56,000 or more a year.
- Above average occupational growth is expected to 2006.
Registered nurse scientists are nurses who have taken their nursing education to the PhD level. Nurse scientists conduct research designed to improve nursing care and a patient's health. See this month's Double Take for more information.
Nurse practitioners typically work in remote locations and work under guidelines allowing them to provide more health services than traditional registered nurses, such as prescribing some kinds of drugs. Alberta has specific and on-going legislation for this career path. After becoming a RN additional education will be required.
Related careers from previous issues of nextSteps magazine include:
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