Nursing Jobs: Home Nurse and Other Nursing Opportunities

Nursing Jobs: Home Nurse and Other Nursing Opportunities

by Greg Cryns

Home Nurse (Private Nurse)

A home nurse is also called a "private nurse" in some areas. These nurses provide expert care for people who do not need to stay in the hospital but who are confined to the home as a result of an injury or illness.

An in-home nurse is not only needed for older folks though the elderly comprise the largest group of people needing home nursing care. Often a young person recovering from an operation or other disabling problems also need home nurses. The duration of time for home care can vary from just a few days to months or longer.

Private nurses will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of checking the patient's blood pressure, changing bandages, dispensing medications, keeping records of patient activities and reporting the results to the attending physician.

In addition to standard nursing services, private nurses must be ready to serve in activities such as cooking and preparing meals, cleaning the bedroom, bathing the patient.

Alzheimer's disease

When the Alzheimer's patient is in the later stages of the disease, care becomes a critical component of their lives. This is due to the decreased brain functions that could lead to accidents since the patient is not aware that danger is near. The activities of the patient must be completely monitored.

Other out-of-hospital nursing jobs

Prison Nursing

Prisons in the US are overflowing. Some prisons are large enough to have their own zip codes. The need for prison nurses is growing as the prison population rises since medical care is important for prisoners as well.

Community Health Nursing

These nurses work for cities, towns and counties. They will travel in their area to educate the public about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and how to avoid health risks. These nurses need presentation and speaking skills because they work in schools and churches as well as other community groups.

Managed Care Nursing

HMO's and insurance companies employ nurses to work for them. They educate people in the insured companies about disease prevention, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. This keeps the cost down for the insurance companies and the companies.

Nursing Educator

The booming nursing industry is always on the lookout for qualified nurse teachers. If you love teaching this would be a great job for you. A Master's degree is required and some nursing experience as well.

Administrative Nursing

If you have the talent to manage people and you enjoy working in an office environment, the job as a nursing administrator may appeal to you. You would work for hospitals, medical clinics, nursing staffing, and health care providers.

Occupational Nursing

Your job as an occupational nurse will be in the business sector working for larger companies, especially factories. You will design health and safety programs for the company. You will also be giving speeches about healtcare and heading up clinics within the company you work for.

Pain Management Nursing

This is a fast growing area of nursing. As a full time pain management nurse you will work in hospitals, patient's homes, and hospices. The majority of patiens needing pain care will have cancer. You will need a Master's degree for this job.

School Nursing

As the population increases so does the school population. Special needs children require attention in regular schools. You may work full time for a single school or you may be hired by a school district and travel between schools in that district. If you love working with children this may be just the job for you!

Substance Abuse Nursing

In this position you will work directly with people who have addiction to drugs. You may be a private counselor or work in detox clinics. Your job is to get patients off the drugs and to keep them off drugs when they leave your care. That is no small task so you need a stiff upper lip.

Certified Nurse Midwife

This is a rapidly growing profession in the US and other countries. You will need a Master's degree for this job. You will work with expecting mothers for their prenatal care. If you work in a health center you may even be the catcher of the babies. ("delivery" is a term that should be relegated to mothers, not health care providers)

Temp Nursing

This position is useful for nurses who want to "test the water" in a particular nursing environment. You will be sent to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. You could work for a day, week, or longer depending on the need of the provider. This position give you a lot of flexibility in your life.

Other Nursing Opportunities

This is just a short list of possibilities for a nurse. Your nursing experience and education could launch careers that you never thought of before.

Some nurses work for law firms that specialize in medical malpractice. Others work writing grants for non-profit companies and organizations. Maybe you would like to work as a military nurse. Perhaps you would like to write for a magazine or for owners of websites who are always looking for good and fresh content.

Author Bio:
Greg Cryns is the owner of Nursing Programs Onliine: http://www.nursingprogramsonline.com
Greg's nursing blog: http://nursingprogramsonline.blogspot.com