This is an exciting time to be a nurse. We have many career options: bedside caregiver, advanced practitioner, educator, and researcher, to name a few.
Technology advances provide the most accurate clinical information available, and combined with our excellent critical thinking and physical assessment skills, let us provide the highest level of care.
Nurses remain the public's most trusted health care professionals, placing us in an enviable position. Those interested in caring for critically ill or injured patients can do so across the life span and in settings ranging from the neo-natal ICU to the ED. Caring for patients who require critical care demands that we possess specialty skills and knowledge. Emerging technology means we must remain abreast of changes in practice.
If you're considering a career change, be sure to determine what type of education is provided, beginning with orientation, competency validation, and training for new devices or clinical procedures. A unit or department committed to education helps you provide excellent care using best practices. As nurses, we must engage in lifelong learning to be able to make a difference when caring for patients and families.
Patricia Kunz Howard, RN, CEN, PhD
President, Emergency Nurses Association