Nursing

What do you think of when you visit a hospital or a clinic?

Doctors, needles, medicine, hearing scope and many more, we believe that a nurse is also among the first thing that comes into your mind when we mention about visiting a hospital or a clinic.

A nurse is a person that we will surely come in contact when we’re sick. You can’t go straight to a doctor without telling a nurse about your health condition.

Care to know more about what does a nurse do or interested to be one? Let's find out!

Nursing - What will you study?

Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector focused on the care of individuals and a nurse is always projected with an image of a care provider. It is not easy to be a nurse as being a professional nurse requires a lot of knowledge in the medical field, and also require many soft skills to deal with patients and their families.

To be a professional nurse, you can earn your qualification by studying a diploma or a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In a typical nursing course, you will learn about nursing fundamentals, communication, primary health care, psychology, nursing care for various types of patients and other subjects which are important to provide the best health care support to patients.

As nursing is a specialized profession that focuses on caring and educating within the healthcare system, you will expect to gain your knowledge as a nurse not only through these subjects but also through hands-on practice in any healthcare setting.

What are the popular fields of Nursing?

There are so many specialities and career path options in the nursing field and it may be difficult for nurses to choose one. Among all the nursing specialization options, here are some which are quite popular:

1. Children’s Nurse
As a children’s nurse, you will be involved in everything from nursing a sick newborn to a sick adolescent by providing care and support needed by the patients.

Children’s nurses are typically employed by hospitals, nursing agencies, health centres to provide care for infants, children and adolescents with a range of medical needs.  

2. Registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a fully qualified nurse who is licensed to practice and offer healthcare services.

An RN works in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, outpatient facilities and dialysis centres and an RN with advanced education may be responsible for performing patient diagnosis and case management. 

3. Labour and Delivery Nurse
Labour and delivery nurses bring new lives into this world by helping to deliver healthy babies and get moms through the process safely.

The primary responsibilities of a labour and delivery nurse range from monitoring baby’s and mother’s vital signs during labour to coaching new me mothers throughout the delivery.

4. Staff Nurse
A staff nurse is a hospital nurse whose rank is slightly below that of a charge nurse. They are responsible for assessing a patient’s condition and administer medications and injections. They are basically the first person you’ll come in contact with when you visit a hospital or a clinic.

How long do you study Nursing?

The duration of studying nursing course depends on the level of study of your course:

• Diploma course: 1-3 years
• Bachelor's degree: 2-4 years
• Master's degree:1-2 years

Why should you study Nursing?

1. An honourable profession
Nurses work in a well-respected industry and nurse is an honourable job in the industry where the work they do are greatly appreciated.

Nurse receive respect from people and is ranked as the most ethical profession in America for the 16th consecutive year as a result of their contribution to society.

2. Absolute satisfaction
As nurses meet different kinds of patients and various health concerns each day, not one day of a nurse looks the same. The diversity of the challenges and the people they meet will surely ensure that they feel satisfied in carrying out their job.

3. Various working environment
Since the choices of a nursing job are quite a number, nurses can work in many different settings based on their specializations.  As a nurse, you will be able to work in different environments like clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, healthcare centres, etc. 

What skills do you need for Nursing?

1. Compassion
Compassion is an essential component of good nursing care and also a fundamental part of nursing care. They are always on the front line dealing with patients and their families, thus it is good for a nurse to be compassionate by providing emotional support during critical times of the patient’s treatment and recovery. 

2. Detail Orientation
As a nurse is responsible for patients’ health and well being after treatment, and is involved in their recovery process from administering medication to their post-hospital treatment, a nurse needs to pay attention to all the details so that the patients and their family are well taken care of. 

3. Communication
Communication skill is a skill you can’t miss as a good nurse as you will be the vital link between the patient and the doctor. On top of that, be sure to keep your emotions well-managed when communicating and dealing with patients and their families as they might be difficult to handle sometimes. 

What career can you have with a Nursing education?

Here are some jobs that are directly related to a Nursing education or which a Nursing education would be useful:

• Adult nurse
• Children’s nurse
• Paramedic
• Physician associate
• Health service manager
• Learning disability nurse
• Midwife
• Nurse educator
• Travel nurse
• Nursing administrator

What is the Expected Salary?

While a nurse is a fulfilling and honourable occupation, the pay is pretty decent too. Below are the expected salaries of some popular jobs in this industry.

(Source: Payscale) 

Top 10 Nursing Schools

Here is the list of Top 10 Nursing schools around the world which are well-reputed in the healthcare field:

1. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university, placed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is also one of the Colonial Colleges. Penn considers itself the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, as well as the first university with both undergraduate and graduate studies in the United States.

2. King’s College London (KCL)

King's College London is a public research university in London. Over the past ten years, King’s has improved dramatically and has become one of the world’s leading Universities for both education and research.

Looking ahead at a world that depends on being better connected, King’s already has the advantage of having disciplines that connect across different cultures, subjects, institutions and geographies.

3. Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins initiate the concept of the modern research university in the United States.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has ranked Johns Hopkins 1st among U.S. academic institutions in total science, medical and engineering research and development spending for 31 consecutive years. JHU had educated many talented students to bring benefits to the world.

4. University of Washington

University of Washington (UW) is a public research university, marking it as one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, located in the University District (Seattle), Tacoma and Bothell. The UW occupies over 500 buildings and has been called a Public Ivy institution.

The university has an enrollment of 39,000 students, consisting of 28,600 undergraduates, 8,800 postgraduates and 1,700 professional students. Washington is an elected member of the Association of American Universities, and its research budget is among the highest in the United States.

5. The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, England. It was formed in 2004 as the result of a merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Manchester.

The University of Manchester has 25 Nobel laureates among its past and present students and staff, the third-highest number of any single university in the United Kingdom after Cambridge and Oxford. 

6. University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

University California San Fransisco (UCSF) is the leading university exclusively focused on health. The University comprises top-ranked professional schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy; as well as a physical therapy program and a graduate division with world-renowned programs in basic and social/populational science.

7. Yale University

Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale University is the third oldesr institution of higher education in the US.

Yale University is organized into twelve constituent schools: the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and ten professional schools. While the university is governed by the Yale Corporation, each school's faculty oversees its curriculum and degree programs.

8. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Among the 100 best U.S public colleges and universities providing high quality academics at an affordable price, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is a public university with more than 336,000 alumni and two Nobel laureates. The institution's research enterprise doubled in the last decade, thus securing its position as a top national research university.

9. University of Southampton

Based in the city of Southampton, the University of Southampton is a British Russell Group university, founded in 1862 as Hartley Institution, and later gained University status in 1952. It owns six campuses - four in Southampton, one in Winchester, and another international branch in Malaysia. 

The University of Southampton is divided into eight faculties: Faculty of Business and Law, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences, and Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.

10. Duke University

Founded in 1838, Duke University is a private research university with over 15,000 students who are mostly postgraduates. With an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students are given a personalised learning experience. The institution houses more than 400 student organisations, allowing students to interact with each other and develop their passions and interests.