Staff Nurse

Registered nursing is one of the most exciting fields in the medical industry. There are also numerous opportunities available to registered nurses. There are more than 2 million registered nurses practicing nationwide. Most registered nurses fill staff nursing positions.

Nurses must be trained in science and the liberal arts to be effective healthcare administrators. All nursing students must complete microbiology, anatomy, physiology, and other science courses to be able to effectively identify and treat various health problems. Nurses also complete English, education, and psychology courses to develop communication, analytical, and writing skills. Nurses able to communicate with patients help them feel comfortable. Staff nurses must have analytical skills since they often design individualized care plans for patients.

While physicians treat disease and injuries, nurses asses the overall health of patients. They also teach patients how to live healthier lives and avoid preventative diseases. To effectively teach patients about preventative health, they discuss methods with patients to improve emotional, spiritual, and physical health.

Roles of A Staff Nurse

Staff nurses working at hospitals and other medical clinics have the option of working as generalists or specialists. Popular specialties for staff nurses include emergency care, pediatrics, surgery, and cardiology. Many staff nurses work solely with infants, adolescents, adults, and elderly patients.

All staff nurses must advocate on behalf of patients and serve on teams with doctors, nurses, and other medical specialists. Staff nurses serve as patient advocates by ensuring their patients receive the proper care and have access to adequate resources. As team members with other medical professionals, staff nurses meet with team members to make sure patients are receiving the best possible care. They also frequently collaborate with physical therapists to follow up with patients recovering from serious injuries and illnesses.

Staff nurses who’ve completed advanced training often fill jobs as healthcare administrators, teachers, researchers, case managers, and clinical nurse specialists.

Qualifications

Staff nurses must have excellent analytical, decision-making, and communication skills. They must also be able to accurately assess their patients’ conditions and medical needs, develop effective care plans, and perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Staff nurses must also be able to help patients feel at ease, and they must be able to work with people from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.

Practice Settings

Staff nurses work at hospitals, convalescent centers, schools, physicians’ clinics, government agencies, and other medical facilities. Staff nurses also fill positions at homeless shelters, daycare centers, homeless shelters, and community health clinics. Staff nurses working at hospitals can work in any of these units:

Salary Range

The national average salary for staff nurses is $46,782 a year.

Education

All staff nurses are required to become licensed as registered nurses by earning a college degree and passing a national certification exam.

Nursing students are required to complete courses in anatomy, behavioral science, chemistry, physiology, biology, and other science subjects. Additionally, they are required to acquire experience in clinical nursing settings. Nursing students interested in completing school soon have the option of 2 year associate’s degree programs or 3 year professional certificate programs administered by hospital nursing schools.