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==South Africa==
===History===
[[South African Nursing Council]] was initially established by the Nursing Act, No. 45 of 1944, and currently by the Nursing Act, No. 50 of 1978 as amended.<ref>http://www.sanc.co.za/about01.htm .accessed 30 march 2008
</ref>
===Education===
In order to be examined to practice as an enrolled nurse, students must complete a two-year academic course which includes 2,000 hours of clinical practice.


Subjects studied in the first year include:
* Nursing history and [[Nursing ethics|ethics]].
* Basic nursing care.
* Elementary [[nutrition]].
* [[First aid]].
* Elementary [[Human anatomy|anatomy]] and [[Human physiology|physiology]].
* Introduction to comprehensive health care.

The second year includes study of sciences fundamental to basic nursing and, depending upon the area for which the nursing school has been approved, '''one''' of the following subjects:
* General nursing care.
* Nursing care of the aged.
* Nursing care of [[Mental retardation|mentally retarded]] persons.
* Community nursing care.
* [[Psychiatric and mental health nursing|Psychiatric nursing care]].

===Legal regulation===
The '''[[South African Nursing Council]]''' ('''SANC''') was created by the Nursing Act of 1957. Currently, it functions under the authority of the Nursing Act of 1978 and subsequent amendments. SANC inspects and approves nursing schools and education programs; examines, registers, and enrolls nurses, midwives, and nursing auxiliaries; licenses nursing agencies; and monitors nursing employers. Nurses and nurse auxiliaries are required to wear "distinguishing devices" consisting of [[Nursing pin|pins]] and colored [[epaulette]]s to identify them as licensed professionals.


==United Kingdom==
==United Kingdom==

Revision as of 12:13, 14 January 2009

Template:Twootheruses

Nurse next to incubator in toronto canada
Nurse

A nurse is responsible—along with other health care professionals—for the treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill/injured people, health maintenance of the healthy, and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health care settings. Nurses may also be involved in medical and nursing research and perform a wide range of non-clinical functions necessary to the delivery of health care. Nurses also provide care at birth and death. There is currently a shortage of nurses in the United Kingdom, United States and a number of other developed countries.

Education and regulation

Asian Nurse

The nursing career structure varies throughout the world. Typically there are several distinct levels of nursing practitioner distinguished by scope of practice. The major distinction is between task-based nursing and professional nursing. Nurses throughout the world are increasingly employed as registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners. At the top of the educational ladder is the doctoral-prepared nurse. Nurses may gain a PhD or another doctoral degree, specializing in research, clinical nursing, and so forth. These nurses practice nursing, teach nursing, and carry out nursing research. As the science and art of nursing has advanced, so has the demand for doctoral-prepared nurses.

In various parts of the world, the educational background for nurses varies widely. In some parts of eastern Europe, nurses are high school graduates with twelve to eighteen months of training. In contrast, Chile requires any registered nurse to have at least a bachelor's degree.

Nurses are the largest group of providers in the health care system--there are over two million registered nurses in the United States of America (U.S.) alone, comprising about 13% of the fifteen million workers in the health care and social assistance category tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor.[1]

Nursing is one of the most female-dominated occupations, but the number of males entering the profession is increasing. For example, in 2000 only 5.4% of registered nurses in the U.S. were male, however, that percentage represents a 226% increase over the previous two decades.[2] In 2007, internationally, 10.7% of registered nurses and 10.4% of licensed practical nurses were male.[3] Although the rise in the number of males entering and working in the nursing profession is an ongoing trend, females continue to predominate in nursing, as well as in the health care sector as a whole.

Governments regulate the profession of nursing to protect the public.

Other healthcare workers

Health care settings generally involve a wide range of medical professionals who work in collaboration with nurses.

Examples include:

Nurses working





United Kingdom

Main article: Nursing in the United Kingdom

Education

Nursing and Midwifery Council Logo

Since the 1990s, UK nurses are educated to diploma, bachelor's and even undergraduate master's degree levels. There are also post-graduate courses for graduates with a degree in a health related subject.[4][5] They undertake their training at universities and in placements in healthcare services. The student will train in adult, child, mental health, or learning disabilities branch.

Registered nurses

To become a nurse within the United Kingdom, one must at the very minimum hold a Diploma in Nursing and have trained for three years, or two years on an 'accelerated' course, (or equivalent if from overseas). After training, the opportunities are vast, with many different areas of nursing, from general ward to teaching or management. Also the practise areas can be in hospital, or in the community or both.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK is the regulatory body for nurses, midwives, and specialist practitioners. It maintains a register that is split into three parts:

In addition to this, there are two levels of nurse: first-level nurses trained for three or four years (RGN, RMN, RSCN, RNMH, RNchild, RNadult, RNmental health, RN Learning Disability) whereas second-level nurses are the state enrolled nurses (SENs) who trained for two years. The SEN training has been phased out, with many SENs retiring or converting to level one through further study.

Registered Nurses are able to undertake advanced practice training, commonly at advanced degree level to become specialist nurses in various fields, such as Emergency Nurse Practitioner. These nurses will have obtained, in addition to the basic registration with the NMC, an advanced recordable qualification.

Many nurses are members of trade unions, which represent them both individually and as a profession. The two main unions are UNISON and the Royal College of Nursing.

NMC register

All UK nurses are listed on a register and are regulated by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). Nurses need to register every three years, although from 1st of January 2006 payment for registration is annual. They are required to have demonstrated that they have kept up-to-date by undertaking at least 35 hours of professional development and 450 hours of nursing practice within the last three years.[6]

Prior to the creation of the new three-part register on August 1, 2004, nurses and midwives were divided into a part of the register they held a qualification in. This may be now described as a 'sub-part' of the nursing register. All newly qualified nurses register in 'sub-part' 12, 13, 14 or 15, showing their branch qualification. However, nurses still practicing and holding qualifications in 'sub-parts' 1-9 are registered as such.

There are approximately 689,000 nurses and midwives on the NMC's register, including those not practicing within the UK who have maintained their registration. Approximately 12% of registrants are male, and this is increasing. As of August 2005, the NMC register split into three parts: nurses, midwives, and specialist community public health nurses. There are 'sub-parts' that the nurse or midwife is registered to practice in.

Nursing titles

  • Auxiliary nurse/nursing auxiliary: An unqualified assistant, usually performing the more menial functions on the ward. Now largely replaced by health care assistants, who are not considered to be nurses.
  • Pupil nurse: A nurse in training, often tasked with relatively menial functions. Most training is now classroom-based and this grade has effectively been phased out.
  • State enrolled nurse (SEN): These nurses perform to a lower level scope of practice, although to a similar level as staff nurses. Some areas specifically exclude aspects of practice such as the administration of medications. Enrolled nurses work under the supervision of an RN. SENs are no longer trained and only those already qualified still hold the status.
  • Staff nurse/senior staff nurse: All newly qualified nurses now begin at this level and make up the majority of the registered nursing staff. Senior staff nurses are more experienced and usually take "charge" in the absence of senior staff.
  • Junior charge nurse/deputy ward manager: These nurses are deputy to the ward manager/charge nurse and as such have more of a managerial role.
  • Charge nurse/ward manager/sister:[7] Responsible for the management of their ward/clinic/unit usually with budgetary control.
  • Clinical nurse manager: Usually manages an area, for example, accident and emergency.
  • Matron: Usually manages a directorate, such as medical or surgical. Historically managed the hospital, although this role is now obsolete.

Uniform style has always varied from hospital to hospital. Traditionally, sisters were distinguished by their navy blue uniforms, whereas staff nurses usually wore lighter blue and SENs wore green (although this did vary in some hospitals). Male nurses usually wore white, with epaulettes in the colour corresponding to their grade. These colours are often still worn, although the style of uniforms has changed over the years. Female nurses often wore different caps depending on their grade; often, the more elaborate the cap, the more senior the nurse. In most hospitals, caps have now been phased out. In addition, the style of the nurse's belt buckle traditionally indicated where she was trained, with each hospital having a different style and the nurse retaining the buckle of her first hospital throughout her career.

United States

Main article: Nursing in the United States

Education

Nursing students

Registered nurses (RN) in the U.S. generally receive their basic preparation through one of four avenues:

An academic course of study at any level typically includes such topics as anatomy and physiology, ethics, psychology, nursing theory and legal issues. Additionally, extensive training in nursing practice is required.

All U.S. states and territories require graduation from an accredited nursing program and successful completion of the NCLEX-RN to obtain state licensure as an RN.

Legal regulation

In the U.S., the individual states have authority over nursing practice and its scope. Nurses may be licensed in more than one state, either by examination or endorsement of a license issued by another state. Licenses must be periodically renewed. Some states require continuing education in order to renew licenses.

Types of nurses

  • Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) usually have eighteen months to two years of training in anatomy and physiology, rehabilitation medication, and practical patient care.
  • Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) is a title used in some states which is roughly equivalent to Licensed practical nurse.
  • Registered nurses (RNs) are professional nurses who often delegate tasks performed by LPNs, orderlies, and nursing assistants. They provide direct care and occasionally make suggestions regarding plans of care for individuals and groups of healthy, ill, and injured people. RNs are the largest healthcare occupation in the U.S.
  • Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are registered nurses with advanced education, knowledge, skills, and scope of practice. They perform primary health care, provide mental health services, diagnose and prescribe physical therapy and minor rehabilitation treatments, carry out research, and educate the public and other professionals.
  • Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNPs) advanced nursing degree. They focus more on evidence-based practice and systems leadership that has an immediate impact on the quality of healthcare delivery, rather than on developing programs of original research (as the traditional PhD program graduates do). Very few nurses are prepared at the doctoral level with the skills to transform the practice environment in an immediate way, so the professional opportunities for graduates of the DNP program will be extensive.

See also

Template:Nursingportal

Nursing around the world


Look up nurse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ^ "May 2005 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates". US Department of Labor. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  2. ^ "Caring Knows No Gender". American Journal of Nursing. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  3. ^ "Trends in General Class Members 2007" (PDF). College of Nurses of Ontario. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  4. ^ "Graduate Diploma in Nursing". University of Central England. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  5. ^ "Nursing Programmes for Graduates". NHS Careers. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  6. ^ "Maintaining Registration". Nursing & Midwifery Council. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  7. ^ Note, "sister" is becoming less used as a nurse title, but it was commonly used and preferred as a title in the past.

External links


India

Ireland

New Zealand

Philippines

South Africa

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

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