Overview of Nurse Training

---

Have you ever thought about becoming a nurse? Doing so is a challenge as well as a tremendous responsibility. Part of the process, and in fact, the most difficult process at first, is absorbing your new training course. Nurse training can involve a lot of classroom work, as well as doing hands-on training under the supervision of a professor or fully licensed nurse in a nursing or hospital facility. It usually takes 1-2 years to complete classroom training then there will be extra time for the hands-on training and scheduling a state required test.

Nursing Responsibilities

There are many required facets to train as a nurse. In order to become a proficient nurse, a student will need to be able to do several tasks listed below:

•Take patient vital signs (pulse, temperature, blood pressure, respiration)
•Clean wounds and change bandages
•Obtain specimens that need to be sent to the lab
•Perform simple laboratory tests
•Assist patients in personal care such as dressing, bathing, and personal hygiene
•Prepare enemas and administer injections
•Where law allows, the nurse may be required to administer medications and shots
•More skills and requirements can be found at InnerBody.com

Nurse Training and Student Requirements

In order to become a nurse, there are certain requirements needed to graduate. There are also certain documents that a nursing student must turn in to meet requirements such as a transcript, GPA (Grade Point Average, usually over 2.0), Character References, and Pre-Entrance Interview and Evaluation.

Some students may wish to take additional training in order to specialize in a certain field of nursing such as foot care, gerontology, home health care, or administering IVs. Others may want to continue their training and become a Registered Nurse in a supervisory position.

Personality Traits

One of the most important parts of becoming a nurse is personality. A nurse should be positive, compassionate, dedicated, and responsible for the patients he or she cares for and following sterile procedures where there are patients that are contagious. Warmth must be balanced with clear communication, and that’s not always easy to do, particularly when working with doctors and other medical professionals, who must think quickly and communicate concisely. In training, you learn how to communicate specifically for the medical profession—namely what these doctors and nurses want to hear from you. It’s not the same as any other profession, in terms of communication. You really do have to adapt to the lifestyle.

The Importance and Satisfaction of Nurse Training

If following the book training, hands-on training, state tests, and certification process, a nurse can be a very rewarding experience with good pay and benefits. Most importantly, a nurse is a vital part of the hospital or facility team, which should give him or her a sense of pride and accomplishment.

If this career appeals to you, contact a school that you trust about enrolling in an associate’s degree program and start this lucrative new career path.