What is Nursing?
Nursing offers opportunities from bedside practice to the president or top administrator of a healthcare organization. Clinical specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse administrator and nurse educator are just a few examples of the variety of opportunities awaiting you in a nursing career. Nursing involves the care of people throughout the continuum of life and provides an essential service to humankind. As career professionals, nurses improve the quality of health care delivery.
As a nurse you may specialize in many areas of the nursing profession. The following are just a few of the examples of a specialized nursing area.
Clinical Researchers work in the fields of pharmaceuticals. Biotech, or medical devices and monitor the facilities (hospitals, clinics, physician offices, etc) according to FDA regulations.
Genetics Nurse: The genetic nurse cares for people's genetic health-those with genetic problems-including screening, early detection, risk identification, treatment, and testing.
Legal Nurse Consultants use their nursing education to consult on legal issues that surround healthcare. They review medical records for an attorney to determine whether professional negligence has occurred in a given case.
Forensics Nurses investigate perpetrators and treat victims of abuse, violence, criminal activity and traumatic accidents.
Oncology Nurse cares for patients with the diagnosis of cancer in various settings; utilizes an empathic and caring approach to patients whose diagnosis and treatment are often painful and life-threatening; administers chemotherapy, conducts patient teaching, and manages illness-and treatment-related symptoms.
Pediatric Nurse provides comprehensive care to children, adolescents, and their families in various settings.
Psychiatric Nurse is the art of using one's self in therapeutic ways to assist patients to affect changes in self-understanding and behavior. Views individuals from a holistic perspective, taking into account both physical and mental health needs while focusing on human behavior.
Public Health Nurses work in government and private agencies, clinics, and other private settings. They focus on populations, working with individuals, groups, and families to improve the overall health of communities.
School Nurses work in a school setting and handle everything from minor accidents to family counseling, from sex education to drug awareness programs.
Trauma Nurses working in an emergency setting responding to a wide variety of single-and multi-system traumas involving different patient needs, ages, cultures, and severity of presenting symptoms.
For more information contact:
Robbie Paul, PhD
Director Native American Health Sciences
WSU Spokane
Academic Center 141 B
P.O. Box 1495
Spokane, WA 99210-1495
Phone: (509) 368-6884
FAX : (509) 358-7538
Email: paul@wsu.edu