There are plenty of options also available in the operating nurse career such circulating nurse in the operating room and anesthesia care nursing. Nurses who provide anesthesia have to have least two years of critical care experience and should have completed the course from a nurse anesthesia school for training. Circulating nurses are responsible for everyone in the operating room on any particular day. They are responsible as patient spokesman ensuring that the patient being operated on is the correct patient and that the doctor is performing the correct procedure.

Nurses have many career opportunities available to them when they complete an AOC qualifying course in operating room nursing or one year of supervised training in operating room nursing. The patients undergoing surgery come completely under the care of the nurses attending the operating theater. Their duties start with preparing and ensuring that the operating theater is ready for the operating procedures and seeing to it that all the equipments and special procedures that are to be done before any operation are all taken care off. Regular procedures and emergencies, if any. They are also responsible for all the equipments while the operation is under progress and they need to ensure all the necessary tools are kept ready depending on the operation that is to take place.

The OR Nurse also manages operating room activities like taking control of OR personnel and making sure they have completed their routine checks and given responsibilities, which could be anything from ensuring the equipments, are sterilized to keeping records and relevant documents updated. Other responsibilities include maintaining correct and complete records and reports, and helping with ongoing, in house training programs by continually updating already advanced knowledge and responsibilities of nursing personnel.

Operating room nurses, are also referred to as preoperative nurses, are usually qualified and registered nurses who work in co ordination with patients who are to be operated upon. In today’s world, nursing jobs are in demand in hospitals, different types of clinics and surgical units that operate during the day. In hospitals, their work is to interact directly with patients before the operation during the operation and post the operation.

Plenty of nursing jobs are available in the world today. Scrub nurses duty is to hand the medical instruments to the operating doctor during surgery while the circulating nurse observes checks and monitors all the equipments during the operation and ensures that they run smoothly. The nurses whose duty is in the operating theater are responsible to ensure that the operating room is ready in all respects for the operating procedure. This would mean making sure, all the equipments are properly audited and the patient’s record is recorded in detail. The consent form is to be filled by the concerned family before the operation begins.

The operating room nurses position in the operating theater is very crucial as the entire operating procedure depends on her efficiency and job knowledge as they almost operate as secondary physicians in all respects. Infact half the job like suturing the patients after the surgery and controlling the bleeding is an important part of a operating nurses job. These nurses play the role of mediators and need to keep the patients informed about the upcoming surgery and give them post surgical advice as well. Assisting them and changing the dressing when necessary. The Operating Room Nurse works under the direction of the Manager while carrying out nursing responsibilities and duties.

When this concept took its birth, nuns and the military often provided nursing-like services. The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today in many countries.

During the World War, a significant development in nursing history arose when Florence Nightingale, working to improve conditions of soldiers in the Crimean War, laid the foundation stone of professional nursing with the principles.

New Zealand was the first country to regulate nurses nationally, with the implementation of the Nurses Registration Act on the 12th of September, 1901. Ellen Dougherty was the first Registered Nurse. North Carolina was the first state in the United States to pass a nursing licensure law in 1903.

Today Nurses are often in key management roles within health services and hold research posts at universities.

Nursing as a profession

The aim of the worldwide nursing community is to develop the profession guided by continuing education based on nursing research, and to regulate standards of competency and ethics. There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse, but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

The authority for the practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that outlines professional rights and responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law, and entrance to the profession is regulated at national or state level.

Nursing practice:

Nursing practice is mainly the caring relationship between the nurse and the patient in their care. In providing nursing care, nurses are implementing the nursing care plan, which is based on a nursing assessment.

Definition:

“Nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.”

International Council of Nurses

NCLEX Introduction:

The NCLEX tests are required to receive professional licensure in the field of nursing and are created by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). The NCLEX means National Council Licensure Examination.

The NCLEX tests are designed to be one of the final hurdles in nursing career. Consequently, the questions focus on the ability of the candidate to make decisions in various patient care scenarios under critical conditions. The NCLEX test requires that the candidate understand the basic principles of nursing and apply this to different elements of patient safety management.

The key NCLEX testing tips are stated as follows:

1. Assess, Assess, Assess: In almost all cases something can be done before contacting the MD.

2. Prioritize: Delegate to the appropriate support personal and prioritize your tasks.

3. Review Medical Terminology: Understand the definition of all medical abbreviations and terminology used in the NCLEX questions.

Schools of Nursing:

Aga Khan University School of Nursing:

Established in 1980, Aga Khan University School of Nursing (AKU-SON) was the first academic component of AKU and its Faculty of Health Sciences. The School offers several programs in nursing, including a three-year Diploma Program, Pakistan’s first four year BScN and a two-year Post RN BScN, as well as the first Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) which started in October 2001. Four-year BScN and MScN are the only program of its kind in Pakistan.

Since its commencement, AKU-SON has played a leading role in establishing an internationally acceptable model for nursing education and practice in Pakistan, and has trained 2,232 nurses

Pakistan became the first Muslim country to achieve chapter status in the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) global network when, in 2000, Aga Khan University School of Nursing Honour Society received its Charter.

Pakistan Institute of medical Sciences:

History:

The School of Nursing is one of the components of the Pakistan Institute of medical Sciences Islamabad. The School of Nursing organized in September 14 1987. The School of Nursing is affiliated with Nursing Board, Lahore-Pakistan. The total covered area will be 19942Sq.f.t and that of hostel will be 43485sq.ft.

Course Offered:

Duration of basic nursing is for three years and that of midwifery is one year. During the course the courses related to the medical profession and nursing care has been taught.

Facilities:

School of Nursing granted remuneration to the students according to existing government rules. School of Nursing provides accommodation facilities to the students subject to its availability.

Ziauddin Medical University:

Background:

The School of Nursing was established in 1986 and received recognition by the Pakistan Nursing Council in the same year while the School of Midwifery was recognized in 1990.

Programme Objective:

The program is designed to produce competent nurses and midwives equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill to contribute to the improvement of health of individual(s) and family(s) in the hospital and community by applying the principles of nursing and primary health care. Students experienced clinical training in community and hospitals including Ziauddin Medical University hospitals.

Academic Programs Offered:

Diploma in General Nursing (3 years)

Diploma in Midwifery (One Year (Post Basic)

Diploma in General Nursing Program (18 months)

Diploma in Pupil Midwifery (18 months)

In pre-modern times, nuns and the military often provided nursing services. The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today. For example, in Britain, senior female nurses are known as “Sisters”. In recent times in the US and Canada many nurses are flowing back into working in a “religious” field through “Parish Nursing”. These nurses work within a church community to perform health education, counseling, provide referrals to community support agencies, and connect volunteers from the church community with those in need of assistance.

Nurses acknowledge that the nursing profession is an essential part of the society from which it has grown. The authority for the practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. The practice of nursing involves altruistic behavior, is guided by nursing research and is governed by a code of ethics.

Nursing continues to develop a wide body of knowledge and associated skills. There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law and entrance to the profession is regulated by national, state, or territorial boards of nursing.

The American Nurses’ Association (1980) has defined nursing as “the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.” Just as medical diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of medical care, Nursing diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of nursing care.

Like other maturing disciplines, nursing has developed different theories that are aligned with diverging philosophical beliefs and paradigms or worldviews. Nursing theories help nurses to direct their activities in order to accomplish specific goals with people. Nursing is a knowledge based discipline committed to the betterment of humankind. Nursing has not only developed into a profession, but an art as well.

Nursing is the most diverse of all healthcare professions. It is a universal role appearing in some form in every culture.

Nursing may be divided into different specialties or classifications. In the U.S., there are a large number of specialties within nursing. Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these areas.

These specialties encompass care throughout the human lifespan based upon patient needs. Many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, signifying that they possess expert knowledge of the specialty. There are over 200 nursing specialties and sub-specialties. Certified nurses often earn a salary differential over their non-certified colleagues, and studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.

Nurses practice in a wide range of settings from hospitals to visiting people in their homes and caring for them in schools to research in pharmaceutical companies. Nurses work in occupational health settings (also called industrial health settings), free-standing clinics and physician offices, nurse-run clinics, long-term care facilities, and camps. Nurses work on cruise ships and in military service. They act as advisors and consultants to the healthcare and insurance industries. Some nurses are attorneys and others work with attorneys as legal nurse consultants, reviewing patient records to assure that adequate care was provided and testifying in court. In many cities, nurses can even enter their names in a “registry” and work a wide variety of temporary jobs.

In the modern world, there are a large number of specialities within nursing:
Ambulatory care nursing
Advanced practice nursing
Behavioral health nursing
Camp nursing
Cardiac nursing
Cardiac catheter laboratory nursing
Case management
Clinical nurse specialist
Clinical research nurse
Community health nursing
Correctional nursing
Critical care nursing
Developmental disabilities nursing
District nursing
Emergency nursing
Environmental Health nursing
Flight nursing
Forensic nursing
Gastroenterology nursing
Genetics nursing
Geriatric nursing
Health visiting
Hematology oncology nursing
HIV/AIDS nursing
Home health nursing
Hospice nursing
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nursing
Intavenous therapy nursing
Infectious disease nursing
Legal nursing
Legal Nurse Investigator
Maternal-child nursing
Medical-surgical nursing
Military and uniformed services nursing, including Public Health Service
Neonatal nursing
Neuro-surgical nursing
Nurse anesthetist
Nurse-midwife
Nurse practitioner
Nursing educator
Nursing informatics
Nursing management
Obstetrics gynecology nursing
Occupational health nursing
Oncology nursing
Operating room nursing
Orthopaedic nursing
Ostomy nursing
Pain management and palliative care nursing
Pediatric nursing
Perianesthesia nursing
Perioperative nursing
Plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing
Private duty nursing
Psychiatric or mental health nursing
Public health
Pulmonary nursing
Quality improvement
Radiology nursing
Rehabilitation nursing
Renal dialysis nursing
Renal nursing
Research
School nursing
Sub-acute nursing
Substance abuse nursing
Tele-medicine nursing
Telemetry nursing
Telephone triage nursing
Transplantation nursing
Travel nursing
Urology nursing
Utilization management
Wound care
Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these specialties.

Nursing assistant skills are the set of learned tasks used in helping residents or patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) and providing bedside care—including basic nursing procedures—under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

In today’s hospitals and extended care facillities a nurse assistant is an important part of a healthcare team that includes many personnel outside of nurses. In the quest to make a profit from providing care many hospitals in the United States have reduced their nurse to patient ratios, requiring one nurse to take care of as many as twelve or fourteen patients at a time. In order for good care to be provided to those patients a nurse assistant is needed to provide the routine care so that the nurse can focus on tasks only he/she can do, such as care plans, nursing assessments, administering medication, and assist in surgery room preparation. The nurse assistant must not only be very skilled in the actual procedures being performed but must also be able to make quick observations of a patient’s condition and report that information back to the nurse. Since the nurse cannot spend large amounts of time in the room with the patient, the nurse assistant is known as the nurse’s “eyes and ears”.

A nurse assistant must also have a strong grasp of emergency procedures and be able to stay calm in stressful situations. They must be able to initiate a Code Blue and be well-drilled in CPR.

In pre-modern times, nuns and the military often provided nursing services. The religious and military roots of modern nursing remain in evidence today. For example, in Britain, senior female nurses are known as “Sisters”. In recent times in the US and Canada many nurses are flowing back into working in a “religious” field through “Parish Nursing”. These nurses work within a church community to perform health education, counseling, provide referrals to community support agencies, and connect volunteers from the church community with those in need of assistance.

Nurses acknowledge that the nursing profession is an essential part of the society from which it has grown. The authority for the practice of nursing is based upon a social contract that delineates professional rights and responsibilities as well as mechanisms for public accountability. The practice of nursing involves altruistic behavior, is guided by nursing research and is governed by a code of ethics.

Nursing continues to develop a wide body of knowledge and associated skills. There are a number of educational paths to becoming a professional nurse but all involve extensive study of nursing theory and practice and training in clinical skills.

In almost all countries, nursing practice is defined and governed by law and entrance to the profession is regulated by national, state, or territorial boards of nursing.

The American Nurses’ Association (1980) has defined nursing as “the diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual or potential health problems.” Just as medical diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of medical care, Nursing diagnoses help in the planning, implementing, and evaluation of nursing care.

Like other maturing disciplines, nursing has developed different theories that are aligned with diverging philosophical beliefs and paradigms or worldviews. Nursing theories help nurses to direct their activities in order to accomplish specific goals with people. Nursing is a knowledge based discipline committed to the betterment of humankind. Nursing has not only developed into a profession, but an art as well.

Nursing is the most diverse of all healthcare professions. It is a universal role appearing in some form in every culture.

Nursing may be divided into different specialties or classifications. In the U.S., there are a large number of specialties within nursing. Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these areas.

These specialties encompass care throughout the human lifespan based upon patient needs. Many nurses who choose a specialty become certified in that area, signifying that they possess expert knowledge of the specialty. There are over 200 nursing specialties and sub-specialties. Certified nurses often earn a salary differential over their non-certified colleagues, and studies from the Institute of Medicine have demonstrated that specialty certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction, as well as lower rates of work-related errors in patient care.

Nurses practice in a wide range of settings from hospitals to visiting people in their homes and caring for them in schools to research in pharmaceutical companies. Nurses work in occupational health settings (also called industrial health settings), free-standing clinics and physician offices, nurse-run clinics, long-term care facilities, and camps. Nurses work on cruise ships and in military service. They act as advisors and consultants to the healthcare and insurance industries. Some nurses are attorneys and others work with attorneys as legal nurse consultants, reviewing patient records to assure that adequate care was provided and testifying in court. In many cities, nurses can even enter their names in a “registry” and work a wide variety of temporary jobs.

In the modern world, there are a large number of specialities within nursing:

Ambulatory care nursing

Advanced practice nursing

Behavioral health nursing

Camp nursing

Cardiac nursing

Cardiac catheter laboratory nursing

Case management

Clinical nurse specialist

Clinical research nurse

Community health nursing

Correctional nursing

Critical care nursing

Developmental disabilities nursing

District nursing

Emergency nursing

Environmental Health nursing

Flight nursing

Forensic nursing

Gastroenterology nursing

Genetics nursing

Geriatric nursing

Health visiting

Hematology oncology nursing

HIV/AIDS nursing

Home health nursing

Hospice nursing

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nursing

Intavenous therapy nursing

Infectious disease nursing

Legal nursing

Legal Nurse Investigator

Maternal-child nursing

Medical-surgical nursing

Military and uniformed services nursing, including Public Health Service

Neonatal nursing

Neuro-surgical nursing

Nurse anesthetist

Nurse-midwife

Nurse practitioner

Nursing educator

Nursing informatics

Nursing management

Obstetrics gynecology nursing

Occupational health nursing

Oncology nursing

Operating room nursing

Orthopaedic nursing

Ostomy nursing

Pain management and palliative care nursing

Pediatric nursing

Perianesthesia nursing

Perioperative nursing

Plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing

Private duty nursing

Psychiatric or mental health nursing

Public health

Pulmonary nursing

Quality improvement

Radiology nursing

Rehabilitation nursing

Renal dialysis nursing

Renal nursing

Research

School nursing

Sub-acute nursing

Substance abuse nursing

Tele-medicine nursing

Telemetry nursing

Telephone triage nursing

Transplantation nursing

Travel nursing

Urology nursing

Utilization management

Wound care

Professional organizations or certifying boards issue voluntary certification in many of these specialties.

Nursing assistant skills are the set of learned tasks used in helping residents or patients with activities of daily living (ADLs) and providing bedside care–including basic nursing procedures–under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

In today’s hospitals and extended care facillities a nurse assistant is an important part of a healthcare team that includes many personnel outside of nurses. In the quest to make a profit from providing care many hospitals in the United States have reduced their nurse to patient ratios, requiring one nurse to take care of as many as twelve or fourteen patients at a time. In order for good care to be provided to those patients a nurse assistant is needed to provide the routine care so that the nurse can focus on tasks only he/she can do, such as care plans, nursing assessments, administering medication, and assist in surgery room preparation. The nurse assistant must not only be very skilled in the actual procedures being performed but must also be able to make quick observations of a patient’s condition and report that information back to the nurse. Since the nurse cannot spend large amounts of time in the room with the patient, the nurse assistant is known as the nurse’s “eyes and ears”.

A nurse assistant must also have a strong grasp of emergency procedures and be able to stay calm in stressful situations. They must be able to initiate a Code Blue and be well-drilled in CPR.