Doctor of Nursing
Or how I'll become a slave to HIPAA
Lessons from Nursing to the World (Kathleen Bartholomew)
A Little Introduction
It's not just the elderly that are going to need care, there's also a growing mental health trend that continues to make it's way into the public eye. Doctors who had worked in the field since the creation of modern medicine are dying or forced to leave the field. Do I even need to mention that World War III may just be around the corner?
There are many factors that place the United States in a tough spot when everyone seem to be flocking to the liberal arts degrees which is an already over saturated sector of the labor market. More than ever, we need people to step up and take on the jobs that keep the wheels of the world turning.
Coming from a rich background of nurses and servicemen, I've been exposed to the world of healthcare more than a few times before. I have job shadowed in hospital settings, been a mentee of an EMS professional, and even preformed multiple first aide procedures as the Track & Field manager for New Prague High School.
Today, I shall share with you (the unlucky reader) my passion for the field of nursing and healthcare that I plan on seriously pursuing.
U.S Red Cross Nursing Corps. Memorial in Washington D.C (picture courtesy of Elizabeth Midtvedt)
College Education & Board Certification
Becoming a nurse isn't as harrowing as Grey's Anatomy would lead you to believe. There are many routes that one can take to achieve their education such as going to a technical college or four year school (Wyatt). Although both take different amounts of time to finish, the coursework is mostly the same (with a four year school focusing on specialization or in depth bio-chemistry). For the sake of time, I will cover a bachelor's program.
To earn your degree in nursing, you will need take the following classes and labs (but are not limited to depending on the college):
- Biology (micro and macro)
- Chemistry (general and organic)
- Pathology
- Psychology (sociology may be recommended)
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Clinical Cycles
- Inter-communications
- Ethics and Social Justice
- Public Speaking and Communications
- Composition and English
- Mathematics
Once you have completed a program, you will earn your Bachelor's in Science Nursing. A college will then help refer you to a RN testing center where you will register to become a licensed nurse.
RN Certification
Earning your BSN and becoming an registered nurse (RN) are two different processes that not many people are aware of. After completing your college degree, you will need to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN for short) Exam that will recognize you ability to work as an RN.
Though there are hundreds of steps you will need to take, here is a simplified version from the official NCSBN website:
- Apply for the exam in your state you wish to practice in
- NCSBN will recognize your application
- Pay the exam fee
- Register at a location near you (this can be done through the NCSBN website or with a college)
- Arrive 30 minutes on the day of your exam at the proper testing center (dress casual, but leave hats, gloves, coats, and extra materials must be left outside of the testing room)
- Check in using proper identification and a vein test
- This exam is 6 hours long, but most finish within 4 hours
- Await the official results
The process to take exam is a long road, but colleges will often help with this process by hosting an exam or provide resources to register (Wyatt).
Post Secondary Course Work
Since I don't plan on draining my bank account and dying of stress, I plan to enter a doctoral program after receiving my nursing certification and working a few years. Of course I don't need to be too hasty in getting my doctorate in nursing, as many doctors of nursing wait to establish their careers before going back to school part-time.
The process for becoming a doctor of nursing is similar to that an MD student, although less intense and more focus on being a leader and role-model. This makes sense considering that many DRN's own their own practices (Wyatt).
Four year colleges often offer a post secondary program for previous and new graduates alike. The coursework typically includes the following:
- Advanced Nursing Theory
- General Practicum
- Advanced Chemistry (general and organic)
- Advanced Communications
- Women's Health and Reproductive Science
- Adolescent and Pediatric Care
- Advanced Lab and Disection
- Advanced Leadership and Group Managment
Repeat the steps from RN Certification and you've got yourself a Doctorate in Nursing!
The Duties of a Doctor of Nursing
- General family practice and care
- Mental health and psychological medication
- Development of specialization in the workplace
- Scholarly research and development in medicine
- Men and Women's health
- Leadership on the floor/general practice
The Oddities and Troubles of Nursing
As someone who holds the lives of others in their hands, nurses take on the role as the provider of not only medical care, but also emotional support for the patient and family. It takes a special type of person to devote their life in service to others. It takes an even greater of a person to forget they have feelings and take on the role as the bad guy" (Wyatt).
These are the words my mother has said to me on more than one occasion. She has been a nurse for more than fifteen years and had fought lung cancer for almost two of those years. To name a few positions she's held: emergency room, hospice, geriatric, ICU, and case management.
During those years, I was able to watch her turn from an overbearing worry-wort to the living embodiment of "I've seen some things". Nothing has phased her yet.
Through my mother, I have met brave men and women who have seen bones sticking out from shins and windpipes exposed for God himself to see. If I had a nickle for every time I almost threw up from simply listening.
From late nights in the hospital to someone having a heart-attack in the middle of a restaurant, the job is most certainly not easy.
Why I would want to go into this field, I couldn't tell you. Whether it be wonder for the gruesome or want to help, I find myself moved by ability to help and be the one to give someone a fighting chance to live.
That is all I have to say about that.
The Emergency Room: A Window Into Us (Louis Profeta)
Works Cited
“BSN Students.” School of Nursing - University of Minnesota, 22 Mar. 2016, www.nursing.umn.edu/current-students/bsn-students.
“Minnesota Nursing Board.” Minnesota Board of Nursing, 3 Jan. 2018, mn.gov/boards/nursing/.
NCSBN. “Before the Exam.” NCSBN, 2017, www.ncsbn.org/before-the-exam.htm.
“Registered Nurse (RN).” ExploreHealthCareers.org, 2017, explorehealthcareers.org/field/nursing/.
“Registered Nurse (RN).” ExploreHealthCareers.org, 2017, explorehealthcareers.org/field/nursing/.
“Summary.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016, www.bls.gov/ooh/Management/Medical-and-health-services-managers.htm.
“Why Get a DNP? | Doctor of Nursing Practice.” All Nursing Schools, 2017, www.allnursingschools.com/dnp/.
Wyatt, Susan Ann. “Nursing: A Story.” Interview. 4 Jan. 2018, New Prague, 8th Street Court SE.