Registered Nurse Employment in New Jersey
Most New Jersey registered nurses work in comfortable health care facilities but they may have to spend considerable time walking and standing every day. Patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities require around the clock care and as a result, nurses employed in hospitals may have to work nights, weekends, and holidays. In some employment settings, registered nurses may be on call meaning that they must be available to work on short notice. Nurses who work in office settings are more likely to work regular business hours.
As the largest health care occupation, registered nurses hold over 2.4 million jobs in the United States. About three out of every five jobs are in hospitals, in inpatient and outpatient departments and one in four registered nurses works part time. Other registered nurse jobs are available in offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, home health care services, employment services, government agencies, outpatient care centers, social assistance agencies and educational institutions. The need for nursing faculty will only increase as a large number of instructors nears retirement.
Employment of registered nurses in New Jersey nursing care facilities is expected to grow fast because of increases in the number of elderly, many of whom require long-term care. In addition, the financial pressure on hospitals to discharge patients as soon as possible should result in more admissions to nursing care facilities. Employment growth is also expected in units that provide specialized long-term rehabilitation services for stroke and head injury patients, as well as units that treat Alzheimer's victims.
Some New Jersey registered nurses are employed in settings which require little or no direct patient contact. Case managers ensure that all of the medical needs of patients with severe injuries and illnesses are met, including the type, location, and duration of treatment. Forensics nurses combine nursing with law enforcement by treating and investigating victims of assault or child abuse. Infection control nurses identify, track, and control infectious outbreaks in health care facilities and develop methods of disease prevention.
Despite the slower employment growth in hospitals, RN job opportunities in New Jersey should still be excellent because of the relatively high turnover of hospital nurses. Registered nurses employed by hospitals frequently work overtime, night and weekend shifts and also treat seriously ill and injured patients, all of which can contribute to stress and burnout. Hospital departments in which these working conditions occur most frequently are critical care units, emergency departments, and operating rooms. These departments have generally more job openings for registered nurses than other hospital departments.
Employment in home health care is expected to increase rapidly in response to the growing number of older persons with functional disabilities, consumer preference for care in the home, and technological advances that make it possible to bring increasingly complex treatments into the home.
Most registered nurses in New Jersey work as staff nurses providing critical health care services along with physicians, surgeons, and other health care practitioners while some registered nurses choose to become advanced practice nurses. Advanced practice nurses who often are considered primary health care practitioners work independently or in collaboration with physicians. For example, clinical nurse specialists provide direct patient care and expert consultations. Nurse anesthetists administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs during surgery, and provide post-anesthesia care. Nurse midwives provide primary care to women, including gynecological exams, family planning advice, prenatal care, assistance in labor and delivery, and neonatal care.
Registered nurses can specialize in one or more patient care specialties. The most common registered nurse specialties can be divided into four groups by work setting or type of treatment, ailment, organ, or population. Registered nurses can combine specialties from more than one area such as for example, nurses who specialize in pediatric oncology or cardiac emergency.
New Jersey legal nurse consultants assist lawyers in medical cases by interviewing patients and witnesses, organizing medical records, determining damages and costs, locating evidence, and educating lawyers about medical issues. Nurse administrators supervise nursing staff, establish work schedules and budgets, and maintain medical supply inventories while nurse educators teach student nurses and also provide continuing education for other registered nurses.
New Jersey registered nurses may specialize by providing preventive and acute care in all health care settings to various segments of the population, including newborns, children and adolescents, adults, and the elderly. New Jersey registered nurses may also provide basic health care to patients outside of health care settings including correctional facilities, schools, summer camps, and the military. Some registered nurses travel around the United States and abroad providing care to patients in areas with shortages of medical professionals. Nurses may also work as health care consultants, public policy advisors, pharmaceutical and medical supply researchers and salespersons, and medical writers or editors.
Nursing has its hazards, especially for registered nurses employed by hospitals, nursing care facilities, and clinics where nurses might have to care for individuals with infectious diseases. Registered nurses must follow strict guidelines to guard against disease and other dangers, such as those posed by radiation, accidental needle sticks, chemicals used to sterilize instruments, and anesthetics. In addition, registered nurses are vulnerable to back injury when moving patients, shocks from electrical equipment, and hazards posed by compressed gases. Registered nurses who work with critically ill patients also may suffer emotional strain from observing patient suffering and from close personal contact with patients' families.
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