NURSING

Career Development in Nursing

Career Development in Nursing

Transition from student to registered nurse

I have always loved to care for people. I love making people's life easier. Every day I make it a point to help someone in my own little way. For this reason, I want to be associated with the nursing profession for the major part of my life. The adoption of the profession of nursing emerges from the inner desire of an individual, to serve and help the mankind, especially those in distressing and ailing conditions. As noble as the profession may look from outside, it demands sheer acuteness, sense of responsibility and the strength to cope up amid stressful situations.

The transition from a student to a registered nurse is marked by apprehensions. For me it would be an accomplishment of my dreams and the pursuit of a noble career. My ambition is to become a diabetes specialist nurse. This transition becomes much easier when the person knows what the role of the chosen professional nurse entails and what are the enablers and barriers of this transition.

Diabetes specialist nurse

A diabetes specialist nurse is similar to a consultant or a registrar in that she is autonomous and makes an important part of the clinical team for diabetes. On an indefinite basis, 10% of inpatients in any hospital suffer from diabetes. These patients not only stay longer in the hospital in case they are admitted, but also have more chances of being admitted into the hospital. This estimate is predicted to rise in the future. The hospital staff does not understand diabetes and there are many confusions related to the illness, not only in the minds of the patients and their families, but also among the hospital staff (Buchan 2010, p. 8).

The role of a diabetes specialist nurse does not limit to insulin management alone, rather she is responsible for patient education, as well. They not only look after the inpatients but also lend their support to the ward staff in dealing with the difficulties arising due to complexities related to diabetes. These nurses also specialize in diabetes that a woman may have prior to pregnancy or ones who develop it during their pregnancy. They also play a pivotal role in the nursing audit undertaken on a periodic basis in various health organizations.

Enablers

One of the enablers of the transition from a student to a registered nurse is professional confidence. This self confidence is a function of skill, competence, and knowledge. Knowledge refers to the person's comprehensive understanding of what the role of the nurse entails. A diabetes specialist nurse may be defined as the registered nurse who has ample experience in a specific field of nursing and is qualified to participation in the practise, consultation and research related to her area of expertise. Skill refers to any advance specialization that the nurse may have. The nurse may have taken other short courses to establish a career in this field. For instance, a diabetes specialist nurse is also ...