Today’s nurse is not yesterday’s nurse. We’re still caregivers, but through the years we have become leaders, not followers. We still take orders, however nowadays we have the ability to question these orders and the professional responsibility to assess and evaluate them. We no more receive a project and spend the next eight hours doing tasks.

In nursing regardless if you are an RN Registered Nurse or perhaps an LVN Licensed Vocational Nurse or an LPN Licensed Practical Nurse we are responsible for safe practice. Exactly what does this mean? This means assessment (monitoring and observing); this means to plan and implement nursing care; it means to implement specific actions (such as teaching and supervision); this means evaluating nursing care (observing, monitoring and communicating); it means maintaining adequate documentation; this means working inside our scope of practice.

Whenever a patient requests pain medication, it isn’t enough allow it and leave. Nurses are required to follow the steps of safe practice: Where is the pain? What’s the degree of pain on a scale of 0 -10? Important better and what makes it worse? Just when was the patient last medicated for pain? What was the medication, just how much medication and did the individual get any relief? Now it may be time to administer the pain medication, document this, reassess in a single hour, and then document the result.

Each licensed nurse whether practicing RN nursing, LVN nursing or LPN nursing accounts for knowing the Nurse Practice Act in their state. This is the law that controls the practice of nursing. The nurse should also fully understand the Standard of Look after the facility in which they are working. Procedures and polices may differ from facility to facility. A nurse also needs to know the difference between negligence and malpractice.

Do you know the qualities of an effective leader? One that’s supportive and helps to create a positive environment; one that is assertive and makes needs and desires known; one who is sensitive and objective; one that uses active listening skills; one that is responsible and dependable; one that facilitates: one who provides resources and motivates others.

Each nurse needs to take responsibility for their professionalism. We need to remember that we not just represent ourselves but one another. Are proud of as being a nurse, work hard at it. Training in RN courses, LVN courses or LPN courses is a necessary and important a part of our profession. Medicine changes rapidly and nurses need to be aware of new technology. We’re lucky to have so many different specialties to operate in. Whatever you are doing, remember you’re a professional!

A sensible man once noted that any field worth studying was one where the knowledge was continually changing. Nowhere does this description match more perfectly compared to field of mental health. Continuing education within the field isn’t just necessary when it comes to earning licensing credits, it’s the only way to possess any understanding of the topic at all. Learning at the feet of giants for example Freud can give each student a basis that is invaluable. However when you are looking at furthering their own practice and digging deeper into the science, there isn’t any substitute for checking up on the changing field on a year upon year basis.

Obviously, our collective understanding of the field is in its infancy, really. What you learn in mental health training classes today may be tossed about the junk pile of discredited theories tomorrow. For some, this is an excuse to stay somewhat behind the days. Let the science work itself out and are available back when they have something definitive at hand out. Unfortunately, anyone who takes it should have turned around and walked the other way before their first psychology class. Theorists are still refining and discarding science in the initial psychologists in the field. Theories change at too rapid a pace to hold back and find out.

Besides, anyone involved with psychology and psychiatry should be an experimental researcher at heart. What works for most of us won’t ever work for everyone. For this reason a psychologist with every proven system will discover himself having to switch some misconception when it comes to that one particularly difficult patient. Education gives you that toolbox you can use whenever your usual bag of tricks isn’t obtaining the job done. By watching others and seeing the things that work in other situations, you can expand knowing about it of the field and treat patients with more efficiency.

For institutions both public and private, providing staff with academic opportunities is one of the most important facets of building a great place for patients. When possible, this means spending money on those classes. If not possible, this means posting the opportunities and letting employees understand how important it’s they make the most of them. Many states require these credits for continued licensing. If you are involved in the field, make sure you’re aware of your personal state’s requirements so you don’t wind up short when it comes time to resume for the following year.