Types of Nurses

A nurse is a person who is trained to look after sick or injured people, especially somebody who works in a hospital or clinic, administering the care and treatment that a doctor prescribes. Some nurses work at private setups for instance at homes based on need of the patient.

Nurses are categorized on the basis of their field of specialization and training.

Following are a few kinds of nurses:

Licensed practical nurse:

A nurse who is trained for routine nursing care and allowed to perform more complex tasks only under the direction of a registered nurse or a doctor is a licensed practical nurse. Licensed practical nurses are trained in almost all the fields of health care thus they prove to be handy in hospital, nursing home and clinical environment.

The major responsibilities of these nurses include tasks such as checking medical status of patients, giving injections, dressing wounds and assisting the doctors in operation theatres. These nurses are trained to perform some added responsibilities such as feeding the patients, taking care of their personal hygiene etc. Due to the fact that the licensed practical nurses are not intensively trained in a particular field they are not assigned to perform complex procedures. Licensed nurses are most likely to be hired by people to supervise patients privately.

Registered nurse:

The basic difference between a registered nurse and a licensed practical nurse is that a registered nurse is more extensively trained as compared to a licensed practical nurse. In addition to providing routine nursing care the registered nurses also help patients and their families to deal with emotional trauma. These nurses provide information regarding the condition of the patient to his family and give an insight as to what kind of disease the patient is suffering from. The registered nurses are tasked to work in specialized fields such as cardiology department, ICU’s etc.

Certified nurse assistant:

A nurse who is certified by the state to assist the registered and practical licensed nurse is known as certified nurse assistant. These nurses work under close supervision of the registered nurses and their duties include providing medicines to the patients, making beds, cleaning, dressing, bathing etc. Their major task is to keep the registered nurse informed of the patient’s health and maintain record. However certified nurse assistant work at hospitals and nursing homes however they are often sent to private set ups such as homes to serve the patients.

Travel nurse:

Travel nurses are basically registered nurses who are extensively trained to work in different fields of health care, however as it is evident from the name the travel nurses are those registered nurses who work on part time basis. They move from one medical facility to the other depending upon vacancy. Usually they fulfill the tasks of a nurse on leave or are hired due to shortage of staff.

The job of travel nurses is quite rewarding as they have good salaries and at the same time their job is refreshing as they get to travel from one health care facility to the other, thus the nature of their job negates the idea of monotony.

Public health nurse:

A registered nurse who is specialized in the field of community health is known as the public health nurse. The major task of the public health nurses is to create awareness among communities regarding different diseases and health issues. Due to the nature of their job the public health nurses are frequently required to visit schools, colleges, homes and community centers to provide information to the people regarding different health issues and at the same time introduce them to preventive measures.

Nurse practitioner:

The nurses who are extensively trained in their filed and have taken a special course in medicine which allows them to practice in the absence of the doctor are known as nurse practitioners. Such nurses are trained to the extent that they can even prescribe medication in the absence of the doctor.

Critical care nurse:

The nurses who are trained to perform tasks in the emergency rooms and the critical care units are known as critical care nurses. Due to the nature of their job these nurses are highly qualified and trained.