Registered Nurse Career Goals: How to Become a Nurse

Arguably, getting stuck in the wrong career leads one to frustrations and demotivation, among other problems in their personal life. Therefore, excellent career planning is significant as it leads to life fulfilment and greater heights in success and happiness. As a result, everyone needs to consider various factors that may affect their career choices in individualistic and collectivist cultural settings. Career benefits, interests and personalities, skills and abilities, work-related and personal values, barriers, and limitations are important influences in question. Besides, individuals should understand their career choices in detail, including the salary, education level or certification required, and duties. For instance, in my first and second career choices, registered nurse (RN) and network security, salaries differ in different regions globally. Also, there are different educational requirements that an individual must attain before starting their career. The worker has various duties and responsibilities to deliver in these two careers, as discussed in this paper. 

Registered Nurse 

Registered Nurse Duties 

Notably, registered nurses are like the backbone of the healthcare system in the United States. They help in numerous health-related tasks and work directly with doctors and patients, among other healthcare professionals. Their main responsibilities include offering various types of therapies, providing primary care and comfort to patients, maintaining and promoting health, controlling infection and safety, and managing care. The daily duties of registered nurses depend on the type of facility, patient, and specialty. For instance, they might be required to record medical symptoms and histories, prepare patients for treatments or exams, make assessments, administer treatments and medicine, and monitor medical equipment (Major & Tetley, 2019). Therefore, registered nurses are vital in every healthcare facility and the community. They offer significant services. 

Registered Nurse Educational Level 

However, there are various educational and training levels required for R.N. licensing. Every state has different rules for this licensing, but in general, every R.N. must attend a nursing program and excel in their national licensing exam. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is one program for R.N.s. It is an undergraduate-level degree that introduces nurses to various topics, including quality and safety, health promotion, patient care technology. Similarly, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two-year program designed to prepare aspiring R.N.s to work in the nursing field. After graduating from these two programs, one must complete their NCLEX-RN exam (Major & Tetley, 2019). The NCLEX-RN exam focuses on four areas, documentation and communication, caring, nursing process, and teaching and learning, that associate to registered nurses responsibilities. 

Registered Nurse Salary 

Various factors determine nurses' salaries in the United States. Education level, role, experience, location, and industry are some of the determinants. According to the Nursing License Map (2021), a registered nurse in Maryland is paid approximately $77,910, and about $71,870 and $94,820 in Virginia and Washington, DC respectively. Arguably, registered nursing is a relatively well-paying career in most areas. 

Cyber-Security Analyst 

Cyber-Security Analyst Duties 

Likewise, a network security analyst is equally essential to society. A network security analyst performs intrusion detection and network monitoring analysis periodically to ensure no attacks on the system. Additionally, if any malicious activities are detected, the analyst takes mitigation actions to minimize the damage and contain the activity. Besides, they design and implement safeguards vital in protecting the system. They also have to communicate security problems to stakeholders at all firm levels (Henry, 2020). Such communication is essential in informing other workers of associated risks and ways to enhance security. They also conduct various research on emerging threats. 

Cyber-Security Analyst Educational Level 

Although it is possible to get specific entry-level cybersecurity jobs with an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity is vital for most positions. However, a bachelor's degree in related fields, including computer science and information technology, can also be used for this career. Statistics and programming coursework combined with ethics and computer forensics classes are essential in preparing the students with the analytical and technical skills needed for a cyber-security career (Henry, 2020). For higher positions, a cyber-security analyst may be required to hold an advanced degree. 

Cyber-Security Analyst Salary 

Cyber-security analyst salaries in the United States varies in different states, among other determinants. For instance, in Maryland, the wage for this position is approximately $116,954. In Virginia and Washington, DC, the worker's salary in question is about $113,680 and $125,316, respectively (ZipRecruiter, n.d.). A cyber-security analyst career is also relatively well paying. 

References 

Henry, A. P. (2020). Mastering the cyber security skills crisis. Cyber Security Education , 29-54. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367822576-2 

Major, R., & Tetley, J. (2019). Effects of dyslexia on registered nurses in practice. Nurse Education in Practice , 35 , 7-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2018.12.012 

Nursing License Map. (2021, April 2). Nurse salary . https://nursinglicensemap.com/resources/nurse-salary/ 

ZipRecruiter. (n.d.). Cyber Security Analyst Salary . https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Cyber-Security-Analyst-Salary