Transitioning from a student to a nurse is an experience fraught with a myriad of emotions. On one hand, the students are excited and happy that they have completed the course. On the other hand, students will experience uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Some students may have doubts about the qualification, ability, and if they made the right career choice. Anxiety may be derived from the student wondering whether they will ever qualify to match the skills of the nurses they work with who are experienced in their specific fields.
Seeking employment in Chicago as a registered nurse needs the fulfillment of a number of requirements. The state recognizes the delicate duty played by the nurses and therefore the state has incorporated a number of criteria that must be met before an individual can be given the registered nurse license. Chicago is recognized as one of the best paying states in the field and therefore it requires highly qualified nurses. One of the requirements proscribed in the criteria is making the choice if the nurse needs to be a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) or a registered nurse. To be an LVN, the student is required to complete a certificate or diploma program. On the other hand, to be a registered nurse, the student is required to complete a two year associate’s degree in nursing or a four year bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). It is imperative to note that the BSN provides better job opportunities and career development (Spector, Hooper, Silvestre, & Qian, 2018).
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Entry into the nursing programs requires the students to have qualified in some fields. Although Chicago nursing programs vary from college to college, it is imperative to note that most of them require the student to have completed a GED or have attained a high school diploma. Furthermore, the schools may require an individual to have completed an undergraduate statistics program. It is essential to obtain good grades in the previous qualifications because admission to the program is very competitive. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is a critical qualification stage and to be licensed in the state, a registered nurse must pass the NCLEX-RN (Northall, Ramjam, Everett, & Salamonson, 2016).
For advanced practice nurse, the Chicago Board of Nursing has added some criteria that are very pertinent to the profession. There are four stages involved in the qualification to advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). On this note, the board must approve the program primarily because it has to be nationally accredited by an agency under the US Department of Education. In addition, the board has also initiated a number of key requirements of the courses that can be accepted for APRNs. In this regard, the curriculum should incorporate pathophysiology, physical assessment, and advance pharmacology. Additional requirements include other specializations such as Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Nurse Practitioner, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
The other requirement of APRNS is that they must be certified by a national agency in one of the specialization areas, which include American Nurses Credentialing Center, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and National Certification Corporation of Nursing Specialties. The next requirement is applying for a nursing license, which may need a prescriptive authority. The application can be done on a paper although it is advisable to complete it online (Liaw, Wu, Chow, Lim, & Tan, 2017). There are some fees applicable during the application process ranging from $100 to $150 in relation to the qualification being applied for. For an APRN, the fees are $100 while for an APRN incorporating prescriptive authority it is $150. In Chicago, APRNs are required to renew their licenses every two years.
The application for a nursing job entails the individual proving that they have the appropriate education that fits a certain jobs. Most of the employment opportunities in the state require an associates degreed in nursing, four year bachelor’s degree, or the appropriate experience. Furthermore, applicants are required to be licensed and certified by various professional agencies such as Accredited Case Manager. Some job description also require experience for some periods ranging from one to three years. However, there are opportunities available for students who do not have experience apart from the practical classes that were provided in the classroom. Other requirements include the need for the applicant to have the necessary knowledge in basic nursing. For specialized nursing jobs, it is imperative for the student to prove that he or she is qualified in the field and has experience working with professionals either in a training setting or practically in a hospital setting (Blackwell & Neff, 2015). Additionally, the nurse is expected to perform other duties, which means that the student will have to engage in rigorous training to ascertain their competences in different nursing specialties.
Holistic Life Balance
| Holistic Life Goals personal - Within first year ( ways in which the student intends to maintain holistic balance) | Holistic Life Goals personal - Five year mark ( ways in which the student intends to maintain holistic balance) | Holistic Life Goals professional – Within first year ( ways in which the student intends to maintain holistic balance) | Holistic life Goals professional – Five year mark ( ways in which the student intends to maintain holistic balance) |
| Graduate | Become a professional in the my preferred field | Graduate from nursing school | Improving my nursing skills to reflect on my professionalism |
| Acquire a job | Continue using learned knowledge in improving the society | Start working as a nurse for an organization | Ensure that I continue engaging in professional programs to enhance my knowledge in the field |
| Use learned knowledge in a job setting |
Stressors and Challenges
| Stressors | Plan for managing these within the first year | Plan for managing these at the five year mark |
| Burnouts | Managing my time well | Coming up with a work schedule that allows for other leisure activities |
| Fatigue | Ensuring that I get sufficient time to relax | Mastering how to manage my non-work time to preserve energy |
| Challenges | ||
| Long working hours | Planning the daily activities | Advocating for sufficient staffing to avoid nurses delivering low quality services. |
| Job related stress | Engaging in other recreational activities | Identifying the ideal working conditions and fostering organizational change in the working condition |
Life-long Learning Plan
| Lifelong learning plan | First year | Fifth year |
| Become a professional in my career | Graduate with good grades in my field | Further to doctorate level |
| Improve my relationship with other members of the society | Use my education to improve the wellbeing of the society | Start programs that will help the society improve its wellbeing |
| Educational Development Plan | First year | Fifth year |
| Further my education | Earn a BSN | Earn a master’s degree |
Professional Contributions
| Contribution to the professional nursing community at the first year | Contribution to the professional nursing community at five years |
| Use my skills to enhance my service delivery to the patients | Earn higher education to enhance my service delivery to the patients |
| Ensure that my skills are aligned with the need professional guidelines | Engage in research to identify new methods and approaches |
| Contribution to the student’s general community in the healthcare professional role at the first year | Contribution to the student’s general community in the healthcare professional role at five years |
| Engage in collaborative partnership with colleagues | Engage in collaborative and conclusive research into best practices in different perspectives |
| Discuss possible new approaches to the nursing field | Research into new approaches that nursing could be executed in the future |
References
Blackwell, C. W., & Neff, D. F. (2015). Certification and education as determinants of nurse practitioner scope of practice: An investigation of the rules and regulations defining NP scope of practice in the United States. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners , 27 (10), 552-557.
Liaw, S. Y., Wu, L. T., Chow, Y. L., Lim, S., & Tan, K. K. (2017). Career choice and perceptions of nursing among healthcare students in higher educational institutions. Nurse education today , 52 , 66-72.
Northall, T., Ramjan, L. M., Everett, B., & Salamonson, Y. (2016). Retention and academic performance of undergraduate nursing students with advanced standing: A mixed-methods study. Nurse education today , 39 , 26-31.
Spector, N., Hooper, J. I., Silvestre, J., & Qian, H. (2018). Board of Nursing Approval of Registered Nurse Education Programs. Journal of Nursing Regulation , 8 (4), 22-31.
