Working as a Nurse can be a rewarding career especially if you are one with great communication and people skills. Nursing can allow you to explore working in various environments with different people based on your interests or area of specialization.
Who Is A Nurse?
Nurses play an important role in the well-being of patients right from when they come for regular check-ups until they need to carry out surgery if the need arises. Nurses offer both physical and emotional support to their patients, they pay close attention to the mental health of their patients and try to make their stay at the hospital a wonderful one.
Sometimes nurses might be required to create special care-plans when dealing with the elderly or infants. Their work schedule is based on shifts with the possibility of working on public holidays and festive seasons. Sometimes they may be posted to war-zones, rural areas, and places experiencing pandemics to assist with caring for the country’s population.
RELATED: MOH Granted Clearance To Post Over 8000 Nurses
Although you can get a job as a clinical nurse with an associate or bachelors degree in nursing, if you are looking to earn more you would be required to specialize in a particular area of medicine via masters of science in nursing. Some areas of Nursing where you can practise as a specialist includes;
- Infection Control
- Quality Control
- Case Management
- Healthcare Informatics
- Assistant Nurse Manager
- Charge Nurse
- Nurse Educator
- Clinical Development Specialist
- Training & Development Specialist
Relevant Skills For Nurses
People who work as nurses would interact with other human beings throughout their career, Because of this, you must take time in having these skills especially during the early years of your training for easy career navigation. They include
READ: Final Academic Calendar For Health Training Institution
- Ability to make people at ease
- Knowing when to follow up with special needs patients
- Communication Skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to adapt to new environments
- Teamwork
- Organizational Skills
- Multi-tasking skills
The Requirement To Study Nursing In Ghana
To become a nurse would mean that you have a science-related background that qualifies you for entry examinations at universities or health training institutions. Having a WAEC certificate with credit and above in 6 subjects (both core and elective) is also a requirement for most schools in Ghana. But a degree in the following courses enables you to study nursing from 200 level such courses include;
- Biochemistry
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Chemistry
What Kind Of Job Can I Get As A Nurse?
Some of the areas you can work in as a nurse include but are not limited to the places specified below :
- Hospitals
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
- Outpatient Settings
- Physician Offices
- Clinics
- Insurance Companies
- Government
- Community Health
- Elementary or High Schools
- Universities
- Correctional Healthcare Facilities
Diploma in Nursing
So you have made a decision to take up a diploma in nursing — congratulations, you have chosen a very noble profession that makes a significant contribution to your community! A nurse is an integral part of the healthcare profession, and can be said to be the backbone of any hospital. Nursing is a profession that is in very high demand in Africa and beyond. At present, there are not enough Registered and Enrolled Nurses who hold the diploma of nursing to cope up with the growing demands in the Healthcare industry.
Thee nationally accredited course gives nursing students the essential knowledge and skills to work in a variety of healthcare settings such as community and acute care, chronic care, care of the aged, rehabilitation and mental health. Enrolled nurses who wish to get a degree and become Registered nurses can do so by completing an approved program of study. They may in some cases get credits for the Diploma of Nursing course completed by them. They may also undertake the Advanced Diploma of Nursing and take their skills and knowledge to the next level.
READ: Payment of Trainee Allowance
There are some basic steps that one must follow in order to get started on a nursing career. It would be advisable to get in touch with a reputed healthcare placement agency, which can guide you through the various procedures and help you get the necessary prerequisite qualifications that are mandatory for studying and working.
Some popular nursing careers include;
- Nursing Assistant
- Clinical Nurse specialist
- Flight nurse
- Midwifery
- Neonatal intensive care nurse
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Public Health Nurse
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Nurse
- Psychiatric Nurse
- Travel Nurse
Work Experience As A Nurse
Work experience as a nurse starts right from ward clinical during your undergraduate study, you would also be required to undergo internships which could be from 6months -1 year for a better understanding of the clinical practice and work ethics.
Getting a Licence and permit approved by the state or country where you are willing to practise is necessary as most countries would not allow you practise without a complete or appropriate licence
Keep visiting Tertiary Ghana for your most reliable campus news
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP