Is Nursing For You?

What is Nursing?

According to the American Nurses Association, “nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.” Nursing is a professional practice of caring grounded in science, technology and knowledge.

What do Registered Nurses Do?

To have a positive effect on health, nurses must be able to correctly identify problems, analyze options, implement the best solution and evaluate the outcome of care. This requires the application of knowledge from many disciplines and the ability to apply that knowledge in patient care situations. Nurses care for culturally and socioeconomically diverse patients in multiple healthcare settings including hospitals, long-term care, clinics, patient’s homes and communities, physician offices, prisons, churches and schools.

Practical Considerations:

The following Practical Considerations are listed so the students may be better able to assess their career choice in terms of ability to succeed in the program and gain employment in the field:

1. Have written and oral communications skills in the English language to effectively and accurately communicate with patients, peers, and supervisors.
2. Have sufficient visual acuity to accurately assess patient conditions and treat patients safely.
3. Have motor skills capable of fine and delicate manipulation of patient equipment.
4. The ability to transfer, lift and move patients without restrictions.
5. Demonstrate acceptable affective behaviors required by health care employees such as maintaining excellent attendance and integrity and being able to work under pressure.
6. Comprehend and follow clinical policies and procedures related to the profession you choose.

Health Considerations:

Due to the nature of clinical experiences in the Nursing Program, students will be participating in a work environment that has the potential of exposure to blood borne pathogens and infectious diseases. All students accepted into the Nursing Program are provided with instruction on infection control protocols specific to the Program in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Students may be required to get a flu vaccine.

Students in the Nursing program must provide proof of having health insurance every semester.

Legal Considerations:

A student is required to have a criminal background check performed with satisfactory results acceptable by Middlesex County College and the Nursing Department and/or participating clinical facilities as a consideration of admission, initial enrollment and/ or continued enrollment. An offer of admission will not be final and enrollment not permitted until the completion of a satisfactory criminal background check. Drug testing is a requirement for the program. Admission may be denied or rescinded or enrollment terminated based on the results of the criminal background check and the drug testing.

For more information about Nursing as a career:

Johnson and Johnson The Campaign for Nursing’s Future has many resources for you as you consider nursing and take that first step. Please browse this link and other links on the site below for valuable information about nursing as a career.
https://www.discovernursing.com/future-nurses-start-here

Prospective Nursing Student Resource Guide