Professional Nurses: Licensed Modern Nursing

Anytime you walk into a hospital or a medical office one thing you will find a nurses. According to “the Bureau of Labor Statistics data in 2014 2.7 million jobs” (How many nurses are there? And other facts) are in the field of nursing. 719,900 of the 2.7 million jobs belonged to licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses. (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses). “Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care” (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses). These nurses can be found in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, and also in group homes. The nurses need a license and may work under the supervision of a registered nurse. (29-2061.00 - Licensed

When she was younger she would care for the sick people in her village. At the age of sixteen Nightingale was asked to go to Crimea as a nurse to take care of the injured and sick soldiers from the war. Upon her arrival she found “wounded soldiers were lying amidst all sorts of filth, rodents and bugs were everywhere and most of the water was contaminated. Nightingale determined that thorough cleaning was the first step toward proper healing. The hospital’s death rate decreased by two-thirds during her time of service” (History of Nursing). After the war Nightingale returned home and wrote a book on her accounts which revolutionized the military hospitals and medical procedures. In 1873 nurse education programs started in New York training school, Connecticut training school, and the Boston training school. These are known as the first organized schools of professional nursing in the

In the early twentieth century state nursing organizations were put in place to pass nurse registration acts and provided a licensing system for the nursing practice. “This also gave a legal title to nurses called registered professional nurses or RN for short” (History of Nursing). Although many went to school, “hospitals hired few graduate nurses, preferring to use students to supply most of the patient care labor” (History of Nursing). Most graduate nurses were employed by individual patients which were not dependable employment because not many could afford the care” (History of Nursing). “It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that hospitals began hiring staff nurses on a permanent bases, providing full-time professional care to all their patients” (History of Nursing). Lillian Wald founder of the Henry Street Settlement House in 1893 sparked the modern field of public health nursing. “Historically, the nursing profession has shown its ability to adapt to changes and healthcare needs. More educational opportunities have opened the door for advanced nursing specialities and nursing remains a popular, respected and in-demand profession that strives to meet the needs of the sick and wounded” (HIstory of Nursing).

In the job of a Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational nurse there are many tasks and responsibilities such as: administering prescription