Nursing career objectives provide overviews of what nurses wish to accomplish in their professional lives. These objectives typically align with the level of nursing degree achieved. Responsibilities are also tied to what specialty areas nurses choose for their career paths. Nurses work in hospital settings, doctors' offices, nonprofit health facilities, and nursing homes.
The nursing career objectives in the field of registered nursing usually include working with patients and their families. Educating family members in how to take blood pressure, administer medications, and cook healthy meals are common nursing career objectives at this nursing level. Registered nurses (RNs) act as liaisons between patients and doctors. Effective communication is an important skill set to have in this field.
Registered nursing career objectives should also include discharge education and follow-up care. The registered nurse typically processes hospital discharge paperwork and instructs the patient in his or her aftercare and follow-up appointment reminders. For example, an RN working in the newborn area of a hospital makes sure the new mother knows how to properly feed and change her baby before going home. The RN also reminds the new mom of doctor visits scheduled after discharge.
Licensed practical nursing career objectives are similar to those of RNs except that licensed practical nurses (LPNs) report to RNs. Patient contact and monitoring vital statistics are typical duties and career objectives at the LPN level. Licensed practical nurses usually perform routine laboratory tests and record fluid output and input. Some regions allow LPNs to administer medications and start IVs.
A nursing aide is not an actual nurse, but is on the nursing spectrum. Nursing aides assist licensed nurses in day-to-day duties of patient care. For example, a nursing aide might change patient bed linens, serve meals, and provide personal hygiene assistance. Helping patients shower, eat, and walk are also nursing career objectives for nurses' aides. Depending on the region, nurses' aides receive training and in some cases must be certified to work with patients.
Regardless of the field or specialty nurses choose to work in, the common theme to their nursing career objectives is the care of patients. Communication with doctors, patients, and patient families occurs in almost all settings. Other objectives are specialty specific.
