Are you looking for a Nursing Challenge in Neurology
Are You Looking For A Nursing Career Challenge In Neurology?
Neurological nursing presents a unique challenge for registered nurses, because the field of neurology is extremely broad in perspective. Its horizons are expanding rapidly, as there is extensive research being done, in many areas.
A student seeking a career in nursing may ask What is neurological nursing? What does it entail?
Neurological nursing is quite complex in its scope.
The word neurology is derived from the word neuron, which means nerve. Neurology is a highly specialized medical field, that deals with the entire nervous system, including the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems.
There are a broad range of neurological diseases and other neurological conditions that affect adults, teenagers and children and thus neurology nurses are needed to care for people of all ages, in many different kinds of nursing care environments.
Neurology nursing can be an extremely demanding occupation for registered nurses, but it is a realm of inquiry that is interesting, exciting and rewarding to pursue. It does require a high degree of dedication, advanced nursing skills and often a great deal of patience on the part of the neurological nurse.
Why is that?
The answer to that question has to do with the nature and extent of neurological diseases. In other words, any part of the brain or spinal cord may be affected by various kinds of neurological diseases, as well as the nerves, muscles and blood vessels associated with them. Neurological diseases often affect the entire body.
Neurology includes a broad range of medical conditions that involve the brain and spinal cord, as well as areas of the body influenced by the nerves and the nervous system. This can include medical problems like epilepsy, strokes, sleep disorders, headaches or tumors of various kinds. It also includes problems associated with infections, immunological and hereditary diseases.
Anything that affects the nervous system in some way, can cause a patient to need neurology nursing care, right at that time or later on in his or her life.
A neurological nurse plays an important role in patient assessment, which leads to the diagnosis and treatment of various kinds of neurological conditions.
Accurate and consistent recording of neurological observations is essential to establish the patient's neurological status and to illustrate any changes. (1)
Patient assessment by neurological nurses, includes assessing his or her level of consciousness, papillary reaction, motor function and vital signs. These are monitored as required, in order to determine the extent of neurological damage, impairment, improvement or degeneration of the nervous system and other parts of the body.
Working on a neurology (or a surgical-neurology) ward, a registered nurse has a wide variety of nursing care responsibilities, which may include administering medications, tracheotomy and tracheostomy care, intravenous therapy, skin care, tube feedings and catheterization, as well as other, more highly specialized treatments and procedures for individual patients.
Neurological nursing care may be needed following accidents, where there are head or spinal cord injuries. When patients are injured in vehicle, motorcycle or boating accidents, they may wind up in comas and require long-term medical-neurological and surgical-neurological nursing care. Extended or long-term neurological care often includes counseling, teaching, re-training and rehabilitation. For many of those who are injured, it is a long road back. Family members may participate in many aspects of neurological care.
Neurological nurses trained in pediatrics, may be interested in pursuing pediatric neurology, with regard to nursing infants or children, who have suffered birth or childhood trauma injuries, early childhood illnesses, meningitis or encephalitis, as well as genetic birth defects.
Neurological nurses are often needed in private homes, long-term nursing care homes or rehabilitation centers, where patients are hospitalized with neurological problems related to degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's disease or Huntington's chorea.
Neurology nurses may request to work in specialized areas for brain or spinal cord injuries, defects or tumors. It may also be possible for them to obtain employment in ongoing neurological research, related to these areas.
Because the range of neurological problems is so vast, those who would like to become neurological nurses need to have basic training in medical-surgical nursing first. Then there are many career options that they can pursue, with respect to neurological nursing. Numerous courses for specialization in neurological nursing are offered at college and university nursing schools. Online research will show other, more highly specialized courses, for neurological nurse practitioners or neurological nurse clinicians.
For a student who is considering becoming a neurological nurse, the majority of hospitals, nursing homes and community agencies, offer volunteer work with patients, who have various kinds of neurological problems, like cerebral palsy. Spending time with a patient who has multiple sclerosis, a child confined to a wheelchair because of a spina bifida or an elderly person with a brain tumor, will give a prospective student nurse a glimpse into the kind of nursing care that is required in neurology.
Many registered nurses love this kind of work, as it often involves total patient care related to the body, soul, mind and spirit of their patients. This type of nursing requires a nurse who is gentle, loving and kind.
For registered nurses looking for a challenge, you can expect to find one in the realm of neurological nursing!
