What do you have to study to be a nurse?

If you are interested in the area of health and taking care of others, you have probably wondered if you have a vocation for nursing. The best way to find out is to know what you have to study to be a nurse. Knowing the ins and outs of this career and the profession in general will help you make a better decision.

In this article we are going to talk about the steps to follow to dedicate yourself to nursing, its different levels, type of studies and where they are taught.

what is nursing

Nursing is an area within the health services that is responsible for caring for sick or injured people, as well as providing preventive care to healthy people. Among their functions, a nursing professional is in charge of evaluating patients, developing care plans, attending to the needs of hospitalized people, keeping their records, and educating them about the care they should have once they are discharged. There are even some procedures that can only be performed by nurses and not by doctors, such as the application of intravenous drugs.

Where does a nursing professional work?

Nurses are often part of a medical team within hospitals, clinics, offices, businesses, schools, mental health centers, nursing homes, or in the homes of their patients. When working in hospitals, the nursing professional can work in different areas depending on their specialization; either as an instrumentalist in an operating room, in intensive care, emergencies, in a delivery room team, in the neonatal unit, in the oncology unit, etc.

What do you have to study to be a nurse?

Depending on the type of studies (technical or undergraduate) and the level they have reached, nurses are classified into five different levels. Logically, the responsibilities and salary they receive vary depending on their professional level.

Level I. Nurses with non-professional studies (practices)
Level II. Nurses with a technical career
Level III. Nurses with a technical degree and a technical specialization
Level IV. Bachelor’s level general nurses
Level V. Nurses with a bachelor’s degree, specialization or postgraduate study

Nursing functions level I

To work at level I as a non-professional nurse, at least two semesters of nursing are required, either at the technical or undergraduate level. Due to their limited knowledge and experience, a level I nurse can only perform simple procedures under the direction of experienced nurses, for example:

Identify and report to your superiors symptoms or conditions in a patient that help make diagnoses or determine their state of health.
Participate in minor activities assigned by the most qualified personnel.
Assist registered nurses in general patient care.
Assist in cleaning and sterilization of equipment.

Functions of level II nurses

To work as a level II technical nurse, at least three years of technical level studies are required. This professional has the capacity and knowledge to apply general care to the patient, to carry out certain teaching tasks and administrative activities, including:

Identify needs or problems of patients.
Use instruments to collect data on the health status of patients.
Collaborate in the planning of nursing interventions.
Help execute care plans with basic or medium complexity procedures.
Plan and organize administrative activities in your area
Detect health education problems in your community
Participate in continuous improvement programs within nursing services.

Nursing functions level III

A level III specialized technical nurse must have three years of technical studies and at least one year of specialized medical, surgical, teaching or administrative studies. This enables you to perform independent interventions in your area of expertise. Among his functions, a level III nurse is in charge of:

Evaluate the patient’s health and their needs according to their area of expertise.
Carry out nursing diagnoses.
Plan and carry out interventions of their technical specialization.
Develop care management plans.
Participate in education programs for health and specific problems of their specialty.

Functions of level IV nurses

This professional has four years of general studies at the nursing degree level. He has sufficient technical and scientific knowledge to assess and care for patients, in addition to detecting risks and preventing diseases. Among his functions, a level IV nurse must:

Assess and make nursing diagnoses of patients.
Evaluate the results of care plans.
Prepare care plans at home.
Educate the patient and their relatives on how to carry out care at home.
Design action protocols in nursing.

Functions of level V nurses

The level V nurse has four years of nursing degree and a minimum of two years of specialized studies. He applies his technical, scientific and humanistic knowledge to make decisions and stays up to date with the techniques and procedures of his specialty. Among his functions, this professional must:

Assess and gather detailed information from patients.
Prepare nursing diagnoses.
Design care plans.
Carry out interventions and use the technological equipment of their specialization.
Create protocols and guidelines for nursing.
Manage teams of nurses.
Evaluate the performance of your team.
Prepare reports.
Carry out admiring activities typical of their area.

Technical Career in Nursing

There are public and private institutions that offer technical careers in nursing and technical specializations. With these courses you can work as a nurse level I (after 2 semesters), level II (with completed degree) and level III (with specialization).