| Nursing careers offer many opportunities for | | | | specialty requires a strong knowledge base of : |
| employment in nursing. Nursing careers are some of | | | | - case management |
| the most challenging and rewarding careers in health | | | | - counselling and crisis intervention |
| care. Typically when one thinks of nursing as a career | | | | - health promotion and risk reduction |
| there is a mental image of working at the bedside of | | | | - legal and regulatory requirements for worker safety |
| a hospitalized patient. However, advanced practice | | | | - occupational hazard detection and reduction including |
| nursing provides interesting and challenging work for | | | | ergonomic risks |
| nurses who want to add to their basic education. | | | | The occupational health nurse works within the same |
| Such nursing practice does not necessarily occur at | | | | nursing scope of practice as the bedside nurse or the |
| the bedside. | | | | clinical nurse specialist and is responsible for |
| Three different types of nursing that are considered | | | | maintaining the same practice standards as any other |
| advanced practice nursing jobs in Canada are the | | | | nurse registered with the regulatory nursing |
| clinical nurse specialist, the nurse practitioner and the | | | | organization. |
| occupational health nurse. Each of these career | | | | Nurse Practitioner |
| specialities could occur in a variety of settings such as | | | | The nurse practitioner has been a legally defined part |
| a hospital, a community, or even in industry. | | | | of nursing practice in the United states for many |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | | | | years but it is one of the newer types of nursing |
| The role of the clinical nurse specialist can vary | | | | jobs in Canada. The nurse practitioner is still not a |
| greatly depending on the needs of the community | | | | legally defined type of nursing in all provinces. British |
| and the employer. The clinical nurse specialist may be | | | | Columbia is one of the provinces that most recently |
| directly involved with patients and families and often | | | | made the move to include the category of nurse |
| provides leadership to the nursing staff in a hospital | | | | practitioner as one of the types of nursing regulated |
| or a community setting. | | | | by the College of Registered Nurses of British |
| A clinical nurse specialist is a registered nurse with a | | | | Columbia. |
| master's degree who is specialized in a particular | | | | Because a nurse practitioner practices in an advanced |
| aspect of nursing with a specialized client group such | | | | role as a registered nurse, an advanced education is |
| as pediatrics or gerontology. The clinical nurse | | | | necessary. Typically this requires a university degree |
| specialist may also be specialized within a particular | | | | plus two additional years of nurse practitioner |
| clinical area such as oncology,cardiology, or critical | | | | education resulting in a educational qualification |
| care. | | | | equivalent to a master's degree. |
| The role of a clinical nurse specialist falls within the | | | | Specific competencies for the nurse practitioner must |
| legally defined scope of nursing practice for a | | | | be in place. Within a legally defined scope of practice |
| registered nurse. | | | | a nurse practitioner can engage in activities that may |
| Occupational Health Nurse | | | | be outside the legal scope of practice of a registered |
| The occupational health nurse (OHN) works in | | | | nurse or even a clinical nurse specialist. Such activities |
| settings not typically associated with the nursing | | | | include prescribing certain medications and treatments |
| profession. Uniforms, nursing caps. and shoes have | | | | for specified medical problems and ordering diagnostic |
| been traded for overalls, steel toe boots, and a hard | | | | tests. |
| hat. Patients are not in hospital beds but are able | | | | The clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, and |
| bodied workers in factories, paper mills, and chemical | | | | occupational health nurse are three different types of |
| plants. | | | | nursing careers in Canada. The clinical nurse specialist |
| According to the Canadian Association of | | | | and the occupational health nurse practice within the |
| Occupational HealthNurses the scope of nursing | | | | same nursing scope of practice but the nurse |
| practice for an Occupational Health Nurse includes: | | | | practitioner practices outside of this scope of |
| "...managing and administering an occupational health | | | | practice and therefore legislation must be in place |
| service within legal and professional parameters; | | | | that defines and regulates this type of nursing |
| conducting health examinations; assessing the work | | | | practice. Not all provinces have this in place so the |
| environment; providing primary, secondary, and | | | | nurse practitioner is not a legally defined type of |
| tertiary prevention strategies; providing health | | | | nursing career in all provinces in Canada. |
| education programs; providing health promotion | | | | All nursing jobs in Canada provide for challenge, but |
| programs; providing counseling interventions and | | | | these three types of nursing careers have diversity |
| programs; managing the information system; | | | | and challenge that goes beyond that typically |
| conducting health surveillance programs; monitoring | | | | associated with the bedside nurse in a hospital |
| injury/illness trends; as well as program planning, | | | | setting. However, all these three types of nursing |
| policy development, and cost-containment strategies." | | | | careers are regulated in the public interest and nursing |
| The main focus of the occupational health nurse is | | | | practice in each specialty must adhere to the nursing |
| promoting and maintaining the health of workers in | | | | practice standards set by the regulatory |
| their work environment. Nursing practice in this | | | | organizations. |