Introduction
The changing technologies in the medical environment have resulted in increasing need for registered nurses to serve a variety of functions. This implies that both now and in the future, those who pursue careers as registered nurses will have opportunities for career growth. Such prospects are the basis of my desire and decision to build a dream career as a registered nurse. At the center of the registered nurse roles is promotion of health and wellness and improvement of the quality of life in the community. With an expected growth of 16% by 2024, there are high prospects for careers in the registered nurse profession, with high benefits, job security and high potential for growth. The registered nurse job is however challenging, and encompasses several key activities aimed at improving the well-being and health of patients. Through the rest of the paper, I present a cover for my dream job as a registered nurse, provide the job description and generally develop a profile for that job.
Registered Nurse Job Description
Registered nurses fulfill several job duties in the healthcare environment. Primarily, their role is to treat and care for patients. To accomplish this primary role, RNs focus on responsibilities such as educating the public as well as their patients about various medical conditions; providing emotional support to patients and their families due to certain illnesses; performing diagnostic functions and analyzing diagnostic test results; administering patient medications; recording patient medical histories and illness symptoms; operation of medical equipment within a healthcare facility and assisting in patient rehabilitation and follow up. These nurses also observe patient reactions to medications and monitor changes in patient conditions. They also prepare patients for examination by physicians and perform a variety of other roles as assigned within their specific healthcare facilities. Most of the registered nurses are specialized in specific fields and medical service provision and can perform roles that depend on their specialization areas. The work environment mostly determines the specific roles that a registered nurse would engage in based on the opportunities available and the capacity of the hospital to fill them. Each of these roles is directly linked to patient health and improvement of medical care outcomes.
Besides the patient centered roles, registered nurses also work to enhance the efficiency of other medical practitioners. They supervise less experienced nurses to ensure that all roles are performed optimally; assist physicians in treating patients in various healthcare settings and also work with hospital administrations in establishing electronic health recording systems that foster better healthcare service delivery. The registered nurse job can be demanding hence the requirements for the role. To be able to attain my dream of becoming a registered nurse, I will have to undertake certain courses that are a combination of both classroom and supervised clinical experience. A potential registered nurse can earn a diploma through a given hospital, join a community college or a university to attain a bachelor’s degree or obtain an associate degree in nursing. Given these alternatives, I believe I am in the right route to becoming a registered nurse.
Job Compensation and Benefits Package
For the described registered nurse jobs the expected pay package should range between $43,300 and $ 80,000 per year. The actual salary to be paid to each nurse depends on a variety of factors including the duration of service experience, the specific work environment and the specialty. Specialized registered nurses earn slightly more than the rest of the registered nurses. Similarly, nurses who work in the general hospital setting take home higher salaries compared to those who deliver patient care in home settings.
Besides the salary, the nurses can be provided with a variety of benefits. The recommended benefits package for my dream job would include health/ medical benefits, a certain number of vacation days per year, and house allowance among others. Conventionally, the number of vacation days offered to nurses depends on their employers and the roles they perform. For instance, academic health centers may provide up to a month of paid vacation. However, with the current demand for registered nurses and the insufficient number of nurses, hospitals and other healthcare facilities may offer to sign off bonuses in lieu of the vacation days. Whichever the case, I would like to have a definite set of vacation days so that I can choose whether to utilize them for vacation or to trade them off for bonuses. In some cases, bonuses of up to $ 15,000 can be earned through work done on vacation. The recommendation is that bonuses be reserved for experienced nurses whose presence is absolutely necessary to every organizational performance. Those who work in high shortage institutions could also be served through the bonuses. I would be willing to work in any environment.
Benefits Package Rationalization
The benefits package for the registered nurse roles has been developed based on various factors, as described by Odunlade (2012). From this perspective, compensation has been taken to imply all forms of financial and non-financial benefits that an employee gains by virtue of their working in a particular place. The compensation package has been developed based on the expectancy theory by Victor Vroom. The theory posits that the reward system influences the employee behavior patterns in that employees are motivated by a system that provides benefits that correspond to the expected benefits. As a registered nurse, there will be an expectation that is drawn from industry statistics as well as the range of tasks performed, specialization and experience. Registered nurses will expect to be paid salaries and benefits that reflect their roles in the organization and also show appreciation for the experience they have gathered over the years. This implies that any benefits that have to be assigned to registered nurses should take into consideration all these factors.
While developing the above compensation package, the factors outlined under the expectancy theory were taken into consideration. Research was conducted on industry compensation scales from various articles including Stevens (2017). The researched articles provided the average, lowest and highest pay rates for the nurses, and also described the conditions under which compensation will be varied. Additionally, the compensation package was founded on an extant theory that has been used in the past for compensation design and satisfaction of employees. The described compensation package for the registered nurse job therefore lies within logical and practical limits, and is also aligned to the existing compensation scales for the same role. It can thus be deduced that the package is rational.
Performance Appraisal Program
The objective of performance appraisal is to identify gaps in performance and to align the individual competencies of employees to the roles to which they are assigned. For the registered nurse position, where only one position exists in the organization, a performance appraisal program may be run to enhance the performance of the single incumbent of the position. The proposed appraisal program will evaluate the knowledge, skills and abilities of the incumbent relative to the position requirements. The appraisal can be run after every six months with the objectives of determining whether the incumbent has a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities; to determine the training needs of the incumbent and to determine the level of competency in different key areas. Role understanding can be explored through self reports from the incumbent as well as the reports provided by their supervisor. Discrepancy between the supervisor’s understanding of the employee’s roles and the understanding of the employee could be an indication of unclear role definition, which can only be addressed through effective role definition.
Some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) for a registered nurse position include quality of care, work health and safety, operations, communications, and line management. These KPIs are linked to the core competencies of the incumbent and will be rated based on a combination of self reports and the supervisor reports. Through a discussion between the supervisor and the nurse, the two will come to a conclusion on areas in need of improvement and then work on a plan for the next six months. The training needs for the registered nurse will also be highlighted and planned for to enhance performance in different areas.
Performance Appraisal Rationalization
Designing a performance appraisal program can be a daunting task without consideration of the specific roles and responsibilities of the position under consideration. The performance appraisal program developed for the registered nurse position aligns with the key objectives of a performance appraisal plan, which are to improve performance, identify competency levels in an employee and design employee training needs. To accomplish these objectives, a performance appraisal program should be developed following various conventions. According to Daoanis (2012), a performance appraisal should be conducted from an objective rather than a subjective view point, with the aim of improving employee performance and not for punishing their mistakes. The appraiser needs to establish whether an employee understands their roles before using the same roles as the basis of defining performance. An effective appraisal program also takes into consideration the key performance indicators of the role, hence should be conducted on the basis of a clear understanding of the employee’s KPIs. From this perspective, it is clear that the developed performance appraisal program is suitable for the outlined position.
Conclusion
The registered nurse job position is a demanding position in any healthcare setting. The roles of the registered nurse are diverse and dependent on their training levels and specialization. Roles such as supporting physicians in their roles, caring for patients and supervising low experience nurses are all accorded to the registered nurse. As such, the incumbent should not only be knowledgeable in performing the basic functions of a nurse, but should also focus on management capabilities within the healthcare setting. The compensation package of the registered nurse is defined within a range, in which the specific compensation for a nurse is based on factors such as duration of experience, specialization and the work environment. For consistent delivery of quality service, the registered nurse is evaluated based on a variety of KPIs including operations, line management, work health and safety and service quality. Each of these KPIs has to be clarified to the incumbent together with the specific job roles to enable common understanding during performance appraisal.
References
Daoanis, L.E. (2012). Performance appraisal system: It’s implication to employee performance. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 2(3), 55-62. Retrieved from pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c716/802af3a90064ca0dc196578574e07b5e79df.pdf
Odunlade, R.O. (2012). Managing employee compensation and benefits for job satisfaction in libraries and information centres in Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice, 714. Retrieved from digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1788&context=libphilprac
Stevens, J. (2017, July 05). What benefits do registered nurses receive? Career Trend. Retrieved from careertrend.com/list-6736333-benefits-do-registered-nurses-receive-.html