Nursing

Home Health Aide

Work Activities

• Dressing, undressing, and assisting in the hygienic needs of patients
• Measuring a patient's pulse and respiration rate
• Changing surgical dressings for patients
• Giving medication to patients
• Helping patients exercise
• Helping patients into and out of beds, automobiles, and wheelchairs
• Providing emotional and psychological support to patients
• Changing patients bed linen
• Washing and ironing patients laundry
• Purchasing food for patients and family members and preparing and serving balanced meals or meals prepared according to special diets
• Cleaning patients living quarters
• Maintaining records of services performed and of the patient's condition and progress
• Providing information and demonstrations of how to prepare healthy meals on a limited income, how to care for children, and how to manage a household
• Assisting patients in adapting to limitations caused by disability, frailty, or illness

Career Specialties
Home Health Aides may specialize according to the primary services rendered.

Home Attendants provide personal, nursing-type services, usually to patients who are elderly and living alone.

Homemakers assist convalescent patients and provide services to the patients families. Most services are of a non-nursing nature.

Work Settings
Home Health Aides usually work alone with individual patients. They work under the supervision of a licensed nurse, social worker, or other appropriate professional.

Because Home Health Aides work in patients homes, the surroundings will vary. Home Health Aides may work with patients of different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds and with patients who have various physical and mental ailments.

Special Requirements
Home Health Aides may be required to pass an annual physical exam and to have a negative tuberculin (TB) test. Some employers also require that these workers possess valid drivers licenses and their own transportation. Personal or business references also may be required.

Licensed Practical Nurse

Work Activities

• Taking and recording the patients temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, weight, and height
• Dressing wounds
• Administering prescribed medication, when authorized
• Performing simple diagnostic tests
• Recording food and fluid intake and output
• Observing patients, and recording their reactions to treatments, then reporting those reactions to the registered nurse or physician in charge
• Assisting patients in activities of daily living, such as eating, exercising, bathing, performing oral hygiene, and making beds
• Caring for patients in traction and casts
• Turning patients in bed and assisting patients to walk
• Caring for mothers in labor and during the postpartum period
• Feeding infants and newborns
• Assisting with teaching patients good health habits
• Providing emotional support to patients and families
• Observing patient-monitoring equipment
• Providing post-mortem care for patients who have died

Career Specialties
After additional training, an LPN may work in specialized areas, such as post-operative recovery, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, or emergency care.

Work Settings
LPNs work under the direction of physicians, dentists, or registered nurses. Experienced LPNs may assist with the supervision of nursing assistants. Those who care for patients in homes and other locations may work under a variety of environmental conditions. Some of the work, such as lifting patients and turning them in bed, can be strenuous. LPNs are in close contact with patients who are experiencing illness, pain, discomfort, and death as well as healing and recovery.

Special Requirements
To become qualified as a Licensed Practical Nurse in New Mexico, the applicant must complete an accredited practical nursing program and must pass a written examination. Any person who holds a license to practice as an LPN may use the designation Licensed Practical Nurse.

Educational Institutions
Albuquerque Public Schools Career Enrichment Center(C)
Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute(P)
Alliance Hospital of Santa Teresa(O/X)
Clovis Community College(C)
De Baca General Hospital(O)
Eastern New Mexico University, Roswell(C)
Heights Psychiatric Hospital(O)
Luna Vocational Technical Institute(P)
Memorial Medical Center(R)
New Mexico Junior College(C)
New Mexico State University, Carlsbad(C)
Northeastern Regional Hospital(R)
Northern New Mexico Community College(C)
Saint Joseph Medical Center(R)
Sierra Vista Hospital(R)

Refer to Vocational Education listing.

Medical Assistant

Work Activities

• Preparing treatment rooms for the examination of patients
• Checking and recording the patient's pulse, blood pressure, temperature, weight, height, and other medical history data
• Assisting in operating equipment, such as EKG (electrocardiograph) and X-ray machines
• Administering injections and medications and collecting blood samples and other specimens
• Assisting with some laboratory and surgical procedures
• Arranging for hospital admission and laboratory work as requested by the physician
• Instructing patients in the use of medications and other treatments
• Scheduling appointments, receiving payments for bills, maintaining medical and financial records, completing insurance forms, performing general secretarial tasks, and assisting with office management
• Preparing inventories of office, medical, and laboratory supplies to determine items that need to be ordered

Career Specialties
Medical Assistants' duties may be either clinical or administrative, but they usually involve both, depending on their training and the needs of their employer. Medical Assistants may be designated as Chiropractic Assistants or Podiatric Assistants.

Work Settings
Medical Assistants work under the supervision and direction of physicians. They may work alone, with other assistants, or with other health personnel, such as registered or licensed practical nurses. They may supervise medical secretaries and clerks.

Medical Assistants work in offices, clinics, hospitals, industrial plants, schools, and research and medical laboratories, where working conditions vary. Medical Assistants may be exposed to infection, communicable diseases, and contaminated material.

Special Requirements
There are two certifying organizations: the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the American Medical Technologists (AMT). Both the AAMA and the AMT require applicants for certification to pass examinations. In order to qualify for the examinations, applicants must have completed an approved program of study or have sufficient training and work experience.

Medical Office Cluster
Certain vocational education programs offer courses to help prepare students to enter this occupation. Students learn such skills as answering the telephone, relaying messages, receiving and directing visitors, transcribing orders, and preparing requisition forms.

Educational Institutions
Computer Career Center(P)
Franklin Medical College(P)
Pima Medical Institute(P)

Refer to Vocational Education listing.

Nurse Aide/Orderly/Geriatric Aide

Nursing Assistants are called Nurse Aides or Orderlies. Those who work with elderly patients are called Geriatric Aides.

• Bathing, dressing, undressing, and assisting in the hygienic needs of patients
• Serving meals and feeding patients who are unable to feed themselves
• Measuring and recording food and liquid intake and output
• Taking and recording a patient's temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate
• Setting up equipment, portable X-ray machines, and overhead irrigation bottles
• Observing and reporting how patients respond to the care they receive
• Assisting patients in and out of bed
• Moving patients to and from treatment rooms by using wheelchairs or wheeled carriages, or by assisting them to walk
• Draping patients for examinations and treatments, then remaining to assist the physician with the examination
• Making beds and doing other housekeeping activities to keep patients rooms clean

Career Specialties
Nurse Aides may be classified according to the specific tasks they perform.

Central Supply Nurse Aides clean, sterilize, store, prepare, and issue dressing packs, treatment trays, and other supplies.

Delivery Nurse Aides prepare patients for childbirth and clean the delivery rooms.

Nursery Nurse Aides bathe, weigh, dress, and feed newborn babies.

Surgery Nurse Aides clean, sterilize, and assemble supplies and instruments used in surgery and maintain cleanliness and order in the operating rooms.

Work Settings
Nurse Aides and Orderlies usually work in hospitals or nursing homes as members of a nursing team under the direct supervision of a licensed health professional. Working conditions may include close contact with illness, pain, and death, and exposure to infection and communicable diseases.

Also, Nurse Aides may work in private homes and in psychiatric care settings where conditions may vary.

Special Requirements
Persons who wish to work for federal health facilities usually are required to pass a civil service test. Those who wish to work for state or local governmental facilities are required to complete a state application. Most must pass a physical exam.

Educational Institutions
Albuquerque Job Corp(P)
Albuquerque Public Schools Career Enrichment Center(C)
Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute(P)
Artesia General Hospital(O)
Ben Archer Health Center(O)
Clovis Community College(C)
Crownpoint Institute of Technology(P)
Eastern New Mexico University, Roswell(C)
Fort Bayard Medical Center(P)
Franklin Medical College(P)
Guadalupe County Hospital(O)
Heights Psychiatric Hospital(O)
Holy Cross Hospital(O)
Las Vegas Medical Center(P)
Lovelace Health Systems(O/P)
Memorial Medical Center(R)
Mesa Technical College(P)
Mimbres Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home(P)
Miners Colfax Medical Center(O)
New Mexico Job Corps(P)
New Mexico Junior College(C)
New Mexico State University, Alamogordo(C)
New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Branch Community College(C)
Northern New Mexico Community College(C)
Pima Medical Institute(P)
Plains Regional Medical Center(O)
Presbyterian Medical Services - Cuba Health Center(O)
San Juan College(C)
Santa Fe Community College(C)
Sierra Vista Hospital(P)
Socorro General Hospital(O)
Union County General Hospital(O)
University of New Mexico, Gallup(C)

Refer to Vocational Education listing.

Nurse Anesthetist

Work Activities

• Assembling supplies, equipment, and machines for administering anesthetics, and testing the machines to ensure proper functioning
• Studying the results of presurgical tests to determine how the anesthetic will affect the patient
• Assuring that a supply of the proper blood type is available for emergency use
• Explaining medical procedures to the patient to secure cooperation and bolster confidence
• Administering prescribed medications before surgery or childbirth
• Administering the prescribed anesthetic and maintaining the patient under anesthesia during surgery
• Preparing prescribed solutions and starting intravenous injections
• Watching the patient for warning signs, such as dilation of pupils or change in skin color
• Monitoring the patients condition during anesthesia and assisting the attending physician with emergency procedures if necessary
• Inserting artificial airways, or administering oxygen, fluids, and blood to prevent airway obstruction or surgical shock
• Recording the patients condition and the anesthetic and medication administered before, during, and after surgery

In addition to duties directly relating to surgical procedures in the operating room, Nurse Anesthetists may prepare periodic reports of the activities of other workers, take inventories, order supplies, and request necessary equipment, repairs, or adjustments. Some experienced and qualified Nurse Anesthetists may teach in nurse anesthesia programs, engage in research, or perform administrative duties related to anesthesiology.

Work Settings
As a key member of the operating team, the Nurse Anesthetist combines professional nursing skills with the science of anesthesia. The Nurse Anesthetist works under the direction of a physician or dentist.

Although anesthetics usually are administered in a hospital operating room, Nurse Anesthetists may work in the obstetric department, the psychiatric department, the inhalation therapy department, the emergency room, or in dental offices.

Special Requirements
To practice as a Nurse Anesthetist in New Mexico, one must be a registered nurse and obtain a nurse anesthetist practitioners license. Completion of a certification examination given by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists also is required.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist must have graduated from an approved anesthesia program (24 to 36 months of course work) that includes a minimum of 800 hours of anesthesia, and must pass a national certification examination.

To enter an accredited program of nurse anesthesia, the person must be a registered nurse with a minimum of one year's experience in an acute care area and must have a bachelor degree in nursing or another appropriate area.

Educational Institutions
No program information is available.

Nurse-Midwife

Work Activities

• advising women about reproductive health, conception, and personal care
• Providing gynecological services, including pelvic and breast exams and Pap smears
• Monitoring the health of the pregnant woman and fetus during pregnancy
• Educating women and their families about nutrition, exercise, childbirth methods, and infant care
• Evaluating the progress of labor and offering physical and emotional support
• Consulting a physician if labor is not normal
• Assisting with childbirth and examining the newborn
• Advising patients about breast- and bottle-feeding

Work Settings
Nurse-Midwives work in hospitals, birthing centers, health maintenance organizations, public health departments, or clinics, or establish their own private practices. Some Midwives deliver babies in the mother's home if conditions are safe and suitable.

Special Requirements
To become certified as a Nurse-Midwife in New Mexico, one must be a registered nurse, complete an accredited educational program to earn a certificate or a master degree, and pass a written examination given by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Educational Institutions
University of New Mexico(M)

Nurse Practitioner

Work Activities

• Obtaining health histories
• Performing complete physical exams
• Diagnosing and treating common illnesses
• Initiating therapy or prescribing medications
• Managing stable, chronic conditions such as diabetes
• Providing education and counseling with an emphasis on the preventive aspects of health care

Work Settings
Nurse Practitioners work in private offices with physicians, medical clinics, schools, home health agencies, health maintenance organizations, health departments, and hospitals. Some Nurse Practitioners have their own private practices.

Career Specialties
Nurse Practitioners may specialize in adult, family, pediatric, womens, school, or geriatric health.

Special Requirements
To become a Nurse Practitioner, one must be a registered nurse and must complete an accredited Nurse Practitioner program earning a certificate or a master degree. To become certified in New Mexico, Nurse Practitioners also must pass an examination given by the American Nurses' Association or other certifying organizations. Additional licensure requirements are determined by the State of New Mexico.

Educational Institutions
University of New Mexico(M/Pr)
University of New Mexico(M), Western New Mexico Location

Registered Nurse

Work Activities

• Determining the nursing and health needs of patients
• Carrying out prescribed medical and nursing treatments
• Teaching and counseling patients and their families
• Observing and reporting the condition of patients to physicians and modifying the plan of care if needed
• Directing and supervising less skilled nursing personnel

Career Specialties
Registered Nurses may specialize in some of the following areas:

Hospital Nurses or Institutional Nurses, also known as staff or general duty nurses, give general or specialized nursing care to patients in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or similar institutions. Their duties may include:

• Administering drugs, injections, and treatments to patients, as prescribed by a physician
• Preparing equipment and aiding the physician during treatment and examination of the patient
• Observing, recording, and reporting the patients condition and reaction to drugs and treatments

Hospital RNs may specialize in one of the clinical and nursing services of the institution, such as obstetrics, surgery, psychiatry, cardiac care, or intensive care. They may work with special types of patients, such as children, the elderly, the chronically ill, or the physically or mentally challenged.

Industrial Nurses (RNs who work in occupational health settings) usually treat ailments and injuries that occur on the company property. They may be involved in illness prevention and safety programs provided for employees. Also, they may refer some individuals to other health care providers.

Nurse Instructors or Nurse Educators teach nursing students in basic and vocational schools. Nurse Educators also may work with in-service or staff development programs in various health service settings.

Office Nurses care for and treat patients inoffices as directed by physicians. They may have reception, clerical, and inventory duties in addition to regular nursing duties. They often perform simple laboratory tests and take X-rays when specialists for these tasks are not available.

Private Duty Nurses give constant bedside care to one patient, either in a hospital or at the patients home.

Public Health Nurses, or Community Health Nurses, work in governmental or voluntary public health agencies to provide care, teaching, and counseling to individuals at home, at work, or in schools, clinics, or other settings. Emphasis is on preventing illness by providing people with instruction in health maintenance and disease prevention. They refer patients with special problems to appropriate community agencies.

School Nurses plan policies, standards, and objectives of school health programs in cooperation with medical and school administrative personnel.

RNs who have graduate education or extensive experience may become administrators, teachers, Public Health Nurses, or consultants. Specialists, such as Nurse Anesthetists or Nurse Practitioners, also are registered nurses who have completed specialized training.

Work Settings
Hospital or Institutional Registered Nurses may be supervised by the head nurse. They may supervise auxiliary nursing personnel and other health personnel, such as licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, or orderlies. Nurse Educators are supervised by the director of staff development or the school director. They instruct and supervise the training of auxiliary nursing personnel. Office Registered Nurses are supervised by the physician(s) who employ them.

RNs work in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, offices, or classrooms. Private Duty Nurses and Community Health Nurses may provide nursing services in private homes, industries, or clinics. All may be exposed to infection, communicable diseases, and contaminated materials.

Special Requirements
To qualify as a licensed professional nurse in New Mexico, the applicant must complete an accredited professional nursing program (two-year degree, three-year diploma, or four-year degree) and pass a written examination. Any person who holds a license to practice professional nursing has the right to use the title Registered Nurse.