Nursing is known as the oldest, most fundamental, and most numerous profession in the healthcare field. Experts state that nursing department graduates can work in all three areas of healthcare: preventive, curative, and rehabilitative, and emphasize that specialization in the profession is possible through postgraduate education. Experts stress that nursing candidates should be open to continuous learning, possess problem-solving skills, and have the ability to empathize.
Prof. Dr. Selma Doğan, Head of the Nursing Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, shared important information regarding the career opportunities and fields of work provided by the nursing department for candidates during the preference period.
Nursing is the Oldest Profession in Healthcare
Prof. Dr. Selma Doğan stated that nursing is the oldest, most fundamental, and most numerous profession in healthcare, saying, “Nurses are involved in all areas of health, from prenatal care to death, working in every environment where humans are present, protecting the health of individuals and communities, promoting recovery during illness, and rehabilitating individuals to live with illness.”
The Nursing Department Offers Employment Opportunities in Many Fields
Prof. Dr. Selma Doğan stated that graduates of the nursing department can work in all three areas of healthcare, consisting of preventive, curative, and rehabilitative care, adding, “Family health centers, maternal and child health centers, occupational health and school areas, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, operating rooms, intensive care units, special treatment units, polyclinics, screening centers, care rehabilitation, and home care centers are among the working areas for the nursing department. Students graduating from the nursing department can work in these areas as clinical nurses, educators, managers, and specialized nurses, as well as in the hospital's quality improvement, research, and education departments.”
Specialization is Possible with Postgraduate Education
Prof. Dr. Selma Doğan stated that nursing is a profession with various specialization areas, and that specialization in nursing is possible through postgraduate education programs, continuing her words as follows:
“For specialization, postgraduate education programs such as internal diseases, surgical diseases, psychiatry, public health, child health and diseases, women's health and diseases nursing, oncology, nursing education, and management can be chosen. Furthermore, with Ministry of Health-approved certification programs, they can find specialization opportunities in specific areas such as intensive care nursing, psychiatric nursing, dialysis nursing, chemotherapy nursing, diabetes nursing, emergency care nursing, operating room nursing, infection control nursing, nutrition nursing, palliative care nursing, stoma and wound care nursing.”
Empathy Skills Must Be Developed
Doğan emphasized that nursing is a profession that requires continuous work with large groups of people, with intense knowledge and sensitivity, stating, “Healthcare environments are also dynamic and require quick decision-making, and they involve undertaking the treatment and care of individuals with complex problems. Therefore, nursing candidates should be open to continuous learning and versatile. Additionally, they must possess critical thinking, quick and accurate decision-making, and problem-solving skills intellectually. Communication, developed empathy skills, and an aptitude for teamwork are also among the requirements to become a nurse.”