Rehabilitation nursing is a branch of nursing that focuses on caring for patients who have been rendered unable to function due to injury or illness. The nurse’s goal is to participate in a treatment program that allows the patient to regain as much normal function as possible, thus improving the patient’s quality of life. Rehabilitation or rehab nurses work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, clinics, residential care facilities, and home health care, with a wide range of pay.
Those interested in pursuing a career in rehabilitation nursing should enroll in nursing school and focus their nursing education on rehabilitation. To improve their employability, many people seek additional training and board certification through a professional organization. Board certification demonstrates that a rehabilitation nurse has passed a test that assesses nursing skills and that he or she is dedicated to continuing education and professional development. A nurse with a board certification may be able to supervise other nurses or lead a rehabilitation team.
Cleaning wounds, administering medications, assisting patients with bodily functions, charting, and coordinating with a medical team are all tasks that these nurses perform, but they also perform tasks that are specifically related to rehabilitation. After an injury or illness that has impaired these skills, a rehabilitation nurse may assist a patient in learning to walk, eat, talk, write, or perform other tasks. Patients suffering from substance abuse or mental illness can also benefit from the services of these nurses.
Patient education and empowerment are also part of rehabilitation nursing. If a patient appears to be permanently confined to a wheelchair as a result of an accident, a rehabilitation nurse will assist the patient in learning to use the wheelchair and provide education to help him or her live as independently as possible. Patients are also helped rehabilitation nurses as they adjust to prosthetic limbs, ventilators, and other assistive devices that may be required.
Rehabilitation nurses collaborate with other rehabilitation professionals as part of a patient’s care team to address the patient’s specific condition and issues, as well as develop a treatment plan that is appropriate for the patient. Some rehabilitation nurses specialize in a particular aspect of rehabilitation nursing, such as assisting patients who require adaptive devices or helping patients regain motor skills. Others work in the field of rehabilitation nursing in a more general capacity, with a wide range of patients and cases.