What is the job like of a Pulmonary RN ?

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Hello Nurses,

I would appreciate your time and effort in providing a description of what pulmonary nursing is actually about. I realize it relates to patients with respiratory related illness such as asthma, COPD, bronchitis, ARDS, or maybe inhalation injuries. However, I would like an example of how pulmonary nursing differentiates from Medical surgical nursing and the depth of knowledge one obtains while functioning as a pulmonary nurse.

I am curious because I may apply for a job as a new RN at a hospital here in Memphis, Tennessee that has openings for full time and part time nurses in the pulmonary unit.

I am initially interested in the part time position, because my main career is as a fire department firefighter /paramedic, in which I work 24 hour shifts. I work an average of ten 24 - hour shift per month. Therefore, I have an average of 20 days per month in which t I can work as an RN.

Although I already have a primary career as a firefighter / paramedic with the fire service, I have desired an RN degree for many years, but could not find a program that worked with my schedule until I learned about the Excelsior College RN program for LPNs and paramedics from an RN I met a few years back.

Well, I finally have my RN degree, and I test the NCLEX-RN this Tuesday, January 19, 2010. As soon as I know whether I passed the exam, I will apply online for a posted position. Since there appears to be schedule flexibility in the pulmonary floor, I figure why not give it a try.

I want to work in an area of nursing that requires me to understand with greater depth, human physiology and disease processes, and from what I have read on this site, pulmonary nursing would provide and require me to obtain greater knowledge, at least as related to respiratory.

Thank you for your information and any advice.