Who is registered nurse

This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site. RN job outlook. RN average earning potential.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Primary Responsibilities Monitoring patients' conditions and informing the healthcare provider of important changes Educating patients on their health Performing diagnostic tests and updating patient medical records Assisting the healthcare provider during medical procedures. Skills Learned Integrity Empathy High math and science skills Ability to perform well under pressure. Featured Online Programs. Advantages to Becoming an RN A profession that others trust and respect Above-average salaries for highly credentialed nurses and good benefits Career growth potential in administration or further education for a NP role Opportunities to make a difference in patients' lives and health.

Disadvantages to Becoming an RN Healthcare settings bring a risk of injury or illness Inpatient and residential care schedules are especially demanding High pressure and many priorities Exposure to body fluids and waste Limited professional autonomy within scope and practice.

BSN programs typically require high school coursework in math and science. Students with GPAs above 3. A BSN program takes four years and costs more, but graduates earn higher salaries and have more opportunities for advancement. Topics include human anatomy and physiology, nursing theory and skills, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.

CNSs also may conduct research and may advocate for certain policies. Registered nurses held about 3. The largest employers of registered nurses were as follows:. Some nurses travel frequently in the United States and throughout the world to help care for patients in places where there are not enough healthcare workers. Registered nurses may spend a lot of time walking, bending, stretching, and standing.

They are vulnerable to back injuries because they often must lift and move patients. The work of registered nurses may put them in close contact with people who have infectious diseases, and they frequently come into contact with potentially harmful and hazardous drugs and other substances. Therefore, registered nurses must follow strict guidelines to guard against diseases and other dangers, such as accidental needle sticks and exposure to radiation or to chemicals used in creating a sterile environment.

Nurses who work in hospitals and nursing care facilities usually work in shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may be on call, which means that they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice. Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.

Nursing education programs usually include courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology psychology, and social and behavioral sciences. Diploma programs, usually offered by hospitals or medical centers, typically take 2 to 3 years to complete. All programs include supervised clinical experience.

In addition to science courses, bachelor's degree programs usually include education in communication, leadership, and critical thinking. Some employers offer tuition reimbursement. CNSs who conduct research typically need a doctoral degree.

Registered nurses must have a nursing license issued by the state in which they work. Other requirements for licensing, such as passing a criminal background check, vary by state. Nurses may become certified through professional associations in specific areas, such as ambulatory care, gerontology, or pediatrics.

Although certification is usually voluntary, it demonstrates adherence to a specific level of competency, and some employers require it.

CNSs must satisfy additional state licensing requirements, such as earning specialty certifications. Contact state boards of nursing for specific requirements.

Critical-thinking skills. Registered nurses must assess changes in the health status of patients, such as determining when to take corrective action.

Communication skills. Registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and evaluate their health conditions.

Nurses need to clearly explain instructions, such as how to take medication. Registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when working with patients. Detail oriented. Registered nurses must be precise because they must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time. Emotional stability. Registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors.

Organizational skills. Nurses often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs. The ability to coordinate numerous treatment plans and records is critical to ensure that each patient receives appropriate care.

Physical stamina. Nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting patients. They may be on their feet for most of their shift. Most registered nurses begin as staff nurses in hospitals or community health settings. With experience, good performance, and continuing education, they can move to other settings or be promoted to positions with more responsibility. In management, nurses may advance from assistant clinical nurse manager, charge nurse, or head nurse to more senior-level administrative roles, such as assistant director or director of nursing, vice president of nursing, or chief nursing officer.

Increasingly, management-level nursing positions require a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration. As a registered nurse, you will be responsible for assessing patient health problems, administering nursing care to ill, disabled, convalescent, or injured patients, maintaining vital medical records, implementing nursing care plans, advising patients on health maintenance, and providing guidance about preventative services, such as health screenings and medications.

Therefore, technical nursing skills are a priority if you want to excel at the duties you are asked to perform. This is one of the reasons why the requirements to become a nurse is so rigorous. When a nurse is at work, the lives of their patients are on the line. Accordingly, the top clinical nursing skills employers expect RNs to have included the following:.

One of the most exciting aspects of nursing as a profession is the surprising number of career opportunities available to registered nurses. RNs have the ability to work in a variety of work settings, pursue hundreds of unique credentials and specializations, work with unique patient populations, and challenge themselves daily in an environment that is constantly evolving.

A few of the most popular career paths for a registered nurse are listed below. Emergency room nurses work as part of a team to provide care for patients with various forms of illness, trauma, and life-threatening conditions that require immediate, emergency attention. They work with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to administer medicine, perform medical operations, clean and bandage wounds, manage life support needs, and provide basic bedside care.

An Intensive Care Unit ICU Nurse is a registered nurse who performs a range of tasks in delivering care to injured or seriously ill patients patients who have suffered heart attacks, strokes, or undergone invasive surgery. Medical-surgical nurses manage patients while providing care and treatment to ill, injured, and recovering adults. They are responsible for a multitude of duties, which depend largely on the setting. A pediatric nurse provides medical care for patients from birth through adolescence, including infants, children, and individuals ages They perform duties similar to those provided for adult patients but with the added challenge of administering care to children who cannot clearly communicate their problems.

Pediatric nurses must also offer emotional support, education, and counseling to children and their parents. APRNs treat and diagnose illnesses, manage chronic diseases, and educate the public about health issues and preventative healthcare.

They are often primary care providers, filling advanced roles in various healthcare settings. A certified registered nurse anesthetist cares for patients at all acuity and age levels by administering anesthesia, making adjustments to anesthesia, monitoring vital signs, and providing care before, during, and after procedures.

They work autonomously and in collaboration with physicians, nurses, and other members of an interprofessional team. The CRNA works in various settings, including surgical, diagnostic, obstetrical, therapeutic, and pain management.

A certified nurse midwife CNM assists women, focusing on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum health care. They practice within the healthcare system, working under the indirect supervision of gynecologists and obstetricians to diagnose, treat reproductive health issues, perform screenings, and consult families through their attempts to conceive.

Their duties also include preparing women for labor and delivery, assisting with the birthing process, and care for the newborn. That means no matter what type of program you enroll in to qualify as an RN, you will take classes on subjects such as:. The more advanced your degree, the more you will dive into the details on these subjects and also study associated material like:. Fully accredited programs are also required to include practical clinical experience as part of the degree coursework.

That results in practicum placements in actual healthcare settings, where you will first observe current registered nurses on the job. The level of degree that you choose to pursue for your nursing license will depend a lot on where you see yourself taking your career. It also takes it beyond just core nursing concepts. More and more entry-level nursing positions are looking for BSN-prepared candidates. They are also faster and more likely to advance into management positions. An MSN adds in research and expert-level instruction in a variety of nursing specialty areas.

Are you interested in becoming a nurse administrator? An MSN can give you the kind of organizational and management skills you need to be very competitive for those kinds of jobs. Maybe you want to branch out into nursing informatics or public health nursing.

Of course, a master of science in nursing is a path to advanced practice licensure , too. The MSN gives you the advanced practical care skills to make decisions typically reserved only for doctors, and to care for patients and prescribe medications independently in many states. Several years ago there was some momentum behind the idea that the DNP should become the new standard minimum for NPs and other advanced practice nurses.

That push has abated a bit for the simple fact that it sets the bar for entry pretty high at a time when the country is already struggling with a shortage of advanced practitioners. At the absolute top level of the profession of nursing, you will find nurses who are also doctors: doctors of nursing.

A doctorate, or PhD, is the most advanced degree granted in any field. In nursing, it involves an additional three or more years of study, with more in-depth courses and more independent investigation into a specialization of your choosing. Some doctors of nursing also end up in government or nonprofit organizations, developing healthcare policy at the highest levels for the country. Although all registered nurse licenses are issued by individual states, every state uses the same key test to determine your eligibility: the National Council Licensure Exam, or NCLEX.

You can get between 75 and multiple-choice questions, depending on how you answer previous questions. The entire test must be completed in four hours. Once you have your state registered nursing license in hand, you can really open up all the options that nursing allows you.

And you may only have hints of how lucrative the job can be, and how rewarding. Nurses work in any place where human beings live and work. Their adaptable, practical healthcare skills are always going to be in demand. And the ways they can put those skills to use mean there are thousands of different types of specializations and environments you can work in as an RN.