Registered Nurse (RN) Overview

A career in nursing can be rewarding and exciting. The largest health care occupation is registered nurses (RNs). There are over 2.4 million RNs in the United States. In fact, three out of five jobs in hospitals are RNs. The primary responsibility of an RN is to treat patients and also provide education to patients and their families about medical problems and treatment. In the everyday workforce, this might include recording medical history and symptoms, taking vital signs, performing tests, running medical machinery, and administering medication.

In order to be a registered nurse, the proper education must be taken. There are three primary educational paths to registered nursing is a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma from an approved nursing program. Regardless of the level of education, all aspiring RNs must complete an accredited nursing program and pass the NCLEX-RN, which is the national licensing exam.

Work Environment for Registered Nurses (RN)

Depending on personal interest and employer needs, RNs can specialize in one or more patient care specialties, and if preferred, RNs can combine specialties from multiple areas. The four primary categories include:
1) type of treatment
2) disease or condition
3) organ or body system type
4) population

Regardless of the specialty, registered nurses perform basic duties that include treating patients, educating patients and the public about various medical conditions, and providing advice and emotional support to patients family members. RNs record patients medical histories and symptoms, help to perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation. Some RNs are also trained to provide grief counseling to family members of critically ill patients.
Most RNs work in well-lighted, comfortable health care facilities, but some nurses also travel to other sites including patients? homes, schools or community centers.A benefit of being an RN is the flexibility in choosing the type of environment you want to work in, as well as the hours you want to work. For example, nurses who work in a hospital may be on call and work holidays, nights and weekends. Whereas, if a nurse works in an office setting, they are more likely to work Monday through Friday and during normal business hours.

Career Opportunities in Nursing

Fortunately for aspiring nurses, employment for RNs is expected to grow much faster through 2014 as compared to other occupations, according to the US Department of Labor. The US Department of Labor is also predicting that thousands of job openings will be available for RNs because of technological advances and the need to replace more experienced nurses that are retiring or leaving the field. Additionally, the general population is getting older which means there will be a greater number of people who will need nursing care and in turn nurses to take care of them. All of these factors make it an excellent time to enter the field of nursing.
In addition to understanding the opportunities for employment, it is also important to review the salary potential for registered nurses. Median annual salaries ranged from $48,220 for RNs working in nursing homes to $63,170 for those working for employment institutions. Although salaries vary by state and region, the national median annual salary for RNs was $52,330 in May 2004, according to the US Department of Labor.

registered nurse career | registered nursing jobs | rn nursing jobs | registered nursing career | nursing home rn jobs | registered nursing job description | registered nursing job openings | job outlook for registered nursing | registered nurse careers | registered nurse employment | registered nurse opportunities | registered nurse position | registered nurse | registered nurse salary | registered nurse duties | travel nurse career | registered nurse benefits | registered nurse certification