Registered Nurse Career (RN)

Career Overview

Registered nurses (RN) work with patients to treat medical conditions along with providing advice and emotional support to patients’ loved ones. RNs are responsible for establishing or contributing to an existing plan of care through recording patients’ medical histories and symptoms, administering medications and treatment, performing diagnostic tests and analyzing results, and supporting patients’ follow-up and rehabilitation efforts.

RNs also do outreach work to enhance public understanding of medical warning signs and disease symptoms, along with spearheading health screenings, blood drives, and public seminars.

Responsibilities

RNs are responsible for promoting health, preventing disease, and assisting patients in coping with illness. They also serve as health educators and advocates for patients, loved ones, and the community at large. Direct patient care requires RNs to observe, assess, and record medical conditions, including any progress or negative reactions. RNs must also administer medications and treatments, assist physicians while working with patients, support nursing care plans, and act as a resource to patients as well as their loved ones. Specific responsibilities vary and it is important to clarify your job description before accepting a position.

Educational Requirements

There are three academic paths to becoming a registered nurse: a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, an Associate degree in nursing, and a diploma from an approved nursing program. After graduating from one of these programs, individuals must obtain their nursing licenses by completing a national exam. Licensed graduates of any of these types of programs will qualify for an entry-level position in the nursing field.

The differences between these three educational paths are as follows:

• Bachelor of Science (BSN) programs are offered by colleges and universities and take about four years to complete. In 2006, there were just over 700 nursing programs offering BSN degrees.
• Associate degree (ADN) programs are offered by community and junior colleges and take three years to complete. As of 2006, there were about 850 RN programs offering ADN degrees.
• Diploma programs are offered by hospitals and, like ADN programs, take three years to complete. As of 2006, there were 70 programs offering diplomas.

Areas of Specialization

RNs can specialize in four different areas of patient care. It is also possible to combine specialties. For example, a geriatric oncology nurse works with elderly patients diagnosed with cancer. The four means of specialization are:

• By work setting or type of treatment, such as surgical nurses, who provide care and support to patients throughout the process.
• By specific health conditions, such as oncology nurses, who work with patients diagnosed with cancer.
• By working with one or more organs or body-system types, such as endocrine nurses, who work with patients suffering from diseases of the endocrine system.
• By population, such as pediatric nurses, who work with children and adolescents.

Below are general job categories for RNs:

• Hospital nurses, the largest group in the RN field. Though most hospital nurses are staff nurses, others include licensed practical nurses and aides. Hospital nurses typically work in one department, but some may also rotate on a regular basis.
• Office nurses, who provide outpatient care in doctors’ offices, clinics, surgical centers, and emergency centers. They are responsible for assisting with patient needs and maintaining medical records, while sometimes doing office and laboratory work.
• Nursing-home nurses, who oversee managed care for residents and sometimes work in specialty-care departments.
• Home health nurses, who carry out doctor-prescribed services on a periodic basis at the patient’s home. They work with patients and loved ones to provide medical and emotional support.
• Public health nurses, whose work is in government and private agencies as well as other community settings. Public health nurses work with specific populations and plan and implement community programs.
• Occupational health or industrial nurses, who provide nursing care and counseling at worksites to treat and prevent on-the-job injuries.
• Head nurses or nursing supervisors, who are responsible for directing nursing activities and providing supervision.
• Nurse practitioners offer basic primary health care. Nurse practitioners are licensed to prescribe medication and this is considered an advanced level of the field.

Career Opportunities

There are many career opportunities for qualified registered nurses. The list below is just a partial sampling of potential professional paths.

Certified Nurse-Midwife
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Emergency Room Nurse
Endocrine Nurse
Home Health Care Nurse
Hospital Nurse
Nurse Supervisor
Oncology Nurse
Pediatric Nurse
Surgical Nurse

Salary Ranges

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), median annual earnings of registered nurses were $57,280 in May 2006, with the middle 50 percent earning between $47,710 and $69,850, the lowest 10 percent earning less than $40,250, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $83,440. This is the median annual earnings breakdown for the industries with the largest number of registered nurses in May 2006:

Employment services: $64,260
General medical and surgical hospitals: $58,550
Home health care services: $54,190
Physicians’ offices: $53,800
Nursing care facilities: $52,490

Professional Organizations

There are many professional organizations for the nursing field. These organizations can be a powerful resource and provide a wide range of useful information.

ANA – American Nurses Association
www.ana.org

AACN – American Association of Colleges of Nursing
www.aacn.nche.edu

AMSN – Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses
www.medisurgnurse.org

NCSBN – National Council of State Boards of Nursing
www.ncsbn.org

NLN – National League for Nursing
www.nln.org