Registered Nurse

What a Registered Nurse Does

Registered nurses are responsible for treating, educating and supporting patients through illness and injury. The majority of registered nurses will find work in hospitals, but others will also work in home health, specialized facilities, rehabilitation centers and other health care operations. Their duties will vary depending on the type of setting they choose to work in, but most nurses are responsible for things like administering medication, monitoring patients, starting intravenous fluids and helping patients with a variety of other treatments. If patients or their families are upset or have questions about treatment methods, registered nurses will provide them with support and help them understand what is going on. Most nurses specialize in one area of care, like perioperative care, pediatrics, dermatology, or trauma. These specializations provide ample opportunities for those in this profession to tailor their work to their personal goals and passions.

How to Become a Registered Nurse

There are three possible ways an individual can become a registered nurse. The first and most common is to complete a bachelor's degree program in nursing. These programs take about four years to complete and will give graduates a highly desirable bachelor's degree in nursing. The second route is to get an associate's degree in nursing, while take about two to three years to complete. These two options are the most commons ways to enter into nursing, but some individuals may be able to find a diploma program through a local hospital that provides the necessary training. While all three training methods provide the essential skills necessary to work as a staff nurse, nurses with the BSN will be much more sought after and will have an easier time finding work. Once nurses have completed an educational program, they must also become licensed in order to practice. This requires taking the NCLEX-RN, a licensure exam that will test to ensure that nurses have the knowledge and expertise they need to properly care for patients.

Career Outlook for Registered Nurses

Registered nurses have some of the strongest job prospects of any field for the coming years. Nurses are in high demand all over the nation, especially in rural and inner-city facilities where there simply aren't enough nurses to fill available positions. The rise in need for nurses is due in part to the aging population and in part to the general expansion of the healthcare industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that this field will grow much faster than the national average through 2018, with a 22% growth in registered nursing positions. Of course, different industries will see different rates of growth and registered nurses will find employment most easily available in physicians' offices, home health care services, nursing care facilities and hospitals, in order of job growth. While an associate's or bachelor's degree will be sufficient to work as a registered nurse, advancement may require training at the master's level.