| Registered Nurse |
Are you a caring, sympathetic, responsible, and detail oriented person interested in the health
care field? If so, being a registered nurse (RN) may be a great job for you. It offers good pay, lots
of patient interaction, and the ability to work wherever you want. And with the population aging
and a shortage of nurses, now may be the perfect time to pursue this career.
Nature of the work
Hospitals
Hospitals employ the most number of nurses. Most are staff nurses who perform a variety of tasks. They give
patients medicine; ask patients about their symptoms and keep detailed records; provide bedside nursing care;
and talk with physicians and families about patient conditions. They may also supervise licensed practical nurses
(LPN) and nursing aides. These nurses usually are assigned to one area of the hospital such as surgery,
emergency, or intensive care rooms. And since hospitals are literally open all the time, nurses often have to work
nights, weekends, and holidays. Easily communicable diseases are rampant in hospitals so care must always be
exercised to avoid catching one and getting sick.
Clinics or offices
These nurses care for patients in physicians' offices, clinics, surgery centers and emergency medical centers. They
help with examinations, give injections and medicine, dress wounds and incisions, help with minor surgery and
maintain records. Some also do lab and office work. A lot of sophisticated procedures are now being done in these
settings so employment is expected to grow faster than average in these centers.
Nursing homes
Nurses employed here care for residents with practically every disease and/or infirmity. Though most of their time is
consumed with administrative and supervisory tasks, these nurses also assess residents' health condition, develop
treatment plans, supervise LPNs, and perform difficult procedures like starting intravenous fluids. They may also
work in specialized units for patients who have strokes, for instance.
Home health
Home health nurses provide periodic services to patients in their homes. They care for a variety of patients like
those recovering from illnesses and accidents, cancer, and childbirth. They must be able to work independently
and may supervise home-health aides. This field of nursing is expected to grow rapidly due to the growing number
of elderly people with functional disabilities, consumer preference for in-home care, and technological advances
that make it possible to bring complex treatments into the home.
Other settings
Nurses can also choose to work in government and private agencies and clinics; schools; retirement communities
and other community settings. Occupational health or industrial nurses provide nursing care at work sites to
employees, customers and others with minor injuries and illnesses. Also, employment may be found in academia.
Nurse educators at universities and colleges are in high demand with a current shortage of faculty.
Job Outlook
Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018 so job prospects are
excellent; this translates into an additional 581,500 new jobs. However, job growth is will not be similar as the
following table shows.
Employment in hospital settings is forecasted to lag other settings due to patients being discharged earlier and
more procedures being performed on an outpatient basis. As such, rapid growth is expected in physicians' offices
and hospital outpatient facilities like those that provide same-day surgery, rehabilitation, and chemotherapy. Jobs in
nursing care facilities will grow quickly because of the increases in the number of older people and the financial
pressure on hospitals to discharge patients as soon as possible.
Employment and Earnings
Registered nurses make up the largest healthcare occupation, holding 2.6 million jobs in 2008. While most work in
a hospital setting (60 percent), others worked in physician's offices (8 percent), home healthcare services and
nursing care facilities (5 percent each); and 3 percent in employment services. The remaining found employment in
government agencies, social assistance agencies, and in academia. As you can see, employment opportunities for
nurses are varied and widespread.
Education
There are three paths to becoming a registered nurse: a bachelor's degree, an associate's degree, or a diploma
from an approved nursing program (very few in existence). Students must then pass a national licensing
examination in order to get a license. Advanced practice nurses (clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and
nurse practitioners) require a master's degree.
Bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) programs take four years to complete while Associate degree in
nursing (ADN) programs take 2 to 3 years to complete in junior/community colleges. Advancement opportunities are
more readily available to holders of BSN's since they receive more training in communication, leadership, and
critical thinking. Also, these students receive more clinical experience in non-hospital settings. A bachelor's or
higher degree is often required for administrative, research, consulting, and teaching positions.
For those who hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree but want to become a nurse, accelerated BSN progams are
available that last 12 to 18 months. Accelerated MSN's (master's degree in nursing) programs are also available
and take 2 years. All nursing programs include classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals
and healthcare facilities. Below are the required courses for the BSN degree at Azusa Pacific University in California
as an example of what you'll see if you want to pursue this career.
Licensure/Certification
As mentioned above, all graduates must pass a national licensing exam (National Council Licensuer Examination,
or NCLEX-RN) in order to receive a nursing license. In most places, you will also be required to pass a criminal
background check. Furthermore, nurses are required to complete continuing education credits in order to keep
their licenses active.
Costs
Most programs are offered by community colleges and four year colleges so costs will vary by institution. However,
it will cost no more than any other associate's or bachelor's degree. We will leave it to you to research individual
schools and costs.
care field? If so, being a registered nurse (RN) may be a great job for you. It offers good pay, lots
of patient interaction, and the ability to work wherever you want. And with the population aging
and a shortage of nurses, now may be the perfect time to pursue this career.
Nature of the work
Hospitals
Hospitals employ the most number of nurses. Most are staff nurses who perform a variety of tasks. They give
patients medicine; ask patients about their symptoms and keep detailed records; provide bedside nursing care;
and talk with physicians and families about patient conditions. They may also supervise licensed practical nurses
(LPN) and nursing aides. These nurses usually are assigned to one area of the hospital such as surgery,
emergency, or intensive care rooms. And since hospitals are literally open all the time, nurses often have to work
nights, weekends, and holidays. Easily communicable diseases are rampant in hospitals so care must always be
exercised to avoid catching one and getting sick.
Clinics or offices
These nurses care for patients in physicians' offices, clinics, surgery centers and emergency medical centers. They
help with examinations, give injections and medicine, dress wounds and incisions, help with minor surgery and
maintain records. Some also do lab and office work. A lot of sophisticated procedures are now being done in these
settings so employment is expected to grow faster than average in these centers.
Nursing homes
Nurses employed here care for residents with practically every disease and/or infirmity. Though most of their time is
consumed with administrative and supervisory tasks, these nurses also assess residents' health condition, develop
treatment plans, supervise LPNs, and perform difficult procedures like starting intravenous fluids. They may also
work in specialized units for patients who have strokes, for instance.
Home health
Home health nurses provide periodic services to patients in their homes. They care for a variety of patients like
those recovering from illnesses and accidents, cancer, and childbirth. They must be able to work independently
and may supervise home-health aides. This field of nursing is expected to grow rapidly due to the growing number
of elderly people with functional disabilities, consumer preference for in-home care, and technological advances
that make it possible to bring complex treatments into the home.
Other settings
Nurses can also choose to work in government and private agencies and clinics; schools; retirement communities
and other community settings. Occupational health or industrial nurses provide nursing care at work sites to
employees, customers and others with minor injuries and illnesses. Also, employment may be found in academia.
Nurse educators at universities and colleges are in high demand with a current shortage of faculty.
Job Outlook
Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018 so job prospects are
excellent; this translates into an additional 581,500 new jobs. However, job growth is will not be similar as the
following table shows.
Employment in hospital settings is forecasted to lag other settings due to patients being discharged earlier and
more procedures being performed on an outpatient basis. As such, rapid growth is expected in physicians' offices
and hospital outpatient facilities like those that provide same-day surgery, rehabilitation, and chemotherapy. Jobs in
nursing care facilities will grow quickly because of the increases in the number of older people and the financial
pressure on hospitals to discharge patients as soon as possible.
Employment and Earnings
Registered nurses make up the largest healthcare occupation, holding 2.6 million jobs in 2008. While most work in
a hospital setting (60 percent), others worked in physician's offices (8 percent), home healthcare services and
nursing care facilities (5 percent each); and 3 percent in employment services. The remaining found employment in
government agencies, social assistance agencies, and in academia. As you can see, employment opportunities for
nurses are varied and widespread.
Education
There are three paths to becoming a registered nurse: a bachelor's degree, an associate's degree, or a diploma
from an approved nursing program (very few in existence). Students must then pass a national licensing
examination in order to get a license. Advanced practice nurses (clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and
nurse practitioners) require a master's degree.
Bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) programs take four years to complete while Associate degree in
nursing (ADN) programs take 2 to 3 years to complete in junior/community colleges. Advancement opportunities are
more readily available to holders of BSN's since they receive more training in communication, leadership, and
critical thinking. Also, these students receive more clinical experience in non-hospital settings. A bachelor's or
higher degree is often required for administrative, research, consulting, and teaching positions.
For those who hold a non-nursing bachelor's degree but want to become a nurse, accelerated BSN progams are
available that last 12 to 18 months. Accelerated MSN's (master's degree in nursing) programs are also available
and take 2 years. All nursing programs include classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals
and healthcare facilities. Below are the required courses for the BSN degree at Azusa Pacific University in California
as an example of what you'll see if you want to pursue this career.
Licensure/Certification
As mentioned above, all graduates must pass a national licensing exam (National Council Licensuer Examination,
or NCLEX-RN) in order to receive a nursing license. In most places, you will also be required to pass a criminal
background check. Furthermore, nurses are required to complete continuing education credits in order to keep
their licenses active.
Costs
Most programs are offered by community colleges and four year colleges so costs will vary by institution. However,
it will cost no more than any other associate's or bachelor's degree. We will leave it to you to research individual
schools and costs.
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