What is a Registered Nurse?

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A registered nurse or RN is a nurse that has an associate’s degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. To become a nurse they would also have passed the NCLEX-RN certification exam. Some nurses decide to go on to become an Advanced Practice RN, Clinical Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist, or other specialized roles. RNs can work in a broad variety of places, including hospitals, medical specialty areas, or medical offices.

The Duties of an RN

The duties of an RN can vary depending on their place of employment. Some of the things that they regularly do include direct patient care, assisting physicians in a broad variety of medical procedures, offering public health education campaigns, and helping family members to be educated on their loved one’s condition or their own condition. RNs may also administer medication, as well as operate medical equipment as necessary. RNs may choose to focus on a specialty in medicine. This in can include emergency care, surgical, neonatal, geriatric, and pediatric care.

How Much Does an RN Make?

RN salaries are typically around $32.04 an hour depending on their place of employment. This number has been put forth by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If a nurse is in a specialty field, they may earn more than what could be earned in the normal field of nursing. Certain areas will also offer larger employment bonuses for nurses to hire on.

Job Outlook for Registered Nurses

There is a large demand for registered nurses in the United States today. There is strong growth in this industry because of wider health care availability, the aging population, and more. Nurses will also need to be used to help educate patients on things like dementia, obesity, arthritis, diabetes. There may also be a need for more registered nurses in home healthcare and long-term healthcare facilities.

The need for skilled nurses including registered nurses is only going to grow throughout the years. Becoming a registered nurse takes a lot of education and a lot of work, but becoming an RN is rewarding and can help you to be financially stable.