If you enjoy nursing and you want a wide variety of nursing jobs to choose from, being a registered nurse might be a great option for you. As a registered nurse, your career options are almost endless as the registered nurse position is among the top ten occupations with the largest job growth.
Overview
A registered nurse is a nurse that has a large knowledge base and uses it to assess, plan, and intervene to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness. When working as a registered nurse, one will have direct contact with the patient where they will need to observe the patient, record symptoms and progress, and be the intermediary between the doctor and the patient.
The role of a registered nurse will vary from job to job. Many registered nurses are involved directly in patient care while others are more involved in case management. A lot of registered nurses are involved in educating and advocating for patients, intervention programs, disease prevention, quality assurance programs, directing nursing care systems, conducting clinical research, and more.
Working Conditions
Generally speaking, registered nurses work in some type of health care facility such as a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. There are also home health nurses that work in private home and public health nurses that may travel to homes or work in an office setting. Registered nurses usually work long hours, as long as 12 hour shifts or more. During these shifts most of the time is spent on the feet moving about, so the job can be taxing on the body and mind since you are often dealing with illness, pain, and suffering. The average salary for a registered nurse is just over $57,000 a year although this can vary from location to location.
Academic Requirements
To become a registered nurse you need to have at least four years, or equivalent, of an advanced education in nursing such as a Master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or associates degree. Once you earn your degree of choice, you will need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam. This is required by all of the states and U.S. territories as well as the District of Columbia. Passing this exam will allow you to become a registered nurse and qualify for many more positions than if you are not a registered nurse. It is worth mentioning that many facilities will not hire nurses with less than a bachelor’s degree because studies have shown these nurses are able to provide more competent care to their patients.