Registered Nurse

“Registered Nurse”

Duties and Responsibilities: RNs perform a wide variety of job duties during their shifts, caring for and educating patients about their conditions, as well as establishing trust and building rapport with patients and their families. Same daily RN duties might include:

• Working with a variety of patients, from pediatric to geriatric, or specializing in one of numerous possible areas such as neonatal intensive care, cardiac care, neurologic care or dermatology
• Observing and recording patient behavior
• Consulting with physicians and other healthcare professionals
• Establishing treatment plans, operating medical equipment
• Supervising licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified nurse assistants (CNAs)
• Performing diagnostic tests
• Treating medical emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes, car accidents and burns as well as recovering post-operative patients
• Administering medications and treatments

Salary: According to the latest data from the BLS, registered nurses earned an average salary of $66,640 in 2014. Reported salaries ranged from $45,880 for those in the lowest 10% to more than $98,880 in the highest 10% of earners.

Because salary potential may vary depending on location, education and experience, prospective students are encouraged to conduct independent research to determine actual earning potential.

Education: Registered nurses (RNs) are healthcare professionals who care for patients and educate them about their health conditions. Becoming an RN requires the completion of a postsecondary program, usually an associate or bachelor's degree, although a few hospitals have teaching programs that offer diplomas. Aspiring nurses learn about topics such as anatomy and human development and gain extensive supervised clinical experience. Nurses also must be licensed in their states, which requires passing an exam.

Demand for this profession: he American Association of Colleges of Nursing is the national voice for university and four-year-college education programs in nursing. Representing more than 670 schools of nursing at public and private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational, research, governmental advocacy, data bank, publications, and other programs work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans and directors to implement those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research, and practice.