Nursing jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 25% by 2026!
In order to be a registered nurse, candidates must either receive a nursing diploma from a hospital-based educational program or complete a nursing curriculum with good coursework at a college.
An excellent nursing degree & skills will help you to get a high paid job. The median salary of a registered nurse is about $69,000. Registered nurses or popularly known as RNs, are often considered as the foundation of the whole nursing care.
Among all the nursing fields, registered nurses have the most versatile roles in the nursing industry, which is because RNs are considered to be the stepping stone to furthering any nursing career.
Being a registered nurse is generally the orderly way to progress one’s nursing career into further specialization. They are generally found in hospitals, clinics, or other medical organizations. They assist doctors and other nurses in providing holistic care to patients.
What Do Registered Nurses Do?
The essential duties of registered nurses are to organize patient care, instruct patients and the general population about different health conditions, and give guidance and passionate help to patients and their relatives.
Their roles may vary depending on where they work but their general physical and mental care remains the same. Some of their roles include:
- Evaluate patients’ conditions
- Record patients’ therapeutic chronicles and indications
- Watch patients and record the perceptions
- Manage patients’ meds and medications
- Set up plans for patients’ consideration or contribute data to existing plans
- Counsel and work together with specialists and other human services experts
- Work and screen therapeutic gear
- Help perform analytic tests and break down the outcomes
- Show patients and their families how to oversee sicknesses or wounds
- Disclose what to do at home after treatment
- Running and examining diagnostics tests
- Dressing wounds and entry points
- Auditing and deciding on treatment designs
- Helping specialists during medical procedures
- Managing patients to healthy habits
- Supervision of LPNs or less experienced RNs
Classification of Registered Nurses
Even among registered nurses, there are various types of registered nurses who work in at variety of settings at various hospitals, clinics, or any medical organization. Their roles can be broken down by the type of work they do or what their specialty is. It also depends on their workplace or additional certification. Some of them are:
- Acute Care
- Cardiovascular
- Family Nursing
- Geriatric
- Infectious Disease
- Neonatal
- Oncology
- Parent-child
- Perinatal
- Psychiatric
- Rehabilitation
- Women’s Health
- Addiction
- Public Health
- Genetic
- Nephrology
Registered Nurse Degree Requirements
To obtain an RN degree you need to score at least 2.5 in high school. Some institutions may require 3.0 or 3.3 at least. So it’s better to keep a good score. These are the necessary degrees you need to take to become a registered nurse.
1. Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) – 2 year
2. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – 4 years
3. LPN-to-RN Program – 2 to 3 years
4. MSN Degree Program – 2 Years
How to Become a Registered Nurse?
The basic requirement to be a registered nurse is education. Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), or a diploma from an approved nursing program.
Then the next step is to get licensed. All nurses must be legalized in order for them to work or do their practice and a licensure guarantees legalization for a specific period of time. To become licensed, nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Other requirements for licensing, such as passing a criminal background check vary from place to place.
Then the following step is to get a certification. Nurses may end up certified through professional associations in specific zones, for example, mobile care, gerontology, and pediatrics, among others. In spite of the fact that accreditation is generally voluntary, it exhibits adherence to a higher standard, and a few employers require it.
Likewise, registered nursing positions may require affirmation in cardiopulmonary revival (CPR), essential life bolster (BLS) confirmation, or potentially progressed cardiovascular life bolster (ACLS). Therefore, certification is important.
Effective Courses to Become a Registered Nurse
A Registered Nurse may need to complete 120 credits in BSN degree. Two-thirds of these focused on nursing classes and one-third on basic education. While obtaining these credits, they need to focus and score good marks on some special courses like Biology, Nutrition and Health, Human Psychology, Behavioral Science, etc.
There are some effective BSN coursework nurses need to greatly focus on and the courseworks are – physics, nursing communication, nursing leadership, emergency care, critical analysis, critical thinking, etc. These are mainly non-clinical courses and are especially beneficial for nurses who want to work as a travel nurse, camp nurse, flight nurse, forensic nurse, administrative nurse, ICU nurse, nurse consultant, or nurse professor.
It will be a plus point for them if they complete their ADN degree with the major coursework before BSN. Some coursework in the ADN program can improve their practical knowledge and nursing skills. The courses are Human Anatomy and hysiology, Statistics, Microbiology and Immunology, Maternal-Newborn Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Professional Issues in Nursing, Nursing Health Assessments, Pediatric Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, etc.
However, after BSN, it would be a plus point for nurses if they wisely decided to complete their MSN degree. A Master’s degree will advance and develop their skills in a particular field. However, effective courses for a master’s degree grandly depend on the nursing major.
Nurses can choose one major specialty based on their career goals, or they can choose dual programs or bridge programs as well. You may have a question in your mind about which nursing master’s degree would be best for you. Right?
Well, we will suggest that you go for that MSN degree in which you are interested. As a part of that, salaries and job scopes also matter. In terms of salary, APRN is the highest paid. In terms of the highest job opportunities, administrative nursing is the best choice for MSN.
Your degree would be much more valuable if you chose PHN as your major in MSN. PHN nurses are responsible for building a healthier society and community, and they are in great demand in almost every country. You can learn more about PHN from here:
Job Outlook for Registered Nurses
The work of registered nurses is anticipated to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, a lot quicker than normal for all occupations. The development will happen for various reasons, including an expanded emphasis on preventive care; developing rates of endless conditions, for example, diabetes and weight; and interest for medicinal services administrations from the time of increased birth rates, as they live more and increasingly dynamic lives.
Salaries of Registered Nurses
An RN’s income is determined by their specialty, degree of schooling and experience, extra certifications, and job location. Also, salaries differ depending on where they live.
As per, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – the middle yearly wage for registered nurses is $75,330. The middle/median wage is the wage at which a large portion of the specialists in an occupation earned more than that sum and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $$53,410, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $$116,230.
Careers Related to Registered Nursing
There are some relatable careers for registered nurses if they wish to switch their field of specialization –
- EMTs and Paramedics
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
- Dental Hygienists
- Physician Assistants
- Respiratory Therapists
- Social Workers
- Nurse Practitioners
Important Skills Required to Be a Registered Nurse
Basic reasoning aptitudes: Registered nurses must survey changes in the health status of patients, for example, deciding when to take a remedial move and when to make referrals.
Communication Skills: Registered nurses must have the capacity to communicate effectively with patients so as to comprehend their problems and evaluate their conditions.
Empathy: Registered nurses ought to care and be sympathetic when taking care of patients. They must be compassionate.
Detail-Oriented: Registered nurses must be dependable and detail-oriented to the fact that they are responsible for the patients to get the right medications and prescriptions at the correct time.
Emotional stability: Registered nurses require mental strength and resilience to deal with their feelings to adapt to human suffering, crises, and different anxieties.
Organizational abilities: Nurses regularly work with numerous patients with different health needs. Organizational abilities are basic to ensure that every patient is given suitable care.
Physical stamina: Nurses should be well used to performing physical errands, for example, moving patients. They might be on their feet for the majority of their day of work.
Conclusion
In conclusion, registered nurses play a vital role in the healthcare industry. They provide essential medical care, emotional support, and advocate for their patients’ well-being. Registered nurses have a wide range of skills, including clinical expertise, critical thinking, and good communication, which allow them to deliver high-quality care in different healthcare settings.
The demand for registered nurses is growing as the population ages and healthcare needs increase. Registered nurses show compassion, empathy, and professionalism as they navigate complex medical situations, making a significant impact on the lives of patients and their families.
If you have a passion for helping others and want a rewarding career, becoming a registered nurse offers countless opportunities for personal and professional growth.
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