If you are the sort of person who is compassionate and likes to care for others, and you are a hard worker with lots of energy, a career as a registered nurse (RN) may be ideal for you. RNs are vital members of all healthcare teams. They may be employed in private medical practice offices, outpatient clinics, nursing and residential care homes, hospitals, schools, community clinics, birthing centers and surgery centers – the options are endless.
Duties of an RN include providing services directly to their patients such as treatment, education, administration of medication, screenings, diagnostic testing, involvement in treatment planning, completing medical charts, assisting in surgery, and the provision of emergency care.
Nurses may decide to specialize in particular areas of healthcare, such as an emergency room nurse or working with specific groups, such as children, low income families or the elderly. There are so many opportunities for nurses to pursue during their careers, for example surgery, midwifery or holistic health.
If this all sounds appealing, the first step towards becoming an RN is to complete a one-year practical nursing program and thereafter pass the National Council Licensure Examination – Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN), which is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, in order to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN). This allows nurses to begin working as they continue with their training to become registered nurses.
There are three different routes to becoming a registered nurse. One way is to complete a vocational nursing program to gain a diploma. An alternative is to study for an associate degree in nursing (ADN) at a community or online college. The third and final option is to study for a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) at a college or university. Graduates who successfully complete any of these paths are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). This is the national licensing exam for registered nurses and is recognized by all state nursing boards.
Nowadays there are some 2.5 million registered nurses working in the US and over the next five years nursing employment opportunities are expected to increase by 23%. The highest growth areas are expected to be in care settings for the elderly, health care services in the home and outpatient treatment clinics. A bachelor’s degree is widely considered to be the qualification which gives registered nurses the best chance of a wide choice of future career prospects.
As an RN you could expect to earn anything from $59,000 to around $80,000. Salary levels are influenced by many different factors such as geographical location, their educational achievements and range of experience, and where the RN is employed for example a hospital, school or private practice clinic. ER nurses tend to earn a higher salary than other types of registered nurse.
Nursing can be a tough, demanding job but it has to be one of the most rewarding careers with great potential for ongoing training, variety and promotion.
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