In the United States, registered nurses are over than two million health care professionals and registered nurses largest single group. “Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations.” (Mallegg and Palmisano 345) “About 60 percent of all registered nurses work in hospitals where, on average, they make up more than 20 percent of the entire staff.” (Swanson 197) One reason for the high demand for a nurse is that the baby boomer generation is getting older and require medical care. “Registered nurses, or RNs, are health care professionals who work as part of health care teams to promote health and prevent and treat disease.” (Hilton 2877) For an individual to become a registered nurse, one has to go through years of education dedicated to the requirements to graduate. A registered nurse (RN) has a responsibility to help patients and get them healthy. In addition to that, their responsibilities vary greatly from program to program. Becoming an RN has many educational requisites. Nursing students must follow an educational nursing program, acquire a license, and find their areas of expertise.
Nurses are responsible for the treatment, safety, and recovery of individuals. (Haro 7) The responsibilities of a registered nurse are different depending on the specialty. “[Registered nurses] usually operate and monitor medical equipment used in patient treatment while performing diagnostic testing and analyzing results.” (Cantu 8) Other tasks performed by a registered nurse are to develop and manage an appropriate patient nursing care plan, educate patients and families for care after treatment, and help patients rehabilitate. (Hilton 2877) In other words, a nurse helps patients get healthy and then stay in good health.
Some registered nurses combine one or more of these specialties.” (Mallegg and Palmisano 343) For example, they are addiction nurses who help patients overcome addictions, critical care nurses who take care of patients in serious illness or injury, and genetic nurses who provide counseling to patients and families with genetic disorders. (Mallegg and Palmisano 343)
Furthermore, registered nurses can employ in different environments. Nurses who work in an office environment, assist management and help medical staff. In a nursing home, nurses help the elderly or patients in poor health who can no longer take care of themselves. Home health nurses provide relief for patients and have regular at-home care. Public care nursing work in a government or community organizations, such as school, whom improves health within the community. An occupation health or industrial nurses work in different environments, for instance, a registered nurse will provide emergency care, coordinate health counseling. (Hilton 2878)
An individual can become a registered nurse by attending an accredited program offered by a nursing program. In all nursing programs the individual is required to meet a minimum of a C average in high school and a diploma to be eligible for admission. They are three educational paths a student can take: a bachelor degree in science, associate degree in nursing, or receive a diploma from an approved nursing program.
A student with a bachelor degree in science will receive a four- to five-year education. The student will also receive more training in all courses from the nursing programs. Graduates can receive higher job positions as an administrative position, research, consulting, and teaching. Associate degree in nursing is usually taken in a two-year community or junior colleges. And a diploma program is taken in a hospital receiving two- to a three-year education. (Hilton 2879)
All nursing programs require students to follow the curriculum in order to graduate. “The curriculum— which varies in depth and breadth according to the length of the programs— includes courses in anatomy and physiology, psychology, English, nursing concepts and techniques, microbiology, sociology, and philosophy.” (Swanson 200) All nursing programs require students to attend in supervised clinical skill training in pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery at the hospital. (Mallegg and Palmisano 345) In other words, the nursing program specializes students to have a greater knowledge in the health field. The program covers the essential courses and hands-on training in order to succeed in the real world as a registered nurse.
In the United States, all states require Registered Nurses to be licensed and to renew licenses regularly. Furthermore, registered nurses are required to continue education to maintain the currency. “To become licensed, nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN.” (Mallegg and Palmisano 345) The National Council Licensure Examination is an exam taken by registered nurse graduates who would want to hold a register nurse license. The exam covers the Client Needs whom the individual answers questions that best respond to a real patient scenario.
A registered nurse may be assigned in working weekends, weeknights, and holidays. Due to patients that require round-the-clock care, registered nurses are required to take care of the patient. (Mallegg and Palmisano 345) Therefore, nurses work in shifts to cover all the hours a patient that are required to take care for.
A licensed registered nurse can begin employing as a staff nurse in a hospital or in a community health setting. (Mallegg and Palmisano 346) However, a bachelor degree has been increasing as a requirement for an entry-level position. (Swanson 200) In a view of the fact that a registered nurse with a bachelor degree has received a greater amount of education and training than another educational nursing program. Therefore, a registered nurse is viewed as a more experienced and knowledgeable than a nurse with an associate degree or a hospital diploma. The amount of education does not limit what a nurse does, but in what rank of occupation the nurse applies the skills to. “Nurses also work caring for patients on an outpatient basis in doctors' offices, clinics, surgery centers and emergency medical clinics. Some also work in nursing homes ; public health facilities, such as government or private agencies and schools; on-site work environments in the occupational health or industrial nursing field; or in administrative positions within a corporate or organizational setting overseeing other nurses.”(Hilton 2878) Registered nurses can be promoted to a more responsible occupation, for instance, in a management position or administrative. Which it will require the individual to have leadership, communication and negotiating skills, and good judgment. (Mallegg and Palmisano 346) To achieve a higher position the individual with experience, good performance, and continuous education in nursing are strong candidates for the occupation. (346)
An average annual income a registered nurse earned in 2010, was $64, 690. (Hilton 2878) In other occupations, additionally in 2010, a registered nurse employed in a private hospital would have earned $66, 650, while in a local hospital nurses earned $62, 690. In the interim, registered nurses employed with physicians have earned $62,880, home health care services earned $60, 690, and nursing care facilities earned $58, 180 an average annually. (Mallegg and Palmisano 345) Although a salary might differentiate based on a nurse education level, position, and specialty.
To summarize, a registered nurse has a responsibility to help patients and get them healthy, educational requisites, follow an educational nursing program or curriculum, licensing, work schedules, have many career paths, and a registered nurse income.