Registered Nurse (RN) jobs are amongst the fastest growing, better paid, and satisfying jobs in the Health Care industry today. However, it is important to consider certain things carefully before taking up this career. Nursing is a vocation that requires a great deal of commitment and hard work. You need to be a sympathetic, quick thinking, level-headed, and responsible person, with plenty of stamina and the ability to handle stress well. You will need good interpersonal skills to interact effectively with patients and colleagues.
Nature of Job
A Registered Nurse can provide hands-on service in health care facilities, or work in management and research. Registered Nurses are responsible for:
- Checking the patient’s medical history and symptoms.
- Helping with diagnostic tests and analyzing the results.
- Ensuring that all patients receive proper care and treatment according to a well-evaluated nursing plan.
- Providing counseling support to patients and their families.
- Providing post-hospital patient care.
- Providing educational information on various medical conditions, their symptoms, and preventive and curable measures.
- Conducting immunization clinics and other public health seminars.
- Overseeing health planning and health care development.
- Managing health care marketing and quality assurance.
If you are interested in pursuing this profession, you will require a Registered Nurse (RN) license. With the right qualifications, you can take your pick from various nurse practitioners jobs. You can also improve your career prospects by studying further with a RN to MSN Program. If it is not possible to attend a regular college, you can go for an online RN to MSN Program.
Eligibility for Registered Nurse Certification
To become a Registered Nurse you must fulfill the following criteria:
- Be a nursing graduate from a regionally accredited, state-approved nursing program.
- Have a good academic score in Science, Math, and the Humanities.
- Have a good GPA score.
- Must pass the State Board of Nursing's NCLEX- RN (The National Council Licensure Examination) test.
- Be in good health.
- Have no criminal records. Or, if you do, you must include the details in your application.
- Have no history of substance abuse. Or, if you do, you must include the details in your application.
Registered Nurse Training
Registered Nurse training includes theoretical and practical training. You will attend lectures in classrooms as well as work actually in hospitals, clinics, or other health care facilities. The curriculum will include courses in:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology
- Microbiology
- Nutrition
- Psychology
- Surgery
- Pharmacology
- Introduction to Nursing
- Common Concepts of Adult Health
- Care of Children and Families
- Mental Health Nursing
- Legal and Ethical Issues for Nurses
- Management of Client Care
Registered Nurse (RN) jobs
Once you have your Registered Nurse certification, you will have no problems in finding employment. There is, in fact, a shortage of well-qualified nursing professionals, and so you will be in good demand.
Registered Nurses are required in hospitals, private clinics, nursing homes, home health care agencies, government agencies, social service agencies, rehabilitation centers, educational services, hotels and resorts, etc. You can work full-time or part-time. Here are some nursing jobs to consider:
- Adult health nurses
- Critical care nurses
- Family nurses
- Gerontological nurses
- Holistic nurses
- Home health care nurses
- Medical surgical nurses
- Nurse midwives
- Occupational health care nurses
- Oncology nurses
- Pediatric nurses
- Psychiatric nurses
- Rehabilitation nurses
If you are a foreign national seeking work in this field in the United States, you must obtain a work visa, have your nursing qualifications reviewed, and appear for a nursing certification test as well as an English Language Proficiency test.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, annual salary range for qualified and experienced Registered Nurses is from below $37,300 to above $74,760.
