Learn About Registered Nurse, RN Schools, Education, Training, Jobs, and Careers

What is a Registered Nurse?
RNs are the backbone of healthcare facilities. They are the glue that hold things together when it comes to most medical treatments. They work in direct contact with patients, families, and doctors to provide medical care to patients.

They are regarded as angels of mercy. To the general public, they may seem to do the same things as licensed practical nurses (LPNs), but their level of education allows them to do much more than LPNs, like planning patient care. In a typical work day, the registered nurse can do all or some of the following:

1. Perform patient care evaluation
2. Operate life saving equipments, machines, and devices
3. Record patients health history
4. Check and record the vital signs of patients, like respiratory rate, blood pressure, temperature, and pulse
5. Educate patients’ and their families about required treatment
6. Give and analyze test results
7. Observe patients and report any reactions to treatment
8. Help patients perform prescribed physical activities
9. Train licensed vocational nurses, nursing aides and assistants
10. Supervise LVNs, nursing aides and assistants
11. Etc.

The RN works with the doctor to asses and establish care plan. She or he will consult the doctor if there is adverse reaction by the patient to the established care plan.

How to Become a Registered Nurse:
If you are interested in becoming an RN, you should start by getting a high school diploma or the equivalent. While in high school, take courses like biology, computer science, psychology, health education, chemistry.

After high school, you should then apply to a school that offers either associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing. The associate degree will take you 2 years to complete while the bachelors degree in nursing will take 4 years. You can expect to take classes like:

a. Human Anatomy and Physiology
b. Nursing Fundamentals
c. Psychology
d. Pharmacology
e. Nursing Research
f. Medical-Surgical Nursing
g. Adult Nursing
h. Etc.

After you graduate, there are a number of places you can find employment. Examples are:

1. Hospitals
2. Public Health Centers
3. Rehabilitation Centers
4. Military
5. Hospice Centers
6. Doctors’ office
7. Etc.

To practice, you must be registered. You will need to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN) administered by the National Council of States Boards of Nursing. Passing this exam will give the title of registered nurse (RN), as you may have known by now.

Registered Nurse Salary:
Our search on Indeed.com showed RNs make on the average salary of $65,000 per year. There are some that make as much as $88,000 per year. You will typically find the ones making this kind of money as emergency room nurse. Of course, the money you make depends on where you work, your level of responsibility and experience.

Registered Nurse School:
The nursing profession is as hot as it gets right now. You can find a good number of schools offering programs. We have one we think you will like.

The school is Rasmussen College. It offers an associate degree in nursing program. In as little as 2 years, you will be done with this program and on your way to making the above money.

You need to check them out. You can get their free no obligation information by following this link.



Return from Registered Nurse to Medical Assistants Schools and Careers

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.