Registered Nurse Job Description
Registered nurses often work in hospitals or outpatient facilities, where they provide hands-on care to patients by administering medications, managing intravenous lines, observing and monitoring patients' conditions, maintaining records, and communicating with doctors. RN duties also include giving direction and supervision to nurse aides and home health aides.
The duties of a nurse go beyond the physical support and care they provide. Registered nurses may provide emotional support to patients and family members; educate patients and the general public on disease management, special diet plans, and medical conditions; provide information on home care after treatment; and teach individuals how to self-administer medication or complete other self-care tasks.
Nurses employed by physician offices and other types of facilities may have different duties depending on the level and type of care being offered.
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Nursing Responsibilities
What do nurses do on a daily basis? RN's have to carry out a wide range of registered nurse responsibilities as they care for patients and interact with coworkers. Nurses are often the primary caregiver to interact with patients in a hospital or clinical setting, and the registered nurse duties are centered around providing quality, patient-centered care. Here are some nursing tasks that you'll need to do if you intend to work as an RN.
- Interact With Patients: Nurses are often the medical providers that spend the most time with patients in a hospital or clinic. As a result, they must interact with patients in a cordial and friendly manner. They may interview patients to gather information on their current symptoms or prior medical history. They also frequently answer questions that patients have about medications and their health, or other general topics.
- Liaise With Other Medical Professionals: Registered nurses work as part of a healthcare team that often consists of numerous medical professionals, including doctors, medical students, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare providers. Nurses are responsible for updating these team members about changes in a patient's status and they need to communicate effectively to do so.
- Administer Medications: Nurses are often responsible for the delivery of medications to patients. These medications can be given orally or parenterally (through an intravenous line or subcutaneous injection). As a result, nurses must also have an in-depth knowledge of drugs and their side effects. In addition to medications, nurses can administer other treatments like vaccines as well.
- Insert IV Lines: In order to provide medications, draw labs, administer blood transfusions, or give nutrients, many patients require an intravenous (IV) line to be inserted into their vein. Nurses are usually responsible for inserting these lines. This process involves placing a needle into the patient's arm, locating the vein, and securing the IV line in place.
- Draw Blood: Many clinics and hospitals have phlebotomists who specialize in drawing blood for labs and bloodwork to be performed. However, nurses are often responsible for drawing blood as well.
- Take Vital Signs: In order to monitor a patient's progress or status, nurses will take their height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs. These vitals can be taken manually or with the aid of an electronic device.
- Otherwise Assist Patients: As the primary caregivers for hospitalized patients, registered nurses often assist patients who need help with their daily functions, such as using the bathroom or bathing.
- Assist in Surgical Operations: The role of a nurse in a hospital may also involve assisting surgeons as they perform operations. Nurses are often responsible for monitoring a patient's vital signs and providing tools and equipment to the surgeon during the operation.
Nursing Education and RN Licensure
An aspiring nurse's first responsibility is to look ahead in this broad profession and decide on the right educational track. An associate degree takes two years to complete, whereas a bachelor's degree takes four years and includes additional clinical training experience in non-hospital settings. Nurses who wish to enter into administration, research, consulting, or teaching positions may wish to pursue accelerated master's degrees in nursing, which can be combined with the pursuit of the Bachelor of Science Nursing credential.
Once they have earned the desired degree, individuals must pass the NCLEX-RN, a national licensing exam. From there, RNs can proactively manage their path through this profession by pursuing specialties based on a certain type of patient, a certain category of illnesses, or a specific type of facility, such as an imaging facility, emergency room, or cancer treatment center. While all nurses are responsible in some form for the care, comfort, and well-being of patients, their overall responsibilities will differ widely depending on the direction they choose.
Nursing Work Environments
According to the 2019 reports of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurses may work in a variety of different healthcare settings. These include:
- Hospitals
- Home healthcare clinics
- Private physician offices
- Nursing care facilities.
The roles and responsibilities of a nurse may vary depending on the setting of their work. Hospital or urgent care nurses may be required to work evening, weekend, and holiday shifts, since most facilities of that type are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. In some cases, nurses are on call and must be ready to work on short notice. Registered nurses sometimes run clinics or conduct educational seminars or blood drives. A nurse in a physician's office, however, may have a more standard schedule.
Registered Nurse Salary and Job Outlook
Registered nurses (RNs) are required to complete at least two years of formal education and obtain a state license in order to work in a nursing capacity. Although the healthcare industry is changing, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted a growth of 7% in this profession for the 2019-2029 decade. The average annual wage for registered nurses was $73,300 as of May 2019.
The salary of a registered nurse also varies based on the industry in which they work. The table below summarizes the five top industries in which registered nurses worked as of May 2019, along with the median annual wage for registered nurses in that industry:
Industry | Median Salary |
---|---|
Government | $79,790 |
Hospitals; state, local, and private | $75,030 |
Ambulatory healthcare services | $70,330 |
Nursing and residential care facilities | $66,250 |
Educational services; state, local, and private | $63,690 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics