FAQs
- What Registered Nurses Do?
Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.
- What are the duties of RNs?
Registered nurses typically do the following:
*Record patients' medical histories and symptoms
*Administer patients' medicines and treatments
*Set up plans for patients' care or contribute to existing plans
*Observe patients and record observations
*Consult with doctors and other healthcare professionals
*Operate and monitor medical equipment
*Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results
*Teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries
*Explain what to do at home after treatment
Most registered nurses work as part of a team with physicians and other healthcare specialists. Some registered nurses oversee licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, and home health aides.
- Where do RNs work?
As the largest healthcare occupation, registered nurses held about 2.7 million jobs in 2012. The industries that employed the most registered nurses in 2012 were as follows:
Hospitals; state, local, and private 61% Nursing and residential care facilities 7% Offices of physicians 7% Home health care services 6% Government 6% Registered nurses work in hospitals, physicians' offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in correctional facilities, schools, clinics, or serve in the military.
Most registered nurses work in well-lit, comfortable healthcare facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients' homes, schools, community centers, and other sites.
Some nurses move frequently, traveling in the United States and throughout the world to help care for patients in places where there are not enough healthcare workers.
- What is the general work schedule of RNs?
Because patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities need round-the-clock care, nurses in these settings usually work in rotating shifts, covering all 24 hours. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may also be on call.
Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.
In 2012, about 1 out of 5 registered nurses worked part time.
- What is the pay range of a RN?
The median annual wage for registered nurses was $65,470 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $45,040 and the top 10 percent earned more than $94,720.
In May 2012, the median annual wages for registered nurses in the top five industries in which they worked were as follows:
Government US$68,540 Hospitals; state, local, and private US$67,210 Home health care services US$62,090 Nursing and residential care facilities US$58,830 Offices of physicians US$58,420 Many employers offer flexible work schedules, childcare, educational benefits, and bonuses.
Because patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities need round-the-clock care, nurses in these settings usually work in rotating shifts, covering all 24 hours. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may be on call, which means they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice.
Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.
- What is the job outlook of RNs?
Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons.
Demand for healthcare services will increase because of the aging population, since older people typically have more medical problems than younger people. Nurses also will be needed to educate and to care for patients with various chronic conditions, such as arthritis, dementia, diabetes, and obesity. In addition, the number of individuals who have access to healthcare services will increase, as a result of federal health insurance reform. More nurses will be needed to care for these patients.
The financial pressure on hospitals to discharge patients as soon as possible may result in more people admitted to long-term care facilities, outpatient care centers, and greater need for home healthcare. Job growth is expected in facilities that provide long-term rehabilitation for stroke and head injury patients, as well as facilities that treat people with Alzheimer's disease. In addition, because many older people prefer to be treated at home or in residential care facilities, registered nurses will be in demand in those settings.
Growth is also expected to be faster than average in outpatient care centers where patients do not stay overnight, such as those that provide same-day chemotherapy, rehabilitation, and surgery. In addition, an increased number of procedures, as well as more sophisticated procedures previously done only in hospitals, are performed in ambulatory care settings and physicians' offices.
- What is the job prospect of RNs?
Overall, job opportunities for registered nurses are expected to be good. Generally, registered nurses with at least a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) will have better job prospects than those without one. Employers may prefer candidates who have some related work experience.
Job opportunities should be good because of the need to replace workers who retire over the coming decade and because of the growing number of people with access to healthcare services.