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.

Work Environment

Registered nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in correctional facilities or schools, or serve in the military.

How to Become a Registered Nurse

Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses also must be licensed.

Job Outlook

Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventive care; growing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population, as they live longer and more active lives.

Growth & Trends

This occupation supported 2,711,500 jobs in 2012 and 2,751,000 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 1.5%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 19.4% in 2022 to 3,238,400 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 2,816,800, compared with an observed value of 2,751,000, 2.3% lower than expected. This indicates current employment trends are worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 16.2% in 2024 to 3,190,300 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 3,343,700 jobs for 2024, 4.8% higher than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are worse than the 2012 trend within this occupation.

Registered Nurses Employment and Labor Information 2023

Registered Nurses Employment Brief:

Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.

Registered Nurses Job Description

Here is a Job Description an employer might post for potential Registered Nurses.

Registered Nurses Responsibilities and Duties:

• Prepare patients for and assist with examinations or treatments.
• Administer local, inhalation, intravenous, or other anesthetics.
• Direct or supervise less-skilled nursing or healthcare personnel or supervise a particular unit.
• Observe nurses and visit patients to ensure proper nursing care.
• Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.
• Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
• Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.
• Provide or arrange for training or instruction of auxiliary personnel or students.
• Refer students or patients to specialized health resources or community agencies furnishing assistance.
• Prescribe or recommend drugs, medical devices, or other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy, inhalation therapy, or related therapeutic procedures.

Typical Daily Tasks of Registered Nurses:

• Assisting and Caring for Others: Administer anesthetics or sedatives to control pain. Administer non-intravenous medications. Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments. Immunize patients. Prepare patients physically for medical procedures. Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources. Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries. Treat medical emergencies.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Maintain medical facility records. Record patient medical histories.
• Getting Information: Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment. Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
• Performing General Physical Activities.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Diagnose medical conditions.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.

Registered Nurses Skills and Requirements:

• Equipment Selection Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
• Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
• DatabasesUsing a computer application to manage large amounts of information, including creating and editing simple databases, inputting data, retrieving specific records, and creating reports to communicate the information.
• Persuasion Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Programming Writing computer programs for various purposes.
• Management of Personnel Resources Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
• Systems Evaluation Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
• Technology Design Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
• Science Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Registered Nurses Education and Training:

Typical education for include: Bachelor's degree.

Registered Nurses Salary, Wages, and Salary and Job Outlook

Registered Nurses average pay is: $39.05 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employees who work in Outpatient Care Centers are the highest paid making $46.73, while NAmake the least at $37.11 per hour.Here are the top city/metro areas with the highest paying salaries for a Registered Nurses: