Registered Nurses

Registered nurses (also called RNs) are the largest group of health professionals: there are currently more than 2.5 million registered nurses working in the United States. Most registered nurses work in hospitals, while other's work in doctor's offices, clinics and wellness centers.

 

The best registered nurses have a sense of compassion and a desire to help people. Calmness in the face of crises and the ability to make decisions under fire are also critical strengths of successful registered nurses.

 

When you hear the term "nursing shortage," most often it is used to refer to the lack of incoming registered nurses.

A registered nurse is part of a team of health practitioners that includes doctors, pharmacists and assistants. The bulk of a registered nurse's work is focused on helping sick people get well and helping healthy people stay healthy. RNs also act as patient advocates, meaning they relate the concerns and needs of the patient to the rest of the office or team.

 

Registered nurses often spend most of their time with patients, as they are trained to assess and constantly re-assess a patient's health and status. In large settings, such as hospitals and health centers, registered nurses are often tasked with supervising licensed practical nurses (also known as LPNs), licensed vocational nurses and nursing assistants.

To become a registered nurse you will need to first earn a degree in nursing. The degree can either be a bachelor's degree, an associate degree or a diploma from an approved nursing program taught through a hospital.

 

Because the degree programs are much more common than diploma programs, most registered nurses choose to complete an associate and/or bachelor's degree. Associate degrees are usually two-year programs, and bachelor's degrees are usually four-year programs. For those already holding a bachelor's degree in another field, they may choose to enter an accelerated bachelor of nursing program or even a master of nursing program.

 

While an associate degree or a diploma may be a faster route to a career in nursing, bachelor's and master's degrees give applicants more options in the future. Bachelor's degrees are sometimes necessary for more specialized nursing positions and also for administrative positions. Often, later in their careers, nurses wish to teach and share their skills with future nurses. Teaching positions almost always require advanced degrees and/or up-to-date nursing certifications.

The subject matter in a nursing degree program varies slightly from program to program. Generally, nursing programs will include:

Students receiving their bachelor's degree may have the opportunity to take communication and management classes that will help them in their career.

 

In addition to classroom time, all nursing programs include hours in a hospital setting. Programs place their students in a broad range of offices and hospitals so they can experience a variety of working environments and gain practical knowledge.

 

The hours spent in the field are often called "practical" hours.

Do you have a program in mind?

Research different schools that offer any of the below programs with the links below.