Health is not only one of the most significant things in a human’s life but may also become one of the greatest concerns. Among the numbers of scientists, researchers, pharmacists, developers, and others, nurses are the ones whose work is second to none. This work carries important meaning for the efficiency of the whole workplace, demanding knowledge, skills, and the confidence to use them. That’s precisely why we created this article, describing duties, requirements, and the path of becoming a registered nurse.
Nurse Job Description
What Does a Nurse Do?
Registered nurses have a pretty long list of duties, but the majority of them aim to take care of the patient. That care starts with assessing, observing, and simply speaking through the entire process of treatment and recovery. It includes preparing patients for examinations or treatment, operating medical equipment, and collecting examples for laboratories (blood and body fluids). Nurses are also obliged to assess the patient’s condition, especially after conducting medication and treatments. After monitoring and figuring out the effects and sometimes even side effects of the treatment, the nurse has to notify specialists about the results of the current care plan. To say otherwise, nurses play one of the most crucial roles in creating and implementing patient care plans. Besides all that, it’s a must to record all the details and symptoms related to the patient’s medical history and current health. Of course, educating the person’s family members about the treatment and care plans is also one of their responsibilities.
Nurse Responsibilities
- Record vital signs, intake, and output, blood glucose, intravenous access, and interpret labs
- Monitor and evaluate patient responses to treatments and applied appropriate adjustments per protocol or as prescribed by a physician
- Spearhead patient admission, comprehensive assessments, and documentation
- Conduct general and surgery-related post-op assessments and provide medical treatments/procedures prescribed by the physician
- Deliver dressing changes, insert foley catheters, perform bladder scans and EKGs
- Ensure clinic set up readiness and delivered necessary documentation promptly
- Offer medical and emotional support to patients and families
Nurse Requirements
To become a registered nurse, one needs to have proper education and certification. As the first stepping stone, it’s possible to obtain either Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor’s Degree (BSN). However, before earning one of these degrees, completing the prerequisites for nursing schools in math, liberal arts, and science is necessary. Afterward, about 6 weeks before graduation, the potential RN can register for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and then needs to pass it successfully. With this certification, the person basically becomes a registered nurse and can start to look for future employers. Finally, after 2 years of actual working experience, one may try to get board certificated, which can increase the recognition and the salary as well. To summarize, the way of RN looks like this:
- Completing prerequisites for nursing school (Usually, they include basic anatomy, physiology, biology, psychology, and anatomy)
- Earning ADN or BSN
- Passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)
- Working experience not less than 2 years
- Board certification
Also worth mentioning that many professional nurses specialize in particular fields, such as oncology, gerontology, pediatrics, or others. Of course, it demands special training on the subject, but it may positively affect the salary. Regarding higher-level degrees, those require additional education and certificates.
Related: Your Guide for Getting a Career in Healthcare With No Experience
Nurse Skills & Proficiencies
Similar to the number of duties that registered nurses carry, the number of their skills is no less than that. During the work, they make maximal use of both their hard skills and soft. Although there is a range of such skills, here are some examples:
- Emergency Care
Needless to say, emergencies may occur at any moment of our lives, and fast, correct decisions may become the only straw to save one’s life. Maintaining a cold head and utilizing your knowledge to the fullest is simply a must for registered nurses.
- Technology Skills
The healthcare industry rapidly improves while implementing more and more modern technologies. Although the use of such equipment is undeniable, the comprehension and utilization of its results fall on the shoulders of the user. This skill is beneficial for any nurse, helping to monitor the patient’s condition.
- Patient Care and Education
Some patients have an acute necessity for creating safety zones and preventing possible injuries (falls, trippings, etc). Nurses as caretakers are obliged to minimize such situations for the fastest and safest recovery. On top of that, it would be professional to share this information with the family members of discharged patients.
- Communication
While at work, nurses often speak with many people, such as colleagues, visitors, and even patients themselves. Thus, the skill of communication is also rather important.
- Teamwork
Teamwork is an essential soft skill in every workplace, but it’s especially so in the circle of medical workers, who need the utmost efficiency.
- Work Ethic
Like all other professionals, nurses also have their rules and work ethic. As an example, it’s possible to mention that patient’s information is strictly confidential and shouldn’t be shared with other people.
Nurse Salary Expectations
Before looking for the exact numbers, it’s necessary to understand that nursing careers can differ in both the list of duties and the revenues. In this article, we are providing the statistics of registered nurses. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor, the employment of registered nurses is expected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030. However, looking at more fresh articles from Indeed, there is a prediction of a rapid rise in demand over the next years. Regarding the salaries, the U.S Bureau of Labor indicates that the median annual wage for a registered nurse was 75,330$ in May 2020. At the same time, according to the 2021 survey from Indeed, the national average income for this occupation is 78,775$.
On the other hand, the particular salary is greatly affected by many factors, such as specialty, experience, demand, and geographical location. If such numbers still don’t appeal, registered nurses have a clear career path to increase professionalism and revenue. With a completed postgraduate program, registered nurses can make up to 99,910$ in revenue.
Bottom Line
Working as a healthcare provider is honorable while the salaries only correspond to it, encouraging people to step on this path. However, it’s a well-known fact that self-representation can be even more crucial than some certificates. The resume is the face of an employee, which is the reason it should look clean and tidy. To get the gist, you can check out a registered nurse resume sample. That’s why, if you ever feel that there is something wrong with your RN resume, you are always welcome at ResumeEdge.
