Registered nurses, or RNs, are the largest healthcare occupation for good reason; they give patients medical care, educate them about their health issues, and offer emotional support. These medical professionals observe and record their patients’ condition. They help perform diagnostic tests to make effective plans for patient care. Before patients head home from a treatment or procedure, RNs explain how to manage the illness or injury. A core part of medical teams, they consult with doctors and other health care professionals and may oversee the work of other nurses and assistants. Registered nurses work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, home health care services, and nursing homes. Some work in correctional facilities or schools, or serve in the military. Nurses may also have the opportunity to travel, as they are needed across the U.S. and around the world. Risks—such as back injuries from lifting patients or exposure to infectious diseases and chemicals—are part of the job. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays, and be on call in off-hours. There are three paths to become an RN: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. They must also be licensed. Some nurses earn a master’s or doctoral-level degree and work in management, research, or academic settings. Combining competence with compassion, nursing is a career that improves —and even saves— many lives.
What they do:
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
On the job, you would:
Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
Health
medicine and dentistry
therapy and counseling
Business
customer service
Arts and Humanities
English language
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Basic Skills
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
looking for ways to help people
understanding people's reactions
Verbal
listen and understand what people say
communicate by speaking
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Attention
pay attention to something without being distracted
do two or more things at the same time
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Adaptability/Flexibility
Concern for Others
You might use software like this on the job:
Medical software
eClinicalWorks EHR software
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Electronic mail software
IBM Lotus Notes
Microsoft Outlook
associate's degree or bachelor's degree usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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