Registered Nursing

Registered Nurses help people in a field which offers high satisfaction, and a wide range of professional opportunities.  Their services are in demand, and the need for Nurses is growing.

What is a Registered Nurse?

The Occupational Outlook Handbook published through The U.S. Department of Labor describes Registered Nurses as professionals who

treat patients, educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients’ family members. RNs record patients’ medical histories and symptoms, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.

When caring for patients, RNs establish a plan of care or contribute to an existing plan. Plans may include numerous activities, such as administering medication, including careful checking of dosages and avoiding interactions; starting, maintaining, and discontinuing intravenous (IV) lines for fluid, medication, blood, and blood products; administering therapies and treatments; observing the patient and recording those observations; and consulting with physicians and other health care clinicians. Some RNs provide direction to licensed practical nurses and nursing aids regarding patient care. RNs with advanced educational preparation and training may perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and may have prescriptive authority.

What’s it really like?
According to www.nursing-school.org, a typical day in the life of a Registered Nurse includes a number of different kinds of responsibilities:

Your shift usually starts with a little history. You will talk to the nurse who had your patients during the previous shift. This is when you find out what to expect for the next eight hours. You will learn each patient's diagnosis, what medications each patient needs, what special care each patient requires, and who might come or go during your shift. You will also go over the doctor's reports for each patient.

You still have more to do before you see your patients. You need to set up treatment sheets for your patients. Record the history that the nurse told you, and include any other important information you picked up from the charts. This is a good time to look at the lab tests that have and will be run. You want to know what to expect, so when the unexpected happens, you won't get completely sidetracked.

Now it is time to see your patients. At one major HMO, each nurse is given a balanced load of patients -- some patients with extra needs and some patients that need little help. Each shift, the needs of the patients are re-evaluated as their health changes. One nurse estimated that she gets 30 to 40 minutes with each patient. But, the timing is rarely ever that equal.

But wait, there is more!
Employment in Registered Nursing is growing, and in fact, there is an ongoing shortage of nurses.  The U.S. Department of Labor data says that

registered nurses are projected to generate 587,000 new jobs, among the largest number of new jobs for any occupation. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of job openings will result from the need to replace experienced nurses who leave the occupation.

One study, The Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States, suggests that there may be a shortage of 500,000 Registered Nurses by 2025. 

An article provided by marylandhealthcareers.org says Registered Nurses have many opportunities.  In hospitals, where most RNs work,
They work in:

• Patient care units at the bedside
• Operating rooms, trauma centers, and emergency rooms
• Medical records or other hospital offices
• X-ray and other diagnostic units
• Intensive care units
• Surgical and recovery units
• Same-day surgery centers
• Pediatrics, caring for children
• Hospital nurseries or neonatal intensive care units, caring for newborns
• Obstetrics, helping new moms give birth
• Psychiatric and drug treatment centers
• Laboratories
• Helicopters and ambulances, caring for patients in transport to hospitals

In addition to hospitals, this article says that nurses work in

• Long-term-care centers (rehabilitation, nursing homes, hospice)
• Community health clinics
• Freestanding outpatient and surgery centers
• Medical offices (eye doctors, dentists, obstetricians, surgeons, and others)
• Home care (visiting nurses, private duty nurses)
• Nursing schools (as professors)
• Corporate health centers (occupational safety, consultants, educators)
• Insurance and managed care companies
• Other companies (pharmaceutical, medical technology, biotech, and others)
• Research centers (research nursing)
• Schools (including K-12, university clinics)
• Military
• Peace Corps and international service organizations
• Hospital regulators (conducting surveys, inspections)

How much will I make?
Registered Nurses earn an average of $57,280 per year.  While this is not the salary which you will start at, it gives an idea of the potential. 

What should you expect in working conditions for a Registered Nurse?
The Occupational Outlook handbooks says that
Most RNs work in well-lighted, comfortable health care facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients’ homes, schools, community centers, and other sites. RNs may spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching, and standing. Patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities require 24-hour care; consequently, nurses in these institutions may work nights, weekends, and holidays. RNs also may be on call—available to work on short notice. Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other settings that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours. About 21 percent of RNs worked part time in 2006, and 7 percent held more than one job.

How do you get there from here?
BGSU Firelands prepares students for careers in nursing through our  Associate of Applied Science degree program in Nursing, offered in collaboration with Lorain County Community College

Want to learn more?
Watch these videos:
http://search.careertv.com/search?w=nursing
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vjUNBZT06m0
http://www.iseek.org/sv/Careers?id=13000:100179

Interested in Registered Nursing as a career path?   Have more questions?
For further Information contact:

Ellen Naderer,
Office of Nursing
BGSU Firelands
One University Drive
Huron, Ohio 44839
(419) 433-5560 ext. 20668
email: enadere@bgsu.edu