According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing is among the top 10 occupations with the largest job growth.
Registered nursing (RN) requires a large base of knowledge used to assess, plan and intervene to promote health, prevent disease and help patients cope with illness. When providing direct patient care, nurses observe, assess and record symptoms, reactions and progress, which provides the basis for care planning and intervention. They are health educators and advocates for patients, families and communities.
They have a unique scope of practice and can practice independently, although they also collaborate with all members of the health care team to provide the care needed by each patient as an individual.
RN roles range from direct patient care and case management to establishing nursing practice standards, developing quality assurance procedures, directing complex nursing care systems, conducting clinical research and teaching in nursing programs, as well as practicing in many other invigorating settings.
RNs also develop and manage nursing care plans, instruct patients and their families in proper care and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health. While state laws govern the scope of nursing practice, it is usually patient needs that determine a nurse's daily job activities.
Professional nursing responsibilities have changed considerably over time. Nurses today are highly respected and valued members of the health care team who bring their own body of knowledge to the process of health care. Nurses work in collaboration with physicians and members of other healthcare disciplines.
Some nurses choose to focus on a particular specialty. There are numerous
specialty options -- each of which has its own training/certification requirements and related professional network or organization. These include:
In addition, nursing has four advanced practice clinical professions, each of which requires a graduate degree and separate certification:
For more information about the many career options in nursing, see:
To learn more about this career, watch
a video profile about registered nurses (in the Health Sciences category).
Source:
Explore health
