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Mercy Health Youngstown Medical Library
Jeghers Medical Index

Career: Nurse

Nurse

Summary

Quick Facts: Registered Nurses
 
2020 Median Pay $75,330 per year
$36.22 per hour   
Typical Entry-Level Education      Bachelor's degree
Work Experience needed None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2019 3,096,700
Job Outlook, 2019-29 7% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2019-29 221,900

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited July 20, 2021).

Typical work activities

Registered nurses typically do the following:

  • Assess patients’ conditions
  • Record patients’ medical histories and symptoms
  • Observe patients and record the observations
  • Administer patients’ medicines and treatments
  • Set up plans for patients’ care or contribute information to existing plans
  • Consult and collaborate with doctors and other healthcare professionals
  • Operate and monitor medical equipment
  • Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze the results
  • Teach patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries
  • Explain what to do at home after treatment

Most registered nurses work as part of a team with physicians and other healthcare specialists. Some registered nurses oversee licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, and home health aides.

Registered nurses’ duties and titles often depend on where they work and the patients they work with. For example, an oncology nurse works with cancer patients and a geriatric nurse works with elderly patients. Some registered nurses combine one or more areas of practice. For example, a pediatric oncology nurse works with children and teens who have cancer.
 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, 
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited July 26, 2021).

Education

Education needed - Bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree programs typically take 4 years to complete; associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree, and diploma programs usually take 2 to 3 years to complete. Diploma programs are typically offered by hospitals or medical centers, and there are far fewer diploma programs than there are BSN, ADN, and ASN programs. All programs include supervised clinical experience.

Bachelor's degree programs usually include education in healthcare and related fields such as science technologies, biology, communications, and critical thinking. A bachelor’s or higher degree is often necessary for administrative positions, research, consulting, and teaching.

Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three types of education programs (bachelor’s, associate’s, or diploma) qualify for entry-level positions as a staff nurse. However, employers—particularly those in hospitals—may require a bachelor’s degree. 

 



 

 

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