Skills and abilities for a registered nurse

• Nurses have to be detail oriented, caring, sympathetic and responsible.
• Must have the ability to direct and guide others.
• Must have the ability to assess a patient’s condition and consult with others if so required.
• Must be emotionally strong and have the skills to deal with human suffering, emergencies and other stressful situations.
• Must be able to think on their feet and take quick action when required.
• Must be physically fit to take care of all kinds of patients.
• Must be very good communicators both verbally and through the written word at all levels of their functioning be it with doctors, other health care givers, patients or their families.
• Must able to understand medical terminology.
• Other than communication in English they must have knowledge of the local language.

Educational background for a registered nurse

Typically a person can become a registered nurse in three ways; by getting a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN) or by obtaining an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or by getting a diploma.

Getting these qualifications entitles a person to get entry level position as a staff nurse.

• A Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) takes four years to complete and can be obtained through attending colleges or universities.
• An associate degree in nursing (ADN) takes about two to three years to complete and can be obtained through enrolling in a community college and junior colleges.
• Diplomas are administered through hospitals and generally take about three years.
• A Bachelor of Science nursing qualification opens many avenues for progressing in the nursing career then the other two options of an ADN or diploma holding staff nurse.
• All these programs include classroom education as well as clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
• Classroom education includes subjects such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, nutrition, chemistry, psychology, other behavioural sciences and nursing.
• Clinical experience is given in a variety of departments in a hospital such as maternity, psychiatric, paediatrics, and surgery. They could also get experience in nursing care facilities, home health agencies and ambulatory care public health departments.

Duties and responsibilities of a registered nurse

The duties and responsibilities of a nurse are different according to the setting that they work in, according to the title they hold and how big or small their workplace is.

The general duties of a registered nurse are given below.

§  Taking care and responsibility of a patient is the first and foremost responsibility of a registered nurse.

§  Making a plan or adhering or modifying the plan of treatment for the patient.

§  Giving medications to the patients in their correct dosage.

§  Giving of fluids, medications, blood and blood products through intravenous (IV) method, keeping a check on it, or discontinuing it as per the doctor’s instructions.

§  Observing and recording the patient’s vitals and temperature and consulting with the physician or other healthcare professionals.

§  Registered nurses may also give instructions and advise regarding the care of the patients to licensed practical nurses or nursing aides.

§  Registered nurses with advanced qualifications and training may have authority to write prescriptions and may also perform therapeutic and diagnostic procedures on patients.

§  To give emotional support to the family members of the patients.

§  To advise patients on how to take care of themselves after an illness or surgery and also inform family members regarding the care, medications to be given, therapy to be administered and to take rest for how long.

§  Perform the duties pertaining to the setting that they are working in.

About Registered Nurses

Nursing is not a profession, it is a calling as nurses give themselves selflessly to this profession, totally involving themselves in the care of their patients, looking after their well being, giving emotional support to the family members of the patient, educating one and all in how to take care of themselves and prevent diseases and illnesses, rehabilitating the patient and advising not only the patient but also the family on how to take care of the patient, exercise routines to be followed, diet and nutrition needs to be adhered to, administration of medicine and physical therapy after an illness or surgery. They might also be required to run health clinics, blood donation drives, conduct public seminars on various conditions.

Registered nurses are called so because a nurse cannot function typically as a nurse without  having a license and this is a requirement in all states, District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Registered nurses may be of the general type or they may specialise in a particular area of healthcare. This specialization is of four varieties. They may specialise in one particular setting or type of treatment in a hospital; e.g. a perioperative nurse would work in an operating theatre or assist a surgeon during a procedure. The other type is someone who specialises in a particular health condition; e.g. a diabetic management nurse would work solely or mainly with diabetic patients. The third kind of a registered nurse is one who works with one or more body organs or body system types such as dermatology or a nephrology nurse who works with patients having skin problems or kidney problems.

Salary and Earnings of a Registered Nurse

The salary or earnings of a registered nurse vary according to the setting that they are placed in, the number of years experience that they have, the industry that they work in, the city that they work in etc.

Below you will find the salary or earnings of a nurse according to these various factors.

• Years of Experience

§  Experience of less than one year the median salary is $ 43,204 and the median hourly wage is $ 13.86.

§  Experience between one to four years the median salary is $ 45,603 and the median hourly wage $ 14.48.

§  Experience between five to nine years the median salary is $ 57,422 and the median hourly wage $ 16.52.

§  Experience between ten to nineteen years the median salary is $ 70,977 and the median hourly wage is $ 19.16.

§  Experience of more than twenty years the median salary is $ 79,105 and the median hourly wage is $ 21.87.

• Industry

§  A registered nurse working in healthcare gets a median salary of $ 65,948 and a median hourly wage rate is $ 22.30.

§  A registered nurse working in hospital gets a median hourly wage rate is $ 23.10.

§  A registered nurse working in financial services gets a median salary of $ 65,913.

§  A registered nurse working in manufacturing and distribution gets a median salary of $ 60,250.

§  A registered nurse working in law firm or law office gets a median salary of $ 49,877and a median hourly wage rate is $ 15.19.

§  A registered nurse working in banking gets a median salary of $ 51,191.

§  A registered nurse working in information technology ( IT) services gets a median salary of $ 71,868.

§  A registered nurse working in Education College or university gets a median salary of $ 48,882.

§  A registered nurse working in health care services gets a median hourly wage rate of $ 20.70.

§  A registered nurse working in nursing home gets a median hourly wage rate of $ 14.41.

§  A registered nurse working in medical office gets a median hourly wage rate of $ 15.44.

§  A registered nurse working in acute care hospital gets a median hourly wage rate of $ 26.40.

• Employer Type

§  A registered nurse working for a company gets a median annual salary $ 61,128 and a median hourly wage rate $ 15.60.

§  A registered nurse working for a private practice or firm gets a median annual salary $ 56,332 and a median hourly wage rate $ 16.59.

§  A registered nurse working for a non profit organization gets a median annual salary $ 46,919 and a median hourly wage rate $ 16.13.

§  A registered nurse working for a hospital gets a median annual salary $ 63,448 and a median hourly wage rate $ 22.71.

§  A registered nurse working for a government – state and local gets a median annual salary $ 51,974 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.99.

§  A registered nurse working for other organization gets a median annual salary $ 53,670 and a median hourly wage rate $ 15.18.

§  A registered nurse working for a college or university gets a median annual salary $ 50,055 and a median hourly wage rate $ 16.02.

§  A registered nurse working for a school or school district gets a median annual salary $ 43,941 and a median hourly wage rate $ 14.81.

§  A registered nurse working for a government – federal gets a median annual salary $ 67,800 and a median hourly wage rate $ 20.59.

§  A registered nurse working for a franchise gets a median annual salary $ 39,648 and a median hourly wage rate $ 10.85.

§  A registered nurse who is self-employed gets a median annual salary $ 50,289 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.99.

§  A registered nurse working for a contract gets a median annual salary $ 60,861 and a median hourly wage rate $ 20.31.

§  A registered nurse working for a foundation or trust gets a median annual salary $ 54,951 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.00.

§  A registered nurse working for a team gets a median annual salary $ 41,099 and a median hourly wage rate $ 13.27.

§  A registered nurse working for a fellowship gets a median annual salary $ 36,404 and a median hourly wage rate $ 12.98.

• City

§  A registered nurse working in New York, New York gets a median annual salary $ 68,363 and a median hourly wage rate $ 20.31.

§  A registered nurse working in Chicago, Illinois gets a median annual salary $ 62,808 and a median hourly wage rate $ 18.45.

§  A registered nurse working in Houston, Texas gets a median annual salary $ 62,897 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.61.

§  A registered nurse working in Atlanta, Georgia gets a median annual salary $ 61,693 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.66.

§  A registered nurse working in Los Angeles, California gets a median annual salary $ 68,619 and a median hourly wage rate $ 19.72.

§  A registered nurse working in Dallas, Texas gets a median annual salary $ 62,347 and a median hourly wage rate $ 17.92.

§  A registered nurse working in Boston, Massachusetts gets a median annual salary $ 67,764.

Certification and Licensure needed for a registered nurse

All the States of USA and also the District of Columbia and U.S. territories require that to become a registered nurse they have to complete a nursing program and get a licences to practice as a registered nurse.

• A nursing license can be obtained by passing the national licensing exam called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN).
• Other eligibility requirement differs for each state and the regulatory authority should be contacted for that.
• Hospitals and healthcare institutions run by the state or privately require their nurses to obtain continuing education credits at periodic intervals.
• Certification can be obtained in various specialities such as ambulatory, gerontology, paediatrics and many others.
• There are many accrediting centres for nurses such as the American Nursing Credentialing Centre, the National League for Nursing amongst others.