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Browse all of the tabs below for info about Registered Nursing Schools and Training Programs (RN Schools):
Registered Nurses (RNs) are professionals in the health care field who are licensed by the state to provide direct care to patients. Individuals who have attained the RN title are graduates of a formal program of nursing education and are responsible for providing direct care to patients and for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating nursing care of the sick and injured.
As members of the largest healthcare occupation in the U.S., RNs require more training and have a higher degree of responsibility than other general classes of nurse. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), for example, have frequent direct contact with patients but usually report directly to physicians and/or RNs. Registered nurses often act as patient advocates in terms of treatment and also patient education about various medical conditions and advice as well as emotional support to patient family members. They are often responsible for establishing a patient's plan of care or contributing to an existing plan. General duties of a RN are wide and varied, but some of the things they do are the following:
Two specialized subsets of Registered Nurse are known as Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Nurse Anesthetists. These specialists are RNs but in addition to obtaining the required RN training have also completed specific, more advanced levels of nursing education and training. Nurse Practitioners provide a broad range of health care services, including in some cases the performance of primary health care which entails patient examination, diagnosis, and prescription of medicines. Nurse Anesthetists are trained to administer anesthesia to patients undergoing surgery and to provide care for anesthesia patients before, during, and after the procedure.
Responsibilities
Simply put, registered nurses are responsible for providing care to patients. Among other things, RNs are heavily involved in patient treatment, education, and emotional support. There are several categories of specialization that a registered nurse can choose, including the following:
An example of an RN who specializes in type of treatment might be a critical care nurse, who treats patients with serious or complex illnesses or injuries that require very close monitoring. A home health care nurse, who provides at-home nursing care for patients, is one type of work setting specialist. A good example of a specialist in body systems would be a cardiovascular nurse, who deals with patients who have coronary heart disease and in some cases have had heart surgery. An addictions nurse, who provides care to patients seeking help with alcohol, drug, or other addictions, is one type of health condition specialist. And those who specialize in category of patient might include geriatric nurses, who work with the elderly, or pediatric nurses, who deal with children and adolescents.
Some RN jobs do not require a lot of direct patient care. Examples include:
Job Characteristics
The work environment for RNs is generally adequate, as most of them work in comfortable and well-lit health care facilities. A typical work week is largely dependent on the work site. Nurses who work in settings that do not provide 24-hour care (e.g., schools, offices, many government agencies) are likely to work a normal 40-hour weekly schedule. On the other hand, those who work in hospitals and nursing care facilities may work nights, weekends, or holidays; and are often on-call and subject to working on short notice. RNs who specialize in home health care and/or public health care are usually required to travel frequently. Registered nursing can seldom be described as a desk job; on the contrary, most RNs spend considerable time walking, standing, bending, and stretching.
Like many other health care workers, RNs are susceptible to infectious diseases and often come into close contact with toxic or potentially hazardous compounds. Consequently, RNs must observe rigid guidelines to guard against disease and other dangers, and they must be continuously vigilant. RNs are also subject to physical strain (particularly back injury) due to frequent moving and lifting, and to emotional strain caused by close interaction with ill patients and their families as well as the need for critical decision-making.
There are many personal skills and character traits that are especially important for registered nurses. A sense of responsibility and an attention to detail are critical attributes. RNs also need to be sympathetic and caring. They must be able to work well with others, particularly those whom they supervise or direct. They must be able to make accurate, and sometimes quick, decisions regarding patients' conditions and the need for further consultation. And most importantly of all, RNs need a great deal of emotional stability to cope with many of the stresses associated with the job.
Employment Outlook
According to The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (USDL BLS), registered nursing is the largest healthcare occupation in the United States (as of 2008). There were 2.6 million registered nursing jobs in the U.S. in 2008. Of these, 60% worked in hospitals, another 8% in physicians offices, 5% in home healthcare services, 5% in nursing home facilities, and 3% in employment services. The remainder worked for government agencies such as social assistance agencies and educational services. About 20 percent of RNs worked part time in 2008.
The USDL BLS projects a "much faster than the average" growth rate in RN jobs through the year 2018 (projected growth rate from 2008 to 2018 is 22 percent). This projection is attributable to a number of contributing factors: an increasing emphasis on preventive care; a growing elderly population with long-term care needs; and advances in patient care technology allowing a greater number of health problems to be treated. Job prospects over the next decade will vary by industry but are expected to be very good overall. The best opportunities are expected to occur in doctor's offices, home health care services, and outpatient care centers; while the most competitive job venues will likely be hospitals. Advanced procedures once performed only in hospitals are now regularly being performed in physicians' offices and in outpatient care centers. Also, there is lagging growth in the number of inpatients (those who remain in the hospital for more than 24 hours), a trend which is expected to continue.
Nursing care facilities are another job site where RN demand is projected to grow a little more slowly than employment growth in other health care industries. Although the elderly population, particularly those who require long-term care, will grow, so will the trend towards treatment at home or in residential care facilities. There will also be a corresponding upswing in the availability of that type of care. Home care employment in particular is expected to increase rapidly and the higher-tech nature of care demanded will require nurses who are able to perform complex procedures.
RNs holding a bachelor's degree or higher are projected to have better job prospects in general than those with lesser schooling. In addition, an especially high demand is anticipated for nurse practitioners, who increasingly serve as lower-cost primary care providers compared to physicians. Other advanced-specialty RNs, such as nurse anesthetists, are also expected to enjoy a growth in demand.
As of May 2008, the median annual income for registered nurses is $62,450. The middle 50 percent of the RN population earned between $51,640 and $76,570. The highest 10 percent earned more than $92,240, while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,410. Median annual income in the industries employing the largest numbers of RNs in May 2008 were as follows:
Registered Nursing Schools, Certification, and Licensing
There are three primary educational paths to becoming a registered nurse: a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN), an associate degree in nursing (ADN), and a diploma from an approved nursing program. Of these, the two paths most widely followed are associate degree and bachelor's degree programs. After completing one of these steps, an RN candidate will usually earn a license by taking and passing a national licensing examination. BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, generally take four years to complete. ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about two to three years to complete. Diploma programs, usually administered in hospitals, last about three years. Those individuals who aspire to broader careers such as nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist should expect to go on to complete a master's degree.
Nursing education programs usually consist of a mix of classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in a health care facility. Although the most common site for clinical experience is a hospital, a growing number of programs are using other venues such as nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics. Coursework in these programs typically includes anatomy, chemistry, physiology, nutrition, microbiology, psychology and other behavioral sciences.
All states require RN candidates to pass a national examination, known as the NCLEX-RN, in order to obtain a nursing license. NCLEX examinations are designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry-level. Many states are members of the Nurse Licensure Compact Agreement, which allows licensed nurses who permanently reside in one of the member states to practice in the other member states without obtaining additional licensure. All states require periodic renewal of licenses, which usually require obtaining continuing education credits.
The NCLEX-RN exam, which is developed and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, is a computer-based test which covers the following four major categories:
Major Employers
Approximately 60% of RNs work in hospitals. Nearly 10% work in physician's offices and about 5% in nursing care facilities. The remainder work for home health care services, outpatient care centers, employment services, outpatient care centers, government agencies, social assistance agencies, and educational services. About 80% are full-time workers.
Specialized Fields Within Registered Nursing
Typical RN Programs May Include Courses in:
Resources for Registered Nurses
Additional Registered Nursing Articles from CityTownInfo:
Career Advice from Registered Nurses - CityTownInfo Career Stories (see tab at top of page):
Schools for Registered Nurses are listed in the column to the left.
The Top Cities tab shows employment statistics for Registered Nurses by major metro area.
The Top Industries tab shows which industries have the most jobs for Registered Nurses, along with salary data by industry.
The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.
These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).
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We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for Registered Nurses.
Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.
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