Career Profile: Why Pursue A Registered Nurse Career?
Registered nurses provide care for patients
by working to promote health, prevent disease, and help
their patients cope with illness. They also instruct
patients and their families about illnesses and the
treatments for these illnesses, as well as about any
procedures that may be undertaken in treatment. When
providing direct patient care, RNs observe, assess,
and record symptoms, reactions, and progress, assist
doctors during surgeries, treatments, and examinations,
administer medications, and assist in rehabilitation.
They may also develop and manage nursing care plans.
Most nurses work in hospitals, offices,
and clinics, but some are employed by home health services,
schools, community centers, outpatient care centers,
government agencies, and private companies. Because
of the nature of the job, most work evenings, weekends,
and holidays, and may also be placed on call, to come
in in case of emergency or need. Nurses who work in
offices or public health centers work a regular forty
hour week. Salaries vary according to experience, area,
and the capacity in which they are employed. The average
salary of nurses in the major areas of employment are
listed below:
Employment services: $55,980
General medical and surgical hospitals: $49,190
Home health care services: $45,890
Physicians’ offices: $44,870
Nursing homes: $43,850
In addition to their salaries, most employers
offer benefits and retirement packages and bonuses.
The employment outlook for registered nurses is extremely
good, especially as the nation is undergoing a severe
nursing shortage in several areas. More new jobs are
expected to be created for RNs than any other profession
as well. The employment in hospitals is likely to remain
steady, but the growth in specific areas, such as home
health care and nursing homes, as well as specialized
care areas is expected to grow exponentially.
In all states, students must graduate
from an approved nursing program and pass a national
licensing examination in order to become a registered
nurse. Nurses may be licensed in more than one state
either by examination, endorsement of a license issued
by another state, or through a multi-state licensing
agreement. All licenses must be periodically renewed.
There are three types of education one
can take to become a registered nurse: a bachelor’s
degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing,
and a diploma. Bachelor’s degree programs usually
take four years to complete, while associate’s
programs take two to three years. Diploma programs,
which are administered in hospitals, take about three
years, but these programs are being phased out.
| Online Schools |
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RN to Bachelor of Science in
Nursing, MS in Nursing, Master of Health Administration, |
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BS in Nursing, Continuing Education
in Legal Nurse Consulting, Forensic Nursing, Life Care
Planning, and Case Management |
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| Utica College |
Online RN to Bachelor's Degree in Nursing |
|
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Master of Science in Nursing |
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| Arizona Schools |
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| Tucson College |
Tucson - Certified Nursing Assistant |
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Phoenix- BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required),
MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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Ft.Huachuca / Southern Arizona- BS in Nursing (RN
Required), Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN, MS in Nursing
(RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner,
Nursing Informatics Certificate, School Nurse Certificate |
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Tucson / Southern Arizona-Licensed Practical Nurse to
BSN, BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN
Required) |
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| California Schools |
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Anaheim - Vocational Nursing |
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Costa Mesa - Vocational Nursing |
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| Kaplan University |
Kaplan College North Hollywood , Vista / North County - Certificate: Vocational Nursing, Certificate: Nurse Assistant Training Program |
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Fresno / Central Valley - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Southern California - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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Sacramento - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner |
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San Diego - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing/MBA/Health Care Management |
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San Francisco - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| West
Coast University |
Los Angeles - Associate: Nursing |
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| Colorado Schools |
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Aurora - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Colorado Springs * - Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN, BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Connecticut Schools |
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Hamden , New Britain - Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) |
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| Flordia Schools |
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DeLand - Nursing Assistant |
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| Keiser College |
Kendall , Lakeland , Melbourne , Sarasota , Tallahassee , West Palm Beach - Nursing |
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Orlando - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Jacksonville - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Fort Lauderdale - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Tampa - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Pensacola - Practical Nursing (Diploma) |
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| Georgia Schools |
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Atlanta - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required |
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Columbus * - MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Hawaii Schools |
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Honolulu - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Indiana Schools |
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Merrillville - Practical Nursing |
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Indianapolis - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Iowa Schools |
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Cedar Falls , Cedar Rapids , Des Moines , Mason City - Practical Nursing |
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Davenport - Nursing |
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| Louisiana Schools |
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New Orleans - MS in Nursing with a specialization in Healthcare Systems Management |
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Baton Rouge - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Michigan Schools |
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Grand Rapids - Practical Nurse |
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Detroit - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Grand Rapids - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Portage / West Michigan - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Michigan Schools |
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Grand Rapids - Practical Nurse |
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Detroit - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Grand Rapids - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Portage / West Michigan - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Nebraska Schools |
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Lincoln , Omaha - Practical Nursing |
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Fremont - Nursing |
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| New Jersey Schools |
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Wayne - Nurses Aid |
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| New Mexico Schools |
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Albuquerque - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| North Carolina Schools |
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Charlotte , Raleigh - Practical Nursing |
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| Ohio Schools |
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Cleveland - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Oklahoma Schools |
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Oklahoma City - BS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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Tulsa - BS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| South Carolina Schools |
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Greenville - Practical Nursing |
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| Tennessee Schools |
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Nashville - BS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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| Texas Schools |
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| Texas
Careers |
San Antonio - Nurse's Aide, Vocational Nursing |
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| Utah Schools |
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Provo - Nursing |
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Salt Lake City - BS in Nursing (RN Required), MS in Nursing (RN Required) |
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West Jordan - Nursing |
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| Virginia Schools |
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| ECPI |
Manassas - Practical Nursing |
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| Medical
Careers Institute |
Virginia Beach , Richmond , Newport News - Practical Nursing, Registered Nursing |
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Alexandria - Licensed Practical Nurse |
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| Wisconsin Schools |
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Burnaby , Chilliwack , Coquitlam , Kelowna , Surrey , Vancouver - Practical Nursing |
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