Registered Nurses
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes advance practice nurses such as: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nursing is practiced by RNs who have specialized formal, post-basic education and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles.
Employment and Wages
- Total Employment: 2,221,110
- Average Annual Salary: $60,899
- Average Hourly Rate: $29.28
Hourly Wage Distribution
Projections
- Total Employment (2008): 2,618,700
- Total Employment Projected (2018): 3,200,200
- Percent Job Growth: 581.50%
Common Educational Backgrounds
- Associate's Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
Common Tasks
- Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.
- Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.
- Prepare patients for, and assist with, examinations and treatments.
- Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.
- Consult and coordinate with health care team members to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care plans.
- Instruct individuals, families and other groups on topics such as health education, disease prevention and childbirth, and develop health improvement programs.
- Prepare rooms, sterile instruments, equipment and supplies, and ensure that stock of supplies is maintained.
- Assess the needs of individuals, families or communities, including assessment of individuals' home or work environments to identify potential health or safety problems.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Direct and supervise less skilled nursing or health care personnel or supervise a particular unit.
Occupation Summary
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
- Examples
- These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include food service managers, electricians, agricultural technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.
Related Careers
| Total Employed | Annual Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 36,910 | $197,304 | |
| 810 | $190,921 | |
| 11,030 | $189,907 | |
| 890 | $188,556 | |
| 15,410 | $183,621 | |
| 34,060 | $181,540 | |
| 80,590 | $163,164 | |
| 14,910 | $161,634 | |
| 71,210 | $161,228 | |
| 18,200 | $156,329 | |
| 5,820 | $127,031 | |
| 15,980 | $104,750 | |
| 224,070 | $104,197 | |
| 40,600 | $86,723 | |
| 58,000 | $81,474 | |
| 17,520 | $78,457 | |
| 8,320 | $74,061 | |
| 143,900 | $73,037 | |
| 21,570 | $71,489 | |
| 1,090 | $69,124 |
Related Degrees and Programs
Source: O*NET 2006; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008
