Registered Nurses Essay Example
When considering registered nursing for your forever career there are several things that you should highly consider before diving in headfirst. One aspect that should be taken into consideration is the job projection for that career field. Another, what is the income like within the Nursing field? Lastly, what exactly do you need to do to become a registered nurse?
Registered Nurses (RN) are individuals that work within industries that include home healthcare, outpatient care centers, or a physician’s office, and some nurses will travel between facilities. RN’s provide patient care for a variety of health conditions. They educate, give advice, and support their patients and their families emotionally. To sum it up, RN’s, aid in diagnostic testing, analyze results, assess patient conditions, administer medication, and assist with treatments.
What does it take to become a registered nurse? There are 3 different educational pathways one could take to become an RN. One path is to get a Bachelor of science in nursing or BSN. To earn a BSN, you would need complete 4 years of education. Secondly, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or associates of science in nursing (ASN) which also take up to 4 years to complete. Lastly, another route that could be taken is to get a Diploma, which are generally offered by medical centers or hospitals and usually take anywhere from 2-3 years to complete. One thing that should be made sure of in the decision process of becoming a registered nurse is what degrees are preferred and or are required to have to secure a RN position. Typically, hospitals will require you to have a bachelor’s degree. But some can acquire a position as a staff nurse while having an ASN, a Diploma, or BSN. Those who have associate in nursing degrees can achieve a bachelors by going through a program called RN-to-BSN. Furthermore, another tier to registered nursing is Clinical Nurse Specialists. CNSs are nurses who have earned master’s degrees in nursing and have 1 or more years of experience working as a registered nurse.
When looking at becoming a registered nurse (RN) one major factor to be considered is the job projection for that specific career field. In the coming years, more specifically over the next 10 years, the job projection for registered nursing is expected to grow roughly by 9 percent. Additionally, there is expected to be as many as 194,500 RN job opening each year over the next 10 years. Last of all, the employment growth for RN services will likely continue to increase as the larger population of older adults currently typically have more medical drawbacks than the younger generations and usually require nurses to care for them routinely.
In addition to job projection, another area to look closely at is the pay scale for RN’s. Is the salary range for registered nurses convincing enough to choose that career? Well, let’s see! The salary range per year for RN’s is between the lower earners making $53,410 per year and the highest earners making $116, 230 per year. Putting the median salary earners at $73,330 per year. Given the wage range, one could live comfortably on a registered nurses salary within the United States.
Now, once you have earned your chosen degree and are working within the nursing field one thing to strive for is advancement. There are several promotions available for those who have experience, have continued their education, and have good performance. Advancements include, nurse managers, charge nurses, head nurses, assistant director or director of nursing, vice president of nursing, and chief nurse officer. Some registered nurses who have earned a graduate degree in nursing can achieve management-level nursing positions. Other RNs may become nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, or CNS’s which are all types of advanced practice registered nurses, and all require a master’s degree, but most will likely have a doctoral degree. Furthermore, some nurses will work as postsecondary teachers and researchers for colleges and universities and to do that one will typically need a Ph.D.
Within the nursing field there are several advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages would include the room for advancement, pay scale, different types of industries, and that for the next decade there will be a continuous need for nurses. Some disadvantages are the fact that being a nurse is very physically demanding in that they are always on their feet for long hours, are constantly bending and stretching which all leave nurses very susceptible to back injuries. They may encounter infectious diseases and harmful drugs. To some, a disadvantage would the long work hours and the possibility of being on-call or working weekends and holidays.
To finish, becoming a registered nurse is very time consuming and there isn’t much room for error if you want to stay on track. But, once in the field, a nursing career is an opportunity to help, not only yourself in achieving your goals in life but to literally help nurse people back to health. In my opinion, that’s a blessing.
