What Type of Work Do Registered Nurses Do?
Deciding you’re ready to become a nurse and that this is the career path for you is the first step in embarking on an exciting, life-changing journey.
As a registered nurse, you’ll work with your community and help support medical teams and provide life-saving care. You’ll connect with patients and their families, support physicians, surgeons, other nurses, and specialists, and be a part of important processes in the medical community.
But if you’re just beginning your exploration of the nursing profession, all the different program recommendations, credentials and initials can become confusing. From NA to LPN, there are a number of different nursing paths you could take. One type of nurse you might decide to become is an RN, or registered nurse, and with good reason.
What Do Registered Nurses Do?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs have a great deal of various responsibilities, which can shift and change with the working environment. Registered nurses might work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, or in other settings where medical support is required. RNs may supervise other medical staff as well, and in certain settings may be the superior of LPNs (licensed practical nurses), NAs (nursing assistants), or HHAs (home health aides). Registered nurses might specialize in any number of fields so as to work with specific populations or in certain settings.
Generally speaking, the responsibility of an RN is to deliver and oversee patient care, offer education to their patients and their families about health-related matters, and emotionally support patients and their loved ones during medical procedures or episodes.
The majority of a registered nurse’s workday may consist of any or all of the following tasks:
● Recording patients’ symptoms and medical histories
● Administering medication and treatment
● Creating plans for patient care or advising existing plans
● Observing patients and recording data
● Consulting and collaborating with doctors and other healthcare professionals
● Operating and monitoring patients’ medical equipment
● Helping to perform diagnostic tests and analyzing results
● Educating patients and families on illness or injury management
● Explaining what to do at home after treatment
To learn more about how to become an RN, click here.
