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Registered Nurses

Job Information

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.

Information

  • Registered nurses (RNs) constitute the largest healthcare occupation, with 2.6 million jobs.
  • About 60 percent of RN jobs are in hospitals.
  • The three typical educational paths to registered nursing are a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma from an approved nursing program; advanced practice nurses—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners—need a master's degree.
  • Overall job opportunities are expected to be excellent, but may vary by employment and geographic setting; some employers report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs.

Statistics

Personality I like helping others
Salary $65,950/yr ($32.98/hr)
Job Outlook Bright
Education Associates Degree