What is Your Career?
Registered Nurse
What do RN's do?
- Record patients' medical histories and symptoms
- Perform physical exams and health histories
- Provide health promotion, counseling and education
- Administer medications, wound care, and numerous other personalized interventions
- Interpret patient information and make critical decisions about needed actions
- Coordinate care, in collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals
- Direct and supervise care delivered by other healthcare personnel like LPNs and nurse aides
- Conduct research in support of improved practice and patient outcomes
- Give patients medicines and treatments
- Set up plans for patients’ care or contribute to existing plans
- Observe patients and record the observations
- Consult with doctors and other healthcare professionals
- Operate and monitor medical equipment
- Help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results
- Teach patients and their families how to manage their illnesses or injuries
- Explain what to do at home after treatment
Salary & Benefits
Salaries: salaries up to $85.15/hr for career RNs
- New graduate rates up to $51.73/hr for day shift.
- Shift differential: 12 percent for evenings, 20.5 percent for night shifts.
- Paid education leave: up to 12 days per year.
- 13 paid holidays per year.
- Preceptor pay: $2.50/hr for preceptor assignments.
- Charge pay: $3.25/hr additional pay.
- Weekend differentials: 30 percent additional pay.
- Call back while on-call: double-time.
- Per diem pay: 25 percent pay differential.
- Overtime: time-and-a-half after eight hours, double-time after 12 hours.
- Experience credit: increased pay for years worked as an RN inside or outside the U.S.
Defined-Benefit Pension Plan
- Full and part-time RNs receive defined-benefit plan.
- Pension credit for per diems who work 1,000 hours per year.
- RNs who transfer to another CNA/NNU-represented hospital in a system are able to bring full earned pension credits.
Health Benefits
Full coverage for the RN and her/his family, including health, dental, and vision, paid by the employer with no co-pays.
Education
At a minimum, an entry-level nursing job requires a bachelor of science degree in nursing, an associate’s degree, or a diploma program administered in a hospital. The two-year associate’s degree can be a quicker and more economical route, but many graduates of associate’s programs eventually aim to complete a bachelor’s degree for a more comprehensive nursing education, and experts say that the bachelor’s degree is fast becoming the industry standard. For those who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in a different field, accelerated B.S.N. degree programs can take from 12 to 18 months. Students must also pass a national licensing examination known as the National Council Licensure Examination, and may have to meet other requirements which vary by state. Many nurses choose to pursue master’s degrees in advanced-practice nursing specialties, such as a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist.
Working Conditions
- Dress in scrubs
- The standard working week is 37.5 hours. These hours can be worked in a variety of ways, usually depending on the role, the location and whether you work full-time or part-time.
- Atleast 1,000 hours worked yearly
- Location can be at any hospital, doctor's office, etc near you
Pros/Cons
Pro's:
- Good Salary
- Opportunities for Career Advancement
- Numerous Job Opportunities
- Nurses are in demand
- Benefits
- Flexible Scheduling
- Opportunities for Self-Employment
- Making a Difference
Cons:
- Nursing Is a Demanding Profession
- Potentially Dangerous Work Conditions
- Long Hours
- Salary Ceilings