subject: How You Should Be A Contract Registered Nurse [print this page] There are many reasons to become a registered nurse. The fact that they make up the majority of healthcare workers in the United States is one. And the need for nurses is only growing. There are numerous reasons for this, like an ever increasing older population, technological advances in medical technology, and an overall emphasis on preventive care.
Those wishing to enter this demanding but satisfying profession should first take a little time to become familiar with what registered nurses do and also with the steps a person needs to take in order to become a registered nurse.
So what exactly does a registered nurse do one might ask? If you become a registered nurse, you will be in a career that enables you to have an enormous impact on the life and health of others. Depending on specialization, the registered nurse can work in a wide array of medical specialties.
Become a registered nurse and you can work in such settings as doctors offices, outpatient clinics, hospital facilities, home health and everything in between. You can also specialize in specific diseases and ailments.
Also, as you become a registered nurse you may decide to specialize in a certain organ, and find yourself working in research or in an intensive care unit. The sky is the limit when you become a registered nurse because you can work for a surgeon, for example, and your 'office' would be a surgical suite in a hospital or outpatient surgery center. Love older people? Then specialize in geriatrics and reward yourself emotionally by helping this unique patient population.
A specialized subset of Registered Nurses, known as Nurse Practitioners (NPs), have an advanced level of nursing education after they become a registered nurse and provide a broad range of more advanced health care services.
These specialized nurses can write prescriptions in most states. They can even open their own clinics as well. They are considered primary health care providers as they conduct physical assessments, order tests and x-rays, and diagnose depending on their particular scope of practice.
Per the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual earnings of the registered nurse was $62,450, this was for 2008. If you work in education when you become a registered nurse the earnings decline by about $10,000 a year.
Those working in education (often as school nurses) earn about $10,000 less than their counterparts working in hospitals, but may have the advantage of more vacation and daytime work hours. Become a registered nurse to enjoy these benefits!
