Registered Nursing School Near Me
Nursing is a rewarding career, but it can be challenging to decide what type of nursing to pursue. Becoming a registered nurse (RN) allows you to provide direct care and help people in need. As an RN, you’ll get paid more than other types of nurses and have greater autonomy on your shift. Plus, there are many different types of nursing specialties for those who want a deeper understanding of medicine or science.
Registered Nursing School Near Me
1 What Is a Registered Nurse?
Registered nurses (RNs) are licensed to work in any state. They must have at least an associate degree, a minimum of 1,500 hours of clinical training and a passing score on the NCLEX-RN exam. The RN license is national and allows the nurse to practice anywhere in the United States. Nurses work in hospitals, private practices or other healthcare settings.
The National Center for Nursing states that RNs provide direct patient care including:
- Administering medication
- Taking vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate)
- Teaching patients what they need to do after discharge from the hospital or clinic (dietary changes)
2 Responsibilities of a Registered Nurse
The responsibilities of a Registered Nurse include, but are not limited to:
- Patient Advocate – Be an advocate for your patients and their needs. You can’t always make changes or solve problems, but you should be able to point them in the right direction.
- Teacher – You will have to teach yourself how to do something before you can teach it to someone else. You may also be required by your employer or school curriculum to learn how things work inside and out before you start working on the front lines with patients or students.
- Caregiver – Be there for your patients when they are at their worst and help them recover from whatever injury or illness has caused them grief so that they can get back into their lives again as soon as possible without any lasting damage done by their medical conditions having prevented them from living life normally during recovery time periods in between visits with health care providers such as yourself who work as registered nurses (RNs).
3 Registered Nurse Salary
The average RN salary varies based on location, experience, specialty and education. An RN earns more in the Northeast states than they do in Western states. Men earn more than women with similar qualifications and years of experience. For example, a nurse living in New York City can expect to make $100K per year while an RN who lives in San Francisco can expect to make approximately $89K per year. The median annual salary for registered nurses was $67,490 (2018). This means half the people working as RNs made more than that amount while half made less. The lowest ten percent earned less than $51,050 annually while the highest ten percent earned over $90K per year (BLS).
The BLS also tracks how much different types of nurses make by job setting: hospital or doctor’s office; home health care; outpatient care centers; nursing schools or technical schools; other settings such as schools or community agencies; long-term acute care facilities like hospitals and skilled nursing homes
4 RN vs. LPN
Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are both considered healthcare professionals, but they have some distinctions. A registered nurse (RN) is a professional who has graduated from an accredited nursing program. The RN is certified by the American Nurses Association to work in health care settings, including hospitals, clinics and private homes.
An LPN has completed an approved program that provides training in patient assessment and medical procedures such as administering medications or taking vital signs. Licensed practical nurses are qualified to work only under the supervision of physicians or registered nurses; they do not have education beyond their diploma or associate degree level.
5 What to Expect in Nursing School
- You will learn a lot.
- You will make friends.
- Expect to get good grades.
- Nursing school is challenging, but rewarding!
6 7 Reasons Why You Should Become a Registered Nurse
- You can make a difference in someone’s life
- You can help people
- You can travel
- You can make money
- You can get a job anywhere, even if there are no schools near you!
- If you want to be an RN, then why not become one? Just because there aren’t any schools near me doesn’t mean I have to give up on my dream!
- Registered nurses are leaders and role models who are creative problem solvers who care about others
7 A nurse can create flexible opportunities for themselves, and help others through the work they do.
The flexibility of a career as a nurse means that you can create opportunities for yourself, and help others through the work that you do.
- Career satisfaction is high, because nurses enjoy working with people and making a difference in their lives. You will be well-paid for your efforts, and have plenty of time outside of work to enjoy life with friends and family.
- Most nurses report having an excellent work/life balance thanks to flexible hours which allow them to take part in extra-curricular activities or spend more time with their children before bedtime.[1]
Closing
With so many roles within the healthcare field, there are plenty of opportunities for RNs to create their own flexible work schedules. With a bachelor’s degree in nursing and one year of clinical experience, you can easily become a registered nurse. The job market is increasing and salaries are high, so it’s not surprising that more people than ever before are looking into this career path. If you’re interested in helping others through nursing school or just want some more information about what it takes to become an RN then keep reading!