A Registered Nurse is someone who is dedicated to their profession. It is a job that requires lots of time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears. being a Registered nurse is something that not many people can accomplish but the ones that can are hard working and probably some of the most good hearted people, these people give up there time to help one in need of medical treatment. Registered Nurses are heroes that deserve respect and should be praised for giving their time and energy to the ones that need it.
Becoming a Registered Nurse is not simple; to become one you must go through specific training in the classroom. This means you will have to dedicate hours into studying and learning about the job and everything that comes with it. You will need to get an associate or bachelors in nursing which includes taking classes such as anatomy, microbiology, chemistry and more. These classes will prepare you to know the basics and fundamentals that you need to know for the job. Registered nurses, or RN’s, have to take a test to become licensed; this test is called National Council Licensure Examination. This test requires that you have taken all the courses that are necessary so that you may excel and know what you are doing while on the job. Once you become a Registered Nurse there are lots of opportunities to move up the food chain. You will be able become more advanced and be in a higher role within the hospital or medical care facility you are employed at, as long you get more advanced schooling. This means there is lots of opportunity for growth inside of the nursing field.
Registered Nurses make a pretty penny and rightfully so. The average salary of a registered Nurse in the state of Virginia is $67,990. As a Registered Nurse you could work anywhere from a three hour shift to a twelve hour shift. This is means you will be up on your feet working for a decent amount of time throughout the workday, but you will be earning an average of $32.69 per hour in the state of Virginia. While you may work long hours, Registered Nurses typically work normal, 40 hour work weeks. While you may work only 40 hours a week you may have to work late nights, early morning, or all afternoon.
Being a Registered Nurse means there are lots of places you can work besides a hospital. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that “Registered nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities. Others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military” (bls.gov.) Working somewhere besides a hospital or clinic may require you to travel to a different city, state, or even country. This means you might get the chance to explore new places while on the job.
While working, Registered Nurses have many duties. A Registered Nurse handles most of the care for their patients. They do the hands on treatment and do what the doctor think is the best course of action. They monitor and assess patients conditions; they also record medical history and check their symptoms. A Registered Nurse will also have to give the treatment and medicine. This includes preparing for surgery, administering medication, taking blood samples, recording and analyzing test, and much more. They must also be able to tell the patient and their family the course of treatment and how to care for themselves once they are out of the health care facility. And it’s not just a hands on job, it also requires that you be there for patients and their families to aid with emotional support and help if there is a grieving process. It is necessary that you know how to speak carefully and be empathetic towards people who are in a emotionally vulnerable state of mind. This can be a hard job and it comes with a lot of responsibility.
To be a Registered Nurse it is a necessity that you are open to working with others. You must be able to collaborate with your colleagues. You will be working alongside other nurses so you must be able to communicate with them.Registered nurses have to be able to communicate their actions but also be able to record them so that the people in charge of billing are able to get their job done correctly. Registered Nurses also have to be able to follow orders and directions that have been given by the primary care physician or specialist that is in charge of the patients treatment. This means that you must trust the doctor’s plan and be trusted to follow their orders.
The work environment that a Registered Nurse works in a stressful place. It is full of ill and injured people seeking help. It’s full of people doing paperwork and people giving orders. It’s very busy and that means you have to be alert. You must stay aware of what is happening in case an emergency needs to be taken care of. You also need to be alert in case you need to catch a mistake. A Registered Nurse will be treating and caring for multiple patients a time, so they must be able to check on the patients and remain on task so that they can get to each one.
Being a Registered Nurse is a job that will change your life. Seeing people in their time of need and helping them through it is a very fulfilling task. Being around doctors and other nurses means you will be in constant communication with others and you will have to adapt to talking to others. The job requires that you retain information from your education because you may never know when you might need to use it. This job is a great responsibility but very rewarding. Being a Registered Nurse means you are on the frontlines saving lives and taking care of the sick and injured. Nursing is a field with lots of growth so that means if you go into it, you will be able to have a lifelong career. Nurses have to be knowledgeable, good hearted, and most importantly brave. The job puts you in stressful situations where you have to preserve. Registered Nurses are heroes in my book.
Works Cited
- “Highest Paying States For Registered Nurses.” Nurse.org, nurse.org/articles/highest-paying-states-for-registered-nurses/.
- “How to Become a Registered Nurse (RN).” All Nursing Schools, www.allnursingschools.com/registered-nursing/.
- “Registered Nurses : Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 13 Apr. 2018, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/mobile/registered-nurses.htm.
- “RN Salary and Job Description .” Jacksonvilleu.com, www.jacksonvilleu.com/blog/nursing/registered-nurse-rn-salary-job-description/.
