Job Description
Registered Nurses (RN) are responsible for collecting the health history of patients, observing and recording patient behavior, and counseling and educating patients together with their families about existing treatment plans (White et al., 2008). They are also responsible for administering medication, changing wound dressings, and caring for other available treatment options. Further, RNs are involved in reading and interpreting patient information and making the necessary treatment decisions when necessary; consulting with doctors and supervisors to identify the best treatment plan available to patients; supervising and directing nurses, nurse aides, and nurse assistants; and lastly, researching ways of improving healthcare processes and patient outcomes.
Registered Nurses are expected to carry out independent, dependent, and interdependent functions. Independent functions include authorizing indirect and direct patient care services that are aimed at ensuring the patients' personal hygiene, comfort, protection, and safety ( Bailey , 2011) . They also include the performance of the restorative and preventative measures directed at different diseases. These professionals are also involved in immunization techniques, performing skin tests, and withdrawing human blood from patients. Further, RNs are involved in observing the symptoms and signs of illnesses, patients’ general behavior, reaction to treatment, patients’ general physical condition, and the determination of whether or not the patients exhibit normal or abnormal characteristics.
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The dependent functions include authorizing indirect or direct care services such as disease prevention, administration of therapeutic agents or medications, and authorization of rehabilitation regimens ( Bailey , 2011). Interdependent functions include authorizing nurses to implement the most appropriate standardized procedures or make changes to the treatment regime. Registered Nurses’ code of ethics includes nine crucial provisions ( American Nurses Association , 2015 ). These include respect and compassion; commitment to the patient; focus on the patients’ safety, health, and rights; provision of optimal patient care; ow ing same duties to self as to others ; ensuring that the conditions of employment and work setting environment are ethical; the advancement of the nursing profession; collaboration with other health professionals; and lastly, articulation of nursing values, maintenance of the integrity of the nursing profession, and integration of the principles of social justice.
Education / Registration / Certification
For an individual to become an RN, he or she has to have an associate degree, nursing diploma, or a bachelor's degree ( Fisher, 2014 ). Upon graduation, a prospective candidate is expected to earn state licensure. This entails taking the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses ( NCLEX-RN ). In the U.S, different states have their own licensure criteria.
Various universities offer nursing programs. Two of these institutions include Ohio State University and Houston Community College . An associate degree in nursing typically takes two years to finalize. A bachelor’s degree, on the other hand, takes four years. Lastly, an associate-to-bachelor’s program takes two years. Ohio State University offers a 4-year bachelor's degree at about $10,037 (Ohio State News, 2015). The same course costs $27,365 when pursued out of state. In contrast, Houston Community College offers a 2-year Associate’s degree. The degree costs $1,632, $3,360, and $3,756 when pursued in-district, in-state, and out-of-state respectively (US News, n.d.). Upon passing the NCLEX-RN , individuals are required to seek licensure and become registered nurses for them to practice. In this case, they have to go through the board of nursing for their respective states.
Employment
The demand for RNs is always high, implying that jobs are always available to recent graduates. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has become the biggest driver of this growth ( Fitzpatrick et al., 2020; Pennic, 2020) . Most states in the U.S have recorded a shortage of nurses, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for RNs. Since RNs can work in different settings, the experience required is dependent on the field and position in question. For instance, Pediatrics require a nursing experience of three years and above.
An entry-level RN earns about $26.85 per hour in the U.S. This figure increases with experience, with those with between three to five years' experience earning $30.30. The RNs with more than ten years' experience earn $35.09 per hour. Pennic (2020) argues that the average pay for an RN in the U.S was $1,700 nationally as of January 2020. However, by March 2020, this figure rose to more than $3,000 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain specialties and locations have experienced salary increases of more than 100%. The author also cites that some hospitals have resorted to paying weekly rates of up to $4,400 due to the pandemic. Registered Nurses can specialize and advance their knowledge by enrolling in a master's, DNP, or Ph.D. program. They may also achieve the same by pursuing certifications in nursing management, acute care, or critical care.
Professional Activities
The most popular professional nursing organization in the U.S is the American Nurses Association (ANA). Nursing students can subscribe to become members of ANA for free. One notable journal for the nursing profession is the American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC). This bimonthly journal communicates recent developments in critical care research. Its editorial office is located on Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo , California. The journal’s annual cost of subscription varies and can be divided into individual and institutional rates. Individual rates in the US cost $59. On the other hand, institutional rates in the US cost $725, $525, and $485 for print and online access, print only access, and online-only access, respectively.
Different states require nurses to pursue continuing education every two or three years. This is done to help the nurses keep their special certifications active and current. The number of continuing educational units (CEU) required varies from one state to another and is determined by the board of nursing in each state ( Papandrea, 2015). There are many options for earning CEUs. One earns a single CE contact hour by participating in a CE-approved activity for an hour. The CEUs can also be earned via activities undertaken outside of a college classroom. These include online webinars, professional seminars, industry events, or correspondence courses.
V. Reflection /Personal Career Plan
My inspiration to become an RN is influenced by the fact that the profession requires me to work closely with individuals who need my help. Thus, the profession will allow me to make a difference in peoples' lives. Being an RN, I will play a crucial role in such important events of peoples' lives as births, deaths, and surgeries. It is this need to serve others in such critical events that makes the profession attractive to me. To become an RN, I will need to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing . While doing this, I will ensure that I enroll in an internship program to horn my skills. Following the completion of the degree, I will undertake the licensing test to obtain a certificate as a registered nurse allowing me to practice. I plan to start my career as an emergency room nurse in an established health institution. This will allow me to meet my ultimately goal of using my knowledge and skills to make a difference in the world.
References
American Nurses Association (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretative statements. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Bailey, L. R. (2011). An explanation of the scope of RN practice including standardized procedures.
Fisher, M. (2014). A comparison of professional value development among pre-licensure nursing students in associate degree, diploma, and bachelor of science in nursing programs. Nursing Education Perspectives , 35 (1), 37-42.
Fitzpatrick, S., McFadden , C., Whitman , J. & Monaha n, K. (2020). U.S. hospitals brace for another challenge — an unprecedented shortage of nurses . Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/u-s-hospitals-brace-another-challenge-unprecedented-shortage-nurses-n1167786
Ohio State News (2015). Ohio State President Drake to propose freezing tuition, room and board for in-state students. Retrieved from https://news.osu.edu/ohio-state-president-drake-to-propose-freezing-tuition-room-and-board-for-in-state-students/
Papandrea, D. ( 2015). Nurse CE and CEU: Continuing Education for RNs . Retrieved from https://nurse.org/articles/ce-ceu-continuing-education-for-nurses/
Pennic, F. (2020). Travel n urse p ay n early d oubles n ationwide from Coronavirus o utbreak . Retrieved from https://hitconsultant.net/2020/03/27/coronavirus-outbreak-doubles-travel-nurse-pay-nationwide/#.X67TLkRR21s
US News (n.d.). Houston Community College: Overview . Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/education/community-colleges/houston-community-college-CC03713
White, D., Oelke, N. D., Besner, J., Doran, D., Hall, L. M., & Giovannetti, P. (2008). Nursing scope of practice: Descriptions and challenges. Nursing Leadership-Academy Of Canadian Executive Nurses , 21 (1), 44.
