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Becoming a Registered Nurse - Information for Nurse

Most of the people in the health care industry are registered nurses. While nurses assist doctors, they are assisted by practical nurses and nursing assistants. They do have crucial roles in hospitals and medical facilities. Although being a registered nurse has its steep challenges, it can also be an advantage. Those who are interested in this career can get information by reading about nursing degrees explained online.

Responsibilities
A registered nurse or caretaker once employed has a variety of functions largely revolving around attending to the needs of patients and providing care to patients. All sections of hospitals should have caretakers. RNs work in teams, with each team having specific function. It is possible for some to have tasks outside direct patient care. Generally, the tasks that caretakers need to do are:
1. Checking the patient's medical history
2. Recording symptoms
3. Planning a systematic method of taking care of the patients
4. Delegating appropriate tasks to practical nurses/nursing assistants
5. Offering emotional support to patients and their families
Those that do not work for patients have a different set of tasks, depending on which department or section they are assigned in.

Education
Getting a degree is the first step for those who want to work in hospitals or health care facilities. If you want to know the registered nurse degree requirements, you should inquire from the institution that offers the course. You can take up BS Nursing, Associate Degree in Nursing, or Nursing Diploma programs at any institution or university that provides these courses. Most would-be RNs prefer the associate degree program, because it can be finished within two or three years. Graduates of this program can immediately apply for an entry level position and still pursue a bachelor's degree.

Generally, students who want to take up the RN program should finish prerequisite courses. These courses include basic subjects that prepare the student to becoming capable of getting hired after graduating. The prerequisites are English, statistics, biology, chemistry, sociology, physics, psychology, and so on. Some schools ask would-be nursing students to take examinations that will measure their readiness for the course.
The actual RN course involves deeper studies into human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, medical science, and so on. However, they may have to take up elective subjects, which are distantly related to medical sciences. These elective subjects may be humanities or art or history.

National Council Licensure Examination
Finishing a degree in this field does not automatically make you an RN. One more requirement is to pass the NCLEX-RN. Nurses should learn about state requirements in practicing nursing profession. There are states that require incoming nurses to pass NCLEX-RN even if they have passed the same examination in another state. NCLEX is an all-encompassing examination that gauges what the nurse has learned from his or her education and training. Not one can work as an RN if they do not pass this test.

Working as an RN
Registered nurses do have decent, if not attractive, compensations. According to the labor statistics in the United States, the median yearly income of American nurses is nearly $64,700. About half of those in America earn between $53,000 and $79,000. A nurse's location and experience affects how much he or she can earn.

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