Registered Nurse

What does a Registered Nurse do?

Registered nurses care for patients, providing them with treatment, counseling and education. RNs work closely with a patient’s physicians and other health professionals as part of the health care team. Depending on their area of specialization and work setting, RNs perform some or all of the following:

What might a Registered Nurse do in a workday?

Registered nurses:

• develop and implement individualized plans for a patient’s care.
• monitor and record patients’ needs and changing conditions.
• administer prescribed medications and treatments.
• educate individuals on self-care, including maintaining health and preventing illness/injury.
• conduct health screening tests and procedures.
• direct and supervise other nursing personnel.

Registered nurses are sought in a wide variety of work settings: hospitals, physicians’ offices, industrial and corporate sites, clinics, government or community health agencies, nursing homes, hospices or patients’ homes. RNs also may choose to pursue careers in health administration, teaching, utilization review, consulting, research and many other specialties.

How much salary do Registered Nurses make?

Annual Mean Wage
$66,670

How do I become a Registered Nurse?

Students intending to pursue a career as a registered nurse should take challenging courses in science, math and English, including advanced placement courses.

Educational preparation to be a registered nurse is offered in three different types of programs in Virginia: four-year colleges offering baccalaureate degrees; community and junior colleges offering associate degrees; and hospital-based schools offering diplomas. Graduates of all three programs are eligible to take the national licensure exam, NCLEX-RN, to become a registered nurse.

A baccalaureate degree is required to enter graduate programs in nursing, which prepare advanced practice nurses, nursing administrators and nurse educators.