Career Essay-Regisitered Nurse

EDUC 1300

25th June 2015

Registered Nurse

My goal is to become a Registered Nurse. Registered nurses provide and manage care for individuals who are ill and their families. They monitor patients, provide advice and emotional support as well as educate them and the public on various health conditions (“Registered Nurses”). To become a registered nurse, one can either obtain an Associate degree in Nursing, a Bachelor’s degree or a diploma in Nursing from an approved program (“Registered Nurses”). Furthermore, registered nurses must be licensed by taking the NCLEX-RN exam. The courses in nursing school are designed to give students a good understanding of the human body and its response to disease states as well as effectively managing these disease conditions. As such, I will have to take a variety of healthcare courses such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, pharmacology, health assessment, family and childbearing care including psychology and sociology to help with understanding how to interact with patients or clients. Registered nurses’ wages vary slightly with the type of education obtained as well as skill level, with bachelor’s degree having the highest salary followed by diploma nurses and then associate degree nurses (Charles, Jennell et al). Salaries range from $34,750 to $73,410 with a median pay of $65,470 (“Registered Nurses”). Full time registered nurses are expected to work 36 to 40 hours a week depending on the type of shift they take.

There are many positive aspects about being a registered nurse. Not only does it provide the opportunity to make meaningful contributions in patient’s lives, there is job security. Nurses are in very high demand and the job outlook is faster than average (“Registered Nurses”). Secondly, registered nurses have the option to work in a variety of settings for example, in a home setting, in a school, hospital, in a law office as well as research settings (Dolan). This also comes with the flexibility of working either...