Registered Nurse

Are you caring, sympathetic, responsible?  Do you love to solve problems and pay attention to detail?  Do you have lots of confidence?  These are traits needed in nursing, as registered nurses must be able to direct or supervise others, correctly assess patients’ conditions, and have the assurance to know when consultation is needed.  RNs must have the confidence to deal with patients’ pain and suffering, emergencies and other stresses.

Registered Nurses (RNs) treat patients, educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients’ family members.  RNs help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, record patients’ medical histories and symptoms, operate medical equipment, administer treatment and medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.

When caring for patients, RNs establish a plan or contribute to an already existing plan.  Plans include numerous activities such as medications, including careful checking of dosages avoiding interactions; starting, maintaining, discontinuing intravenous (IV) lines for fluids, medical, blood, blood products; administering therapies treatments; observing recording those observations; consulting physicians and other health care clinicians.  Some RNs provide direction to licensed practical nurses and nursing aids regarding patient care.  RNs with advanced education training may perform diagnostic therapeutic procedures and may have the authority to prescribe medications. (See Clinical Specialist, Registered Anesthetist, Certified Midwife, and Nurse Practitioner.) 

Click on the video below to see a day in the life of a Registered Nurse.

First Steps:
Take college preparatory classes in high school with courses in science and math, including algebra and laboratory courses in biology and chemistry.

Earnings:
Listed below are hourly/annual wages for both entry level and experienced registered nurses and the annual median hourly/annual wage.**

Entry Wage               Median Wage             Experienced Wage           
Hourly Annual Hourly Annual Hourly Annual
$22.24 $46,246  $30.00 $62,386 $34.74 $72,273

**Wage Data 2009, State of Illinois Department of Employment Security

Click here for a comparison of other health care occupation wages.

Work Environment:
RNs may spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching, and standing.  Patients in hospitals require 24-hour care; therefore, nurses in hospitals may work nights, weekends and holidays.  Some institutions offer three 12 hour shifts which allows for four days off each week.

Job Outlook:
A current nursing shortage is fueled by an aging population requiring more medical care over extended periods of time and by advanced technology in medicine and treatment, allowing a greater number of medical problems to be treated.  Nursing vacancies are rapidly increasing as nurses are retiring.  The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts more demand for registered nurses than any other job through 2014.  

Education:
There are three major educational paths to registered nursing – a diploma, an associate degree in nursing (ADN), and a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN).  Diploma school programs last about three years.  ADN programs are offered by community and junior colleges and take about two to three years to complete.  BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about four years to finish.

Hospital Schools of Nursing

RN Associate Degree Programs

RN Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Educational/Professional Requirements:
To apply for a license as a registered nurse, applicants must file with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - Division of Professional Regulation, a completed, signed application, on forms supplied by the Division that includes:

  • Proof of graduation from an approved nursing education program
  • A complete work history within the last five years
  • Verification of fingerprint processing from the Illinois Department of State Police
  • The required fee of $50
  • Passage of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)

State Professional Organizations:
Click here for a list of professional nursing organizations.
Illinois Center for Nursing