Health Care Team (HCT)

A Registered Nurse (RN) is someone who provides nursing care. Nursing care is defined as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response; and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: Second Edition, American Nurses Association).

Registered Nurses provide nursing care in a variety of settings, including ambulatory health centers, clinics, homes, hospice, hospitals, physician offices, independent practice, correctional facilities, nursing homes, occupational settings, nursing education, research, schools, and community health centers. Registered Nurses treat patients and clients using the nursing process, which includes assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

In a hospital setting, Registered Nurses deliver primary clinical bedside care to the patient. This may include assessment, medication administration, delivery of blood products, changing dressings, and alerting physicians to changes in a patient’s medical status. Often Registered Nurses are aided in the collection of vital signs and provision of personal care by patient care technicians.

There are three levels of education that qualify an individual to take the Registered Nurse examination:

• associate’s degree
• diploma
• bachelor’s degree

In addition, postgraduate nursing education is also available. This usually leads to achieving an advanced practice registered nurse designation (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Practitioner). Additional education (master’s or doctoral level) can lead to a specialist role such as management, education, informatics, case management, or research.

Specific requirements regarding training and experience are established by the facility that is seeking to hire the Registered Nurse.

Registered Nurses are licensed professionals and are accountable for their own practice. Supervision is related to a Registered Nurse’s employment location. In hospitals, most units are managed by a head nurse who oversees the unit and its employees.

A typical day for a Registered Nurse is very much dependent on the practice setting. The day typically involves treatment of patients, collaboration with Physicians, other Registered Nurses and health professionals, and critical thinking with regard to the needs of the patient, family, and/or community.

Registered Nurses must provide shift-to-shift communication on a patient’s clinical status. When a patient is transferred from one area of care to another within the hospital setting, such as a transfer from the ER to a telemetry unit, Registered Nurses must provide clinical communication to the new Registered Nurses assuming care of the patient.

All RNs must be licensed to practice. To be licensed, candidates must pass a state-based national licensure examination. After passing the exam and meeting any other state requirements, candidates then may apply to the individual state board of nursing for their license to practice as a Registered Nurse. Information on the state boards of nursing can be found at the website of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

For foreign-educated nurses, there is an additional prescreening process of the foreign-educated nurse’s home country license and education. The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools is responsible for this prescreening process.

To maintain licensure, Registered Nurses must participate in approved continuing nursing education.

Specialty certification in nursing is, for the most part, voluntary. Some employers may require specialty certification, but this is not typical. Certification can be pursued through the specialty nursing organizations or through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Nursing care is provided to all types of patients, their families, and their communities.

A Registered Nurse becomes involved in the care of a patient at different times depending on the Registered Nurse’s place of employment. For example, in a hospital, the Registered Nurse may receive a patient from the emergency department, following surgery or another diagnostic event, or directly from hospital admissions.