Job Description for RN 3
Registered nurses, or RNs, are professionals trained to perform all aspects of nursing care--from providing health care to teaching about it. They are responsible for creating health care plans for patients, which comprise activities such as administering medication and recording patient progress. The "RN 3" designation indicates a higher level of experience than RN and RN 2.
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Role
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Like other registered nurses, RN 3s supervise licensed practical nurses (LPNs), who help in implementing the nursing plans that they design. This especially includes the most basic duties such as taking vital signs and helping patients to eat, bathe and dress. RN 3s, however, also supervise less experienced registered nurses, which means that they are usually found in larger medical facilities or workplaces. The typical RN 3 has at least two years' nursing experience, and reports to physicians.
Types of RN 3s
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RN 3s vary according to specialty. Some choose to work with a particular disease or injury, like oncology nurses who work with cancer patients. Some concentrate on particular organs or parts of the body, like cardiovascular nurses who deal with heart problems or dermatology nurses who deal with skin issues. Those who specialize by age include pediatric RNs, who provide health care to children.
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Work Conditions
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Most RN 3s can be found in hospitals. Other major places of employment include nursing clinics, physicians' offices and home health care facilities. Except for workplaces like physicians' offices, patients require 24-hour health care, which means that RN 3s may work long, irregular hours characterized by night, weekend and holiday shifts.
Educational Requirements
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Most employers consider an associate degree in nursing as the minimal educational requirement for RNs. People have a greater chance being RN 3s, however, with bachelor's and/or master's degree, which prepare them for administrative positions and indicate a wider scope of nursing practice. All RNs, after completion of educational programs, need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to become licensed to practice nursing.
Salary and Job Outlook
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Although there is no specific wage data for RN 3s, salary.com reports that the average RN makes about $65,000 a year, as of 2010. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs are expected to enjoy one of the highest employment rates between 2008 and 2018, with a job growth of 22 percent.
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References
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