About Training to Become a Registered Nurse

A Registered Nurse (RN) is a licensed professional who works in the health care field providing patient care, education and support. Registered nurses earn a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited four-year university. They take courses in pharmacology, pathophysiology, nutrition, anatomy, organic chemistry, microbiology and others. With more than 2 million jobs for nurses in the United States and strong job growth trends, nursing offers wonderful career options.

Types

Nurses work in a variety of clinic, school and office settings. There are many types or areas of specialty for RN's. Some types of RNs include hospital nurses, surgical nurses, pediatric, geriatric, psychiatric, cardiac and critical care nurses. Other RNs use medical knowledge to help law enforcement document crimes, such as forensic nurses. Insurance companies hire nurses as case managers to evaluate insurance claims.

Time Frame

Registered Nurses must obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. It typically takes four years to earn a bachelor's degree, although some colleges allow students to go to school part time or grant extensions to complete degrees.

Features

Training to become a Registered Nurse has several features. During the first two years of study, nurses take general courses. The last two years are focused on specialized nursing courses. Features of nursing education include classes in nutrition, chemistry, patient care, disease, infection control and more. Nurses complete their education with hands-on patient care under the supervision of an experienced nurse or professor.

Size

Among all health care professions, Registered Nurses are the largest segment. There are 2.5 million Registered Nurses in the United States. Over half of these RNs work in hospital settings. The job outlook is excellent for nurses, with 500,000 or more new jobs expected to be added in the next five to seven years.

Considerations

When considering training to become a registered nurse, consider personal interests and strengths. Registered Nurses must be good in mathematics and science, but most nursing jobs also require strong communications and interpersonal relationships. Nursing is physically demanding, especially in hospital settings where long days may be the rule rather than the exception.