A registered nurse is an advanced healthcare professional. Registered nurse (RN) is the license granted to a professional nurse. RNs hold the daily responsibilities of nursing practices, administering medical treatment, monitoring, and continuous assessment of patients. RNs may work with a variety of patients ranging from health individuals to those with life threatening conditions. RNs may be overseers of other healthcare workers like CNAs, LPNs, or orderlies, while the top priority remains patient care. A registered nurse may work in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, hospitals, out-patient, schools, home healthcare, or private duty. Each state has a Board of Nursing which is responsible for setting requirements for the licensing of nurses who practice in that state. After completing RN training, nurses are eligible to sit for the NLCEX exam administered by the state board, and upon passing becoming licensed.

Registered Nurse Training Requirements

Most RNs have a BSN (Bachelor of Science of Nursing) which is a four year program, while some states allow ASNs with a two year degree to become RNs. A third option is a hospital degree. Depending on the degree path chosen it may take 2 to 4 years to become an RN. Training consists of on-site training where aspiring RNs learn skills to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients deal with illnesses. Training also consists of course work in biochemistry and pharmacology, anatomy and physiology.

Once RN training is complete and students have completed all course work and on- site training, they are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam. The NCLEX-RN is the certification exam required by all 50 states and is administered by the state board. The exam consists of content about clients needs on various cognitive levels. Some topics of content include safe effective care environment, management of care, and infection control. Also included is content on physiological and psychological integrity, and health promotion and maintenance.

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RN Schools and Degree Programs

Whether Associate or Bachelor of Nursing Science, each track consists of some portion of general college courses including math, English, science and perhaps foreign language. After the student has completed these core classes they proceed to the nursing school where courses include subjects such as anatomy, pharmacology, and biochemistry. All of these courses prepare the student for the certification exam to become a licensed RN. Use the search box above to locate available course information.

RN Prerequisites

Depending on what track you go for RN training, prerequisites can be different at each institution. Most 2 or 4 year colleges require a high school diploma or equivalent, with several years of math, science, grammar, and foreign language. Nursing schools also review GPA and SAT or ACT scores for admittance. HealthCare-TrainingCenter.com offers a wide variety of resources for schools and colleges across the nation to assist you in finding more information about the prerequisites that will be required before you begin training to become a registered nurse.

RN Continuing Education

Registered nurse continuing education is required by most states to keep nursing license current. There are many institutions that offer RN continuing education (CE) and continuing education online for RNs. Search HealthCare-TrainingCenter.com to find continued education courses for Registered Nurse.