Education and Training
In the United States, each state has its rules for licensing registered nurses. Generally, future RNs have to attend a nursing program then write and pass a national licensing exam. Nursing programs are offered at both the associate (ADN) and bachelor (BSN) level. Although the licensure level is the same for both programs, the BSN demands more general and medical coursework. It also offers more job options and higher pay.
After graduating from a nursing program, you must write the NCLEX-RN exam. This test focuses on four areas that relate to an RN’s responsibilities:
- The nursing process
- Caring
- Communication and documentation
- Teaching and learning
In addition to the test, many states require other steps before becoming an RN. One example is getting your fingerprints taken.
Once they’ve started their career, RNs can specialize, or become well known in certain areas. The most popular registered nurse specialties are:
- Emergency room (ER) nurse
- Intensive care unit (ICU) nurse
- Medical-surgical nurse
- Pediatric nurse [6]
If registered nurses wish to specialize further, they can get a master’s or doctoral degree to become an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). The specialties are:
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist
- Certified nurse midwife
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Nurse practitioner (NP)