Where Do Registered Nurses Work?
About 2.6 million new jobs are expected in the healthcare industry during this decade. With such a job outlook, it's no surprise many students select the nursing career path. The registered nurse position is a popular choice that comes with many benefits.
But, where can RNs work? A hospital—would be the obvious answer. However, registered nurses can work in a variety of healthcare facilities and other institutions.
If you are a student considering a career as a registered nurse and are wondering about your workplace options, this article is for you. Below you can learn more about the different RN workplaces.
What Does a Registered Nurse Do?
Registered nurses have an essential role in healthcare teams providing direct care to patients. Their job is characterized as versatile, as they perform different tasks in a variety of workplaces. Registered nurses manage patients' daily activities, assess patient health, and administer medications. They work closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop and implement patient care plans. A registered nurse typically supervises licensed practical nurses (LPNs), certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and nursing students. On the other hand, they report to nursing managers or physicians.
Their duties and responsibilities can vary depending on their workplace and specialty, but they usually include:
Conducting patient assessments and observations
Recording patient medical history
Collaborating with healthcare professionals to create patient care plans
Administering treatments and medications
Performing wound care
Drawing blood samples
Educating patients and families
Inserting catheters
Admitting and discharging patients
Performing basic life support, etc.
Where Can Registered Nurses Work?
Registered nurses can be found in various environments, and some of them are presented below. From hospitals and surgical clinics to correctional facilities and military bases—learn more about the multiple places you can work as an RN.
Hospitals
When we think of any type of nurse, one of the first workplaces that pop to mind is a hospital. And rightfully so since, according to reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hospitals are among the top employment settings for RNS. Their reports show that around 61% of RNs are employed in a state, local, or private hospital.
Some of the primary responsibilities RNs have when working in hospitals include the following:
Working with physicians and other nurses to provide patient care
Administering medication to patients under the surveillance of doctors
Monitoring patient’s condition
Performing tests and reporting results to doctors
Documenting patients’ medical histories
Although hospitals are the primary setting where we can find RNs, they are not the only place where such professionals practice their profession. So, where can nurses work besides hospitals? Below are some other sites where nurses are typically found.
Physician offices
Physician's offices are facilities mainly concerned with the testing, evaluation, and treatment of patients. Therefore, their patients often frequent such offices to check up on their health, require vaccination, or some other simple medication unrelated to urgent care or some life-threatening disease. So, doctors and RNs that work in such a setting have more structure regarding their daily responsibilities and patients they have to attend, as patients schedule meetings before coming in.
Generally, RNs working in physician offices help the physician with:
Scheduling the appointments
Conducting observation exams
Gathering samples from laboratory
Practicing simple healthcare procedures
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Surgical clinics
Other places where one can find RNs are surgical clinics that deal with patients that have undergone surgery. Generally, RNs help patients prepare for three periods related to surgical procedures:
The preoperative period, where RNs obtain the patient’s medical records, conduct testing if necessary, and help prepare the patient and their family for the surgery.
The perioperative period, during which RNs assist in the operating room while the patient is under anesthesia
The postoperative period, in which RNs support the patients while recovering from the surgical procedure, ensure there are no negative side effects, administer the prescribed medication, and assist them overall as they get ready to leave the surgical clinic.
Courts of law
There are cases when legal cases require biological evidence to make a conviction or prove innocence. In such instances, RNs can be crucial to evaluate the crime scene, including cases of physical violence, and present their findings to the court.
Generally, RNs that operate in courts of law are trained in the forensic department and are certified by the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants as professionals capable of:
Taking blood samples, tissue samples, or some other bodily evidence.
Reviewing medical records.
Providing support to the victims.
Helping lawyers construct their cases.
Researching medical law.
Places of worship
If you are a religious person interested in nursing, you might want to look into working as an RN in your preferred place of worship. Often, churches, synagogues, and many other institutions of religious worship work with RNs that specialize in practicing their profession while also focusing on the spiritual practices of their faith.
Generally, RNs that work in religious institutions have responsibilities to:
Educate the faith community on health topics
Counseling people on spiritual and physical healthcare
Informing patients about holistic medicine
Correctional facilities
Another environment where registered nurses are needed is that of prison. Nurses working in correctional facilities provide care to inmates with medical emergencies and chronic diseases. They are responsible for assessing and treating injuries, monitoring health conditions, and performing lab tests.
Their day-to-day duties can include:
Providing regular check-ups
Collecting patient samples
Administering medications
Treating injured patients
Performing drug screenings
For safety reasons, nurses working in these facilities have guards present with them during all interactions with prisoners.
War zones and military bases
There are many ways to serve your country that do not require you to pick up a weapon but instead provide healing. As an RN, you can work in war zones and military bases across the globe, where you care for the sick or wounded patients within your country’s armed forces. Such a workplace requires you to deal with general tasks that we mention beforehand, such as conducting tests, administering medication, performing wound care, etc.
The most challenging aspect of being an RN in a war zone setting is the psychological impact of being surrounded by armed conflict. So, be sure of your decision before pursuing a career in such a setting.
Schools
Children are our future, and they deserve our utmost care. Whether it be kindergarten, primary, middle, or high school, nurses must be present and ready to provide care to children throughout all education stages. As an RN that works in schools, you would be responsible for:
Providing first aid care to children
Checking vital signs
Treating various injuries
Keeping an eye out for children who might be experiencing neglect or abuse
Referring urgent care when necessary
Educating staff and students on healthcare
Camps
Lastly, we can also find RNs in various camps as they help ensure that children have a safe and enjoyable summer. As a registered nurse working in campsites, you would be responsible for performing multiple tasks mainly related to helping treat injuries, administering light medication in case of tummy aches or other minor medical issues.
Average Salary of a Registered Nurse
Registered nurses continue to be professionals that play a significant role in helping care for public health and well-being. Like all other professions that are highly sought after, this one is also paid well. When working as a registered nurse in the United States, you can earn an average of $88,427 per year.
Based on thousands of reported salaries, the average salary in the RN field highly depends on the years of experience you have working in this profession. Below are the estimated average salaries you can expect to earn based on work experience:
Up to a year - $79,920 per year
1 to 2 years - $85,906 per year
3 to 5 years - $90,169 per year
6 to 9 years - $93,420 per year
More than ten years - $104,454 per year
Conclusion
In this article, we focused on providing an answer to the "where can registered nurses work" question. Apart from the common healthcare facilities like hospitals or clinics, registered nurses are needed almost everywhere else. Courts of law, places of worship, and correctional facilities are among the environments where an RN can be employed.
With so many workplace options and high salaries, being a registered nurse is a wise career decision. If you're an aspiring nurse, keep going on your nurse journey, as good things are on your way!