Who is RN?
RN (Registered Nurses) is a name for professionals, working in the United States healthcare.

What is the difference between Nursing education in the Eastern Europe and the United States?
Before 1990 in all the Eastern European Countries Nursing education was considered a
professional degree. Generally Nurses were graduating from two kinds of Nursing  Programs

• First, where Nursing education was combined with the Secondary education. Nurses were entering the Nursing schools immediately after 8th or 9th grade and were staying there for 3 or more years, depending on desired qualification.
• Second, where Nursing education was available to people who completed Secondary education and they were spending 2-3 years in Nursing schools depending on desired qualification.
  After graduation from Nursing Schools students got any of the following qualifications:

Degree			Secondary School Incomplete (9 years)	Total Years of education	Secondary Schools Complete (11 years)	Total Years of education
General Nurse			3	12	2	13
Midwife			4	13	3	14
Pediatric Nurse			4	13	3	14
Feldsher			4	13	3	14
Nurse Lab			4	13	3	14

• Any of the Nursing programs above were considered Academic, and there were no Degrees in Nursing in Eastern European countries then.

What kind of education is required to become a Registered Nurse in the USA?
In the United States almost every profession, requires academic education. 
Nursing academic education has its common degrees:

• LPN/LVN Diploma in Nursing           - one year
• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)  - two years
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) - four years
• Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN)    - six years
•    Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)      - eight years

Is "RN" an academic Degree?

• RN (Registered Nurse) is not an academic Degree. It is a license which permits holder of a Nursing Degree of any type (Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, DNP) to contact the patients.

Is a Nursing profession considered a Medical Science profession in the USA?

• No, it isn't. It is a Health Science Profession.

Is a Nursing Degree (Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, DNP) considered a Medical Science Degree in USA?

• No, it isn't. It is a Health Science Degree.

How many Registered Nurses work in the United States now?

• Registered Nurses constitute the largest healthcare occupation, with about 3.5 million jobs.

What is an expectation for the RN job market for the future years?

• More new jobs are expected to be created for Registered Nurses than for any other job occupation. Job opportunities are expected to be extremely good.

What is a nature of work for RNs in the USA?

• Registered Nurses (RNs) work to promote health, prevent disease, and help patients to cope with illness. They are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities.
• When providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress in patients; assist physicians during surgeries, treatments, and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. 

• RNs also develop and manage nursing care plans, instruct patients and their families in proper care, and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health. While State laws govern the tasks that RNs may perform, it is usually the work setting that determines their daily job duties.

What is a Hospital Nurse in the USA?

• Hospital Nurses form the largest group of nurses. Most are staff nurses, who provide bedside nursing care and carry out medical regimens.
• They also may supervise Licensed Practical Nurses and Nursing Aides.
• Hospital Nurses usually are assigned to one department, such as surgery, maternity, pediatrics, the emergency room, intensive care, or the treatment of cancer patients. Some may rotate among departments.

What is an Office Nurse in the USA?

• Office Nurses care for outpatients in physicians' offices, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and emergency medical centers.

• They prepare patients for, and assist with, examinations; administer injections and medications; dress wounds and incisions; assist with minor surgery; and maintain records.
• Some also perform routine laboratory and office work.

What is an Office Nurse in the USA?

• Office Nurses care for outpatients in physicians' offices, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and emergency medical centers.

• They prepare patients for, and assist with, examinations; administer injections and medications; dress wounds and incisions; assist with minor surgery; and maintain records.
• Some also perform routine laboratory and office work.

What is a Nursing Care Facility Nurse in the USA?

• Nursing Care Facility Nurses manage care for residents with conditions ranging from a fracture to Alzheimer's disease.

• Although they often spend much of their time on administrative and supervisory tasks, RNs also assess residents' health, develop treatment plans, supervise Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) and Nursing Aides, and perform invasive procedures, such as starting intravenous fluids.
• Such nurses also work in specialty-care departments, such as long-term rehabilitation units for patients with strokes and head injuries.

What is a Home Health Care Nurse in the USA?

• Home Health Nurses provide nursing services to patients at home. RNs assess patients' home environments and instruct patients and their families. 
• Home Health Nurses care for a broad range of patients, such as those recovering from illnesses and accidents, cancer, and childbirth.
• They must be able to work independently and may supervise Home Health Aides.

What is a Public Health Nurse in the USA?

• Public Health Nurses work in government and private agencies, including clinics, schools, retirement communities, and other community settings. They focus on populations,
  working with individuals, groups, and families to improve the overall health of communities.

• Such Nurses also work with communities to help plan and implement programs.
• Public Health Nurses instruct individuals, families, and other groups regarding health issues such as preventive care, nutrition, and childcare. They arrange for immunizations, blood pressure testing, and other health screening.
• These Nurses also work with community leaders, teachers, parents, and physicians in community health education.

What is an Occupational Health Nurse in the USA?

• Occupational Health Nurses, also called Industrial Nurses, provide nursing care at worksites to employees, customers, and others with injuries and illnesses. They give emergency care, prepare accident reports, and arrange for further care if necessary.
• Such Nurses also offer health counseling, conduct health examinations and inoculations, and assess work environments to identify potential or actual health problems.

What is a Head Nurse or a Nurse supervisor in the USA?

• Head Nurses or Nurse Supervisors direct nursing activities, primarily in hospitals.
• They plan work schedules and assign duties to Nurses and aides, provide or arrange for training, and visit patients to observe Nurses in order to ensure they receive proper care.
• Such Nurses also may watch that records are maintained, equipment and supplies are ordered.

What is a Nurse Practitioner in the USA?

• Nurses Practitioners provide basic, primary healthcare at the advanced level.

• They diagnose and treat common acute illnesses and injuries. 
• Nurses Practitioners also can prescribe medications-but certification and licensing requirements vary by State.

What other kinds of Advanced Practice Nurses exist in the USA?
Other kinds of Advanced Practice Nurses include:

• Clinical Nurse Specialists
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
• Certified Nurse Midwives 

Advanced Practice Nurses must meet educational and clinical practice requirements beyond the basic nursing education and licensing required of all RNs.

What are the working conditions for Nurses in the United States?

• Most Nurses work in well-lighted, comfortable healthcare facilities. 
• Home Health and Public Health Nurses travel to patients' homes, schools, community centers, and other sites.
• Nurses may spend considerable time walking and standing. Patients in hospitals and nursing care facilities require 24-hour care; consequently, Nurses in these institutions may work nights, weekends, and holidays. 
• RNs also may be on call-available to work on short notice. Office Nurses, Occupational Health Nurses, and Public Health Nurses are more likely to work regular business hours. More than 1 in 5 RNs worked part time in 2012 and nearly 1 in 10 held more than one job.

Does profession of a Nurse in the USA have its hazards?

• Nursing profession has its hazards, especially in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and clinics, in all three of which Nurses may care for individuals with infectious diseases.

• Nurses must observe rigid standardized guidelines to guard against disease and other dangers, such as those posed by radiation, accidental needle sticks, chemicals used to sterilize instruments, and anesthetics.
• In addition, they are vulnerable to back injury when moving patients, shocks from electrical equipment, and hazards posed by compressed gases.

Where are the Registered Nurses employed?

• As the largest healthcare occupation, Registered Nurses held about 3.0 million jobs in 2012.
• Almost 3 out of 5 jobs were in hospitals, in inpatient and outpatient departments.
• Others worked in offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, employment services, government agencies, and outpatient care centers.
• The remainder worked mostly in social assistance agencies and educational services, public and private. About 1 in 5 RNs worked part-time.

How to get Nursing License and the right to be considered RN?
In order to become a professional who is allowed to take Nursing position and to work with the patients being in this position, two major requirements must be met:

• A person must graduate from an Approved Nursing Educational program in the USA (Nursing College).
• A person above has to pass a National Licensing Examination (NCLEX) in order to obtain a Nursing License from a particular state to become RN.

Can Nurses work as RNs in more than one State?
Nurses may be licensed in more than one state, by:

• Examination
• Endorsement of a license issued by another state

• A Multi-State licensing agreement (which allows the Nurse that met the RN's requirement in one particular State to work as RN in the other State which is a party to such agreement)

Is the RN's License given once and forever?
All States require periodic renewal of RN's licenses, which may involve continuing education for approximately one or two weeks.

What Educational Programs in the USA prepare Nursing professionals?
There are four major educational paths to Registered Nursing:

• Diploma (LPN/LVN)
  Diploma programs, administered in hospitals, last about 3 years. Only a small and declining number of programs offer Diploma Programs.

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).
  ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 to 3 years to complete. About 1010 RN Programs in 2010 were at the ADN level. Many AND- and Diploma educated Nurses later enter Bachelor's Programs to prepare for a broader scope of nursing practice. Often, they can find a staff Nurse position and then take advantage of tuition reimbursement benefits to work toward a BSN by completing one of many RN-to-BSN programs.

• Bachelor's of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN).
  BSN programs, offered by colleges and universities, take about 4 years to complete. In 2010, 768 nursing programs offered degrees at the Bachelor's level. 
  Generally, licensed graduates of any of the four types of educational programs qualify for entry-level positions as staff Nurses.

• Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN).
  MSN Degree Programs in Nursing are also available, it takes about 3 years to complete one.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
  DNP Degree Programs in Nursing are also available, it takes about 3 years to complete one.

What is the goal of Accelerated BSN Programs?

• Accelerated BSN Program is available for individual who has a Bachelor's or higher degree in another field is interested in moving into Nursing. In 2012, more than 255 of these programs were available.

• Accelerated BSN Programs last 12 to 18 months and provide the fastest route to a BSN for individual who already holds a degree. Individuals considering nursing should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of enrolling in a BSN Program, because, if they do, their advancement opportunities usually are broader.

• In fact, some career paths are open only to Nurses with Bachelor's or other Advanced degrees (Master's or PhD). A Bachelor's Degree often is necessary for administrative positions and is a prerequisite for admission to Graduate Nursing Programs (leading to Master's or PhD Degree) in research, consulting, teaching, or a clinical specialization.

What is included into Nursing Education?
Nursing education includes:

• Classroom instructions
• Supervised clinical experience in hospitals and/or other healthcare facilities.

What main theoretical courses are taken during Nursing Education?

• Main theoretical courses are taken are: Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Psychology, Other behavioral sciences, and Nursing itself. Course work also includes the Liberal Arts.

What kind of training is provided during the Nursing education?

• Supervised clinical experience is provided in hospital departments such as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery.
•  A growing number of programs include clinical experience in nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics.

What kind of moral character is expected from RNs in the USA?

• Nurses should be caring, sympathetic, responsible, and detail oriented.

• They must be able to direct or supervise others, correctly assess patients' conditions, and determine when consultation is required.
• Emotional stability is required to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses.

What are the conditions for RN's promotion?

• Experience and good performance can lead to promotion to more responsible positions. In management, Nurses can advance to Assistant Head Nurse or Head Nurse and, from there, to Assistant Director, Director, and Vice President.

What are the requirements for management-level nursing positions?

• Increasingly, management-level nursing positions require a Graduate or an Advanced Degree

       in Nursing or Health Services Administration.

• They also require leadership, negotiation skills, and good judgment.
• Graduate programs preparing Executive-Level Nurses usually last about 2 years.

What kind of advancement can RN make within patient care?
Within patient care, Nurses can move into a nursing specialty such as:

• Clinical Nurse specialist
• Nurse practitioner
• Certified Nurse Midwife
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 

These positions require about 2 years of graduate education leading to a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN).

What kind of business opportunity is available for RN in the USA?

• Some Nurses move into the business side of health care. Their nursing expertise and experience on a healthcare team equip them with the ability to manage ambulatory, acute, home health, and chronic care services.

• Employers-including hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and managed care organizations, among others-need RNs for health planning and development, marketing, consulting, policy development, and quality assurance. Other Nurses work as college and university faculty or conduct research.

What kind of employment opportunity is available for RN in the USA?

• Job opportunities for RNs are expected to be very good. Employment of Registered Nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, and because the occupation is very large, many new jobs will result. In fact, more new jobs are expected to be created for RNs than for any other occupation.

Why the RN's job market is predicted to grow so unusually fast?

• Median age of the Registered Nurse population continues to rise
• Thousands of job openings will result from the need to replace experienced Nurses who leave the occupation
• Faster-than-average growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of medical problems to be treated
• The number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly
• Also the growth is due to the increasing emphasis on preventive care

What is the situation with RNs recruiting in the USA?

• Employers in some parts of the country are reporting difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs, due primarily to an aging RN workforce and insufficient nursing school enrollments.

• Imbalances between the supply of, and demand for qualified workers often spur efforts to attract and retain qualified RNs.       

• Employers are likely to restructure workloads, improve compensation and working conditions, and subsidize training or continuing education.

In which US healthcare sector RNs' employment is not expected to grow so rapidly?

• Employment in hospitals, the largest sector, is expected to grow more slowly than in most other healthcare sectors. While the intensity of nursing care is likely to increase, requiring more Nurses per patient, the number of inpatients (those who remain in the hospital for more than 24 hours) is not likely to increase much. Patients are being discharged earlier and more procedures are being done on an outpatient basis, both inside and outside hospitals.

In which sectors of the US healthcare RNs' employment is expected to grow?

• Hospital outpatient facilities (providing same-day surgery, rehabilitation, and chemotherapy)

• Physicians' offices and outpatient care centers (freestanding ambulatory, surgical and emergency centers) due to an increasing proportion of sophisticated procedures, which previously were performed only in hospitals.

• Nursing care facilities due to increases in the number of elderly, many of whom require long-term care. In addition, the financial pressure on hospitals to discharge patients as soon as possible should produce more admissions to nursing care facilities.

• Specialized long-term rehabilitation units that provide for stroke and head injury patients

• Specialized units that treat Alzheimer's victims.

• Home healthcare in response to the growing number of older persons with functional disabilities, consumer preference for care in the home, and technological advances that make it possible to bring increasingly complex treatments into the home.

Accordingly, employment is expected to grow faster than average in these places as healthcare in general expands.

Is the variety of employment settings increase for RNs in the USA?

• The type of care demanded will require nurses who are able to perform complex procedures. In evolving integrated healthcare networks, nurses may rotate among various employment settings. Because jobs in traditional hospital nursing positions are no longer the only option, RNs will need to be flexible. Opportunities should be excellent, particularly for Nurses with advanced education and training.

What are the projections for RNs' earnings in the USA?
In 2012 median annual earnings of Registered Nurses were $65470. The maximal median earning for the Nurses with two-years education was $ 94720.

Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of Registered Nurses in 2012 were as follows:

Employment services	$68540
General medical and surgical hospitals	$67210
Home health care services	$62090
Offices of physicians	$58420
Nursing care facilities	$58830