Check how a patient is doing
Ask how a patient feels, compare current vital signs with past readings, and decide if changes need action.
Career profile
Registered Nurse
Registered nurses assess patients' condition and organize the nursing care each one needs.
You weigh what a patient says against what you notice, then pick which problems to act on and bring other clinicians into planning.
A day in the life
Give medication and watch the response
Give a dose, then watch what it does and write down any reaction that shows up.
Revise the plan when progress stalls
If a patient isn't improving, reassess their needs and talk through changes with the physician and other clinicians.
Explain care to continue at home
Walk the patient or a family member through care instructions and answer the questions that still confuse them.
Update the chart and hand off
Enter what happened in the patient's electronic chart and tell the next nurse about any important changes.
Quick facts
Nursing education + license
United States
$97,550/year
United States · May 2025
6% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Nursing education + licenseAn approved degree or diploma program starts the route to registered nurse (RN) licensure.
Pay
$97,550/yearNational median; $46.90 hourly.
Outlook
6% growthProjected national employment growth.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like comparing observations before deciding what to do.
- You can explain something patiently when someone is worried.
- You want responsibility for keeping several people's care organized.
Things to weigh
- Bedside work can mean prolonged standing and physically demanding patient care.
- Illness, emergencies, and suffering can be emotionally hard.
- Needles and other exposure hazards make protective equipment and safe handling part of everyday work.
Where AI may help
Electronic charts organize patient information. Some systems use artificial intelligence (AI) to prompt nurses to review information or consider a care decision.
What people still lead
You must check suggestions against the person in front of you and remain accountable for the care you give.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine checking software can safely take over remains unsettled, especially when patient information is incomplete or misleading.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is a midpoint across working nurses, not a starting offer.
The pay spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned under $68,940; the highest-paid 10% earned over $137,470.
Workplace matters
Annual medians were $100,220 in hospitals, $91,230 in ambulatory healthcare, and $84,300 in nursing and residential care facilities.
Openings include replacements
About 180,800 openings are projected annually, including replacement needs.
Getting started
Associate degree in nursing
- What the route involves
- Complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), studying nursing and practicing patient care.
- What it can lead to
- This provides an education route toward exam eligibility. After licensure, you can pursue bachelor's completion.
- What to check
- Some employers require or prefer a bachelor's degree for particular nursing jobs.
Bachelor's degree in nursing
- What the route involves
- Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), combining clinical learning with science, community health, and leadership coursework.
- What it can lead to
- An approved program prepares you for exam eligibility and provides a foundation for later graduate study.
Nursing diploma
- What the route involves
- Complete an approved nursing diploma program, usually based at a hospital or medical center.
- What it can lead to
- Graduation provides another education route toward the licensing exam.
Choose an approved program and complete its coursework and supervised clinical practice. Then obtain exam eligibility, pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), and meet your nursing board's other licensing requirements.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Learn your unit's routines with experienced nurses. Some hospitals combine orientation with residency classes and support from nurse educators.
Build your judgment
Get better at deciding what needs attention first, communicating concerns, and reviewing difficult care decisions with experienced colleagues.
Lead a shift
With experience, a charge nurse role can bring responsibility for a unit's nursing work.
- If you entered through an associate degree or diploma, consider a bachelor's completion program.
Where you can work
Hospital
Care continues overnight; shifts can include weekends and holidays.
- Indoors
- Shift work
Physician's office
Business-hour schedules are more likely here.
- Indoors
- Office
Home healthcare
Travel to patients and assess how their home surroundings affect care.
- Field work
- Travel
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Imagine a patient says, “I understand the instructions, but I live alone and can't get to follow-up visits.” Write questions a nurse could ask to understand the problem and identify who could help. Notice whether connecting a person's circumstances with a workable care plan interests you.
Stay safe: Use the fictional situation only; do not recommend treatment.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Registered Nurses — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- O*NET OnLine. 29-1141.00 — Registered Nurses. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Licensure. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Approval of Nursing Education Programs. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing. NCLEX Registration. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Baccalaureate Education. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Degree Completion Programs for Registered Nurses. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Johns Hopkins Nurse Residency Program. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- American Nurses Association. The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Practice. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- American Nurses Association. Health & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.