Registered Nurses
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $53K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $61K
Median Salary: $75K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $93K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $116K
Demand
Core Tasks
Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.
Direct or supervise less-skilled nursing or healthcare personnel or supervise a particular unit.
Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.
Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.
Perform administrative or managerial functions, such as taking responsibility for a unit's staff, budget, planning, or long-range goals.
Direct or coordinate infection control programs, advising or consulting with specified personnel about necessary precautions.
Prescribe or recommend drugs, medical devices, or other forms of treatment, such as physical therapy, inhalation therapy, or related therapeutic procedures.
Conduct specified laboratory tests.
Instruct individuals, families, or other groups on topics such as health education, disease prevention, or childbirth and develop health improvement programs.
Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.
Prepare rooms, sterile instruments, equipment, or supplies and ensure that stock of supplies is maintained.
Observe nurses and visit patients to ensure proper nursing care.
Administer local, inhalation, intravenous, or other anesthetics.
Assess the needs of individuals, families, or communities, including assessment of individuals' home or work environments, to identify potential health or safety problems.
Prepare patients for and assist with examinations or treatments.
Provide or arrange for training or instruction of auxiliary personnel or students.
Work with individuals, groups, or families to plan or implement programs designed to improve the overall health of communities.
Refer students or patients to specialized health resources or community agencies furnishing assistance.
Perform physical examinations, make tentative diagnoses, and treat patients en route to hospitals or at disaster site triage centers.
Consult with institutions or associations regarding issues or concerns relevant to the practice and profession of nursing.
Inform physician of patient's condition during anesthesia.
Engage in research activities related to nursing.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Psychology
92%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Customer and Personal Service
88%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Medicine and Dentistry
88%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
English Language
84%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical
71%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Mathematics
69%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Therapy and Counseling
69%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Administration and Management
66%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Education and Training
64%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Public Safety and Security
63%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Top 10 Skills
Social Perceptiveness
83%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
80%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation
80%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making
78%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Monitoring
75%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing
75%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Top 10 Abilities
Deductive Reasoning
83%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity
83%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering
78%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision
78%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
75%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
99%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Documenting/Recording Information
98%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information
96%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
93%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
92%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
92%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Performing General Physical Activities
92%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
91%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
91%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
91%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
Record patient medical histories.
Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
Administer non-intravenous medications.
Maintain medical facility records.
Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
Immunize patients.
Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Supervise patient care personnel.
Design public or employee health programs.
Communicate health and wellness information to the public.
Evaluate patient outcomes to determine effectiveness of treatments.
Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
Assess patient work, living, or social environments.
Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
Manage healthcare operations.
Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
Prescribe medications.
Prescribe assistive medical devices or related treatments.
Direct healthcare delivery programs.
Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Administer anesthetics or sedatives to control pain.
Train caregivers or other non-medical personnel.
Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
Diagnose medical conditions.
Treat medical emergencies.
Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
Work Context
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Social
100%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
81%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
67%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
53%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising
29%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
24%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Dependability
93%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
91%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
91%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others
90%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Integrity
90%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance
90%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
88%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
87%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Independence
83%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership
83%
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Work Values
Relationships
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Achievement
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
69%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
