Registered Nurse (RN) Career Paths

A registered nursing career (RN) can provide exceptional rewards, from a lucrative salary to flexible career paths. Work in a hospital or physician's office, or explore the country as a travel nurse. If registered nursing school is in your future, take a closer look at the registered nursing career paths you can take.

As a registered nurse in home health care services, you will provide care for patients in their own homes. This can include seeing patients recently discharged from the hospital who are recovering from certain illnesses or conditions, including cancer, surgery or childbirth.

Registered nurses in home health care services enjoy significant autonomy. And the BLS reports that home health care nurses will see a 39 percent employment growth rate through 2016. If an RN degree appeals to you, and you can envision yourself in a role where you provide one-on-one patient care independently, a career in home health services might be the perfect choice for you.

Nursing care facilities provide long-term medical care for the elderly. The job of a registered nurse in a nursing care facility might involve assessing the health of residents, developing treatment plans, performing medical procedures and supervising other nurses.

As a nursing care RN, you will find the highest rate of job growth in specialized long-term rehabilitation units for patients who have suffered strokes or head injuries. Units that treat patients with Alzheimer's disease will also have a higher need for registered nursing school graduates, according to the BLS.

If you work in a hospital or other round-the-clock facility, you may have to work nights and weekend shifts. Physicians, on the other hand, typically run their offices on a nine-to-five schedule, with some offering patients extended office hours in the evenings or on the weekends. In general, however, weekday, eight-hour shifts are the standard.

Registered nurses in physicians' offices perform a wide variety of duties that include assisting in examinations, administering injections, dressing wounds and performing routine lab work. Because the hours are better and the environment is generally more comfortable, you can expect greater competition for RN jobs in physicians' offices.

Your degree from registered nursing school can lead to a highly rewarding career exploring the United States, one nursing assignment at a time. As a travel nurse, you agree to short-term assignments in the location of your choice across the country. In general, assignments can last as little as eight or as many as 26 weeks. Job perks for travel nurses can include free housing, relocation costs, and sign-on and renewal bonuses.

The military needs nurses in times of both war and peace. Complete your registered nursing program, and apply for active duty or work as a civilian in a military hospital. As a military nurse, you will advance your knowledge of nursing and health care practice and receive career benefits such as specialized training, worldwide travel and registered nursing school tuition reimbursement.

Military nurses serve all branches of the U.S. military and the U.S. Public Health service. Combine your RN degree with your desire to serve your country, and enjoy the rewards of a career as a military nurse.

Across the country, the ongoing nursing shortage continues to increase the demand for qualified registered nurses. This is good news for students looking to build a long-term career providing patients with the quality, compassionate care they deserve.
_{Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; MedicalCareerInfo.com; AmericanTraveler.com; DiscoverNursing.com.}