A registered nurse, often referred to as an RN, performs basic job duties that include things like treating patients, keeping track of patients’ medical records and histories, performing diagnostic tests, operate medical machinery, administer medication, and help with the patient follow up and their rehabilitation.
A registered nurse also helps to teach patients and their families how to manage their current illness or injury and this can sometimes include home care needs as well. Some registered nurses are specially trained to work as grief counselors to families of critically injured or terminally ill patients. In addition, a registered nurse may also run general health screenings or immunization clinics, as well as help out with blood drives or assist in public seminars on various health conditions. The scope of a registered nurses’ duties is really only limited by his or her desire to work in various environments.
Generally speaking, there are four ways to categorize the different specialties of a registered nurse. The first is by work setting or type of treatment. This means that the nurse may work in a clinic or hospital, and can only administer certain types of treatment. The next category pertains to the various organs or body systems. In other words the registered nurse may specialize in heart care or lung care, just as two examples. The third way a registered nurse can be categorized by specialty is by disease ailment or condition, such as communicable diseases or cancer. And lastly, some nurses specialize in a certain area of the population such as children or the elderly.
The scope of assistance that registered nurses can provide is amazingly large. With their care and assistance, many sick people find that their health care is made much easier and much less painful with the help of caring registered nurse.