RNRegistered Nurse
RN
Career

Registered Nurse

By the numbers
Typical pay
$97,550 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+4.9% by 2034
People in this job
3.4M
Figures shown for ·closest of 2 O*NET occupations
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:00
Shift handoff

Night nurse rattles off every patient — meds due, red flags, who's fragile.

07:30
Morning assessments

Vitals, pain scores, quick look at each patient — who needs attention first?

09:00
Meds & procedures

Administer morning medications, IV drips, and wound dressings — right dose, right time.

10:30
Critical call

Patient's breathing changes — decide: call the doctor now or keep watching?

11:15
Patient education

Explain discharge plan in plain words; check the patient can repeat it back.

13:00
Charting & documentation

Log every med, symptom, and update into the digital record — no gaps allowed.

14:30
Family support

Sit with a scared family; translate the doctor's update into something real.

16:30
Afternoon rounds

Reassess all patients, catch any new warning signs before the shift winds down.

18:30
Shift handoff

Brief the incoming nurse on every patient — full picture, nothing left out.

Things you do
  • Spot warning signs in a patient and act before things get worse.
  • Give medications, shots, and IV drips at exactly the right time and dose.
  • Check vital signs and ask patients how they're really feeling.
  • Explain a diagnosis or treatment plan in plain words patients can understand.
  • Assist doctors during procedures like wound care, stitches, or catheter placement.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this patient about to crash, or just tired?
  • Should I call the doctor now, or wait and keep watching?
  • Do I push back on this order, or trust the physician's call?
  • Is this patient actually understanding what I'm teaching them?
  • Can I safely stretch to help this other patient, or is my current one too unstable?
Education Pathways · how you get there
76 in 100 went the college route · 24 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
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