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. Includes advance practice nurses such as: nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Advanced practice nursing is practiced by RNs who have specialized formal, post-basic education and who function in highly autonomous and specialized roles.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

1. Monitor, record and report symptoms and changes in patients' conditions.

2. Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.

3. Record patients' medical information and vital signs.

4. Order, interpret, and evaluate diagnostic tests to identify and assess patient's condition.

5. Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.

6. Direct and supervise less skilled nursing or health care personnel or supervise a particular unit.

7. Consult and coordinate with health care team members to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient care plans.

8. Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.

9. Instruct individuals, families and other groups on topics such as health education, disease prevention and childbirth, and develop health improvement programs.

10. Prepare patients for, and assist with, examinations and treatments.

11. Assess the needs of individuals, families or communities, including assessment of individuals' home or work environments to identify potential health or safety problems.

Active Listening - 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.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Medicine and Dentistry - 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.

Customer and Personal Service - 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.

Psychology - 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.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Registered Nurses. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Registered Nurses, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$50,370 for entry level workers, and $82,690 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Very Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 169,400 Registered Nurses employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 193,520  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 2,410 job(s) each year, and a total of 2,800 job openings each year.

ScienCentral News: Making Sense of Science - From broadcast news features to educational products, ScienCentral News not only knows how to communicate complex ideas about medicine, health, technology, and the environment, but they also know how to tell a good story!

Registered nurses - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Registered Nurses - Visit this link for information on this career in the military.

Summer Scholars 2007 - Summer Scholars 2007 is a health career exploration opportunity that immerses students in a health care setting for six weeks, introducing them to the daily work tasks and responsibilities of a healthcare provider or allied health professional.

NIH Curriculum Supplement Series - The NIH Curriculum Supplement Series are interactive teaching units (K12) that combine cutting-edge science research discoveries from the National Institutes of Health, one of the world's foremost medical research centers, with state-of-the-art instructional materials. Each supplement is a teacher's guide to two weeks? of lessons on science and human health. Supplements are now aligned to state standards, NYS included.

LifeWorks: Career Exploration in Health and Medical Science - LifeWorks Web site is a tool for students to help raise their awareness about the broad range of health and medical science career pathways that are available to them and to help them make career decisions.

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary - Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of both teaching and research.

Chiropractors - Adjust spinal column and other articulations of the body to correct abnormalities of the human body believed to be caused by interference with the nervous system. Examine patient to determine nature and extent of disorder. Manipulate spine or other involved area. May utilize supplementary measures, such as exercise, rest, water, light, heat, and nutritional therapy.

Surgeons - Treat diseases, injuries, and deformities by invasive methods, such as manual manipulation or by using instruments and appliances.

Podiatrists - Diagnose and treat diseases and deformities of the human foot.

Psychiatric Aides - Assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients, working under direction of nursing and medical staff.

Medical Assistants - Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.