Registered Nursing Facts

Registered nurses held about 2.3 million jobs in 2002 as the largest healthcare occupation. About 3 out of 5 jobs were in hospitals, in inpatient and outpatient departments. Other registered nurses worked in offices of physicians, nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, employment services, government agencies, and outpatient care centers. The remainder worked mostly in social assistance agencies and educational services, public and private. About 1 in 5 RNs worked part time.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists

When becoming certified nurses, one advanced clinical nursing specialty is nurse anesthesia. As nurse anesthesia specialists, CRNAs administer approximately 65% of the 26 million anesthetics given to patients in the United States each year.

Salaries of Registered Nurses

Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $48,090 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,140 and $57,490. The lowest 10 percent of registered nurses earned less than $33,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,670. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of registered nurses in 2002 were as follows:

Employment services $55,980
General medical and surgical hospitals $49,190
Home health care services $45,890
Offices of physicians $44,870
Nursing care facilities $43,850

Many employers offer flexible work schedules, childcare, educational benefits, and bonuses.

***Taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition

Nurse Anesthesia Degree Program

A Nurse Anesthesia Degree Program will include 24 to 36 months of graduate course work including both classroom and clinical experience with the classroom curriculum emphasizing anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics and pharmacology as related to anesthesia.

Nurse Anesthesia Certification

In order to receive a registered nurse certification, a nurse needs to attend an accredited nurse anesthesia education program to receive an extensive education in anesthesia. Upon graduation, the nurse must pass a certification exam for nurses to become a CRNA.

What Registered Nurses Do

Registered nurses (RNs):
*promote health, prevent disease, and help patients cope with illness.
*are health educators for patients, families, and communities.
*observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress in patients; assist physicians during surgeries, treatments, and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation.
*may also develop and manage nursing care plans, instruct patients and their families in proper care, and help individuals and groups take steps to improve or maintain their health.

***Taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition

Role of a CRNA

The role of a CRNA takes care of a patient's anesthesia needs before, during and after surgery or the delivery of a baby by performing a physical assessment, participats in preoperative teaching, prepares for anesthetic management, administers anesthesia to keep the patient pain free, maintains anesthesia intraoperatively, and oversees recovery from anesthesia.