Top Registered Nurse Programs

1. Grand Canyon University Click for Recommended Degree Program
2. Western Governors University Click for Recommended Degree Program
3. University of Phoenix Click for Recommended Degree Program

Registered Nurses

A registered nurse, or RN, is a nurse practitioner who has earned their associate’s or bachelor’s degree and has passed the NCLEX-RN exam to become certified. With 2.6 million RN jobs in the U.S., it is the largest occupation in the health care industry.

Registered nurses work alongside other health care professionals in hospitals or doctor’s offices and facilitate the care and education of patients, while providing support. Nurses perform medical exams, administer medicine, and help patients and their families learn to manage their illnesses.

Registered nurses can also choose to specify in different areas of patient care including perioperative nurses (who assist surgeons), diabetes management nurses (who work with patients with diabetes), dermatology nurses (who work with patients with skin disorders), or geriatric nurses (who work with the elderly).

Registered nurses are employed by hospitals, doctor’s offices, home health care centers, nursing care facilities, and outpatient care centers. Of all the professionals in the nursing industry, 60% of RNs work for hospitals.