Registered Nurse (RN)
DESCRIPTION
Registered Nurses (RN);
PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS
The personal requirements or personality traits valuable in a Registered Nurse include;
SKILLS
The required skills of a Registered Nurse include;
DUTIES
The duties of a Registered Nurse include the following;
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Registered Nurses can work in a variety of health care settings, including;
QUALIFICATIONS
To practice as a Registered Nurse, the following qualifications are required;
UNIVERSITY
Places to study in order to obtain the above qualifications include;
PRE-REQUISITES
Pre-requisites will vary between universities and courses, however, generally the following are required;
PAY SCALES
A Registered Nurse could expect to earn an annual salary of anything from AU$41,869 to AU$77,654, with the median being AU$58,740.
HOURS OF WORK
Registered Nurses mainly work shift work, meaning the hours they work are subject to change, depending on requirements. The following are the hours of duty for Registered Nurses;
ANNUAL LEAVE
Annual leave on full pay is granted on completion of each twelve months of service. Employees required to work on a seven day basis attract six weeks annual leave. All other employees attract four weeks annual leave.
UNIFORM
The nurse's uniform is worn to be easily identifiable and for hygiene reasons, and has developed and changed over time. Nurses can now expect to wear scrubs and other plain uniforms (see below), as opposed to the traditional white dress.
Registered Nurses (RN);
- Restore patients' health by the nursing process
- Collaborating with physicians and multidisciplinary team members
- Providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends and families
- Supervising assigned team members.
PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS
The personal requirements or personality traits valuable in a Registered Nurse include;
- good communication skills
- able to assume responsibility and a leadership role
- able to take initiative in emergencies
- tolerance, patience and tact in dealing with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures
- able to work both independently and as part of a team
- able to cope with the mental and physical demands of the job.
SKILLS
The required skills of a Registered Nurse include;
- Clinical Skills
- Bedside Manner
- Infection Control
- Nursing Skills
- Physiological Knowledge
- Administering Medication
- Medical Teamwork
- Multi-Tasking
- Listening
- Verbal Communication
- Health Promotion
- Maintenance
DUTIES
The duties of a Registered Nurse include the following;
- Identifies patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
- Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
- Promotes patient's independence by establishing patient care goals; teaching patient, friends, and family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills; answering questions.
- Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments; following hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
- Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
- Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
- Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
- Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
- Maintains continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.
- Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
- Maintains nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies; using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
- Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
- Maintains a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information; responding to requests; building rapport; participating in team problem-solving methods.
- Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Registered Nurses can work in a variety of health care settings, including;
- Hospital Units
- Ambulatory Clinics
- Managed Care Practices
- Private Practices
- Rehabilitation Centres
- Home Health Agencies
- Public Health Centres
- Long-Term Care Facilities
QUALIFICATIONS
To practice as a Registered Nurse, the following qualifications are required;
- Bachelor Degree in Health Science (Nursing) or Bachelor Degree in Nursing - Three Years at University and Health Facility.
- High level of accountability and more responsibility than EN (Enrolled Nurse) or AIN (Assistant in Nursing). Regulated by the Nurses and Midwives Board.
- Roles may include administration, team leader or unit manager duties, medication administration, assessment and management of the client including complex nursing care, specialised nursing care or undertaking research.
UNIVERSITY
Places to study in order to obtain the above qualifications include;
- Australian Catholic University
- Deakin University Australia
- La Trobe University
- Monash University
- RMIT University
- Victoria University
PRE-REQUISITES
Pre-requisites will vary between universities and courses, however, generally the following are required;
- Satisfactory completion of General/Methods (Mathematics) Units 1&2; or Units 3&4 in any Mathematics
- Study score of 30 in English (EAL); or study score of 25 in English other than EAL.
PAY SCALES
A Registered Nurse could expect to earn an annual salary of anything from AU$41,869 to AU$77,654, with the median being AU$58,740.
HOURS OF WORK
Registered Nurses mainly work shift work, meaning the hours they work are subject to change, depending on requirements. The following are the hours of duty for Registered Nurses;
- 152 hours in 28 calendar days for day workers
- An average of 38 hours a week in each roster cycle for shift workers
ANNUAL LEAVE
Annual leave on full pay is granted on completion of each twelve months of service. Employees required to work on a seven day basis attract six weeks annual leave. All other employees attract four weeks annual leave.
UNIFORM
The nurse's uniform is worn to be easily identifiable and for hygiene reasons, and has developed and changed over time. Nurses can now expect to wear scrubs and other plain uniforms (see below), as opposed to the traditional white dress.
SPECIALISATIONS
Areas of specialist nursing practice include;
LINKS
For more information, visit these websites;
Areas of specialist nursing practice include;
- Mental Health
- Aged Care
- Oncology (Cancer)
- Critical Care
- Perioperative
- Community Health
- Rural and Remote Areas
- Policy
- Research
- Management
- Education
- Workplace Health and Safety
LINKS
For more information, visit these websites;
- NSW Government (Health) http://www0.health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/employment/salary.asp
- Nurse in Australia http://www.nurseinaustralia.com/start-here/categories-of-nurses-in-australia/
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-and-Endorsement.aspx