What are some of the tasks that registered nurses have to do?

I'm just choosing my career path and i was thinking i'd go into nursing but im still not exactly sure what responsibilities a nurse has???

Nursing is NOT EASY, so if you are looking for a job that involves little work then this is not it. Nursing involves many different things depending on where you work within a hospital. I am a CNA, and work between the emergency department and the ICU in our hospital. The nurses there do an incredible ammount of work each day.

In the ED, nurses start IV lines, take vital signs, take patient histories, preform triage, give medicines, provide IV thearpy, order labs, draw blood, clean patients, preform CPR, work with psych patients, prepare patients for surgery, prepare patients for admission to the hospital, prepare patients for discharge, arrange for patients to be transferred to another facility, assist in resuscitation, assist with a multitude of procedures, insert catheters, insert NG tubes, and anything else that happens to be asked of them.

In the unit nurses provide IV therapy, monitor patients' vital signs, order labs, provide wound care, provide IV care, monitor central lines, draw blood, clean patients, CPR, assist in resuscitation, transport patients to and from such departments as radiology, provide airway care, preform tasks associated with ventilators, central lines, arterial lines, pulmonary catheters, and other specialized form of treatment, insert catheters, insert NG tubes, the list goes on and on.

The ED and the ICU are very stressful places to work. You have to be a fast thinker who is not easily stressed and who always has a plan no matter what goes wrong. You have to think five steps ahead of your patients and ten steps ahead of the doctors. Being a nurse is rewarding and fun, but it is also hard and intense. It is not something that everyone is up for, so consider carefully.

It really depends on where the nurse is working. On a typical hospital unit, an RN will admit and discharge patients, obtain past medical history on a patient, physical assessment, administer medications, provide treatments like wound care & range of motion exercise, assist with the clients' daily tasks, advocate for the patients, provide patient teaching on procedures, diseases, and medications. The list could go on and on. Nurses have to be multitaskers. And I almost forgot, lots of documentation! And dealing with physicians.

Charlie C is right. in addition, start iv lines, CPR, clean the patient if they go to the bathroom, be a patient's advocate, meaning helping them choose the treatments best for them. You also need to know lab values. It really depends what nursing "job" you accept. there are hospice nurses, surgical nurses, some work with Alzheimers patients. And yes, there is ALOT of paperwork! Laws specific to the state you get your liscence in will be covered in school. Nursing is very hard work, but you get back what you put in. You have the power to help others, which I feel is rewarding. Career wise, if you want a change, you can transfer to another area, like if you get burned out. There is always something new to learn, and I have never become bored! Nurses are and will always be in high demand, = more money. But don't do it for the money, or you will not be truely happy! Give it a try, you can always change majors. Good luck! Hope this helps you with your choice!