Evolving Role of the Registered Nurse

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing is the largest health care profession, made up of over 2 million jobs. Advances in medicine, in medical technology and an aging boomer population are driving the changes taking place within the medical field. As a result, the role of the registered nurse has evolved to meet the needs of this advancing profession.

Function

• Of all the health care professions, the registered nurse (RN) most resembles "the-jack-of-all-trades". These nurses are responsible for everything from direct patient care to managing entire programs within their specialties. They are advocates, counselors, trainers, consultants, administrators and data analysts. And though state laws typically govern what an RN's job tasks are, it is her work setting that will ultimately define her job role.

Facility Adaptations

• Advances in technology have allowed procedures which would normally take place in hospitals to be performed in clinics, emergency centers and doctors' offices. As a result, the skills provided by registered nurses are in high demand. The ability to be flexible and adapt to multiple work assignments within various settings is becoming the norm. With integrated health care networks made up of different treatment facilities, nurses may often be rotated among different employment settings to meet whatever needs are present.

Technology Changes

• Advances in technology have also required registered nurses to stay up-to-date on new equipment uses and procedural changes. These evolving technologies and procedures see RNs returning to school and obtaining additional degrees within their field. This, coupled with their integral roles within the health care system, has tasked them a more intricate role in patient care plans. RNs are working more closely with doctors, making bigger decisions, and relying more on their education and assessment skills instead of their direct care abilities.

Staffing Needs

• With the baby boomer generation entering their 50s and 60s, the shortage of overall nursing staff grows larger. And while a facility's specific staffing needs may dictate the overall scope of a registered nurse's role, procedural changes will require her to take more leadership roles, leaving licensed practical nurses to tend to direct patient care needs. Many facilities are providing opportunities for RNs to advance, offering educational assistance and the administrative training needed to step into this evolving role.

Management Roles

• Amid all these changes, registered nurses have become partners with doctors in deciding patient health care needs, as opposed to being direct care helpers and attendants. Their professional input is needed, and relied upon to determine patient progress and treatment needs. In addition, RNs are more often found in leadership positions, managing teams made up of LPNs and nursing technicians, while many have stepped into full administrative roles as directors and CEOs. Due to the physical demands of direct care, those who have worked within the field for a number of years often seek out more administrative roles.