Registered Nurse Roles: Classifications and Responsibilities

RN roles can be classified by responsibilities, specialty, and setting:

1. Clinical Nurse: Direct patient care in hospitals, clinics, LTC—assess, medicate, monitor, treat, educate.
2. Specialty Nurse: Focused expertise (critical care, oncology, pediatrics, psych).
3. Nurse Practitioner (NP): Advanced practice—diagnose, treat, prescribe, manage health.
4. Certified RN (CRN): Specialty certification demonstrating expertise.
5. Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): Advanced consultant/educator in specialty (wound care, oncology, critical care).
6. Nurse Anesthetist (NA): Administers anesthesia with physicians/surgeons.
7. Public Health Nurse: Community health promotion, disease prevention, education.
8. Nurse Educator: Teaches nursing students in academic/clinical settings.
9. Nurse Manager/Administrator: Oversees nursing units/departments—budget, staffing, quality.
10. Research Nurse: Conducts/manages clinical trials and studies.

Classifications vary by healthcare system and organization.