What Does a Registered Nurse Do? (RN Job Types & Descriptions)

Most people picture RNs in a hospital, but the license opens doors well beyond it: schools, corporate offices, insurance companies, and even flight nursing. Your specialty and interests decide where the work takes you. Demand keeps climbing, too. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5 percent growth for RNs from 2024 to 2034, with about 189,100 openings each year.

What RNs Do

Registered nurses provide and coordinate patient care. They assess and monitor patients, administer treatments and medications, educate patients and families about health conditions, and provide emotional support.

The work shifts with the setting. You might move fast in the ER treating serious injuries, manage conditions like anorexia or depression on a mental health unit, or treat patients remotely as a telehealth nurse. In a hospital, the RN is usually the patient's direct caretaker, managing daily activities, medications, assessments, and scheduled procedures while keeping physicians and staff current on each care plan.

Daily responsibilities vary, but most RN roles include:

• Monitor and record vital signs and patient progress
• Create care plans
• Administer medications and treatments, including IV medications
• Assist with procedures
• Educate patients and answer questions
• Perform wound and skin care
• Draw blood and collect lab work

Where you work changes the rest. RNs in physicians' offices take on administrative tasks; RNs in the operating room assist with surgical procedures.

Job Types for RNs

Once licensed, you can move into pediatrics, hospice, case management, and more. Most specialty roles want a year or two of bedside or critical care experience first. After that, the options open up fast, including remote work in triage, case management, and quality review. Here are common paths and what to expect.

Pediatric Nurses

Work in pediatric units, neonatal units, PICUs, and pediatricians' offices, doing medical-surgical or critical care nursing for a pediatric population (infancy to 21, though many facilities cap the range between two and 16). Minimum degree is an ADN. It suits RNs with calm temperaments who enjoy children and families. Hospital pediatric nurses keep hospital schedules; those in pediatricians' offices often get weekends and holidays off. With an MSN, you can become a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) and diagnose, treat, and perform procedures.

Critical Care Nurses

Work in ICUs, trauma units, and on medical flights, administering medication, monitoring patients, managing pain, and planning care. Most roles require a BSN and often a year of direct-care experience. The pace is fast, which fits RNs who think on their feet. Schedules can be compressed (for example, three 12-hour shifts a week), and overtime is usually available. A Certified Flight Registered Nurse credential lets you care for critically ill patients on life flights.

Operating Room Nurses

Work in surgical prep, the OR, and recovery, prepping patients, sanitizing rooms and tools, administering IV medication, and managing pain. Minimum degree is an ADN. The role rewards teamwork and patient advocacy. The Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR) credential supports moves into leadership.

Medical-Surgical Nurses

Work in specialized med/surg units, administering medication, planning care, monitoring vitals, managing pain, and performing wound care. Minimum degree is an ADN. Med/surg is a strong place to learn, with a wide mix of post-procedure patients across ages and conditions. The American Nurses Credentialing Center offers a med/surg certification; that plus a BSN can move you into unit leadership.

Charge Nurses

Oversee patient care in hospitals and long-term care facilities, scheduling procedures, managing urgent situations, and handling admissions and discharges. Minimum is an ADN, though many charge nurses hold a BSN. You sit on the front lines of staff and patient issues, so communication skills matter. With more education, this experience can lead to nursing management or a director role, which usually requires a BSN and often a master's.

Nurse Case Managers

Work in hospitals, long-term care, and insurance companies, planning care, managing caseloads, advocating for patients, and screening admissions. Some roles accept an ADN with experience; many require a BSN. The hours tend to be standard, and insurance-company case management is often remote. The Nursing Case Management Certification (RN-BC) supports a move into department leadership.

Quality Review Nurses

Also called utilization review nurses. Work for insurers, hospitals, and physician offices, reviewing care plans and records, checking quality of care, and managing reimbursement. Minimum is an ADN, and many positions want a credential like the Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM). The work is often remote, especially for insurers. An MSN with a patient-safety focus opens healthcare leadership roles.

Public Health Nurses

Work in community centers, schools, and government offices, educating populations, building health initiatives, and running screenings. Most hold at least a BSN, some an MSN. The role fits RNs who like research, long-term planning, and public speaking. Hours are mostly regular, with some evenings and weekends. An MSN in public health nursing supports policy work, like smoking-cessation campaigns.

Addiction Nurses

Also called substance abuse nurses. Work in treatment centers, hospitals, and mental health clinics, treating substance use disorders and the link between mental health and addiction. ADN or BSN, though many employers prefer a BSN. The work demands empathy and a nonjudgmental approach. After several years, you can earn the Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) credential through the Addictions Nursing Certification Board.

Gastroenterology Nurses

Work in hospitals, GI clinics, and long-term care, treating diseases and injuries of the digestive system alongside gastroenterologists. ADN or BSN, with many employers preferring a BSN. It fits nurses interested in digestive health and nutrition. The Certified Gastroenterology Registered Nurse (CGRN) credential signals expertise and can lead to better pay.

Does the Degree Matter?

You can become an RN with a two-year ADN or a four-year BSN. Both let you sit for the NCLEX, but the degree affects your day-to-day work, growth, and salary. More leadership and advancement opportunities open to BSN-prepared nurses.

If you are already a licensed practical nurse (LPN), an LPN-to-ADN or LPN-to-BSN program builds on your existing education and qualifies you for the NCLEX. Paramedics often use the paramedic-to-RN pathway to move into nursing. Whatever your route, nearly all RNs need continuing education to keep a license current, and employers may require it to maintain a specialty certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an RN do in a hospital? Duties depend on position, department, experience, and education, and they are not far off from RN work elsewhere. The main difference is acuity. Hospitals handle more serious and life-threatening cases, so hospital RNs do more inpatient care: pre- and post-operative patients, surgical assistance, trauma and emergency care, and labor and delivery.

What are RNs not allowed to do? Exact scope depends on state law, but no RN can make medical diagnoses, certify a patient's death, prescribe medication (in most states), or perform surgery and other invasive procedures.

How many hours do RNs work? It depends on the setting. Many RNs work about 40 hours a week; some work part-time, and others pick up extra shifts. Compressed schedules are common, such as three 12-hour shifts a week at a hospital.

Where can RNs work? Nearly anywhere people live, work, and learn: hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, home health services, outpatient clinics, schools, government offices, community centers, military bases, nonprofits, and large corporations.

What technology do RNs use? Electronic health records, which they read and update daily; telehealth and medical apps for remote communication and treatment; and monitoring and treatment devices like wearable vital-sign trackers, automated IV pumps, and smart beds.