registered nurse.

Some of the duties of registered nurses include:

• recording medical histories and symptoms: as a registered nurse, you speak to patients when they get to the hospital. You record patients’ symptoms, gather information and maintain accurate documentation. Since you evaluate the diagnosis, you ask patients questions and record their vital signs. You update medical records with important information to ensure other medical practitioners have accurate data about the patients.
• administering medications and treatments: as a registered nurse, you develop treatment plans alongside the doctor and administer treatments. That may involve administering medication, cleaning wounds, changing bandages and inserting catheters. With experience, you can assist doctors with more advanced procedures and help patients in critical conditions.
• performing diagnostic tests: you perform diagnostic tests daily to monitor the progress of patients. You collect tissue, blood and urine samples for analysis. From the results, you analyse the treatment plan to see if it is working.
• providing support and advice to patients: as a registered nurse, you deliver news to patients. It is important to provide emotional support to patients when they receive sad news and help them process their diagnosis.

Registered nurses work in diverse work environments, such as hospitals and healthcare facilities. In private clinics, hospitals and aged care homes, you work indoors to assist patients with various conditions. When examining patients and administering treatments in hospitals, you are expected to wear nurse uniforms and use personal protective equipment, including gloves and masks. In community centres, your duties may involve outreach programmes, which may require you to spend the day outdoors promoting health awareness.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include doctors, lab assistants and nutritionists. You might also be working in close proximity to paediatric nurses and general nurses, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and physiotherapists.

Typically, registered nurses work an average of 38 hours weekly. However, you are likely to work overtime, including evenings and weekends, depending on the scope of your duties. In some hospitals, you operate in eight to twelve-hour shifts, assisting doctors with patient examinations and providing treatment. While most nurses work full-time, you can find part-time opportunities if you want to work a few hours weekly.

Working as a registered nurse has promising career prospects, with employment projections expected to increase by 13.9% between 2021 and 2026. You also have numerous opportunities for specialisation. For instance, you can become an ICU nurse, paediatric nurse, neonatal or oncology nurse. If you want to move on to an administrative role, consider becoming a nurse administrator, nurse unit manager or nurse practitioner.

Finding your registered nurse job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
 

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a registered nurse is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

As a registered nurse, you provide primary care to patients in healthcare or community settings. You evaluate patients' conditions, develop a treatment plan, administer medication and monitor the response to the treatment. You also provide emotional support to patients and explain the treatment plan to their families.

While both enrolled and registered nurses work in the same work settings, they do not perform the same tasks and have different qualifications. For instance, as a registered nurse, you have advanced qualifications and can perform complex medical procedures without supervision. An enrolled nurse performs basic tasks like taking vital signs and observing any changes to report to the doctors and registered nurses.

Nurses are crucial in the healthcare system, which means the demand for registered nurses is always high. Depending on your experience and skills, you earn a promising remuneration package, which increases when you specialise in complex fields. As a registered nurse, you also have numerous growth opportunities, such as becoming a nursing administrator or nurse manager.

The average remuneration of a registered nurse in Australia is $88,000 per year. However, your earnings fluctuate based on experience and educational qualifications. You start with a salary of $85,000 annually, and the remuneration package increases gradually, which means you can take home over $90,000 annually.

As a registered nurse, you work an average of 38 hours a week. When starting your career in nursing, you may work 12-hour shifts for three days in a row, but as you take up complex responsibilities your work hours reduce.

Applying for a registered nurse job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.