Registered nurse

A registered nurses (RN) is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program and met the requirements outlined by a country or state licensing body in order to obtain a nursing license. An RN's scope of practice is determined by local legislation governing nurses, and usually regulated by a professional body or council.

Registered nurses are employed in a wide variety of professional settings, often specializing in their field of practice. They may be responsible for supervising care delivered by other healthcare workers including enrolled nurses, licensed practical nurses, unlicensed assistive personnel, nursing students, and less-experienced RNs.

Registered nurses must usually meet a minimum practice hours requirement and undertake continuing education in order to maintain their registration. Furthermore, there is often a requirement that an RN remain free from serious criminal convictions.

History

The registration of nurses by nursing councils or boards began in the early twentieth century. New Zealand registered the first nurse in 1901 with the establishment of the Nurses Registration Act. Nurses were required to complete three years of training and pass a state-administered examination. Registration ensured a degree of consistency in the education of new nurses, and the title was usually protected by law. After 1905 in California, for example, it became a misdemeanour to claim to be an RN without a certificate of registration.