What does an registered nurse prn do?
As a registered nurse PRN, their job is to collaborate with medical teams, reviewing the patient records to ensure providing the best quality health care for patients. They deliberate ongoing patient care with physicians and other staff. In addition, they help explain treatment to patients and their families. Moreover, they also provide different services, including treatment of chronic illnesses and providing urgent care. They may be scheduled in a flexible shift to work in various departments as needed.
Registered nurse prn responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real registered nurse prn resumes:
- Manage patient pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention, monitor patient response and record care plans accordingly.
- Float nurse for the emergency department, ICU, CCU, telemetry and adult psychiatric unit.
- Deliver high-quality and compassionate treatment to sickle cell specialty patients and other hematology and oncology patients.
- Work in various areas including ER, CCU, ICU, and Tele.
- Supervise 2-3 CNAs per shift.
- Supervise CNAs who are assisting with client care.
- Care of patients in critical care units including MICU and SICU.
- Demonstrate high standards of performance, including teamwork, communication and compassion.
- Administer prescribe medications and treatments; perform diagnostic test such as EKG.
- Perform various types of treatments including dressing changes and catheter insertion and care.
- Utilize ER, cardiac, and surgical ICU experience for hospitals under company contract.
- Educate on illnesses such as cardiac diseases, post-surgical care, diabetes and infections.
- Maintain pt safety, iniat pt teaching, admissions, discharges and patient safety.
- Instruct independence with techniques for asthma, diabetes, stroke, heart and respiratory conditions.
- Skil in bedside monitoring , 12-lead EKG, removal of arterial sheaths, and ventilator care.
Registered nurse prn skills and personality traits
We calculated that 29% of Registered Nurse PRNs are proficient in Patients, Home Health, and Acute Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Critical-thinking skills, Communication skills, and Compassion.
We break down the percentage of Registered Nurse PRNs that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 29%
Provided compassionate, sensitive, and competent bedside nursing care to chronically critically ill patients within a fast-paced hospital environment.
- Home Health, 7%
Home Health, Pediatric Patient: Daily Vitals, Head to Toe Assessment, Med Pass via Peg Tube and Daily Charting
- Acute Care, 7%
Implement and conduct all aspects of care for 2-3 chronic or acute care patients in a seven bed intensive care unit.
- Acls, 7%
Evaluate patients' vital signs and laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs including initiation and implementation of ACLS code situations.
- Rehabilitation, 4%
Medicated patient safely per MD order and evaluated each patient's response to medications given and recovery from rehabilitation.
- Surgery, 4%
Registered Nurse providing continuous intensive bedside care through critical assessment, implementation, and evaluation to patients requiring surgery.
Most registered nurse prns use their skills in "patients," "home health," and "acute care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential registered nurse prn responsibilities here:
Critical-thinking skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an registered nurse prn to have is critical-thinking skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "registered nurses must assess changes in the health status of patients, such as determining when to take corrective action." Registered nurse prns often use critical-thinking skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide safe and effective patient care using critical-thinking skills. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform registered nurse prn duties is communication skills. Registered nurse prns responsibilities require that "registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and evaluate their health conditions." Registered nurse prns also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "head to toe assessment taken at all visits, ongoing patient management and communication with pain management physician. "
Compassion. registered nurse prns are also known for compassion, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to registered nurse prn responsibilities, because "registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when working with patients." An registered nurse prn resume example shows how compassion is used in the workplace: "received daisy award for extreme dedication, compassion and advocacy as conferred by patients and peers. "
Detail oriented. For certain registered nurse prn responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "detail oriented." The day-to-day duties of an registered nurse prn rely on this skill, as "registered nurses must be precise because they must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what registered nurse prns do: "performed detailed assessment on patients. "
Emotional stability. A commonly-found skill in registered nurse prn job descriptions, "emotional stability" is essential to what registered nurse prns do. Registered nurse prn responsibilities rely on this skill because "registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors." You can also see how registered nurse prn duties rely on emotional stability in this resume example: "conduct initial and ongoing patient assessment with attention to each patient's physical, emotional, psychosocial and spiritual needs. "
Organizational skills. Lastly, "organizational skills" is an important element of what an registered nurse prn does. Registered nurse prn responsibilities require this skill because "nurses often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs." This resume example highlights how registered nurse prn duties rely on this skill: "contributed to organizational growth initiatives as active member of patient education, nurses in crisis intervention, medication administration and resuscitation. "
The three companies that hire the most registered nurse prns are:
- UT Health East Texas685 registered nurse prns jobs
- HealthTrust479 registered nurse prns jobs
- Duke University Health System450 registered nurse prns jobs
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Compare different registered nurse prns
Registered nurse prn vs. Nurse
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an registered nurse prn are more likely to require skills like "team work," "excellent interpersonal," "assessment," and "gyn." On the other hand, a job as a nurse requires skills like "cpr," "bls," "infection control," and "emergency situations." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Nurses earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $63,263. On the other hand, registered nurse prns are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $78,457.nurses tend to reach similar levels of education than registered nurse prns. In fact, nurses are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Registered nurse prn vs. Staff nurse
Staff nurses are registered nurses who are usually assigned to work in a care home, a company, or in a clinical setting. They advise the physical assessments of patients, employees, and residents. They also handle the checking of vital signs, providing basic medical procedures, giving first aid, and, if possible, providing over the counter medication. Staff nurses provide medical attention to the people in their place of assignment. They help pave the path to their patients' full recovery. Staff nurses are expected to be patient and have good interpersonal skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, registered nurse prn responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "home health," "compassion," "team work," and "excellent interpersonal." Meanwhile, a staff nurse has duties that require skills in areas such as "bls," "cpr," "infection control," and "dexterity." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Staff nurses earn a lower average salary than registered nurse prns. But staff nurses earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $58,739. Additionally, registered nurse prns earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $78,457 annually.In general, staff nurses achieve similar levels of education than registered nurse prns. They're 1.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for registered nurse prns in the next 3-5 years?
Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.
Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University
Registered nurse prn vs. Pediatric nurse
A pediatric nurse is a registered nurse who offers medical and health care for children in hospitals and clinics. Pediatric nurses educate caregivers and parents on the effective methods of child health protection. They take care of children's health from birth to adolescence. They are experts in child care while they are working with their respective families to address their problems, fears, concerns, and other options. The necessary skills for this job include child development knowledge and communication skills.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from registered nurse prn resumes include skills like "surgery," "quality care," "patient safety," and "medication administration," whereas a pediatric nurse is more likely to list skills in "bls," "cpr," "picu," and "kids. "
Pediatric nurses earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $64,106. Comparatively, registered nurse prns have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $78,457.pediatric nurses typically earn similar educational levels compared to registered nurse prns. Specifically, they're 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Registered nurse prn vs. Emergency department registered nurse
An emergency registered nurse is first in line for patients who need a response. These nurses are first to respond to emergency cases such as trauma, allergic reactions, and injuries. They assist doctors and other medical staff in emergency medical care. It is their responsibility to always provide high-quality standards for nursing. The skills they should possess include diligence, attention to detail, levelheadedness, and strong communication. They also need to be knowledgeable about emergency care.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between registered nurse prns and emergency department registered nurses, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an registered nurse prn might have more use for skills like "surgery," "quality care," "medication administration," and "oncology." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of emergency department registered nurses require skills like "life support," "patient outcomes," "cpr," and "tncc. "
The health care industry tends to pay the highest salaries for emergency department registered nurses, with average annual pay of $77,094. Comparatively, the highest registered nurse prn annual salary comes from the health care industry.emergency department registered nurses reach similar levels of education compared to registered nurse prns, in general. The difference is that they're 0.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of registered nurse prn
Updated January 8, 2025
