Riverside Community College District | Nursing

What is an RN?

RN stands for Registered nurse. RNs practice professional nursing through the nursing diagnosis and treatment of human responses to actual and potential health problems. RNs serve as providers and coordinators of care for health care consumers throughout the life span.

Registered nursing graduates use the concepts of nursing, basic human need, life cycle developmental stages, and health-illness when making clinical judgements to deliver safe and effective nursing care.

RNs are prepared to practice across the nation in acute, intermediate, long-term, and other community-based settings which provide promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health. RNs function in a variety of settings such as hospitals, home health, nursing homes, industry, schools, public health, management, research laboratories, and education.

RNs may supervise LVNs, nursing assistants, aides, medical technicians, or other unlicensed personnel. In the hospital setting, the RN is the one responsible for assessing the patient and developing the plan of care. He/she then manages the care by providing care, supervising others in providing care, and collaborating with other health care providers such as physicians, pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, physical therapists, and respiratory therapists.

RNs may provide care at many levels, from the basic care of bathing, feeding, exercising, dressing changes, to higher levels of care such as administering oral medications, injections, intravenous (IV) medications, transfusions, chemotherapy, and much more. They work in all areas of the hospital, such as "regular medical/surgical" floors, intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms.

The RN may work in a variety of specialty areas. A few of these are Obstetrical (mother/baby), Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric (children), Oncology (cancer), Operating Room, Emergency Room, Intensive Care Units, Cardiology, Hemodialysis, Lactation (Breastfeeding), Burn Units, Public Health and Home Health. In skilled nursing facilities, clinics, and other outpatient settings, RNs may be in management or administrative positions.

Graduates of the RCC ADN Program receive an Associate Degree from Riverside Community College and are eligible to apply for the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN). Graduates of the ADN program may go on to complete a baccalaureate (BSN) degree through the college/university of their choice. A number of four year universities/colleges in the Southern California area offer ADN-to-BSN programs.

There are a number of prerequisites for the ADN program. Please see the ADN information page for information about prerequisites and enrollment requirements.

For more information about this program from the licensing board, you can go to www.rn.ca.gov.

You can download more information about the RN program here.