Registered Nurses

What Do Registered Nurses Do?

Registered nurses (RNs) treat and educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their families. RNs record patients’ medical histories and symptoms, help perform diagnostic tests and analyze results, operate medical machinery, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.

In addition, RNs also:
— Deliver and supervise patient care;
— Give patients medicines and treatments;
— Evaluate the outcomes of care, instituting appropriate changes and reporting patient progress;
— Plan, implement, and evaluate programs to meet community needs; and
— Conduct research or quality improvement projects to identify and institute best practices.

RNs teach patients and their families how to manage their illnesses or injuries, explaining post-treatment home care needs; diet, nutrition, and exercise programs; and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. Some RNs may work to promote general health by educating the public on warning signs and symptoms of disease. RNs also might run general health screening or immunization clinics, blood drives, and public seminars on various conditions.

When caring for patients, RNs establish a care plan or contribute to an existing plan. Plans may include activities, such as administering medication, including checking dosages and avoiding interactions; starting, maintaining, and discontinuing intravenous (IV) lines for fluid, medication, blood, and blood products; administering therapies and treatments; observing the patient and recording those observations; and consulting with physicians and other health care clinicians.

RNs often facilitate interdisciplinary care, may lead patient care teams, as well as supervise licensed practical nurses, nursing aides, and home health aides in the delivery of patient services.

While many RNs work in clinical jobs, there are increasing opportunities for RNs in research, health care management, and education. Also, RNs’ roles are evolving in response to changes in the health care delivery system. Today, RNs may work as researchers, health care consultants, public policy advisors, risk managers, utilization reviewers, and hospital administrators. Many RNs also specialize depending on their interests, where they work, or the patients they work with.

For more information about RN specialties and other details about an RN career, please go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm.

Where Do Registered Nurses Work?

Hospitals employ the majority of RNs. Many Rns find work in physicians’ offices, home healthcare services, nursing care facilities and outpatient care centers. RNs may also be employed at insurance companies, schools, universities, correctional facilities, manufacturing plants and even places like cruise ships.

How Much Do Registered Nurses Earn?

In 2022, the average annual income reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for registered nurses in the United States was $89,010. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) reports that, in 2023, registered nurses in New York earned a median annual salary of $104,230 (registered nurses in the 25th percentile made approximately $73,799 while those in the 75th percentile made approximately $119,064).

Supply and Demand

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), RNs constitute the largest health care occupation nationwide.
New York, like the rest of the country, is experiencing growth in demand for RNs, and this trend is expected to continue.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs for in the U.S. will increase by 6% between 2021 and 2031. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs for in the state will increase by 17% between 2020 and 2030.

Growth in employment of RNs is expected to continue to be strong primarily because of technological advancements; an increased emphasis on preventative care; and the large, aging baby-boomer population, which will demand more health care services as these older adults live longer and more active lives.

For more information on projections of RNs by New York labor regions, 2018-2028, click here.

Educational Requirements

To become an RN, the two main types of educational programs are 1) a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing (BSN) offered by a college or university, and 2) an associate degree in nursing (ADN) offered by a community college or junior college, sometimes in collaboration with a hospital. Around the U.S., a shrinking number of education programs offer an RN diploma; only one remains in New York.

All nursing education programs include classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other health care facilities. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, and behavioral sciences. Bachelor’s degree programs usually include more training in the physical and social sciences, communication, leadership, and critical thinking, which is becoming more important as nursing practice becomes more complex. BSN programs also offer more clinical experience in nonhospital settings. A BSN or higher (eg, MSN) is often necessary for administrative positions, research, consulting, and teaching.

Supervised clinical experience is provided in hospital departments such as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery. A number of programs include clinical experience in nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics.

New York Licensure Requirements

All RNs must be licensed. To be licensed as an RN in New York, an individual must be at least 18 years of age, meet education requirements of having received at least a two-year degree or diploma from a program in general professional nursing that is acceptable to the New York State Department of Education, complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider, and pass the nursing examination developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). All associate or diploma prepared RNs who were not enrolled in their program or did not have an application pending as of December 19, 2017 will be required to obtain a baccalaureate in nursing within 10 years of their initial RN licensure.

For more information, go to: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/registered-professional-nursing/license-requirements

Financial Support for RN Students

Grants, scholarships, and awards for students who wish to become RNs are available at local, state, and federal levels. Such funding comes from private foundations, institutions and colleges of higher education with nursing programs, the New York State Education Department, and from the U.S. government. For more information, go to: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/registered-professional-nursing/nursing-education/new-york-state-nursing-education.
For additional information about federal and state financial aid, visit the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation website at: https://www.hesc.ny.gov.

Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future offers current information on financial assistance opportunities for nursing students. The website organizes information by general degrees, specialties, and for returning students. For more information, visit the Johnson and Johnson campaign for nursing’s future here.

Nursing Education Programs in New York

There are dozens of ADN and BSN programs in New York. Some BSN programs offer “bachelor completion” tracks for RNs with diplomas or ADNs who wish to obtain a BSN. Many of these programs are offered on a part-time basis and are geared for people who work. Some employers will offer tuition assistance to RNs on their staff who wish to enroll in these programs.

Also, please see this list of education programs from the New York Department of Education: https://www.op.nysed.gov/professions/registered-professional-nursing/nursing-education/new-york-state-nursing-programs

Diploma and Certificate Programs

Genessee Valley Region

Arnot Ogden School of Nursing
L.D. Clute Education Building
600 Roe Avenue
Elmira, NY 14905
(607) 737-4153

Associate Degree Programs

Central Region

Broome Community College Decker Center, Room 217 901 Upper Front Street Binghamton, NY 13902 (607) 778-5060	Cayuga Community College Auburn Campus 197 Franklin Street Auburn, NY 13021 (315) 255-1743 or (866) 598-8883 or Fulton Campus 11 River Glen Drive Fulton, NY 13069 (315) 592-4143 or (866) 598-8883
Crouse Hospital School of Nursing 765 Irving Avenue Syracuse, NY 13210 (315) 470-7481	Onondaga Community College 4585 West Seneca Turnpike Syracuse, NY 13215 (315) 498-2360
St. Joseph’s College of Nursing 206 Prospect Avenue Syracuse, NY 13203 (315) 448-5040	SUNY Delhi 2 Main Street 454 Delhi Drive Delhi, NY 13753 (607) 746-4104
Morrisville State College 80 Eaton Street Morrisville, NY 13408 (315) 684-6000	Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) 170 North Street Dryden, NY 13053 (607) 844-8211 or (888) 567-8211
Mohawk Valley Community College Utica Campus 1101 Sherman Drive Utica, NY 13501 (315) 792-5400 or Rome Campus 1101 Floyd Ave. Rome NY 13440 (315) 339-3470

Genesee Valley Region

Corning Community College 1 Academic Drive Corning, NY 14830 (607)962-9222	Finger Lakes Community College 3325 Marvin Sands Dr Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585)785-1345
Genesee Community College One College Road Batavia, NY 14020 (585) 343-0055, ext. 6437	Finger Lakes Health College of Nursing 196 North Street Geneva, NY 14456 (315) 787-4000
Monroe Community College 1000 East Henrietta Road Rochester, NY 14623 (718) 933-6700

Long Island Region

Nassau Community College
One Education Dr., Bldg. V-210
Garden City, NY 11530-6793
(516) 572-9630

Suffolk County Community College
533 College Road
Selden, NY 11784-2899
(631) 451-4414 or (631) 451-4022
also has campuses in
Brentwood and Riverhead, NY

Metropolitan Region

ASA College 81 Willoughby St. Brooklyn, NY 11201-9805 (877) 679-8768	St Paul’s School of Nursing Corporate Commons Two 2 Teleport Dr. Suite 203 Staten Island, NY 10311 (718) 818-6470 or Queens Campus 97-77 Queens Blvd Queens, NY 11354 (718) 357-0500
Bronx Community College 2155 University Avenue Bronx, NY 10453 (718) 289-5428	College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10314 (718) 982-3810
Helene Fuld College of Nursing 24 East 120th Street New York, NY 10035 (212) 616-7282 or (212) 616-7271	Hostos Community College 500 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10451 (718) 518-4108
Kingsborough Community College 2001 Oriental Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11235-2398 (718) 368-5522	LaGuardia Community College 31-10 Thomson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 482-5782
Monroe College 2501 Jerome Avenue Bronx, NY 10468 (718) 944-6700	Borough of Manhattan Community College City University of New York 199 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 (212) 220-8230
Medgar Evers College City University of New York 1638 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY 11225 (718) 270-4900	New York City College of Technology 300 Jay Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 254-5660
Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing 776 6th Avenue New York, NY 10001-6354 (212) 614-6110	Queensborough Community College City University of New York 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY 11364 (718) 631-6080 or (718) 631-6262

Mid-Hudson Region

Cochran School of Nursing 967 North Broadway Yonkers, NY 10701 (914) 964-4296	Montefiore School of Nursing 53 Valentine Street Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 (914) 361-6221
Dutchess Community College 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1595 (845) 431-8579	SUNY Orange 115 South Street Middletown, NY 10940 (845) 341-4107
Rockland County Community College 145 College Road Suffern, NY 10901 (845) 574-4474	Sullivan County Community College 112 College Road Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759 (845) 434-5750 or (800) 577-5243
SUNY Ulster 491 Cottekill Road Stone Ridge, NY 12484 (845) 687-5235 or (800) 724-0833, ext. 5018	Westchester Community College 75 Grasslands Rd. Valhalla, NY 10595 (914) 606-6735 or (914) 606-6600

Northeast Region

Adirondack Community College 640 Bay Road Queensbury, NY 12804 (518) 743-2490 or (888) SUNY-ADK	Clinton Community College 136 Clinton Point Drive Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 562-4200
Columbia-Greene Community College 4400 Route 23 Hudson, NY 12534 (518) 828-4181	Ellis Medicine The Belanger School of Nursing 650 McClellan Street Schenectady, NY 12304 (518) 831-8810
Excelsior College 7 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203-5159 (888) 647-2388, ext. 21	Fulton-Montgomery Community College 2805 State Highway 67 Johnstown, NY 12095 (518) 736-FMCC (3622)
Hudson Valley Community College 80 Vanderburgh Avenue Troy, NY 12180 (518) 629-7469	Maria College 700 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 (518) 861-2541
St. Peter’s Hospital College of Nursing 714 New Scotland Ave Albany, NY 12208 (518) 525-6852 or Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing 1300 Massachusetts Ave Troy, NY 12180 (518) 268-5130	Mohawk Valley Community College Utica Campus 1101 Sherman Drive Utica, NY 13501 (315) 792-5400 or Rome Campus 1101 Floyd Ave. Rome NY 13440 (315) 339-3470
North Country Community College 23 Santononi Avenue Saranac Lake, NY 12983 (518) 891-2915 Campuses also located in Malone and Ticonderoga	St. Elizabeth College of Nursing 2215 Genesee St. Utica, NY 13501 (315) 801-8347

Northern Region

Jefferson Community College
1220 Coffeen Street
Watertown, NY 13601
(315) 786-2200

SUNY Canton
34 Cornell Drive
Canton, NY 13617
(800) 388-7123

Western Region

Erie Community College City Campus 121 Ellicott Street Buffalo, NY 14203 (716)-851-1322 or (716) 851-1001 or North Campus 6205 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 851-1322 or (716) 851-1002	Jamestown Community College 525 Falconer Street Jamestown, NY 14702 (716) 338-1171 or (800) 388-8557
Niagara County Community College 3111 Saunders Settlement Rd. Sanborn, NY 14132 (716) 614-5940 or (716) 614-6222	Alfred State College SUNY College of Technology 10 Upper College Drive Alfred, NY 14802 (607) 587-3680 or (607) 587-3672
Trocaire College 360 Choate Avenue Buffalo, NY 14220-2094 (716) 827-2462

Bachelor Degree Programs