Registered Nurse: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a registered nurse?

The need for new staff can affect your existing team and bottom line. A great registered nurse hire can help your business:

• Dispense medications or provide vaccinations to patients
• Collaborate with physicians to create a care plan
• Respond to questions or concerns from patients or their guardians

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance registered nurse

For businesses experiencing a temporarily increased workload, hiring a freelance registered nurse to handle the overflow may be a good idea. Freelance registered nurses are already trained and have experience, so they can pick up the slack quickly. 

Individuals who need part-time care may also look into hiring a freelance registered nurse, which may be cheaper than hiring a full-time nurse. However, hospitals and health care facilities that are consistently overwhelmed with nurse duties should look into hiring a full-time registered nurse. Full-time employees are cheaper to hire hourly than freelancers. 

What are the ranks of nurses?

In the health care industry, there are a few positions in the nursing field that have a well-defined hierarchy. These jobs include:

• Certified nursing assistants: Certified nursing assistants often work under the supervision of a nurse. They work directly with the patient and help the nurse perform tasks that require two people, such as turning the patient over. CNAs are not allowed to perform invasive tasks.
• Licensed practical nurses: Licensed practical nurses work under registered nurses. They’re responsible for making sure the patient is comfortable, performing simple tests and administering medication. 
• Registered nurses: Registered nurses are directly responsible for taking care of patients. They observe potential symptoms that patients exhibit and communicate them to physicians, manage their activities and give medication.
• Nurse practitioner: Nurse practitioners perform many of the same responsibilities and duties of the roles beneath them. They’re also licensed to diagnose conditions and prescribe medications. 

Where to find registered nurses

To find the right registered nurse for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Post help wanted signs. Posting notices about the position can increase awareness of it and generate leads to quality candidates.
• Maintain relationships with local nursing schools. By building relationships with nursing schools in the area, your health care facility may be able to locate potential candidates for nursing jobs as they graduate.
• Communicate with other hospitals in the area. Some other health care facilities in the city may have leads to registered nurse candidates they couldn’t hire themselves. Inquire about potential candidates and set up interviews. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your registered nurse job on Indeed to find and attract quality registered nurse candidates.

Skills to look for in a great Registered Nurse

A great Registered Nurse candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Nursing degree and valid license
• Advanced knowledge of common nursing practices
• Excellent bedside manner
• Working knowledge of health laws and regulations
• Attention to detail
• Excellent note-taking and documentation skills

Writing a registered nurse job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding quality registered nurse candidates. A registered nurse job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your registered nurse job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on registered nurse jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Registered nurse
• RN
• Nurse
• Nurse RN
• RN nurse
• Nursing
• New grad RN
• Vaccine nurse
• Registered nurse RN
• RN work from home

Interviewing registered nurse candidates

Strong candidates for registered nurse positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Assessing patient issues and effectively communicating problems with staff doctors
• Proper dispensing of medications and starting IV treatments
• Comforting and providing information to concerned patients

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of registered nurse interview questions for examples (with sample answers).