Registered Nurse Openings Account for Many Medical Jobs in Chicago
Posted on October 7, 2008
If you’re looking for a medical job in Chicago, a position as a registered nurse might be the way to go.
According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area employed 505,900 people in the education and health services industry during August 2008, an increase of 1.4 percent from last year. Overall, employment growth in Chicago’s health services industry is expected to increase faster than the statewide average through 2014, according to an article by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
A healthcare job in Chicago as a registered nurse could be a viable opportunity for anyone looking for a position in the healthcare industry. Statewide, registered nurses are one of the 10 occupations projected to provide the most job openings each year.
“Growth in this occupation will be due in part to technological advances that allow more medical problems to be treated,” the article notes. “In addition, the number of older people is expected to increase rapidly. Older people are more likely to need medical care. The number of jobs in hospital nursing is expected to grow more slowly than in other settings. This is because patients are being released earlier from hospitals. Rapid growth is expected in home health care and nursing homes.”
Registered nurses supervise, teach and delegate nursing care to members of healthcare teams and deliver direct nursing care and treatment to clients in a variety of facilities and settings. Three out of five registered nurses work in hospitals, while some registered nurses work in clinics, nursing homes, private homes, the military, schools, physician offices, public health centers and independent practices.
The national median wage for a registered nurse is $22.44 per hour, while half of all registered nurses earn between $18.85 and $26.88 per hour. In Illinois, the median wage for a registered nurse is $22.60 per hour, and in Chicago the median wage is $24.46 per hour. There are generally three training paths that will lead to a career as a registered nurse, including a two-year associates degree program, a three-year diploma program or a four-year baccalaureate program.