Nurse responsible for general care

About this occupation

Nurses responsible for general care are in charge of promoting and restoring patients` health by providing physical and psychological support to patients, friends, and families. They also supervise assigned team members.

• Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
• Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
• Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
• Assess urgent and emergent health conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
• Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
• Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.

Typical education (US)

Bachelor's Degree

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

Interests

Social, Investigative, Realistic

Top skills: Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Writing

US median pay: US$97,550 a year (2025), 3,379,720 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Subjects this work relies on

How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).

• English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.0)
• PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyVery important (3.8)
• Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.5)
• BiologyO*NET: BiologyImportant (3.4)
• Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.0)

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Preparation needed

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Most common education (US)

Bachelor's Degree

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.