A registered nurse provides skilled nursing care to patients after creating a plan based on her initial assessment and consultation with the doctor. She monitors patient progress, communicates with the family and updates patient records. Some registered nurses supervise other nursing staff. The average salary of a registered nurse in Kentucky is lower than the national average for this occupation.
Requirements
Like all other states, Kentucky requires registered nurses to be licensed. To become licensed, the prospective nurse must graduate from an accredited school of nursing with an associate degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. He also must pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse. In addition, all license candidates must apply to the Administrative Office of the Courts for a criminal history report in all names ever used, and include a fingerprint card.
Salary Range
The average nationwide salary for registered nurses as of May 2009 was $32 per hour or $66,350 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Only those in the bottom 10 percent were making less than $21.20 per hour, or $44,000 per year. The top 10 percent of registered nurses nationwide had pay rates of at least $45 per hour, or $93,700 per year and higher. Those in the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale were earning hourly pay rates of $25.25 to $37.50.
Comparisons
The average salary of a registered nurse in Kentucky in May 2009 was $27.94 per hour, or $58,110 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those in the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale had hourly pay rates of $22.59 to $31.43. The top 10 percent were making more than $37 per hour, or more than $77,000 per year, and the bottom 10 percent less than $19.70 per hour, or less than $40,900 per year.
Opportunities
The job search website Indeed.com shows over 1,700 job openings for registered nurses in Kentucky in January 2011. Positions were available in hospitals, medical centers, surgical units and operating rooms, trauma centers, acute care centers, obstetrics-gynecology clinics, home health care and correctional institutions. Full-time and part-time positions were available, in a variety of shifts such as a standard eight-hour daytime schedule and 12-hour shifts from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Travel nursing jobs also were available.
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