← Occupation guides

29-1141.00 · Learning planner

Registered Nurses: a task-based learning plan

Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.

Explore the complete task inventory first →

Understand the profile before choosing priorities

The table shows the ten highest importance ratings among 32 skills with usable ratings. Skills tied on importance can share a rank. Importance (1–5) and level (0–7) describe different dimensions. A level of 4 is not 4/7 of a course, and neither scale is your personal score. Source dates refer to the underlying rating, not the database release date.

SkillImportance / 5Level / 7Rating date
Social Perceptiveness4.124.3808/2021 · Analyst
Active Listening4.004.2508/2021 · Analyst
Speaking4.004.2508/2021 · Analyst
Critical Thinking4.004.1208/2021 · Analyst
Coordination4.004.0008/2021 · Analyst
Service Orientation4.004.0008/2021 · Analyst
Reading Comprehension3.884.2508/2021 · Analyst
Judgment and Decision Making3.883.7508/2021 · Analyst
Monitoring3.754.0008/2021 · Analyst
Writing3.753.8808/2021 · Analyst

Anchor the plan in an actual task

Choose one reported task you want to understand better. Then choose one to three skills and describe an appropriate learning activity, evidence you will review and a date. For practical work requiring authorization, choose relevant coursework, observation or supervised training.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group

Level 6: Counsel patients who are depressed during a crisis period

What perspective or concern might another person bring to this task?

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Answer inquiries regarding credit references

Level 6: Serve as a judge in a complex legal disagreement

What would you ask the other person to clarify, and how would you confirm you understood?

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history

Level 6: Argue a legal case before the Supreme Court

How would you explain the task, audience needs and next step in a short conversation?

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses

Level 6: Write legal brief challenging a federal law

What assumption could change your conclusion, and what evidence would you check first?

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Work with others to put a new roof on a house

Level 2: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic

Who would need what information, and at which handoff would timing matter?

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site

Level 2: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee

What does the person receiving the work need, and how would you confirm the need was met?

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies

Level 6: Read a scientific journal article describing surgical procedures

Which instruction, constraint or exception in a document would you need to explain accurately?

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk

Level 2: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow

Which options, constraints and consequences would you compare, and what could change the choice?

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed

Level 2: Proofread and correct a letter

What result or exception would you inspect during the task, and when would you revisit it?

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Read the scale examples

These generic examples illustrate the level scale. They are not required activities for registered nurses.

Level 4: Write an email to staff outlining new directives

Level 2: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant

What document would another person need, and how would you check that they could act on it?

Review the result

Your plan should explain why the selected skills matter for your chosen task, what you will do next and what evidence you will examine. Revisit the plan after that activity. Completing a worksheet or matching an occupation’s ratings does not establish professional competence.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.