Career as a Nurse

Typical Work
Clinician Nurse, Advance Practice Nurse, Educator, Administrator/Manager, and Researcher.
Nurses constitute the largest healthcare occupation in the world and are the largest component of any hospital staff. Being the primary providers of hospital patient care, nurses observe, assess, evaluate and record patients' conditions and progress. Nurses communicate patient condition information to doctors and other members of the health care team. Practice settings extending beyond the hospital work place include home care, private practice, public health, extended care centers, clinics, offices, schools, military service, corporations, health-related industries, hospice, occupational settings, and health and wellness centers.

Necessary Education
To practice as a nurse, one requires a high school diploma and a good understanding of algebra, chemistry, biology and psychology. There are three major educational paths to becoming a registered nurse: a bachelor's of science degree in nursing, an associate degree in Nursing, or a diploma. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a four-year university degree and is seen as one of the best foundations to begin a career in nursing. The Associate Degree in Nursing is a two-year program and is usually offered through community colleges. Hospitals sometimes offer diploma programs to provide on the job training. These diplomas are usually affiliated with junior colleges. Nursing education includes classroom instruction and clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology and other behavioral sciences, and nursing. Supervised clinical experience is provided in hospital departments such as pediatrics, psychiatry, maternity, and surgery. A growing number of programs include clinical experience in nursing care facilities, public health departments, home health agencies, and ambulatory clinics.

International Opportunities
Health care workers are needed in every country in world. Nurses have the opportunity to volunteer in third world countries or with the right visa, can find nursing opportunities in any country.

Statistics
More new jobs are expected to be created for registered nurses than for any other occupation. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012. Almost 3 out of 5 jobs are in hospitals, in inpatient and outpatient departments.

Skills, Interests and Personal Traits
Like all other health care practitioners, nurses should be caring, sympathetic, responsible, and detail oriented as well as committed to easing human suffering and have a capacity to respond quickly in emergency situations. There is a need for emotional stability to ensure the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses. Nurses should also get along with people and have good communications skills.

Salary Range
$30,000/year (Clinician) - $90,000/year+ (Administrator)

Associations and Organizations
http://www.nursingsociety.org/
http://www.nursesource.org/
http://www.advancefornurses.com/
http://www.nursingspectrum.com/
http://www.nsna.org

Other medical career choices

Other career choices