The ANA (American Nurses Association) defines nursing as:

“Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.”

Nurses work closely with physicians as an extremely important and necessary part of the health care team. The doctor makes the key decisions about the diagnosis, treatment, and medication, and it is the nurse’s role to administer that care to ensure the patient’s speedy recovery. Because they may actually spend more face-to-face time with a patient than doctors, nurses must be able to effectively connect and interact with patients, putting them at ease, and assisting them in their recovery, and overall well-being.

According to the BLS, there are three educational paths to becoming a nurse. A diploma from an accredited nursing program or hospital, an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN – a two-year program), or a bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN).

Diploma tracks have become less popular over the years, as most candidates opt for associate’s degrees or bachelor’s degrees, due to their availability and versatility. Finally, before becoming licensed and practicing as a nurse, one must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), or for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Just about anywhere doctors work, nurses do too, including but not limited to hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, hospice centers (both home based and facility based), ER’s, ICU, schools, corporations, and more. Nurses are involved with nearly all aspects of a patient’s care, from providing comfort and hygiene to administering injections and IV’s, and updating medical records.

Schedules and duties vary based on the type and level of nursing role. Surgical nurses assist in the OR with equipment and supplies from pre-surgical prep, to post-operative care. Nurses can be generalists or obtain Master’s degrees and additional certifications to specialize in a specific area such as pediatric, cardiac, neonatology, oncology, or just about any specialty.

Due to a shortage of nurses, burn-out can be an issue, caused by stressful hours, and being stretched too thin. Also, keep in mind that as a nurse, you may be working during the hours of the week when your friends and family are off work. As a nurse you may be working nights, and weekends, so even if you have a regular 40-hour workweek, you may not see much of your family at times, if they are on different schedules such as a 9 to 5 Monday through Friday situation. Also, depending on what type of nurse you become, you could be dealing with very sick people, and their families who are under duress, so you must have the type of personality and drive to deal with serious issues on a regular basis.

The average compensation for a nurse is between $43,000 and $63,000, the more experienced and senior level RN’s can bring home $80k+.

**Annual earnings are determined by a variety of factors including field, title, place of employment, level of education, experience and geography.**

Search RN Jobs