Nurse Careers

Nursing is a terrific choice for an undergraduate career. Nurses make up the largest part of the clinical health care industry, with more than 2.5 million nurses in the United States. Nursing careers offer many roles and responsibilities. Nurses work with doctors to help care for patients, update medical records, administer medication and injections and perform simple diagnostic procedures. They also may prepare patients for surgery and provide care for them afterward. Also, nurses can focus on a specialty, such as pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology or cardiology. The best part is that all you need is an undergraduate degree to become an RN.

Nursing careers require candidates to follow one of three educational paths: they can graduate from an accredited nursing program; study for an associate’s degree in nursing; or earn a bachelor’s degree. After graduating, nurses must take a licensing exam in order to practice. Nurses can be found working in many environments. Although more than half work in hospitals, many nurses work in clinics, doctor’s offices, schools, emergency rooms and government agencies.

Those looking to increase their opportunities and learn more about the nursing field can become an Advanced Practice Nurse by continuing on to a master’s degree. Advanced Practice Nurses focus on advanced studies in a particular specialty. These nurse careers are the highest-paying.

There are many benefits to nursing. Nurse careers offer job stability, a variety of responsibilities and varied schedules. Nursing is also very rewarding to many because it involves helping those with injuries and medical conditions. Also, nursing offers many career options. Nurse careers may include specialty roles, such as nurse practitioner, or be a stepping stone for management positions. However, being a nurse is not for the faint of heart. Nursing involves long hours and high stress. You’ll be dealing with very ill people and won’t be able to spend a lot of time with your friends and family. However, if you are compassionate, detail-oriented and enjoy helping those who are sick and injured, a nursing career may be for you.