Types of Nursing

Whether your interests lie in pediatrics, anesthesia or anything in between, almost any medical arena needs the help of a skilled nursing staff. Many types of nursing, such as forensic nursing or public health nursing, require that you first become a registered nurse (RN). However, to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN) (a position in which you work under the supervision of an RN), you typically only need one year of study at a vocational school or junior college.
 
 
To become an RN, you will need either an Associate Nurse Degree or a Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing. After students earn their bachelors in nursing, they will need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to officially become a licensed RN.
 
In addition to passing the NCLEX, students who want to work in higher paying positions will have to specialize their knowledge by taking further certification programs. For example, forensic nursing typically requires further education in forensic science, while a pediatric nurse needs to specifically learn more about education and childcare. Having specialized knowledge or experience in your chosen type of nursing is key to getting the job you want.

What It Takes to Be a Nurse

You can become a registered nurse by:
  • earning a bachelor's degree in nursing
  • earning an associate's degree in nursing
  • earning a diploma from a certified nursing program.
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) usually take four years to complete at a college or university. An Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) takes two to three years to finish at a junior or community college. Diploma programs take place in hospitals and usually run about three years. If you already have a bachelor's degree in another area, you can look into an accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing program, which takes 12 to 18 months to complete.
 
Regardless of which track you choose, you will also have to pass a national licensing exam to earn a nursing license. After passing this exam, most registered nurses can start working in an entry-level position. Additional training can allow nurses to choose an area of specialization and usually helps with career advancement down the line.
 
Accelerated master's degree programs in nursing are available to registered nurses regardless of whether they have a junior college degree or a bachelor's diploma. These master's programs combine one year of an accelerated bachelor's program and two years of graduate work. Nursing programs typically assist with job placement once students complete the curriculum.

Why Choose Nursing as a Career: What Nurses Do

Nurses must possess both technical knowledge and a compassionate nature to be successful. Other necessary qualities of a nurse include the ability to pay attention to detail, handle stress, be sympathetic and direct others.
 
The large number of nursing career options provide prospective nurses with a variety of different possible work environments. From hospitals to governmental agencies to insurance and managed care companies, many different agencies need and staff nurses.
 
Regardless of placement, during some point in their careers, all nurses:
  • administer medications
  • assist with patient follow-up
  • educate patients and the public on medical conditions
  • perform diagnostic tests
  • provide advice and support to patients and their families
  • record medical histories and symptoms
  • treat patients.
Nurses can choose to specialize in one of four main ways. These specializations can be categorized by:
  • particular work environment or treatment (i.e. perioperative nurses help surgeons in operating rooms)
  • specific health condition (i.e. diabetes, cancer)
  • specific body organ or system type (i.e. dermatology, urology, gynecology)
  • well-defined population (i.e. geriatrics and pediatrics).
As the population ages, life expectancies grow and current nurses retire, the opportunities for nurses to work in more than one area will also increase.

Nurses' Salaries

Because of the demand for them and the training need to become one, nurses usually earn very good salaries. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual earnings of a nurse were $57,280, with the middle 50 percent earning between $47,710 and $69,850. Nurses working in employment services had a median salary of $64,260, and those who worked at general medical and surgical hospitals earned a median salary of $58,550.
 
Future job growth will be large across all sectors of the nursing field, but some areas will grow faster than others. For example, job opportunities for nurses in hospitals will rise the slowest, whereas physician offices and home healthcare agencies will see the most rapid growth in nursing positions.
 
Other nursing areas that will see significantly high growth rates include employment services and outpatient care services (except those in mental or drug abuse facilities). According to the U.S. Department of Labor, nurses with at least a bachelor's degree will fare better in finding a position than those who have no degree. The current job market looks exceptionally good for nurses, regardless of the career path they choose.
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