Nursing is poised to change the face of health care as never before. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment among RNs will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008. Despite this accelerating demand for baccalaureate and graduate-prepared nurses, entry-level bachelor-degree enrollments in nursing schools have experienced their fifth consecutive drop in as many years, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Nursing offers an abundance of opportunities from bedside nursing to the president of the hospital. Clinical specialists, nurse practitioners, nursing administrators, and nurse educators are just a few examples of the variety of opportunities awaiting you in a nursing career. Nurses are also working in influential government positions both appointed and elected. If you choose a career in nursing, you will discover a career filled with excitement and rewards. Nursing involves a care of people, sick and well. It provides an essential service to humankind. Nurses who are career professionals are dedicated individuals who have committed themselves to improving the quality of health care delivery and to the prevention of disease.

 Nurses work in a variety of practice settings including hospitals, long-term care facilities, community and public health agencies, independent practice, ambulatory care centers, the Public Health service, military services, the Veteran's Administration Hospitals, and in any setting where people need health-care services. Nursing needs capable women and men from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, and nursing positions are available in many areas of the nation. As a nurse, you can choose to practice in a variety of geographic locations. You can work in metropolitan areas like New York City or San Francisco, Indian reservations, the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky, in rural areas of Maine and Vermont, mining towns in Utah or Colorado, suburban communities in Illinois or New York State, senior citizen clusters like St. Petersburg or Miami, Florida. The majority of new graduate nurses begin their careers working in hospitals. Hospital nursing Service includes the opportunity to work in areas with patients requiring medical and surgical care, maternity and pediatrics. After some experience, and in some instances additional education, you may choose to work in a more specialized setting. 

Some Requirements For A Successful Nursing Career*
(*Adapted from your Future in Nursing Careers.)


Academic ability. Nursing makes intellectual demands on the student. You must be willing to be a serious student with a desire to learn a whole new body of scientific knowledge. 

Responsibility. When you receive the title "registered nurse" you also assume accountability for your actions, legally and morally. You must respect confidentiality, use dependable judgment, and be loyal to the profession.

Liking for people. It is necessary that you accept and respect the rights of people of all ages, races, social status, sexual preference and religious beliefs. This means you have to be unbiased, compassionate, considerate and interested in others. 

Willingness to learn. You must be motivated to learn, to keep up with trends in your profession and to value and profit from life experiences. 

Common Sense. You will need to develop the ability to handle catastrophe and crisis, along with everyday frustrations in a confident and efficient way. 

Determination. The road to becoming a registered nurse is not easy and you will need good mental and physical health and plenty of stamina and endurance. 

After you Graduate - A Wide Choice

After completing a nursing program, you will be required to pass the National Council Licensure Examination to become a registered nurse. During the interim between graduation and receiving a passing test score, you may practice as a graduate nurse in most states.

Although salaries vary widely across the country, nurses' pay has improved steadily over the past 20 years. In the large metropolitan areas such as New York City and Chicago, a beginning graduate may earn $32,000 or more. Additional benefit packages often add $5,000 or more to your base salary.

Financial compensation for nurses varies according to geographic location, type of nursing, years of experience and level of education. Starting salaries for entry level staff nurses range from $30,000 to $45,000 per year, plus additional pay for evening, night and weekend shifts. Benefit packages often include health insurance, vacation, holiday pay, college tuition reimbursement, childcare, flexible scheduling and pension plans. Clinical Nurse Specialists and nurses with advanced degrees make considerably higher salaries.

Specialty areas such as medical/surgical, obstetrics, pediatrics, acute care, emergency, psychiatry, operating and recovery rooms, are included in virtually all hospitals with 100 to 1,200 beds or more. There are many opportunities for nurses to practice in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Teaching, administration, clinical specialist, and nurse practitioner positions require advanced education at the masters and doctoral level. If you have a specific nursing specialty in mind, it's a good idea to check out the education and experience requirements before choosing a nursing education program.

After you have made that important decision and you are enrolled as a nursing student, there's an organization of nursing students, the National Student Nurses' Association, that can provide you with resources, scholarships and leadership opportunities. Write to the National Student Nurses' Association, Inc., 555 West 57th Street, Suite 1327, New York, N.Y. 10019 for membership information.

If personal and professional satisfactions are what you're looking for, nursing is for you!

Source of this article:
Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow (NHT) is a coalition of 32 nursing and health care organizations working together to wage a communications campaign to attract people to the nursing profession. 

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Some requirements for a successful nursing career

After you graduate -a wide choice

Nursing Shortage