How to Start a Career in Nursing

Registered Nurse(RN): A RN, or Registered Nurse, performs various tasks under the supervision of a doctor. Some of the most important, daily tasks include: checking vitals signs, administering injections and medication, developing patient care plans, assessing patients, assigning duties to the LPN's and CNA's, and much more. Many RN's specialize in a field, such as oncology or pediatrics. The majority of RN's work in a hospital setting, but can also work in physician's offices, home health care services, nursing care facilities, employment services and more.

Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN): A LPN/LVN works under the supervision of a Registered Nurse or Physician. Tasks for a LPN include: taking blood pressure, pulse and temperature. They will also administer shots, change dressings, clean and bandage wounds, administer medication and monitor patient condition.

Nurse Practitioner (NP): A Nurse Practitioner is an advanced degree nurse. Daily tasks include seeing patients, diagnosing illnesses and writing prescriptions independently. Nurse Practitioners may order, perform and comprehend diagnostic tests including lab work and x-rays. Nurse Practitioners must already be a Registered Nurse and attend graduate school. A Nurse Practitioner may go on to specialize in a certain field, for instance Women's Health.

Critical Care Nurse: A Critical Care Nurse, or Acute Care Nurse, work with patients suffering from acute illnesses such as heart attack, respiratory distress, shock and more. These nurses work primarily in a hospital setting and may perform advanced diagnostic procedures.

Oncology Nurse: An Oncology Nurse is a specialized Nurse that works with cancer patients in hospitals, hospice settings, doctors' offices, cancer centers, and more. Nurses can specialize even more in the oncology field, including chemotherapy, breast oncology, radiation, etc. An advanced oncology nurse must have a minimum of a master's degree and may become further qualified by becoming an oncology certified nurse (OCN), advanced oncology certified nurse (AOCN) or a certified pediatric oncology nurse (CPON).

Psychiatric Nurse: A Psychiatric Nurse cares for patients with psychiatric disorders, medical issues, or substance abuse problems. Hospitals and community health centers employ the majority of psychiatric nurses. Tasks include assessing patients, creating treatment plans, and managing the patients' care.

Pediatric Nurse: A Pediatric Nurse works with children from infancy to 21 years of age in hospitals, primary care facilities, critical care facilities, and more. Work as a Pediatric Nurse focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosing childhood illnesses, and treating injuries.

Gerontological Nurse: A Gerontological Nurse cares for elderly patients in hospitals, nursing homes and doctors' offices. Nursing home nurses have similar tasks. Ailments extend from fractures to Alzheimer's to strokes and head injuries. A Gerontological Nurse's duties are to implement treatment plans for chronic illnesses, provide support for patients and families and perform administrative duties.

Home Health Nurse: A Home Health Nurse may work with a variety of patients, ranging from people recovering from accidents, childbirth, or illness. This Nurse makes sure to provide care and instructions to patients and their families.

Emergency Room (ER) Nurse: An Emergency Room Nurse encounters the patient when they first come into the hospital with acute illness and/or pain. Duties are similar to critical care/acute care nurse.

Operating Room (OR) Nurse: Operating Room Nurses work in the operating rooms in hospitals and other settings and work directly with surgeons. Duties include caring for patients before and after surgery, assisting the surgeon, chart recovery, monitoring vital signs and helping manage pain.

Nurse Anesthetist: A Nurse Anesthetist also works in the operating room. A Nurse Anesthetist is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with a graduate level education in anesthesia. These nurses perform duties similar to an anesthesiologist.

School Nurses: A School Nurse does much more than take temperature and dress bandages. Their numerous responsibilities include health services, counseling, physical education, nutrition, staff wellness, and parent/community involvement. School nurses have to make sure they follow individual students' health plans, especially for students with allergies or those in need of daily medication. School nurses vary from LPN's to PhD's, with different licensing and certification in between.

Nurse Educator: A Nurse Educator trains nursing students to become LPN's and RN's. They may also teach at the graduate level (master's and PhD's) preparing nurses for advanced degrees in specialized fields. Educators that teach LPN, associate's and bachelor's courses must hold a master's degree. To teach graduate level nursing programs, most colleges and universities require a minimum of a master's degree, but a PhD is preferred.

Public Health Nurse: A Public Health Nurse, or Community Health Nurse, works with the community to improve the overall health and well-being of its members. These nurses develop and carry out plans for immunizations, blood pressure testing, and other screening procedures. These nurses can be found in clinics, schools, retirement communities, camps, prisons, insurance companies, health departments, and homes focusing on prevention of illness, nutrition and childcare.

Occupational Nurse: An Occupation Nurse, or Industrial Nurse, attends to employees, customers, and others with injuries. You can find these nurses working at construction sites, manufacturing companies, and more. These nurses are trained to provide emergency care, prepare accident reports, and arrange further care if needed. An important task for occupational nurses is the focus on preventative measures to improve workplace safety by offering health counseling, exams and inoculations. These nurses will also assess the work area for possible hazards and health issues.

Forensic Nurse: A Forensic Nurse provides care to victims of crimes and may collect DNA evidence. They are a liaison between the medical community and the criminal justice system. Forensic Nurses have specialized training in forensic evidence collection and most forensic nurses work in the emergency room, seeing patients when they first enter the hospital.

Legal Nurse: A Legal Nurse consults with attorneys on matters relating to health. They will review cases and determine if negligence occurred and if a particular disability or workers' comp case is genuine. These nurses also help familiarize legal professionals with medical terminology.

Credit: Rnbuilder.com

- With an above average employment growth percentage, now is an excellent time to become a nurse.

- Employment of Registered Nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018.* Technological advances and an aging baby boomer population are to thank for the increased need for nurses.

- Interestingly enough, the industry with the highest expected growth rate is not in hospital settings, but in physician's offices.

- Nurses make up the largest sector in the health care profession, with 5 and a half million nurses and nursing aides in the United States.

- About 6% of the nursing population is male.

Registered Nurses
- RN's had a median income of $62,450 in 2008.**
- The Middle 50% of Registered Nurses earned between $51,640 and $76,570 with the highest 10% making more than $92,240 and the lowest 10% earning less than $43,410.**

Median Annual Wages in the industries with the largest number of Registered Nurses in 2008 were:**
Employment Services- $68,160
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals- $63,880
Offices of Physicians- $59,210
Home Health Care Services- $58,740
Nursing Care Facilities- $57,060

- About 18 percent of LPN's (Licensed Practical Nurse) and LVN's (Licensed Vocational Nurse) worked part-time in 2008.*

- Did you know? The term LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) is only used in the states of California and Texas.

- Employment for LPN's is expected to grow by 21 percent between 2008 and 2018.*

Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse
- The median wage of LPN's and LVN's were $39,030 in 2008.**
- The middle 50% earned between $33,360 and $46,710. The highest 10 percent earned more than $53,580 and the lowest 10 percent made less than $28,260.**

Median Annual Wages in the industries with the most LPN's and LVN's in 2008 were:**
Employment services: $44,690
Nursing care facilities: $40,580
Home health care services: $39,510
General medical and surgical hospitals: $38,080
Offices of physicians: $35,020

- Nursing Aides, or Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA's) employment is projected to grow 19 percent between 2008 and 2018.*
Growth in this field will be especially strong in facilities catering to the elderly community.

Nursing Aides/Certified Nursing Assistants
- The Median Income of nursing aides in 2009 was $24,980**
- The Middle 50% earned $24,040, the highest 10% earned more than $33,970 and the lowest 10% made less than $17,510.**

Median Annual Wages in the industries with the most Nursing Assistants in 2009 were:**
Nursing Care Facilities: $24,080
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $26,540
Community Care Facilities for the Elderly: $23,320
Home Health Care Services: $23,070
Local Government (OES Designation): $27,140

- A Nurse Anesthetist, or CRNA, has a projected 2010 base salary of $186,000.***
The projected base salary for a family physician is around $178,000. ***

*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
**According to the OES Survey Program
***According to the latest numbers from Merritt Hawkins & Associates, a physician recruiting and consulting firm

Finding and deciding on a nursing school to attend may make a huge difference in your career as a nurse. Choose wisely.

Before you start looking for a nursing school, you need to decide what type of nurse you want to become. (See above) The training and length of school varies drastically depending on what type of degree you are interested in. The requirements for a LPN is much different than a RN and you want to be sure the school you are going to attend has the right program for you.

Researching Schools in Your Area

Once you have narrowed your intended degree, you can begin reviewing nursing schools in your area to find out which ones are compatible with your interests. Once located, you should contact each school to obtain a catalogue and any other literature that identifies details, costs and requirements for the programs offered by the school. Many schools ask you to fill out a form so a representative from the school will contact you to discuss entry requirements and answer any of your questions.

Make sure that you identify the licensing requirements for the state in which you intend to practice. Pay particular attention to the number of education hours and the exam requirements. As you examine your candidate schools you will need to make certain that you will be able to meet all licensing requirements by matching them up with the programs offered by each nursing school.

Location

Location is an important factor when deciding on what nursing school to attend. Do you want to stay close to home or move to a big city in another part of the country. If you are planning on attending school at night, your options may be limited. The costs of moving away from home to go to school should also be considered.

Accreditation

Pay particular attention to the school's accreditation. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) as well as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as national accreditation agencies. They are the two most recognized accreditation agencies in the United States. They are also the most influential agencies when it comes to student aid and employment feasibility.

The difference between a CCNE and a NLNAC accredited school is that the CCNE does not accredit LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), Diploma or ADN (Associate Degree Nursing) programs, whereas the NLNAC does. Be sure to check with the schools you are interested in to find out their accreditations, and do your research on them. You do not want to miss out on financial aid opportunities because of poor accreditation.

Visiting Schools

This is one of the most important steps to take before making your final decision. Pay a visit to each nursing school that you are considering. Talk to the admissions staff and notice how professionally you are treated. Do they answer your questions thoroughly and convincingly? Do they make you feel comfortable or are they trying to "sell" the school to you?

Tour the school and examine the classroom and training facilities. Is the school clean and sanitary? Is the equipment modern and well maintained? Does the facility feel like it will be comfortable environment for learning?

If possible, talk with alumni and current students. Find out what they like about the school and what they dislike. Don't be afraid to ask those difficult questions. You can learn more about a school by spending some time with a few students than reading all the printed brochures available.

Cost

The cost to attend a nursing school is directly related to the type of degree you are looking to receive and the type of institution that you choose. According to the College Board website (linked in Resources), the average cost for a 4 degree was $26,340 at a public university and $100,572 at a private university in 2008. This is comparable to typical nursing-school tuition rates. For example, a 4-year BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree at University of Washington costs about $28,000 in tuition for in-state residents, and $93,000 for out of state students. At the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution, a 4-year bachelor's degree in nursing costs about $150,000.*

Those numbers are only relevant if you are interested in becoming a Registered Nurse. Going to school for an associate's degree in nursing, a diploma program, or to become a licensed practical nurse will cost differently, if not less. You must check with your school about their tuition prices.

Financial aid is available for a nursing students. Federal loans and grants are available for federally accredited schools. Low interest education loans are also available and the school should be able to direct you to appropriate lending agencies.

Alumni Help

Seek out alumni from the nursing schools that you are considering. Talk to them about their experience while attending the school and their subsequent contact with the school after graduation. This is a great way to determine if the nursing school has been supportive with career guidance and job placement assistance. Alumni feedback is an excellent means of determining if investing time and money in a particular massage school provides long-term benefits.

Summary

Remember, the more information that you acquire and the more questions that you ask, the better equipped you will be to make a sound decision. Nursing is a career that offers the potential for immense personal and professional satisfaction.
With the proper training and guidance you can have an excellent career that can improve the lives of the people you work with. The time you take to give thoughtful consideration about your choice of a nursing school will pay dividends for many years to come.

* Information courtesy of article "Average Cost of Bachelor's Degree in Registered Nursing" http://bit.ly/bmdtkw