Nursing Careers

Overview of the career field:

Nursing is the largest profession in the healthcare field, and industry leaders don’t expect that to change in the near future. The demand for nurses across the country is high, especially with a predicted nursing shortage in 2025. As the Baby Boom generation ages and need for healthcare expands, hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities will be looking for nurses. The shortage spells trouble for the post-World War II babes, but gives those interested in the nursing field numerous opportunities for employment and career advancement.

Nursing also gives you a wide variety of career paths depending on your level of education: You can work in hospitals—where most nurses in the country are employed—nursing homes or with a private practice, to name a few. You can work as a registered nurse, working side by side with a doctor and prepping patients for check ups, or you can become as qualified as a nurse practitioner, where you have your own patients and prescription privileges depending on state laws. The day-to-day of a nurse’s life can get hectic and overwhelming, but the pay and advancement opportunities are good, and the profession is stable.

Salary range:

The average salary for registered nurses in the U.S. is about $60,000. Registered nurses generally start out at about $46,000 a year, and nurse assistants start at about $20,000. The more advanced you are as a nurse, the more money you make. For example, a nurse manager can make up to $85,000, a nurse practitioner’s average salary is $92,000 and a certified registered nurse anesthetist averages about $100,000 a year.

Job prospects:

The nursing profession is expected to grow 20 percent or more than all other professions in the next decade.

Another plus for prospective nurses: The industry is continually adding new jobs as other professions lose them. For example, healthcare facilities added 21,000 new jobs in November 2009, while 85,000 other jobs were lost across the country. Since the recession started in September 2008, more than a half million jobs have been added in the healthcare industry. Despite the worst recession since World War II, the nursing field has still proved to be a steady career choice.

Typical work day:

The typical work day for a registered nurse depends on where that nurse works. For a registered nurse in a hospital, nurses check in with patients throughout the day and night, taking blood pressure levels and administering general care, such as IV drips, shots, medicine and hygiene care. They also keep in constant communication with physicians providing primary care for their patients. At hospitals, nurses can work several days in a row with long hours (10-12) followed by a few days off.

A nurse practitioner’s typical day, for example, is closer to one of a physician instead of a hospital nurse. A nurse practitioner will see several patients a day, do case work and give prescriptions (about 96 percent of nurse practitioners have prescription privileges). Most practice in primary facilities, but about a third of the country’s nurse practitioners do their work in non-primary healthcare facilities, such as emergency rooms or surgical centers.

Skills required:

Nurses need to have a comprehensive knowledge of medicine, the human body and general diagnostic exams and tests. They also have to have competent writing and communication skills, as they are responsible for filing casework and communicating patient information with physicians. Other skills that make a good nurse are the intangible ones: Nurses have to know how to multitask, focus for long hours, work quickly, make fast decisions and provide a calming presence for patients.

Career growth prospects:

The ability to move up in the nursing ranks depends on your education level and practice experience. Much like a physician, there are numerous levels and fields a nurse can choose to work in. Some nurses advance to specialty careers, such as nurse practitioners, anesthetists or midwives, who focus in prenatal and postpartum care. Nurses also can be promoted to managerial positions, such as nursing director or supervisor.

Here is a quick overview of some of the most-advanced levels of nursing:

  • Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). CRNAs are the highest paid nurses in the country with an average salary of $100,000 or more. They work in surgical centers as an extension of anesthesiologists and deliver anesthesia during surgery.
  • Nurse Practitioner (NP). An NP provides patient care under the supervision of a licensed physician and can do exams and patient tests. What a nurse practitioner can do depends where they work. Some states require physicians to sign off on all NP work, while others allow the NP to work independently and prescribe.
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). Clinical Nurse Specialists are trained in a specific specialty of healthcare and assist with research, education and advocacy of that specialty. For example, a CNS can specialize in oncology and work with other specialists in that field for clinical tests or develop protocol for oncology care.

Pros and cons:

The pros of a nursing career are clear: stability, high demand for jobs, good pay and opportunities for career advancement. But the demands of the job are high. Nurses often work long, stressful hours mostly on their feet. If you get queasy easily, or if you don’t like multitasking, making quick decisions or performing under pressure, than nursing may not be the job for you.

Education required:

Your education requirements depend on what level of nursing you want to get into. The most common path to becoming a registered nurse is receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in nursing. Some also can become a nurse through an associate’s degree in nursing. However, all prospective nurses must pass state exams before becoming a registered nurse.

The more advanced you want to become as a nurse, the more advanced degree you need. Clinical nurses specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners all need master’s degrees or specialty degrees. For example, to be a certified nurse-midwife, you have to graduate from a nurse-midwifery program accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Most nurse management or supervisor roles also require a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration.

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