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Nursing Careers, Jobs & Salaries

The nursing field, like many other healthcare fields, is expected to experience high growth over the next several years, as baby boomers age, life expectancy increases, and experienced nurses retire. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Services' most recent Occupational Outlook Handbook projected that the nursing field will add 587,000 jobs between 2006-16. This is a 23% growth, much higher than the national average for other careers, and means that nurses will be in increasingly high demand.

Registered Nurses (RNs) treat patients and educate families about medical problems and treatment. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) (also known as licensed vocational nurses, or LVNs) care for patients under the direction of RNs. A nurse's duties might include recording medical history and symptoms, taking vital signs, performing tests, running medical machinery, and administering medication.

All aspiring RNs must complete an accredited nursing program and pass the NCLEX-RN, which is the national licensing exam. LPNs must also graduate from a state-approved practical nursing program and pass the NCLEX-PN, which is the national licensing exam. A typical nursing program for an RN lasts about two years and offers an associate's degree (ADN), while a practical nursing program can be completed in about a year. Bachelor's and other advanced degrees are often required for more senior-level management and administrative roles.

Nursing is the largest healthcare occupation. In 2006, RNs worked in approximately 2.5 million positions throughout the United States. Three out of five RNs worked in hospitals, but as more sophisticated technologies are developed, more and more nurses are in demand outside the hospital, in places such as physician offices, outpatient care centers, home health care, employment services, or nursing facilities.

In May 2006, the median annual salary for RNs was $57,280. Median annual salaries ranged from $52,490 for those working in nursing homes to $64,260 for those at employment services.

The employment forecast for nurses is excellent through 2016. Many job openings will be due to increased technology for patient care, and the rise of preventive care. As the field becomes more advanced, nurses can treat more patients and more problems, allowing hospitals and other care facilities to expand their operations. The most rapid growth is expected to occur in outpatient facilities, nursing home facilities, home health care organizations, and rehabilitation centers. Hospitals will still continue to employ a large percentage of nurses, however, as they have a relatively high turnover rate.

Because nurses are in such high demand, many employers, particularly hospitals recruiting nurses for critical care or emergency room placement, offer recruiting incentives. These might include signing bonuses, flexible schedules, and tuition reimbursement. Many government organizations offer loan forgiveness programs in situations where a nursing shortage is felt state-wide.

Another growing need in the nursing field is for qualified nursing faculty. Nurses are in incredibly high demand throughout the country, but a shortage of faculty at nursing schools often force many potential nursing students to be turned away. Experienced RNs and BSN holders are heavily recruited by schools of nursing to teach new nurses.

Nurses with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) are expected to have the best job prospects. For nurses without a BSN, there are many opportunities to earn an advanced degree, and many employers will pay for the additional training. Online programs are particularly convenient for many RNs, since an online program more easily fits a typical nurses's schedule, but there are a variety of nursing programs, online and on-campus, that will help nurses further their nursing career.