Nursing CareerA nursing career is a multifaceted choice. Just as physicians have specialties, nurses have a wide range of options open to them. The basic level of nursing opportunities now is a certified nursing assistant or CNA. These people are usually trained by a facility—commonly intermediate care facilities (nursing homes) that have a large turnover due to the physical stress and the low pay. A CNA usually earns minimum wage and often has a rotating or shift schedule.
Licensed practical nurses (LPN) now perform many of the tasks, which used to be the province of the Registered Nurse. The LPN can give medications, for example. A LPN generally requires a two-year course of study and provides an Associate Degree. Many community colleges have nursing degrees.
The Registered Nurse course is often a 4-5 year course, leading to a BS degree. Here is where the opportunities are for people who have the dedication and understanding to help others. A recent count of nursing specialties included over 35 nursing specialty fields for everything from nurse-midwives to legal nurse consultants. Nurses help in forensics and in neonatal. You can find nurses in oncology and in the operating room.
Salary expectations for the nurse practitioner vary widely. For example, in California, a Registered Nurse can expect to earn almost $32 per hour. In Georgia, the hourly rate is $22 per hour. An LPN average annual salary is around $32,000 and the Certified Nursing Assistant earns about 24,000 annually.
The demand for qualified nurses continues to rise as the median age of the population rises. A nurse can find work in almost any area of the United States. |
