With almost 2.6M registered nurses (RN) in the United States, nursing is now the largest health care profession in the country. If you think that hospitals are the only place a nurse could be found, you are certainly misled. Public health agencies, communities, ambulatory care centers and other places where health care services are rendered also commonly have nurses employed.
1. The Nursing Practice
Nursing covers a wide area of practice. It includes
– Childcare
– Elderly care
– Services for pregnant women
– Services for newborn infants
– Specialty area – injury nursing
– Specialty area – cancer nursing
– Specialty area – forensic nursing
2. Choose Your Nursing Program
The first step to be a nurse is to graduate from a nursing program. This would enable you to take a state licensure examination. In the US, more than 1500 nursing programs are offered. Three of these programs prepare you in assuming different tasks once you graduate.
A. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
This is a four-year curriculum offered in colleges and...