Nursing Schools, Programs and Career Training

Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. There are about 2.5 million nurses working in the U.S. today, and they perform most of the daily monitoring of patients, including dispensing medication and record keeping. Nurses literally work on the frontlines of medicine, interacting with patients around the clock.

Nursing Training Programs

Within the broader nursing industry, there are many different specializations you can pursue, including

EMT paramedic training

Nursing assistant training

Respiratory therapy training

Vocational nursing training

Phlebotomy training

Most of these areas require associate's training from a dedicated program, meaning that you must already possess a high school degree when you apply. However, the more specialized a field you wish to pursue, the more training is typically required. Registered nurses generally have a bachelor's degree from a nursing school and many specialize in an areas of health care such as pediatrics, obstetrics, or gerontology. In all states plus the District of Columbia, registered nurses must pass a national licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) before they can begin practicing professionally. To become a head nurse, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse-midwife, you typically need a master's degree and may have to pass additional certification exams.

Outlook: Nursing Careers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts new opportunities for qualified nurses should grow twice as quickly as the national average for most other occupational fields. The health care industry as a whole is expanding rapidly, and because nurses regularly perform many of the most important functions, their skills and expertise should enjoy high demand over the next decade. From 2008 to 2018, some estimates predict that more than 581,000 new nursing jobs could emerge. Equally important, nurses enjoy transferable skills that enjoy fairly high demand all over the globe. Language barriers and licensing aside, the skills and training you master in the states are usually just as applicable on the other side of the world.