What Nursing Involves at a Glance
Nursing involves providing clinical care, coordinating treatment, and supporting patients across hospitals, clinics, and home settings. The profession includes assessing symptoms, administering medications, operating medical devices, and documenting outcomes in electronic health records. Nurses work under state boards of nursing and follow scopes of practice defined by law and facility policy Forbes.
Nursing roles span licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse practitioners. Each level requires distinct education, exams, and supervised clinical hours. Hospitals, health systems, and outpatient networks rely on these roles to staff units such as medical-surgical, critical care, emergency, labor and delivery, and oncology SEC filings.
Education, Licensing, and Certification
Entry into nursing usually starts with a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor of science in nursing, followed by the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN exam. Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs typically take four years, while associate degrees take about two years, and accelerated options exist for career changers Forbes.
Advanced Practice and Specialty Credentials
Advanced practice registered nurses hold master's or doctoral degrees and must obtain national certification and state authorization. Common specialties include family practice, psychiatric mental health, adult-gerontology, and women's health. Certifying bodies such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists set standards and exams SEC filings.
Duties, Settings, and Compensation
Daily nursing duties include taking vital signs, starting intravenous lines, wound care, patient education, discharge planning, and coordinating with physicians and pharmacists. In hospitals, nurses may work 12-hour shifts, rotating weekends and holidays, while outpatient and telehealth roles offer alternative schedules Forbes.
Median annual pay for registered nurses in the United States is around $81,220, with top earners and specialized roles such as nurse anesthetists earning higher figures. Employment is projected to grow faster than average, driven by aging populations, chronic disease management, and expanded access to care. Major employers include large health systems, government agencies, and ambulatory care centers SEC filings.