Nurses provide direct care to patients in a medical setting. Typical duties may include creating or following a care plan, administering medication, taking detailed medical history, educating patients and their families about their medical conditions, assisting in labor and delivery, monitoring patients’ conditions following surgery, and more. Many nurses specialize in one or more practice areas, and some nurses pursue advanced practice.

Most nurses work in hospitals, but may also be employed in nursing facilities, physicians’ offices, home healthcare or government agencies. Nurses may work full-time or part-time, and because patients need 24-hour care, nurses may work evenings, weekends and holidays. Depending on staffing needs, nurses may work long shifts and overtime to maintain proper patient care levels.

This guide will introduce you to nursing and help you decide whether nursing may be the right career for you.

Top Nursing Schools

Traditional Programs

• Johns Hopkins University: Johns Hopkins University school of nursing offers three undergraduate programs; a traditional BSN, an accelerated 13-month program for students with a bachelor’s degree in another field and an RN to BSN program RNs with associate’s degrees or diplomas. The university also offers master’s programs with interdisciplinary focus options, certificate programs and doctorate programs.
• University of California, San Francisco: University of California San Francisco has consistently ranked among the top-ranked nursing schools in the country, and has been ranked #1 by US News and the National Institutes of Health. The University offers master’s degrees in 15 specialties as well as doctorate, post-doctorate and specialty programs.
• University of Illinois: The University of Illinois offers a number of BSN, master’s and doctorate degree programs, including bridge programs for RNs with associate’s degrees and diplomas and special programs for students with previous degrees in other areas. Since 1978, the university has maintained the Urban Health Program, to recruit, retain and graduate nursing students from underrepresented populations.
• University of Michigan: The University of Michigan School of Nursing offers three undergraduate programs, 20 master’s programs, and doctorate and post-doctorate fellowship programs. Michigan consistently ranks among the top three nursing schools in the country. The school of nursing is affiliated with the award-winning University of Michigan Health System.
• University of North Carolina: The University of North Carolina offers three BSN options; a traditional program including two years of general education courses and two years of nursing courses, an accelerated program for students with a bachelor’s degree in another area, and an RN to BSN program for nurses with associate’s degrees and diplomas. The university also offers a number of masters, post-master’s and doctoral programs.
• University of Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nursing, taught in an Ivy League environment by some of the top nurse researchers in the country. BSN students have the option of pursuing joint degrees with other Penn schools, and master’s students can choose from 18 different degree programs.
• University of Texas at Austin: University of Texas at Austin was recognized for efforts to recruit men in nursing with the 2005 “Best School or College of Nursing for Men Award” by the American Assembly for Men in Nursing. The university offers a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs, with alternative entry options for each degree track. Students gain clinical experience at two area health clinics.
• University of Washington: For more than 20 years, the University of Washington has ranked among the top nursing schools in the country and has the largest number of fellows in the American Academy of Nursing. The university offers a BSN, master’s programs in Master of Science and Master of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing.    
• Yale University: Yale University School of Nursing was founded in 1923 as the first school within a university to train nurses through education rather than apprenticeship. Yale offers a number of master’s, certificate and doctorate degrees in nursing, including joint master’s degree programs in divinity and public health.

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Quick Facts

• According to a Gallup poll, 82% of Americans rate nurses “high” or “very” high in measures of honesty and integrity. (Nursing World)
• According to hospital studies, higher nurse to patient ratios result in shorter hospital stays and reduce risk of infection and other adverse outcomes. (Center for American Nurses)
• Approximately 60% of RNs work in hospitals.  (BLS)
• As of 2007, approximately 8% of registered nurses are male. (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
• Employment opportunities for RNs are expected to grow faster than average.  (BLS)
• In 2008, the average age of working RNs was 47. (AACN)
• Registered Nursing is the largest healthcare occupation, with approximately 2.7 Million jobs in 2008. (BLS)
• The first nursing diploma in the United States was granted to Linda Richards in 1873. (Nursing Link)
• The National Center for Healthcare Analysis estimates that by 2020 there will be a shortage of approximately 800,000 nurses nationwide. (AACN)
• The New England Hospital for Women and Children, the first nursing school in the U.S., was founded in 1862.  (Nursing Link)

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Education & Training

There are three educational paths to prepare for a career as a registered nurse: community college or technical/vocational school associate degree programs and hospital diploma programs, which take 2-3 years of full-time study, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, which take at least 4 years of full-time study at a college or university. As nurses with bachelor’s degrees typically find more employment opportunities and advancement possibilities, the majority of registered nurses entering the workforce today obtain BSNs.

Nurses in advanced practice specialties, such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nursing consultants must obtain a master’s or doctorate degree in nursing. Approximately 13% of nurses today hold an advanced degree. Advanced practice nurses perform approximately 70% to 80% of the same medical services a physician can perform, and can prescribe medication in 49 states.  (BLS)

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Salary & Career Outlook

The employment outlook for nurses is expected to be excellent in coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 22% growth, with more than 580,000 being added in the next ten years. This growth is due, in part to the large number of nurses expected to retire in coming years, an aging population requiring more healthcare, improved treatments, and increased emphasis on preventative care.

As of 2008, the median annual wage for registered nurses working in the U.S. was $62,450 per year, with the majority of nurses earning between $51,640 and $76,570. Registered nurses with BSN degrees typically earn more than RNs with associate degrees or diplomas, and advanced practice nurses typically earn more than RNs. Wages also vary by experience, specialty and location. (BLS)

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Scholarships & Financial Aid

• Air Force ROTC Nursing Scholarships:Through the Air Force ROTC program, nursing students receive scholarships for all or part of their college expenses, including a monthly stipend, in exchange for a service commitment after graduation. Students must meet U.S. Air Force admission requirements.  
• Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship: This scholarship, administered through the Daughters of the American Revolution, is awarded in the amount of $1,000 to a student who demonstrates financial need and is enrolled in an accredited nursing program.
• HRSA Nursing Scholarship Program: This U.S. government program attempts to alleviate the shortage of nurses in the U.S. by providing a monthly stipend, tuition and fees and other reasonable costs to nursing students who commit to working for two years in a health care facility with a critical shortage of nurses.
• Medical Professionals of Tomorrow Scholarship: This $1,000 scholarship is available to full-time college students pursuing a degree in a medical field. Applicants must submit a 500-word essay along with the scholarship application.
• NSNA Scholarship: Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 are available to undergraduate nursing students and graduate students pursuing their first degree in nursing.
• SGNA RN General Education Scholarship: The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates offers this scholarship to a student pursuing a BSN at an accredited institution. Applicants must be full-time students with a minimum 3.0 GPA. The $2,500 scholarship is awarded after successful completion of the fall semester.
• Straightforward Media Nursing School Scholarship: Straightforward Media awards 4 annual $500 scholarships per year to students pursuing careers in nursing.
• The Barbara Palo Foster Memorial Scholarship Award: This award supports a college student who has a parent with cancer or has lost a parent to cancer and is interested in pursuing college education in nursing. The scholarship is $1,000 and is awarded for one year.

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The Best Nursing Job Boards

• Best Nurse Jobs: Best Nurse Jobs lists full-time and part-time permanent positions and travel nurse jobs for RNs, Nurse Practitoniers, LPNs and CNAs. Users can search for jobs and add their resume to the database to be searched by recruiters. 
• Hospital Jobs Online: Hospital Jobs Online is a job board for healthcare professionals in all areas of practice. Nurses can search by specialized practice area and location, and reference job searching tips and industry news.
• ICU Nursing Jobs: ICU Nursing Jobs caters specifically to critical care nurses. Users can search by job title, specialty, and location. This site also includes a number of career resources and informational articles for nurses.
• Nurse Universe: Nurse Universe posts jobs for nurses in a variety of roles, including RNs, LPNs, travel nurses, nurse managers, and various nursing sub-specialties. The site also presents information on education, career development and more.
• Nurse Zone: Nurse Zone presents an individualized job search experience. Nurses can search for their ideal jobs by preferred locations, specialties, work schedule, facility type, and more. The site also includes industry and salary information, career search advice, and other nursing resources.
• Nursing Crossing: Nursing Crossing searches the internet to find nursing jobs and posts more than 10,000 new jobs each day. Users can search by location, specialty, job title, etc.
• Nursing Job Source: Nursing Job Source helps nurses manage their job search by posting resumes, searching jobs, creating personalized job alerts and tracking applications all in one place. The site also includes useful nursing career resources.
• Only Nursing Jobs: Only Nursing Jobs allows users to quickly search for jobs matching their specific skills. Users can search, post resumes and receive personalized job alerts for free.
• RN Search: RN search posts only registered nursing jobs, and concentrates on hospital-based and specialty nursing positions. Users can search within their specialty and access informative articles and career resources.
• Ultimate Nurse: Ultimate Nurse posts travel nurse jobs for RNs and LPNs. Users can create a jobseeker account, then post an anonymous resume’, create personalized job alerts, and search for jobs by title and location.