Nurses provide care, treatment, counseling, and health education to ill or injured people. They also provide prevention information to healthy people. Nursing demands a high level of integrity, ethical behavior, and emotional stability.

Registered nurses monitor their patients’ conditions, administer medications and treatments prescribed by physicians, and work with physicians and other members of the health care team. They also direct and supervise nursing support personnel.

In large hospitals, nurses typically work on medical or post-surgical units, or in a certain area such as surgery or intensive care. They may also work with special groups of patients including children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.

Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008, and because the occupation is large, many new jobs will result. Growth will also result from an increase in the number of older people, who are more likely to need medical care, and the need to replace experienced nurses who leave the occupation or retire.

There will always be a need for traditional hospital nurses, but a large number of new nurses will be employed in home health, long-term, and ambulatory care. Faster than average growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of medical problems to be treated, and an increasing emphasis on primary care.

Nurses should be caring and sympathetic. They need emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses. Psychomotor skills, as well as creative and critical thinking skills are also required.

Nurses must be able to accept responsibility, direct or supervise others, follow orders precisely, and determine when consultation is required. They must also be skilled in the use of computer technology.

Students must graduate from a nursing program and pass a national licensing examination to obtain a nursing license, which all states require. There are three major educational paths to nursing: associate degree in nursing (A.D.N.), bachelor of science degree in nursing (B.S.N.), and diploma. A.D.N. programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about 2 years. B.S.N. programs, offered by colleges and universities, take 4 or 5 years. Diploma programs, given in hospitals, last 2 to 3 years.

Generally, licensed graduates of any of the three program types qualify for entry-level positions as staff nurses. However, many career paths are open only to nurses with bachelor’s or advanced degrees. A bachelor’s degree is usually necessary for administrative positions and is a prerequisite for admission to graduate nursing programs in research, consulting, teaching, or a clinical specialization.

Most nurses work in well-lighted, comfortable health care facilities. Home health and public health nurses travel to patients’ homes and to schools, community centers, and other sites. Nurses may spend considerable time walking and standing. Because patients in hospitals and nursing homes require 24-hour care, nurses in these institutions may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may also be on-call and available to work on short notice. Office, occupational health, and public health nurses are more likely to work regular business hours.