Nursing is one of the most rewarding and respected careers you can pursue, with a great job outlook, flexible specializations, room for advancement, and the opportunity to change lives.
While some jobs come and go with technological advances and changes in society, nursing is a timeless career.
There will always be a high demand for nurses, now more than ever.
Whether you’ve just started exploring nursing education options or you’re looking to advance in your career, use the guide below to learn the ins and outs of the nursing profession and take your next step.
Table of Contents
What Are the Benefits of Being a Nurse?
Before we jump into the how, here’s a quick overview of why you should consider a career in nursing.
- Demand: Nurses are essential. COVID-19 has resulted in a heightened nursing shortage, but the job demand for nurses has been high historically, and it is predicted to stay that way.
- Earning potential: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for a registered nurse is $77,600, more than twice the national average salary across all professions.
- Chance to advance: There’s a lot of room to grow as a nurse. Nurses have the potential to advance based on their experience, education, and certification in different specializations.
- Flexible scheduling: As a nurse, you can opt for a traditional 9 to 5 from Monday to Friday, teach sporadically throughout the week, or work three shifts a week at a hospital with the potential to work overtime to earn more money.
- Unique opportunities: What do cruise ships, planes, and camps all have in common? They need nurses. In addition to having a range of environments to work in, you can also choose between dozens of specialties, pursuing what you’re most passionate about.
- Building relationships: As a nurse, you get to bond with patients and their families, as well as other nurses and healthcare professionals. Nursing is a team sport, and you can build lifelong relationships with the people you encounter on the job.
- Dress code: When it comes to workplace attire, it’s hard to beat the comfort of a good pair of scrubs and your favorite sneakers or clogs.
- Variety: If you’re looking for a job that keeps you on your toes (in a good way), you’ll find it in nursing. The medical field at large is always advancing, and each day you get to encounter patients with unique backgrounds, cases, and needs.
- Activity level: Being a nurse keeps you on your toes and on your feet. As a nurse, you can expect to do some pretty frequent walking and heavy lifting in many settings.
- Impact: Few jobs allow you to impact lives in the way that nursing does. As a nurse, you are closer to your patients than anyone else. Not only do you form bonds with them, but you also get to improve their quality of life, and quite literally save lives regularly.
While there are pros and cons to a nursing career and not everyone is cut out to be a nurse, the advantages of a nursing career are worthwhile if you think it could be a good fit.
Nursing Career Paths
There are several levels of nursing degrees, each one offering different employment opportunities.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of nursing, from entry-level to advanced, with an overview of what the job entails and the average salary for the role.
| DEGREE REQUIREMENTS | JOB DESCRIPTION | AVERAGE SALARY* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | Practical Nursing Diploma (1 year) | Basic daily care, monitoring vital signs, and administering medication in some states | $48,820 |
| Registered Nurse (RN) | Associates Degree in Nursing (2 years) or Bachelors of Science in Nursing (4 years) | Coordinating care plans, assessing patients, administering medication, educating patients, starting IVs, and drawing blood | $77,600 |
| Nurse Educator | Bachelors of Science in Nursing (4 years) or Master of Science in Nursing (2 years) | Classroom, lab, and clinical instruction of nursing students | $75,470 |
| Nurse Administrator | Bachelors of Science in Nursing (4 years) or Master of Science in Nursing (2 years) | Coordinating schedules, overseeing budget and use of resources, and managing nursing staff | $115,160 |
| Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) | Master of Science in Nursing (2 years) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (2-4 years) | Serving as nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, and nurse specialists | $117,670 |
* Salary data informed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
What Are the Steps to Become a Nurse?
The path to being a nurse starts with earning a degree, but it goes much further than that.
Read on for a quick overview of the steps needed to begin and further your nursing career.
1. Choose a Nursing Degree
The first step to launching your nursing career is choosing what type of degree you want to pursue. As you can see above, there are several levels of nursing careers, with varying educational requirements.
At this stage, it’s important to consider your:
- Long-term career goals
- Immediate needs and availability
- Rigors of the program
- Demands of the job
- Salary
You also need to factor in the hiring preferences of healthcare providers.
Today, the majority of hospitals prioritize applicants with a BSN over applicants with an ADN, with some hospitals requiring a bachelors degree for all nurses.
In this case, many hospitals will hire an applicant with an associate’s degree, on the condition that they obtain their BSN within a few years of being hired.
2. Pick Your Nursing Program
There are thousands of nursing programs across the country. While clinical training is hands-on, you can choose to pursue your classroom credits virtually or in person.
You can also choose to pursue your education full-time or work while completing your degree on a part-time basis.
If you’re getting your LPN or ADN, you can complete your educational requirements at a community college or technical school. To get a BSN or advanced degree, you’ll need to enroll at a college or university.
As you narrow down your list of programs, it’s a good idea to research the school’s reputation and reviews from former students.
You should also factor in each program’s:
- Acceptance rate
- Accreditation
- NCLEX pass/fail rate
- Prerequisites
- Proximity to you
- Scheduling options
- Tuition
- Financial aid
3. Complete Your Degree
During your time as a nursing student, you will engage in learning in the classroom and participate in clinical training.
In clinicals, you get to work directly with doctors, nurses, and patients in a hospital or other medical setting, gaining insight into what specializations interest you.
To get even more experience, you can get a job in the medical field while you complete your degree. For example, you might work as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), direct care aide, or transporter.
Unless you pursue an advanced nursing degree, you will likely be in school between 1 and 4 years.
It’s important to check your state’s licensing requirements to ensure you clock in enough clinical hours as these requisites vary from state to state.
4. Get Licensed
Once you’ve completed your nursing program, there are a few steps you need to take to get licensed to practice.
- Pass the National Council Licensure Exam: To apply for a nursing license, LPNs must pass the NCLEX-PN, and RNs must pass the NCLEX-RN. APRNs are additionally required to pass a certified exam issued by an approved board or nursing organization. The NCLEX will have anywhere from 75 to 265 questions and can be retaken after 45 days if you fail.
- Complete your licensing application: Depending on what state you live in, the licensing application and requirements may vary. You can find the requirements for your application on your state department of health website.
- Submit to a background check: All but a handful of states require a criminal background check for nurses. Your state should provide information on how to proceed.
5. Find a Job
- Build your resume: Make your resume the best it can be. A site like Canva can help you build a stellar nursing resume from hundreds of templates, and you can look at other top-tier resumes online to get ideas for your own.
- Use your connections: Take advantage of any connections you have in the field, whether it’s your favorite nursing professor, a family member, or a friend who works in the specialty you’re interested in.
- Vet prospective employers: Before you dive headfirst into a job opportunity, do some research on the employer. Read online reviews, check out nursing salaries, and talk to current and previous employees. Ask lots of questions during the interview process, too.
- Check with local hospitals: Whether you want to stay close to home, are ready to relocate to a certain city, or you’re interested in travel nursing, check out employment opportunities directly on local hospitals’ websites.
- Look at job boards: Job boards like Indeed and Monster can point you to great nursing jobs. For an even more tailored experience, you can check out the American Nurses Association’s career center.
- Weigh each option carefully: Consider the pros and cons of each position you’re exploring, from the location to the salary to the job description. Think about what you loved most during clinicals and prospects that allow for advancement.
- Stand out: Fine tune your application and interview answers (like your skills and weaknesses) and promote your credentials and experience as best as possible. Market yourself so you shine among the competition.
6. Advance Your Career
When you’re ready to take the next step in your career, there are tons of resources to help you.
Remember, you may be able to advance in your specialty based solely on your experience, especially if you’re considering a more administrative role.
If you’re looking to advance, talk to superiors who’ve made a similar shift. Be on the lookout for job openings from your employer and put your name in the ring.
And if you’re ready to go back to school, there are programs designed for busy full-time nurses that make bridging from an RN to BSN or BSN to MSN as easy as possible.
Look out for programs offering special discounts, deals, and education grants for nurses.
There are several reputable nursing associations and organizations that can help you along the way, too.
7. Keep Up Your Credentials
The further you get into your nursing career, the longer your list of credentials and licensing documentation gets. And it can be all too easy to lose track of this information.
But it’s crucial to stay up-to-date on these requirements and to continue earning education credits. You can check with your state’s website to see what the licensing and continuing education requirements are where you live.
Many continuing education credits can be earned for free online.
And consider an app like Nurse Backpack or CertAlert+ to store all your credentials so you never have to worry if a deadline has slipped through the cracks or dig through a stack of papers looking for a certificate again.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the job outlook for nurses?
According to the American Nurses Association, the projected growth for RN employment is at least 11% in every state through 2022.
How long does nursing school take?
Nursing school can be completed in 1 year for an LPN, or 2-4 years for an RN depending on whether you get an APRN or BSN. Advanced nursing degrees can add another 2-4 years of school.
Is there financial aid for nursing school?
There are several scholarship options and education grants for nurses, whether you’re attending an undergraduate or graduate-level program.
What kind of nurses get paid the most?
The highest-paid nursing position is a registered nurse anesthetist. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a nurse anesthetist is $183,580.
How do you find a job as a nurse?
Nursing jobs can be found on generic job boards, nursing job boards, and hospital websites. You can narrow your job search by location, educational requirements, and specializations.
Pros and Cons of Nursing