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A career in nursing can be rewarding and exciting. Many people think that a nursing degree is not as respected as a medical school degree. It is important to realize that nurses are needed in growing numbers throughout the US. Nurses take care of patients and do a fairly large amount of the physical work involved. Nurses give shots, administer medication, and monitor and change IVs.

Nurses are educated in nursing school prior to getting a job. The early years of nursing school focus on beginner subjects such as how to wash hands properly and how to give a shop. As nurses progress through their education, they are placed into clinical settings to obtain real hands on experience. Once school is finished, nurses apply for jobs in their desired area. Because nurses are around a lot of medications, a drug test is usually required prior to acceptance of a job. Nurses can specialize in areas such as renal therapy, emergency room nursing, or surgical nursing. The specialties available are endless.

There are a lot of options available in the nursing field. Hospitals provide thousands of jobs to nurses. There is also the option of a doctor's office or nursing home. Nurses are needed for private home care. Nurses are also on staff at schools. The benefit of getting a nursing job at a school is three months off during the summer months.

There are many great things about the nursing field. Nurses are not stuck behind a desk for 8 hours a day staring at a computer. Nurses get to interact with many different people on a daily basis. Some nursing jobs involve working longer shift for three days a week and having a long weekend in between. The pay is not bad for a nurse and many places are always hiring new nurses. Most nurses wear scrubs to work which can be very comfortable and stylish.

There are also a few downsides to a career in nursing. Nurses are always around sick people, therefore they have a greater risk of becoming sick themselves. Sick people also tend to be cranky and nurses have to deal with angry patients with a smile. Some doctors may treat nurses with little respect. Nursing is considered by some people to be a woman's field. People may treat male nurses differently. Nurses have to deal with the reality that some of their patients will die no matter how much they nurture them. Nurses also may get attached to a patient in a hospital setting, only to never see them again after they are released. Nurses have to clean up after patients who have diarrhea or urinary accidents. They have to change bloody bandages. Some of the things they see are graphic and upsetting. Nursing is not for the weak at heart.

A career in nursing is rewarding, but it is not without its challenges. A nurse may not find her niche right away. With a little experience and experimentation, a nurse can find the most suitable job placement available to her.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Nursing

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