Nursing Education Resources

Registered nurses assist in promoting health, preventing disease, and helping patients deal with illness. In their capacity as advocates, they help educate patients, their families, and communities. In the role of providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and note symptoms, reactions, and recovery in patients. Registered nurses also aid physicians with examinations, treatments, and surgical procedures. They administer medicines, and help patients rehabilitate. Nurses instruct people how to better maintain their health, and create and manage nursing care plans.

Registered nurses have the distinction of being the largest occupation in healthcare; they held close to 2.3 million jobs in 2002. The field is expected to grow even larger, making job opportunities great for prospects, especially when considering that more new jobs will be available for registered nurses than for any other job. Registered nurse employment is anticipated to increase faster than the average for all occupations between 2002 and 2012 and is expected to add 623,000 new positions, a 27-percent increase. The median yearly earnings for registered nurses in 2002 were $48,090. Nurses working in employment services earned a median of $55,980; those working in general medical and surgical hospitals brought home about $49,190; and nurses employed in care facilities made a median income of $43,850.

Source: 2002-2012 Occupational Employment Outlook compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Nurse Practitioner
• Physician Assistants
• Paramedics/Emergency Medical Technicians
• Occupational Therapists