There is a lot of information out there on how to become a nurse but it seems to be all over the place. Hopefully, you will find what you need in this article without having to go anywhere else.

There are 3 levels of nurses in the United States; the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), the Registered Nurse (RN) and the Nursing Practitioner (NP). An LVN attends a private technical school for a maximum of 18 months. Once they are licensed they are always supervised by an RN. An RN attends a 2-year college or a university where they earn an associate’s degree. An RN may also attend a 4-year university and get a Bachelors of Science and Nursing (BSN). An NP has a master’s degree in nursing he or she would have started with a BSN and then taken two more years of courses to earn his/her degree.

If you plan to go to nursing school, you will need a high school diploma. You also should have taken some science courses, especially anatomy and physiology. Courses you will be expected to take at nursing school will include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, nutrition and chemistry. You also need a good grasp of the English language.

After college or university, nurses must be certified. Among the test they have to write are the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. These will be reviewed by organizations such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Regardless of which level they study to, nurses are perform basically the same functions; they treat and educate patients, advise on courses of treatment and provide emotional support to patients and their families, they record patient’s medical histories, they perform diagnostic tests and operate medical machinery, they give treatment and medication to patients, and they help with patient follow-up.

The job prospects for nurses are good. According to the Bureau of Labor, there are currently 2.5 million registered nurses in the United States with the probability of another 500,000 expected to be created until 2016. The average salary for nurses is $65,130; with the highest paying jobs being ones provided by employment services.

Being a nurse can be one of the most rewarding careers you can have. It is not an easy job and requires a lot of strength and stamina. Many nurses complain that they are not given enough respect by some doctors and by some patients. However, there are many benefits to being a nurse including knowing that you are making a difference in someone’s life and possibly saving that life.