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The American Nursing Association defines nursing as "the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations." Nurses assist and complement physicians, and work in all the same areas and specialties as doctors, while remaining in a profession that is a separate discipline of its own.

Modern nursing is a unique blend of art and science, combining biology, medicine, and medical technology with the arts of communication and compassion. The goal of nursing is to enhance the quality of life throughout the course of a lifetime. In this capacity, nurses do more than simply tend to the ill; they also provide support, both physically and emotionally, and work to promote the highest level of health for individuals, families and even entire communities.

A good nurse will first and foremost be concerned with patient care, expressing empathy, sympathy and compassion towards those in difficulty. A good nurse must be a patient and organized individual, and should possess a degree of physical stamina and excellent communication skills in addition to character traits like flexibility, cool-headedness and level-headedness, self-confidence, and good judgment.

Nursing Degrees
There are numerous categories of nurse (see "Career Opportunities in Nursing" below), each concentrating on some aspect of health care, either general or specific. Regardless of the eventual specialization a nurse might choose, virtually all nursing professions share a common educational background.

There are three major educational pathways that prepare one for nursing certification. These paths begin with an associate degree in nursing (ADN), a bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), or an RN diploma.

Associate of Science Degree in Nursing (ADN)
The quickest and most common educational path is a two-year Associate of Science Degree in Nursing (ADN). Approximately 850 community and junior colleges around the country currently offer ADN programs. With its emphasis on applied skills, an ADN program readies nurses to deliver basic patient care. Once the ADN graduate passes a state licensing exam, the nurse earns the right to be called an RN, or Registered Nurse.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)
There are currently more than 674 accredited nursing programs that offer a four-year course of study culminating in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Along with the standard liberal arts college curriculum, the BSN major program trains the prospective nurse in such essential skills as practical patient care, research, management and public health. A BSN is a prerequisite for entry into most master's degree programs, and is preferred for many other nursing specialty positions.

RN Diploma Program
Also referred to as a "hospital diploma," these specialized programs last about three years, and have a strong focus on core medical and science studies, intensive nursing classes, and clinical training and internships. Until about a decade ago, most RNs in the U.S. were initially educated in one of these diploma programs, but they are slowly being phased out, partly because of the high expense to hospitals, in favor of BSN programs.

Examination
In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, once the student has graduated from an approved nursing program, he or she must then pass the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), a national standard exam, in order to obtain a nursing license. Most states also have their own additional requirements beyond these national requirements.

Licensure
In addition to passing the NCLEX, nurses must be licensed by the state in which they will practice. There are three major divisions of nursing, each with its own license and licensing procedures: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN; also known as Licensed Vocational Nurse, or LVN), and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). (For additional details on these careers, please see "Degree Programs and Careers in Nursing" below.)

Although requirements vary from state to state, licensed graduates of any of these three degree programs for the most part qualify for entry-level positions as staff nurses as well as many other positions. There are also numerous opportunities to move beyond these basic degree programs, as about 417 nursing schools currently offer master's degrees in nursing, and 93 offer doctoral degrees.

Degree Programs and Careers in Nursing
There are three major divisions of the nursing profession, each with numerous specialty positions falling within its domain. These three divisions are:

Registered Nurse (RN)
A registered nurse (RN) is a health care professional who possesses the education, skills and competency to practice all aspects of the care and recovery of the sick and maintenance of well-being in the healthy. RNs ensure that patients receive care that is appropriate, timely, and professional, in a variety of settings. The RN's scope of practice is wider than that of other credentialed nursing professions; they supervise LPNs, for example.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
The titles "licensed practical nurse" (LPN) and "licensed vocational nurse" (LVN) are two names for the same occupation. LPN/LVNs are concerned with basic patient care, and are almost always under the supervision of doctors or RNs. The range of responsibilities of LPN/LVNs is far less than that of RNs, and is usually restricted to routine bedside duties such as delivering medications; assisting patients with simple activities such as eating, bathing and using bedpans; and taking and recording patients' vital signs.

Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
As the title implies, the Advanced Practice Nurse is the most advanced level of nursing currently available in the U.S., and is entrusted with the widest range of responsibilities. To qualify as an APN, the registered nurse must also possess an advanced degree (master's or doctorate), and will often be subject to additional testing, examinations and licensing, as well as continuing education requirements and regular follow-on examinations to retain an APN credential.

Once one has attained a nursing degree, many nurses choose to specialize in a specific area of interest. Among the most popular specialty nursing careers:

Public Health Nursing
Public health nurses work with cities, towns and other communities to promote the optimal health of their citizens. Their functions can include public education, general health screenings and immunizations, and first aid. A master's degree is usually a prerequisite for a career as a Public Health Nurse.

Forensic Nursing
Forensic nurses cooperate with police and other law enforcement agencies in the clinical investigation of various crimes. Depending on their location and specific job responsibilities, they might collect evidence, diagnose trauma or treat people injured during the commission of a crime, or assist in the rehabilitation of offenders.

Geriatric Nursing
Providing care for an increasingly aging population is the domain of the geriatric nurse. Senior citizens have a unique set of age-related medical and emotional problems which are addressed by this occupation. Geriatric nurses can work in many venues, including hospitals, eldercare facilities, or in patients' homes.

Home Health Nursing
Home health nurses (also known as "visiting nurses") bring professional healthcare services to patients who are home-bound or who are recovering from injury or illness in their own homes. This can include the elderly with limited mobility, new mothers and infants, the terminally ill, or any of a number of other temporary or chronic conditions which can be served outside of an institution. Home health nurses range from skilled nursing care to hospice personnel to caregivers who assist the incapacitated with basic functions of daily life, such as eating and bathing.

Legal Nursing
Legal nurses bring their expertise of the medical and health care field to the field of law, serving as consultants to lawyers, insurance companies, and other legal professionals, explaining complex medical terminology, procedures and practices to non-medical personnel. The legal nurse does not need a law degree to consult; however, a separate occupation, Nurse Attorney, specifies an individual with training and degrees in both vocations.

Midwifery
A midwife assists women during childbirth and is a trained healthcare provider fully versed in women's health issues, including all stages of pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care of both the newborn infant and its mother.

Medical-Surgical Nursing
Also known as a "trauma nurse," the medical-surgical nurse provides care for institutionalized adult patients with acute conditions, or who are recovering from surgery, or are in the terminal stages of a disease or condition.

Occupational Health Nursing (OHN)
Occupational health nurses are registered nurses who apply their medical training to the workplace to ensure the health and safety of the workers. Their responsibilities can range from simple first aid to employee health education to assessing worker safety, health and hygiene hazards.

Pediatric Nursing
Pediatric nurses specialize in providing health care to children of all ages, from infancy through adolescence. Pediatric nurses are educated in the developmental stages of child growth, and their responsibilities can range from disease prevention and treatment to education to assisting patients and their families deal with mental or physical disabilities.

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing
Psychiatric nurses deal with that segment of the population suffering from mental illness rather than (or in addition to) physical illness. Additional training in this specialty is required for this occupation.

Financial Outlook for Careers in Nursing
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment opportunities for nurses of all varieties is expected to grow "much faster than average for all occupations" during the upcoming decade. Due to the wide range of training, education and responsibilities, as well as factors such as location and experience, salaries for nurses will vary widely. For more detailed figures and information on specific nursing careers and occupations, please visit the page for that occupation.