Those of us who have grown up on a generous dose of medical potboilers think of nurses as kind, tender souls with a ready smile and a healing touch, caring for the sick and gently tending them back to health.

This fictional image of nurses is, in fact, not that far removed from reality. The American Nurses 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 responses; and advocacy in health care for individuals, families, communities, and populations.

However, what this definition does not mention are the inherent qualities of a nurse -- a compassionate heart, a calm demeanor, plenty of patience, and the burning desire to help those in distress.

If you possess all the above mentioned characteristics and are looking for a job that is both rewarding and challenging, then you may be ideally suited for a career in nursing.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses constitute the largest occupation within the clinical healthcare industry. They work closely with physicians and are involved in all aspects of patient care.

Nursing offers many career paths such as nursing of people with mental health problems, nursing of children, nursing of older people, nursing of people in their own homes or specialized nursing in oncology, orthopedic or cardiac departments.

Education Paths

Once you’ve chosen nursing as your preferred vocation, you need to obtain a Registered Nurse (RN) license, which is mandatory to work in a healthcare facility. To that end, an Associate Degree in Nursing will suit your requirements. A two-year program, Associate Degree in Nursing prepares students to appear for the National Council of Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). If you pass this exam, you can apply for a license to practice as an RN anywhere in the country.

Also popular are programs such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Masters in Nursing Administration. According to the American Nurses Association, many registered nurses with ADN as their first degree return to school for these higher degrees.

While the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is designed for practicing licensed nurses to enhance their career opportunities by providing them skills for supervisory positions, the Masters in Nursing Administration degree combines nursing theory and advanced practice concepts to prepare nurses for more complex and specialized functions.

Employment Opportunities

Coming back to the employment opportunities for registered nurses, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects overall job opportunities for this segment of healthcare professionals to be excellent. Registered Nurses are projected to generate about 587,000 new jobs between 2006 and 2016.

This should hardly come as a surprise given the ageing demography of the country and the acute shortage of licensed nurses. Registered nurses are, therefore, sought after not just by the general healthcare facilities like hospitals and clinics, but also home healthcare services, government and social assistance agencies.

What makes this career even more attractive is the flexible work schedules and option to work part time because of the 24/7 nature of the healthcare industry. In fact, 21 percent registered nurses worked part time in 2006.

And with growing demand, the compensation and benefits package offered to RNs is also improving. While the average annual income of registered nurses stood at $57,280 in May 2006, many employers are also offering bonuses, child care and other benefits to attract and retain nurses.

The time could not be better for entering into this gratifying service. After all, how many of us can return home after a hard day’s work with the feeling that we actually made a difference in someone’s life!