Registered Nurse - A High Paying Job

By Author: By CeFung
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Despite tough economic times, demand for registered nurses continue to be strong. The US Department of Labor estimates that the demand for nurses will rise 23% from 2006 to 2016. That's 587,000 new positions in ten years. One of them could be you.
The same strong demand means that registered nurses are paid well. The same article from the Department of Labor shows the median pay for registered nurses is $57,280 in May 2006. The middle 50% of registered nurses earns $47,710 to $69,850.
This demand is pretty much universal among all the first world countries. An article in the March 2002 issue of the American Journal of Nursing magazine shows that Netherlands, a small country of sixteen millions, is short 7000 nurses back in 2002. Canada is estimated to need 10,000 new nurses every year up to 2011 but only graduates half that number per year. England was short 22,000 full-time-equivalents position on March 2000.
The above means that finding a nursing job is pretty much guaranteed once you meet its qualifications. In the US, a nurse must be licensed and registered in the state he or she practices in. This ensures ...
... the high standard of health care in the US is maintained. Other countries will also have their own licensing and registration requirements, but the same high standard we use here in America ensures that a registered American nurse would be qualified to work as a nurse elsewhere.
To be a registered nurse, you must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass a national exam to obtain a license. More certifications are often required for the more advanced nursing specialties. Check your local colleges for a state-approved nursing program. If there's none, some colleges also offer online courses which you could take from your home. Basic nursing programmes normally take about one to two years to complete, depending on course-load. Such a program can be followed-up, usually after a few years in the workforce to gain experience. You can continue on to a more advanced degree (e.g., a Master's degree) or obtain certifications in specialized areas.