Nurses

Nurses are in high demand in the US and other countries. Nurses aid doctors and other medical professionals in the treatment and care of patients. There are a number of different types of nurses from Licensed Practical Nurses, to Registered Nurses, to Nurse Practitioners. They are employed in different medical settings such as hospitals and doctors offices. They are educated for their particular field at a trade school or university. They are taught about the human body, physiology, and diseases. They undergo clinical training in a hospital setting. They also learn methods of bedside manner.

Registered Nurses, RN

There are over 2 million RNs in the US. The majority of RNs are employed in hospitals across the country. They receive a bachelors or associates degree before becoming certified. From there, the RN can further specialize into different forms of patient care. Some of these fields include: emergency care, hospice care, rehabilitation, pediatric care, along with many others. These different types of registered nurses can work in different environments such as clinics and medical offices. The average salary of registered nurses per year is around $57,000.

Licensed Practical Nurse, LPN

An LPN works under the physician and registered nurse in a hospital or other areas of the health care field. Usually, the schooling for an licensed practical nurse is shorter than an RN’s, and they have less responsibilities. Mainly, the LPN works with the patient to take vital signs, administer IVs, and keep the patient comfortable. LPNs work in hospitals, medical offices, and nursing homes. Most work a 40-hour week, and earn approximately $36,000 per year.

Traveling Nurses

Traveling nurses are trained registered nurses that move across the county to work in different hospitals. They are typically RNs with a few years of experience. They can choose to travel for a few months at a time, or permanently. Although the job requirements are the same, the setting is changing constantly, so the RN gets to work with a lot of different people. Because of the traveling, the nurse will be compensated for travel expenses, and earn an average pay competitive to that of a stationary nurse.

Certified Nursing Assistant, CNA

Certified nursing assistants are very important in busy hospitals. CNAs help the nurse when she can’t be in the patient’s room. The nursing assistant can check a patient’s vital signs, and provide them with assistance in daily activities when they are going to be in the hospital for a long period of time. CNAs have different titles depending on where they work. Some of these other names are: patient care technicians or orderlies. This job usually pays slightly over minimum wage per hour.

Demographics for nursing salaries

The highest paid nurses are located in metropolitan areas in California, making about $36.00 per hour. The lowest paid nurses are found around the western Virginia area, making about $19.00 per hour.