Job Opportunities for Nurses
The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook details working conditions, training, employment and job outlook for registered nurses (RNs).
Job opportunities for RNs in all specialties are expected to be excellent. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow much faster than average through 2014 — 27 percent or more. In fact, RNs are projected to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations.
Most nurses work in hospitals as staff nurses. Head nurses or nurse supervisors direct nursing activities; other nurses may be employed in outpatient care centers, doctors’ offices, emergency medical centers or nursing homes. Many job opportunities are also available in home health care; public health care settings such as government agencies, schools and retirement communities; and in occupational health or industrial settings.
Advanced career opportunities for nurses with additional education include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse-midwives. Job openings are expected to increase in outpatient facilities such as same-day surgery, rehabilitation and chemotherapy. With the first wave of baby boomers becoming senior citizens, nursing care for older people will also be a huge area of growth in job expansion.
Skills Required and Working Conditions
Nurses must be physically able to care for sick patients. This involves lifting, moving, bathing and transferring patients into and out of bed. Nurses are exposed to patients with infectious diseases.
Because nurses deal with the public, a neat, well-groomed appearance and a courteous, pleasant demeanor are needed. Nurses must be good at putting patients at ease, listening to patients and explaining physician instructions. Conscientiousness and respect for the confidential nature of medical information are required.
Other job demands include:
- Emotional stability and calm decision-making under pressure
- The ability to work accurately and safely under stress and time constraints, read and record numbers accurately, perform repetitive tasks, concentrate in distracting situations, and make subjective evaluations and decisions where mistakes may have a high impact on patient care
- The ability to adapt to changing environments
- The ability to prioritize tasks
- Effective communication in written and spoken English in order to transmit information to members of the health care team
- The ability to make a correct judgment in seeking supervisory help and consultation in a timely manner
- Positive personality attributes that include integrity, responsibility and tolerance
- The ability to work independently as well as with others
- A professional image
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Salaries
Salaries for nursing professionals vary widely depending not only on education and qualifications, but on the type and size of employment facility. About three out of five nursing jobs are in hospitals, either in inpatient or outpatient departments.
According to America’s Career Infonet, registered nurses in Texas earned an average of $26.66 per hour in 2006, with a median annual salary of $55,500. About 40 percent of nurses have had at least some college experience, and 58 percent hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Registered nurses (RNs) in the top 90 percent of their earning bracket make an average of $76,600 annually.
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LVNs) in Texas earned a median wage of $35,600 a year in Texas in 2006, or $17.12 an hour. These nurses in the top 90 percent of their salary bracket earn $46,600 a year.