What is the career path for a nurse?

The career path for a nurse includes jobs as a registered nurse, a practical nurse, and a trauma nurse.

There is a myriad of different career paths for nurses, depending on what type of nursing field they want to enter, and if they choose to specialize in a niche area of nursing.

Here are some examples of career paths for nurses:

• Registered Nurse (RN)

A registered nurse has a broad list of duties in a hospital setting.

These include activities such as preparing patients for exams and treatments, administering medications, operating and monitoring medical equipment, educating patients and their family members on treatment and supervising practical and vocational nurses.

• Practical Nurse

A practical nurse typically provides assistance to doctors and registered nurses.

A practical nurse is responsible for a range of hands-on patient care and administrative tasks.

This includes monitoring a patient's health, such as vital signs and overall health condition. Changing bandages and inserting catheters.

They also provide basic patient care, such as daily physical activities. A practical nurse is subordinate to doctors and registered nurses and will assist them in certain medical procedures.

• Trauma Nurse

This is a medical professional that gives care to critically wounded or ill patients in the trauma center of a hospital. A trauma nurse is a hospital specialist who will only rotate through trauma rooms and assist the trauma team of doctors and lab professionals.

They treat patients involved in severe car accidents, suffered stab or gunshot wounds, or other serious injuries that require immediate medical attention.

While there are so many different kinds of nursing career paths, the requirements to become a nurse have many similarities in terms of education and experience:

In nursing school, they study and complete classes pertaining to nursing fundamentals, physiology, psychology, microbiology, pharmacology, women and infant health, and leadership management.

Individuals wanting to be a nurse of any kind need to be sure that the nursing schools they apply to are accredited institutions. In certain states, registered nurses only need an associate's nursing degree in order to practice.

Most BSN programs not only give you the knowledge you need but also expose you to hands-on experience as a nurse. This is invaluable because the profession of nursing can be stressful and unpredictable at times. Any real-world preparation is going to benefit you greatly.

• Complete and pass the NCLEX exam. After you've obtained your degree, this is the required next step. The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, also known as NCLEX, or NCLEX-RN.

This exam is designed to test your knowledge in all the critical areas of the nursing field. To obtain a state license and become a registered nurse, you must pass this exam. If you do not pass the exam, you then have to wait 45 days before you are eligible to take it again.

Just about every role in nursing requires you to pass this exam. If you haven't, you can still apply for nursing positions, however, the medical employer is almost certain to turn you down.

• Get State Licensure. This is another mandatory step. You need to get a nursing license in the state in which you want to be a nurse.

If you want to become a traveling nurse, you then need to obtain state licensure in every state you plan to practice in. Certain regions have licenses that can be utilized in multiple states but do your research, as this is the exception, not the rule.

Each state also has its own unique requirements for obtaining a nursing license.