According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 2.3 million registered nurses working in the United States. This doesn't count licensed practitioner nurses (LPN's) and other types of nursing. Nursing is the highest employment field in the country. To become a nurse is quite straightforward; it requires nursing school. Registered nurses are the most qualified form of nurse in the country. To become a registered nurse out of high school, most people attend a four-year college with a major in nursing. A bachelor's degree in nursing will be just as academically rigorous as any other college degree, if not more. Registered nurses make contact with almost every sector of the health care industry, from actually healing people from illness or injury, to processing the paperwork that is required by the health insurer. Registered nurses have a wide variety of tasks to fulfill. Generally speaking, they are advocates and health educators for patients, families, and communities. When providing direct patient care, they observe, assess, and record progress in patients; they of course assist physicians during surgeries, treatments, and examinations; administer medications; and assist in convalescence and rehabilitation. Licensed practical nurses, if working in a hospital setting, usually work under the tutelage of a registered nurse. To become a LPN requires a one-year course at a nursing school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are about 1,200 such schools in the country. The greatest need for licensed practical nurses is in fact not in hospitals or in medical facilities, but in nursing homes and patients' homes. As the population of retired people increase, more licensed practical nurses are needed to handle the routine care needed by older people in declining health.

The following schools offer nursing programs and can provide you with more information on how to become a nurse. Find the nursing school most convenient for you and click "Request more information" to learn more.