Nurse - Nursing

What is a nurse?

A nurse is a trained and licensed healthcare professional who provides compassionate, patient-centered care. Nurses work together with other members of a medical team to take care of you when you’re healthy and when you’re sick — whether it’s a temporary infection or an illness that spans years.

Nurses work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, long-term care facilities and schools, among many other settings. Who a nurse cares for and what they do each day can vary widely according to their background, training and specialty.

Some nurses care for babies or children, including those with complex medical needs. Others care for adults with specific diagnoses, like heart disease or cancer. Some nurses assist surgeons during major operations. Others specialize in hospice care and are with people during their final moments of life. Nurses with advanced training often serve as primary care providers.

Nurses touch every corner of healthcare, including those you might never see. While many nurses work primarily with patients, others also work behind the scenes in research, teaching or policymaking.

What is nursing?

Nursing is a health profession that’s dedicated to caring for people at all ages and stages of life in all settings. Nurses:

• Promote health.
• Help people prevent illness.
• Care for people who are ill, disabled or dying.

People often describe nursing as an art and a science. That’s because nurses integrate scientific methods with their own observations of each patient’s needs. Nurses recognize test results are important. But they know it’s also important to talk to each person to learn how they’re feeling about their condition. Nurses seek to connect with each patient, and they use these insights to guide their approach to care.

What are the different types of nurses?

There are three main categories of nurses in the U.S.:

• Licensed practical nurses (LPNs). A licensed practical nurse performs basic medical tasks. These include checking vital signs and changing bandages. LPNs work under the supervision of other healthcare providers, like doctors and registered nurses.
• Registered nurses (RNs). A registered nurse has more duties than an LPN. These include performing physical exams and helping create care plans. They work closely with doctors in caring for each person.
• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). An advanced practice registered nurse is an RN with graduate-level education. This advanced training allows APRNs to perform more duties than RNs, including ordering diagnostic tests and diagnosing conditions. A nurse practitioner is one example of an APRN. Nurse practitioners often serve as primary care providers. Other examples include certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists.

Nursing specialists

Registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) may choose to specialize in a specific patient population or type of care. These nurses have titles that describe the care they provide.

Nurses specialize by gaining on-the-job experience and, in many cases, taking comprehensive exams to earn professional certifications. These certifications are different from a nursing license, which all nurses must earn to practice. Only a licensed nurse can go on to specialize and earn certifications.

The chart below lists types of nurses by specialty and briefly describes what they do.

The chart doesn’t cover every possible specialty. But it can help you see the breadth and depth of nursing. It’s possible you’ll receive care from many of these nurses throughout your lifetime.

What is a travel nurse?

A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who goes to different locations as needed to perform nursing duties. Travel nurses often go to areas with a shortage of nurses. They may also travel to areas with a sudden, unexpected demand for nurses, like sites of a natural disaster.

Travel nurses don’t work directly for a specific hospital or healthcare facility. Instead, their employer is a nurse staffing agency. The agency sends them to different healthcare facilities across the U.S. and sometimes abroad. Travel nurses may choose to specialize, but they often perform care across many different areas from one assignment to the next.

How do I become a nurse?

The specific steps you must take to become a nurse depend on the nursing career you want to pursue. You may want to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN) or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Each has a unique pathway you need to follow. In general, to become any type of nurse, you must:

• Earn a high school diploma. This is a requirement to enter any nursing education program.
• Complete nursing education. What your education looks like varies according to your chosen path. LPNs complete a certificate program. RNs typically earn an associate degree or bachelor’s degree. APRNs must earn a master’s degree, at minimum. Some APRNs choose to earn a doctorate.
• Get your nursing license. All nurses need a license to legally practice in the U.S. You apply for your license through the Board of Nursing in the state where you intend to practice. All states require you to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). This exam ensures you have the knowledge needed to competently work as a nurse.

How long is nursing school?

How long you spend in nursing school depends on your career goals and the specific program you choose. Most nursing education programs for LPNs take one to two years. Programs for RNs take two to four years. You’ll need at least two additional years to earn a master’s degree and become an APRN. Doctoral programs take several more years.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

You’ve probably interacted with a nurse at least once in your life. Maybe it was at a routine checkup when a nurse took your blood pressure. Or maybe it was when you were going in for surgery and a nurse helped calm your nerves. Perhaps a nurse tended to your loved one and took the time to explain their treatment plan to you. And though you don’t remember it, there’s a good chance that nurses held you and cared for you moments after you were born.

Nurses touch people’s lives in many ways, and their work is constantly evolving. From learning new technologies to managing life-threatening emergencies, nurses are on the front lines of healthcare. Don’t hesitate to ask a nurse questions or concerns about your health. They’ll be happy to talk to you and connect you with other providers and resources.