How to Become a Nurse:
Your Nursing Career Guide

How Much Do Nurses Make? Nursing is a satisfying and rewarding career choice. A registered nurse (RN) can expect a high average salary, employee benefits, and job stability. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for a registered nurse in 2018 was $71,730 a year, or an hourly wage of $34.48. (The median salary means that half the nurses earn more than that amount, and half earn less.) You’re re ...

What is Meth? Meth -- short for Methamphetamine -- is an illegal drug, classified with other powerful stimulants like cocaine. It’s a white crystalline substance that is odorless, bitter-tasting and dissolves easily in water or alcohol. You’re reading one of our “Nursing Career Guide” articles. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? Take our free NCLEX practice test -- no registration required! ✨Methamphetamine has o ...

Passing the NCLEX-RN exam is the last major milestone standing between you and your ultimate prize -- a Registered Nurse license. It’s hard to stop the panic from setting in, but you have been preparing for this test for years! You are more ready than you feel. You’re reading one of our “Nursing Career Guide” articles. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? Have a look at our free NCLEX practice questions -- no registra ...

Whether this is your first time working the night shift, or you are re-entering the night shift workforce after some time away, the initial transition can be tough. When your body is used to a normal circadian rhythm, it can feel difficult or even impossible to get yourself used to functioning on the opposite schedule. Fear not, however, as we have compiled 5 tips to help you acclimate successfully to the night shift: While tough, it is certai ...

A common scenario: It’s 3:00pm on a Tuesday and you are discharging a patient from the medical-surgical unit /emergency room/ambulatory surgical unit. You review their discharge instructions with them, to make sure they understand their recovery process and limitations after discharge. Then you hand them a prescription for a narcotic analgesic. They look you in the eye and say, “I’m a little bit nervous to take these at home. I do ...

The healthcare market has undergone countless changes over the past ten years. Some examples:The Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 (ACA) caused a shift from specialty care to primary care. Technology made electronic charting, patient monitoring, and use of data more available and efficient. Telemedicine allowed patients to get care without actually visiting a doctor. An increase of for-profit healthcare companies, meaning a more cost-focu ...

All nursing programs include fluid balance and intravenous (IV) therapy as part of the curriculum. The information about the types of IV solutions and when to use them can be confusing for a nursing student. Nurse.Plus is happy to offer this simple reference guide to the four basic types. You’re reading one of our “Nursing Career Guide” articles. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? Have a look at our free NCLEX practice ...

Nursing is a unique field in that several levels of education can lead to the same Registered Nurse license. You’re reading one of our “Nursing Career Guide” articles. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? Take our free NCLEX practice test -- no registration required! ✨While an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) is the base level of education that will allow you to sit for your boards, more and more nurses are choo ...

If you are a seasoned nurse of 10 years or more, you likely remember a time in your career before social media exploded onto the scene and became such an integral part of the world we live in. Whether you are 18 or 78, you likely know several people who use social media as a way to stay connected to the world. With websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr available for easy access on smart phones, nurses nowadays are more connected ...