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Choosing Nursing as a Career

Taking care of people who require medical help is your career choice.  You need a high school diploma before going on to Nursing School.   You may wish to learn more about what type of high school courses might best prepare you for nursing school.   Talking to your high school guidance counselor, a prospective nursing program or even a practicing nurse to help determine if this is the career for you.  A preadmission test, called the (NLN) is required by some nursing schools. 

Junior and Community Colleges offer Associate’s two-to-three year programs, which trains and prepares nurses to provide direct patient care in numerous settings.  Some hospital nursing schools, colleges and universities also offer the ADN.  This is an affordable education for going on to the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) and in some places it’s called the LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse).  Caring for the sick, injured, convalescent and disabled under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse are part of the duties as well as doing basic care.  i.e., taking temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and apply dressings.

Licenses are required when you complete your education and training.  You must also be licensed in the state where you work.  Taking the NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® license examination to become an Advanced Practice Nurse, a Registered Nurse (RN) or as a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse is necessary to become a nurse.

Another career that will put you in action while saving lives is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).  Specific responsibilities depend on what level of EMT.  The first level is EMT-Basic or EMT-1.  The most advanced level is EMT-Paramedic or EMT-4.  It is necessary to have the education and certification to become an EMT.

Some of the other medical careers include:

Laboratory Technician
Medical Administration
Medical Assisting
Medical Transcription
Patient Care
Pharmacist
X-ray Technician

This is just to name a few.  Some of the medical jobs only require a few years of career training and you can discover a career in the medical and health care industry.