| Nurses, also known as registered nurses, take care | | | | Some careers are open only to nurses who have a |
| of the sick, treat injuries and give emotional support | | | | bachelor's degree. Nursing education includes clinical |
| to patients and their families. Daily activities of the | | | | training, where nursing students train with registered |
| registered nurse may include helping doctors examine | | | | nurses in a hospital or other healthcare environment. |
| and treat patients, administering tests to patients, | | | | Nurses study anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, |
| submitting these tests to laboratories, providing | | | | psychology, theory and nursing. Upon graduation, |
| patients and their families with instructions on how to | | | | nurses must pass a test to obtain a permanent |
| take care of themselves, which can include proper | | | | nursing credential to practice in California. Registered |
| nutrition, exercise and taking medications. | | | | nurses take courses every few years to keep their |
| Nurses can focus on one type of treatment or one | | | | skills current. |
| type of medical problem. Some registered nurses help | | | | Nurses should be caring and nurturing. They also need |
| doctors during surgery, while others work in | | | | to be good at identifying problems and remembering |
| emergency rooms or intensive care units. Many | | | | details. Nurses need to work well with doctors and |
| nurses work in doctors' offices where they | | | | patients. Many nurses also supervise assistants and |
| administer medical tests, take patients’ vital | | | | other workers. |
| signs, dress wounds, do lab work and perform | | | | In Los Angeles, with experience and advanced |
| administrative duties. | | | | coursework, registered nurses can become head |
| Types of jobs for registered nurses in Los Angeles | | | | nurses or nursing managers. Some nurses move into |
| can vary -- from home health nurses going to | | | | the business side of health care and find work in |
| people's homes to help patients to flying in | | | | large companies in healthcare planning, and marketing. |
| helicopters to get to patients in an emergency. With | | | | To prepare for a nursing job in Los Angeles, |
| advanced training, a registered nurse can become a | | | | prospective nursing students should take biology and |
| nurse practitioner and prescribe medication like | | | | other science courses. Communication skills are critical, |
| physicians. Nurse midwives can help women give | | | | so students need to be proficient in reading and |
| birth. | | | | writing. Mathematics is also important as nurses need |
| Registered Nurses in Los Angeles who work in a | | | | to account for doses of medicines for patients. |
| hospital environment help the sick and often deal with | | | | How does a nursing job pay in Los Angeles as well as |
| medical emergencies, which can be very stressful. | | | | in the United States? The average half of all |
| Nurses in hospitals often help many patients at once | | | | registered nurses earned between $ 47,710 and $ |
| and spend a lot of time standing and walking. Safety | | | | 69,850 in 2006. The lowest-paid 10 percent earn less |
| is an issue for registered nurses because they care | | | | than $ 40,250. The highest paid 10 percent made |
| for people with diseases, move patients frequently, | | | | more than $83,440. (Source: US Bureau of Labor |
| as well as come into contact with radiation (x-rays) | | | | Statistics-BLS) |
| and chemicals. Because patients need 24-hour care, | | | | Registered Nurses are the largest occupation in the |
| hospital nurses often work nights, weekends and | | | | healthcare industry. There are about 2.5 million nurses |
| holidays. There is flexibility to the nursing profession | | | | in the United States as of 2006, with about 60% |
| as many registered nurses are able to work | | | | employed by hospitals and 20% working part-time. |
| part-time. | | | | What does the future hold for nursing? The Bureau |
| How do you prepare to become a nurse in | | | | of Labor Statistics expects jobs for registered nurses |
| California? Nurses must graduate from an LA | | | | to grow much faster than the average for all |
| nursing school or other nursing school in Southern | | | | occupations through 2016. Many new jobs will be |
| California. It takes about two years of college to | | | | available for people who want to be nurses. |
| finish an associate degree in nursing and about four | | | | Hospitals will need nurses, but many new nurses |
| years to complete a bachelor's degree in nursing. A | | | | working in home health clinics, doctors' offices and |
| diploma in nursing usually takes about three years. | | | | nursing homes will also be needed. |
| Deciding what type of training to choose is important. | | | | |