Focus on Careers: Nursing Resources

The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health
A report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. With more than 3 million members, the nursing profession is the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce. Working on the front lines of patient care, nurses can play a vital role in helping realize the objectives set forth in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, legislation that represents the broadest health care overhaul since the 1965 creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A number of barriers prevent nurses from being able to respond effectively to rapidly changing health care settings and an evolving health care system. These barriers need to be overcome to ensure that nurses are well-positioned to lead change and advance health.

Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing

Nursing Program Overview – Trident Technical College

American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 3.1 million registered nurses through its constituent member nurses associations, its organizational affiliates, and its workforce advocacy affiliate, the Center for American Nurses.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Resources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses
Registered nurses (RNs) constitute the largest healthcare occupation, with 2.6 million jobs. About 60 percent of RN jobs are in hospitals. Three typical educational paths to registered nursing are a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma from an approved nursing program; advanced practice nurses—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners—need a master’s degree. Overall job opportunities are expected to be excellent, but may vary by employment and geographic setting; some employers report difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of RNs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licenses Vocational Nurses
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of physicians and registered nurses. (The work of physicians and surgeons of registered nurses is described elsewhere in the Handbook.) The nature of the direction and supervision required varies by State and job setting.

Charleston County Public Library Research Tools – Careers and Education
See Ferguson’s Career and Guidance Center nursing resources.