Nurses are required to provide patient care and carry out doctor´s orders. Their duties include medication administration, medical equipment supervision, patient observation, and intermediation between patients and physicians. Jobs of these professionals vary according to their title. Registered nurses perform more specific duties because they have more training and education levels than licensed vocational nurses.

Nurses usually perform many of the following tasks:
• Developing day-to-day nursing care plans.
• Keeping track of patient´s progress.
• Monitoring vital signs.
• Making sure supplies are in stock.
• Assigning duties to other staff members.

• Being trustworthy.
• Having a compassionate nature.
• Being physically fit to work at odd hours.
• Being patient and tactful.
• Having good communication skills.
• Being able to recognize a wide variety of problems.
• Having emotional stability.
• Having high attention to details.
• Having interpersonal abilities.
• Being able to work with a team.

Persons who want to be Nurses need to complete a Registered Nurse program that lasts two or three years to obtain an Associate´s Degree. These courses include subjects such as anatomy, biology, psychology, English composition, chemistry, algebra, sociology, among other relevant topics. Candidates who seek a Bachelor´s Degree will need to take specialty classes and more health sciences. After completion of a Bachelor´s or Associate´s degree in Nursing, applicants must take the NCLEX-RN exam to obtain their State license and registration. Candidates who want to be licensed vocational/practical nurses must have a proper educational training, that lasts twelve months, and then pass a NCLEX-PN exam.

Nurses can be members of The American Nurses Association in order to receive tips for care-giving and valuable and new information about this area.