The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment among RNs will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2008.

Hospital nursing is just one of many areas where nurses practice. Examples of other practice settings include home care, public health, extended care centers, clinics, offices, industries, hospice, occupational settings, and health and wellness centers. 
Areas of nursing practice include caring for children, adults and the elderly; services for pregnant women and newborn infants; operating room, critical care, and emergency departments; women's health and mental health. There are also many subspecialties of nursing practice areas such as sports injury nursing, cancer nursing, care of heart attack and heart surgery patients, newborn intensive nursing, and parish nursing. Two new areas for nurses to use their expert knowledge are tele-health nursing (counseling, teaching and monitoring patients via telephone, computer or other electronic means) and coordination of overall patient care (care/case management).

Nurses also serve in key government and elected positions where they advocate for the health needs of all people. Nurses with advanced education can become nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, educators, researchers, managers and own their own health care business. The possibilities in nursing are only limited by your passion and imagination. 

Salaries for nurses have increased significantly recently with starting salaries for new nurses in the mid $40,000s and salaries of experienced nurses ranging from $45,000-$70,000 depending on the geographic location. Nurse practitioners can generally command salaries over $70,000.

For information on current nursing positions nationwide, please visit http://www.aftercollege.com/groups/ccenter.asp?fct=1&ID=515081075