Nursing Careers

Find everything you need to know about becoming a nurse or advancing your nursing career with our career guide series.

Ready to start your journey?

Entry-Level Nursing Careers

What Is a Registered Nurse?

What Is a Registered Nurse?

Registered nursing encompasses numerous jobs, specialties, and duties. Keep reading to learn what RNs do, their average salary, and career opportunities.

Gayle Morris, MSN •August 29, 2024
How to Become a Registered Nurse

How to Become a Registered Nurse

Discover how to become a registered nurse with this essential guide. This guide covers educational paths, licensing requirements, and a salary and career outlook.

Genevieve Carlton, Ph.D. •July 9, 2025
How Much Do Registered Nurses Make?

How Much Do Registered Nurses Make?

Nursing is a rewarding and lucrative career. Read more to discover how RN pay can be impacted by location, experience, education, skillset, and more.

Charmaine Robinson, MSN-Ed, RN •July 2, 2025
11 Job Options for Registered Nurses

11 Job Options for Registered Nurses

Nursing is a unique profession, allowing practice in a wide variety of settings to help people live better lives. Consider these 11 options for registered nurses.

Jody Dugan, RN, BSN •March 27, 2024
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Program Overview

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) Program Overview

Learn about how to become an LVN or LPN, including admission materials, program requirements, work settings, earning potential, and long-term advantages.

Courtney Smith-Kimble •October 4, 2023
How Much Do LPN/LVNs Make?

How Much Do LPN/LVNs Make?

Learn what licensed practical nurses (LPN) earn and what impacts their salaries.

Rebecca Munday •May 3, 2023
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) vs. Registered Nurses (RN)

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) vs. Registered Nurses (RN)

LPNs and RNs share many tasks, but there are differences in their education requirements and scope of practice. Keep reading to learn about LPN vs. RN careers.

Meg Lambrych, RN-BC •August 27, 2024
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Career Overview

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Career Overview

Learn what a certified nursing assistant (CNA) does and find out if a career as a CNA could be right for you.

Rebecca Munday •November 23, 2022
Certified Nursing Assistant Training: How to Become a CNA

Certified Nursing Assistant Training: How to Become a CNA

Becoming a CNA offers a quick pathway to earn your scrubs. Learn more about how to get CNA training and the career advancement opportunities available.

Nalea Ko •October 1, 2024
How Much Do CNAs Make?

How Much Do CNAs Make?

Examine the earning potential and career outlook of CNAs, the highest-paying states, and ways to increase pay through increased education, certification, or changing work setting.

Daniel Bal •September 21, 2023
Most Common Jobs for CNAs

Most Common Jobs for CNAs

While there are a lot of certified nursing assistant (CNA) jobs in hospitals, home healthcare, and long-term care facilities, opportunities abound in some surprising settings.

Maura Deering, J.D. •June 17, 2025
18 Reasons to Choose a Career as a CNA

18 Reasons to Choose a Career as a CNA

CNA training opens doors to a nursing career without the time and financial commitments of earning a degree and includes options to take CNA classes online.

Maura Deering, J.D. •August 1, 2023
Should I Become an LPN or a CNA?

Should I Become an LPN or a CNA?

LPN vs. CNA? This guide answers questions like how long an LPN or a CNA program takes to complete and how to become an LPN or a CNA.

Maura Deering, J.D. •May 3, 2023

Advanced Practice Nursing

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Career Overview

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Career Overview

Learn about advanced practice registered nurse jobs, roles, salaries, and requirements.

NurseJournal Staff •October 18, 2024
Nurse Practitioner Career Overview

Nurse Practitioner Career Overview

Nurse practitioners are in demand. Learn about nurse practitioner careers, including responsibilities and average pay.

Maura Deering, J.D. •September 24, 2024
How to Become a Nurse Practitioner

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners benefit from strong demand and high salaries. Discover how to become a nurse practitioner, including nurse practitioner salary data.

Genevieve Carlton, Ph.D. •June 17, 2025
How Much Does a Nurse Practitioner Make?

How Much Does a Nurse Practitioner Make?

This guide covers what you need to know about nurse practitioner salaries, including average NP salary and variations based on practice area, education, and geography.

Maura Deering, J.D. •October 3, 2023
Become a Nurse Practitioner: How to Go From RN to NP

Become a Nurse Practitioner: How to Go From RN to NP

Nurses can advance their career by becoming a nurse practitioner. Learn the steps to go from RN to NP, including education and licensure requirements.

Morganne Skinner, RN •July 9, 2025
Certified Nurse-Midwife Career Overview

Certified Nurse-Midwife Career Overview

A CNM provides care through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Discover how to become a certified-nurse midwife.

Meg Lambrych, RN-BC •March 20, 2025
How to Become a Nurse-Midwife

How to Become a Nurse-Midwife

This guide covers how to become a nurse-midwife. Explore educational pathways, certification and licensing requirements, and earning potential.

Meg Lambrych, RN-BC •June 18, 2025
How Much Do Nurse-Midwives Make?

How Much Do Nurse-Midwives Make?

Interested in becoming a certified nurse midwife? This guide explains everything you need to know about CNM salaries, including how location, work setting, and experience affect pay.

Kasia Kovacs •November 4, 2024
What Is a CRNA?

What Is a CRNA?

CRNAs are advanced practice nurses who administer anesthesia and work at the pinnacle of nurse earning power. Let’s unpack the awesome specialty of the CRNA.

Keith Carlson, RN, NC-BC •May 15, 2023
How to Become a Nurse Anesthetist

How to Become a Nurse Anesthetist

Discover how to become a CRNA, including education requirements, licensure steps, and salary expectations for this high-demand nursing specialty.

Gayle Morris, MSN •July 11, 2025
How Much Do Nurse Anesthetists Make? A Complete Guide

How Much Do Nurse Anesthetists Make? A Complete Guide

Nurse anesthetists are top earners in the nursing field. Learn more about CRNAs and their salary potential across states and experience levels.

Jane Nam •August 30, 2023
Clinical Nurse Specialist Career Overview

Clinical Nurse Specialist Career Overview

Clinical nurse specialists fill a variety of roles, including educators, advisors, practitioners, researchers, and leaders. Read on to learn more about clinical nurse specialist jobs and education.

Maura Deering, J.D. •March 29, 2024
How to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist

How to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical nurse specialists are in high demand. Learn how to become a clinical nurse and how to choose the right CNS specialization for you.

Ann Feeney •October 29, 2024
Clinical Nurse Specialist Salary Guide

Clinical Nurse Specialist Salary Guide

Clinical nurse specialists earn high annual salaries consistent with other advanced practice nurse roles. Read on to learn about top-paying states and projected employment growth.

NurseJournal Staff •April 23, 2024

Meet a Psych Nurse

Considering a specialty in mental health or psychiatry? We sat down with Modupe Mary Okonofua, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, MBA, to learn more about her role and what it takes to work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. See more of our Meet & Greet series on our YouTube channel.

Specialized Nursing Careers

How to Become a Travel Nurse

How to Become a Travel Nurse

Find out how to become a travel nurse. Explore education, experience, and licensure requirements for travel nurses.

Morganne Skinner, RN •April 30, 2025
What Is a Neonatal Nurse?

What Is a Neonatal Nurse?

Discover what neonatal and NICU nurses do, including their work environments, job requirements, and salary outlook.

Ayana Dunn, RN •May 23, 2024
How to Become a Neonatal Nurse

How to Become a Neonatal Nurse

Learn how to become a neonatal nurse, including the education, licensure, and certifications required to care for newborns.

Morganne Skinner, RN •July 9, 2025
How to Become a Critical Care Nurse

How to Become a Critical Care Nurse

Review the process of becoming a critical care nurse and discover what it is like to work in the critical care nursing field.

Daniel Bal •August 1, 2023
How to Become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

How to Become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Learn how to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner with our step-by-step guide outlining the education, certification, and licensure process.

Doug Wintemute •April 30, 2025
Here’s What You Need to Know to Become a Cannabis Nurse

Here’s What You Need to Know to Become a Cannabis Nurse

Learn about how to become a cannabis nurse, available credentials, work settings, and more.

Jody Dugan, RN, BSN •June 17, 2025
How to Become a Nutrition Nurse

How to Become a Nutrition Nurse

Nutrition nurses integrate dietary advice into their patient care. Explore the pathways to this focus and what it could mean for your nursing career.

Doug Wintemute •May 9, 2025
What Is a Forensic Nurse?

What Is a Forensic Nurse?

Learn how to become a forensic nurse and what they do in this guide.

Ayana Dunn, RN •May 24, 2024
What Is a Travel Nurse?

What Is a Travel Nurse?

Travel nursing is a unique way to transform your nursing career. Find out what makes this career path special and how to become a travel nurse.

Alexa Davidson, MSN, RN •August 28, 2024
What to Know About Working as an International Travel Nurse

What to Know About Working as an International Travel Nurse

If you love traveling and want to become a nurse, consider the growing field of international travel nursing. Choose from many well-paying positions in a variety of destinations all over the world.

Janice Monti, Ph.D. •October 23, 2024
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HESI vs. TEAS Exam: The Differences Explained

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Nursing schools use entrance exams to make admissions decisions. Learn about the differences between the HESI vs. TEAS exams.

Genevieve Carlton, Ph.D. •February 14, 2024
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