Like any other area of the workforce, a nursing career has things about it that aren’t all that well known. It’s not that they’re some kind of big secret that nurses do their best to keep hidden within the fold. They’re just things that aren’t common knowledge for one reason or another. Is your curiosity peeked? Wait no longer. Here are 7 things you never knew about a nursing career.

1. Many people don’t know that entry level nurses earn much more than what other entry level professionals in other career fields earn. Although they vary, one report showed that an entry level nurse earns an average of $45,000.00 a year. When compared to an entry level accountant that only makes an average of $41,000.00 a year. Not apples and oranges, but certainly the gap between these two entry level positions is substantial, and somewhat surprising.
2. Many career paths start with a four year college degree. In order to be considered qualified for the profession a person must complete this minimum of four years of schooling in order to be eligible for employment. You can become employed as a nurse with as little as two years of schooling. After only two years of schooling a nursing student can obtain an Associate Degree, and can quickly find employment. He or she can then return to school at a later time to further their studies and eventually obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
3. In the United States the ratio between registered nurses and doctors is an astonishing 4:1. This only goes to show that nurses are the backbone of the medical field, and without them, the medical community would be hard-pressed to get done all that needs to be done in order to properly care for patients.
4. Nurse don’t only provide the usual health care services so often accredited to their profession such as day to day care, administering medication, and treating symptoms. Nurses also teach their patients important lessons about prevention.
5. Nurse can specialize in certain areas of the medical field such as gynecology, pediatrics, cardiac care, neurology, family health, and many more.
6. Although the percentage of the males who are nurses in the United States has risen by more than five percent, the majority of nursing positions are still filled by females in the general workforce. Interestingly, the majority of nurses that can be found in the military sector are predominantly male.
7. Did you know there was a shortage of nurses in the United States? Of course you do. Did you also know that the United States Government has hired many foreign nationals to help fill this need? Still, the shortage remains. If you’re considering a career in nursing you can almost bet your last dollar that, once you become qualified, you’ll be able to find a job in no time.

Trudi Buck writes about how get a masters in nursing (MSN) degree.