Reading newspapers, online news reports, health care blogs, and more, you can not miss stories about the shortage of nurses in this country today. In fact, more than one million new and replacement nurses are needed by 2016. This is a projected growth of over 23 percent, making nursing the leading profession in projected job growth in this country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in November 2007.

Registered nursing education programs are available in a most locations throughout the U.S. Programs are available in hospitals, colleges, junior colleges, technical schools, and vocational schools.

Education is available in a range of degrees: registered nurse certification, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, master’s degrees, and doctorates. Registered nursing (RN) education programs are designed to prepare students to pass the NCLEX-RN examination for licensure.