Staff Nurse: Career, Training, & Certification

Staff Nurse

A staff nurse is defined as any type of nurse in any field, who simply does not assist in surgery. This encompasses the whole large world of nursing, with some choosing to specialize with certain types of patients. These could include children, or those suffering from particular sets of disorders, such as respiratory. Some nurses will find work in home care settings or large hospitals. What seems to drive most nurses to their career is a communicative and compassionate spirit. Educational growth is encouraged throughout a person’s nursing career, so many continue taking continuing education courses as they grow and evolve within the field, opening up new doors in the future.
 
Salary Outlook

The salary range of a staff nurse will vary greatly depending on various factors including where they are employed, their education level, and experience.
 
Average Annual Salary
$62,089
 
Salary Range
$55,834-$67,766

Work Environment

Staff nurses can find employment in an extremely wide range of work environments. Naturally, there are the traditional outlets of hospitals, health clinics, private practices, and home based health care. Additional areas may include inside of schools or businesses, or as legal consultants. Some may find work with the military, and many are in high demand in forensics or assisting police. Specialized medical knowledge and the proper licensing will open up doors for any type of work that staff nurses may be interested in. Many times the hours are irregular and long, and this can be stressful work, depending on the place of work.
 
Requirements

The most basic requirement for anyone who is interested in becoming a staff nurse is to become licensed as a registered nurse, or RN. There are three separate methods of going about this, including completing a diploma in Nursing, or else receiving an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. This is followed by an official licensing examination. Many nurses will continue in their education and go on to receive graduate degrees, which only opens more doors towards higher salaries and more prestigious positions.
 
Career Outlook

Becoming a staff nurse is one of the most stable career moves that a person can make. It is estimated that up to 3.2 million new jobs are expected to be created in this industry in the next five years, and an even higher percentage in the next decade. With a rapidly aging population, more and more people are going to be needing medical care in the next few years, opening doors for any qualified staff nurses to jump on board in specialty clinics, nursing homes, and home based health care programs, just to name a few different outlets.
 
Professional Organizations
 
American Nurses Association
8515 Georgia Avenue
Suite 400
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492
Phone: (301) 628-5000
www.nursingworld.org
 
National League for Nursing
61 Broadway, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 363-5555
www.nln.org