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The majority of people would probably say that a nursing career is all about caring. On the other hand others may see the job as being about the professional administration of medications in order to cure patients.

Whatever way you see nursing it is a fact that many people all over the world continue to pursue a career in nursing. So for those who want to establish a successful career in this in-demand and exciting job, there are 10 things you need to know first.

1. Nursing began as a profession during the early Christian era at a time when members of the church provided nursing care to the sick. Though not professionally systematic at first, most of the activities of early nurses were focused on proper hygiene and comfort needs which are still being practiced up to the present.

2. It was in the year 1860 when Nightingale School at St. Thomas Hospital in London, the first training school for nurses, was built. Florence Nightingale was the one responsible in this momentous event. No wonder she was then acclaimed "The Founder of Modern Nursing."

3. The first trained nurse in the United States was Linda Richards. In 1873, she graduated from New England Hospital for Women and Children in Boston. Being one of the proponents of nursing, she opened the first training school for nurses in Japan and started a nurse training school at the Methodist Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia.

4. Historically, more women than men have chosen nursing as a career. In fact, nursing was thought of as a career exclusively for women and it is only in recent years that this perspective has changed. There have been statistical reports showing gradual increase of registered nurses composed of men. This just implies that men can also be passionate and caring contrary to what the society have labeled them as strong and formidable human beings.

5. In the U.S, 88% of the employed registered nurses are white or Caucasians. The remaining 12% are from non-Caucasians backgrounds; most of them came from non-Hispanic or African-American/Black race.

6. Most of the registered nurses in the United States are under the age of 40. Statistical reports in the year 2000 showed a relative increase in the median age thereby indicating an older nursing population and fewer young nurses entering the registered nurse population. Consequently, most people believe that 15 years from now, almost half of the registered nurse population will be retiring sooner or later leaving a smaller staff of younger registered nurses.

7. Even though many students pursue a career in nursing, the statistics show that most hospitals, particularly in the United States, are experiencing problems with nursing shortages. This alarming condition is due to a growing number of retired nurses while the health care arena is continuously multiplying due to an excessive population growth in most areas. Nursing shortage is, in fact, a worldwide phenomenon. Countries like Canada, Philippines, Australia, Western Europe, Africa, and South America have reported significant nursing shortages.

8. Today, most hospitals are more and more becoming large intensive care units with cardiac monitoring, respiratory assistance and intensive treatments are notably part of the typical patient's therapy. And so, escalated demands in skilled and specialized nurses are in the offing.

9. Statistics seem to indicate that the shortage of nurses can be a major cause of higher morbidity rate. According to a 1998 research, hospitals with more registered nurses on staff and with higher ratios of nurses to patients had smaller number of deaths compared to those that do not have larger staff of registered nurses. With this, nursing shortages must be resolved as soon as possible to curb a boost in morbidity.

10. In spite of the alarming condition of nursing shortages these days, it was found out, through a nationwide opinion focus group poll conducted by the American Hospital Association in 1997, that the nurses were the ultimate vital indicator that the people referred to as the assessment of excellent hospital care.

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