Registered nurses care for sick, injured and healthy patients in a variety of settings, and they teach members of the public about health and wellness best practices.

“We can assume many roles beyond the hospital setting, but I think one thing that unites us is that we provide or advocate for our patients,” says Jessica Wells, an assistant professor in Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. “That could be providing clinical care, connecting our patients to resources or making sure…they’re safe at home.”

An RN’s specific duties largely depend on the environment in which they work. For example, public health nurses might staff a blood drive or host programs educating the community about the warning signs of diseases. Pediatric nurses care for children and may work at a physician’s office, while other nurses provide critical care in a hospital’s intensive care unit.

The places where registered nurses work are as varied as the educational programs available to prepare them for the job.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5.6% employment growth for registered nurses between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 177,400 jobs should open up.

There are multiple paths to becoming an RN, and which one is the right fit for you may depend on your long-term goals. Each requires a mix of classwork and supervised clinical experience, but they differ in scope. Prospective nurses can enter the field after attaining a diploma from an approved program or completing an associate or bachelor’s degree program in nursing.

An associate degree in nursing generally takes less time to earn than a bachelor’s degree, allowing you to enter the field sooner. But those who hope to pursue a management role or an advanced position that requires a master’s degree, such as a nurse practitioner, may find choosing the bachelor’s degree route more advantageous. In addition, some hospitals, particularly those aiming to receive magnet hospital designation, prefer to hire nurses with bachelor’s degrees, Wells says.

Some people enter the field after earning a master’s degree in nursing. Those with a bachelor’s degree in something other than nursing can still find suitable master’s programs in the field. There are also accelerated and other online learning paths toward earning a nursing degree.

“A lot of programs, especially now, are offering distance programs where you can do the didactic courses online and then find a local community site where you can do the clinical hours,” Wells says.

Registered nurses must obtain a license in the state they wish to practice, which includes passing a national exam and meeting state-specific requirements.