Nursing is an exciting job. To become a practical nurse, you’ll have to take a year-long course to prepare you for your licensingHow to Become a Nurse exam.There are over 1,000 training course in the country, almost all of which require a high school diploma aside from programs that begin while you’re in high school. Nurse training programs teach you proper care of patients, including administering injections, bathing patients, monitoring their fluid intake, administering their intravenous and their medications. Practical Nursing Programs Many practical nursing programs combine classroom study with practical, on-the-job experience. You’ll be learning physiology, anatomy, nutrition, pediatrics, obstetrics, and administration of drugs in the classroom. Outside the classroom, under clinical supervision, you’ll be gaining practical knowledge. Here, you’ll be learning the elements of bedside care,such as taking patients’ vital signs--temperature, blood pressure, pulse andrespiration. As a nurse you’ll find yourself in the frontline of the battle to save lives. The measurements you take and the medications you give will help people survive illness or injury. Your Nursing License Every state in the US requires nurses to pass the licensing exam. Approximately six out of 10 practical nurses train for their nursing license in a technical or vocational school, while three in 10 gain their licenses in junior or community colleges. It’s ultimately your decision about how you plan to pass the state nursing requirements. Most community colleges take more than a year for completion, while vocational schools programs can be completed within a year. Future Outlook for Nursing Careers There were 702,000 nursing jobs in 2002. The Department of Labor projects the number of jobs to increase by 20-35 percent in the next seven years. The increase will likely take place outside of hospitals. The bulk of job growth is projected in nursing facilities.