A nurse's duties include observing, recording and reporting symptoms and changes in th the condition of patients; administering medication; giving advice and health counselling; supervising the work of nursing assistants and ensuring the overall comfort of patients. As a nurse you would work closely with physicians, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, technicians, nursing assistants and psychologists. You would probably specialize in a certian type of health care such as gerentology, chronic-care, surgery, psychiatry, emergency care and intesive care. Nursing requires a lot of weekend and shift work as well as a rotation through a variety of wards and services.

WHAT YOU NEED:

To become a nurse you need either a diploma in nursing from a community college or a hospital-based program of instruction, or a university degree in nursing. While plenty of jobs exist in nursing at present, a university education is becoming more and more important to get ahead. In most places nurses must be registered with a license in order to practice. To attain registration you must pass a licensing exam prepared by the Canadian or American Nurses' Association.

SALARY:
$24,000 to $33,000