Nursing is one of the most sought-after and respected careers in today's world. Of late, many activities that used to be the domain of doctors and experts are now being executed under the supervision of nurses, making this a more respected career than ever before. Nurses work toward the betterment of the health and well being of the entire community.

In the past, especially during times of war, nursing was carried out by military personnel and by nuns. Even in contemporary nursing, many military and religious elements are evident- in Britain, nurses are often called "sisters". Nurses in USA and Canada often work in churches and undertake counseling, healthcare and community related activities for needy people.

Nurses can work in a variety of healthcare sectors and branches. Some of the options available to them are listed out here:

Travel nurses: These nursing consultants are dispatched to different towns and cities where they are needed for a relatively short period of time. They may need to be well versed in multiple aspects of nursing, as they have to offer a variety of services while they travel.

Flight nurses: These nurses help to transport patients from one place to another, during emergency situations and also for routine procedures.

Clinical nurses: They are assigned to manage a patient’s entire case, including organizing and managing aspects such as controlling the cost and managing the resources. Nurse practitioners are typically involved in health care, pediatrics, women’s health care, geriatrics and acute care, also mental health and neonatology and other such specialties. They are highly qualified, having studied usually above bachelor level. They either hold masters in nursing or doctorate degrees. Salary scales are quite high for nursing practitioners and they also find the work quite rewarding.

Certified Anesthetist: The role of a certified anesthetist is similar to the role of an anesthesiologist. Their job involves assisting and counseling the patient before and even after the administration of the anesthesia.

Surgical nursing: Surgical nurses assist doctors during complex procedures such as neurosurgery and organ transplants. They are among the highest paid nurses, and are sought after due to their experience.

Legal nurse consultants: Such nurses are not required to work in court rooms but in hospitals and clinics and are required to assist in quality assurance. This branch of nursing is growing rapidly, as more and more companies are foraying into the medical business due to government mandates.

Forensic Nurses: They work with government and law enforcement agencies to collect and review evidence in crime scenes. Their job is to analyse the victim’s injuries, identify the cause of injury and suggest the appropriate follow-up treatment.

Nursing is considered to be a very noble and satisfying career. However, getting into the nursing profession can be daunting- the expenditure is a lot, and academic achievements need to be high. A number of nursing institutes have set up scholarship programs that take care of tuition fees and also provide free books, accommodation and many other facilities.

Do not confuse a student loan with a scholarship program. Student loans need to be repaid after completion of the course of studies, but scholarships do not require repayment.