The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the total number of job openings for nurses to be 1.09 million by 2024. The nursing profession continues to rank high for job opportunities and salary growth potential. The nursing profession needs young men and women to be trained to serve various patient populations in many different settings. Taking this class will help you to decide if the nursing profession may be your calling. We will discuss the benefits and challenges of being a nurse. You will learn the basics of nursing assessment, medical terminology, taking vital signs, CPR, and the nursing process which is the system nurses use to prioritize and organize patient needs. The second semester presents pathophysiology and the nursing needs of different patient populations such as: surgery, respiratory assessment, oncology, rehabilitation, orthopedics, cardiology, mental health, maternal/newborn, and emergency nursing. Information and guidance is given to help students understand how to best prepare themselves for entrance into nursing schools, the mission field, and potentially furthering their education to be a nursing professor or nurse practitioner.