Nursing is a demanding profession that requires workers to use sophisticated technologies, administer pharmaceutical agents and communicate effectively with patients from a wide range of backgrounds. Licensed nurses working for SETON, a network of hospitals and other medical facilities in central Texas, routinely administer medications in specific dosages that affect the safety, survival and recovery of patients. The difference between life and death often depends on the precise calculations of quantities involving ratios and various units of measurement. Nurses are also called upon to explain dosage calculations to colleagues and patients in ways that are easily understood.

Career Outlook

JOB COMPENSATION EDUCATION NUMBER OF JOBS OUTLOOK Registered nurses Median annual earnings were $44,840 in 2000. There are three major educational paths to registered nursing: associate degree in nursing (ADN), bachelor of science degree in nursing and diploma. ADN programs, offered by community and junior colleges, take about two to three years. 2.2 million jobs in 2000 Faster than average Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002–03, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

Associated Benchmarks ADP benchmarks that address the knowledge and skills required to complete these tasks are:

CONTENT AREA STRAND English Language Communication Mathematics Number Sense and Numerical Operations Algebra Geometry