National Nurses’ Week begins May 6 and ends on Florence Nightingale’s birthday May 12, a celebration demonstrating appreciation and acknowledgment for nurses. Some people have always known they wanted to be nurses, perhaps born into families in which nursing and medicine are a tradition. As a trauma nurse, nursing represented doing the impossible, beating the enemy, giving family members a second chance at new beginnings, or providing the opportunity to say goodbye. Why nursing? I did not choose nursing, it chose me, and I am proud and grateful for the experience.

Urgent care centers and emergency rooms across the country hire medical assistants to assist with patient care. If you’re currently working as a medical assistant or patient care technician in emergency medicine, you know how important it is to be knowledgeable and prepared. Emergency medical technicians (EMT) are specially trained pre-hospital providers with a specific skill set in emergency medicine. Earning dual medical assistant and EMT certification can be highly beneficial if you currently work, or are considering working, in an emergency department.

You probably already know that RNs have greater income earning potential and enjoy more on-the-job respect. But apart from those considerations, one huge benefit to becoming an RN is the expanded career opportunities. You can specialize in a number of diverse fields, each with its own challenges, rewards and further opportunities for career advancement. Take a look at the stories of three former LPNs who are now RNs.

With the national unemployment rate still hovering around 8.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, setting yourself apart from the crowd during a job interview has never been more important. But as you prepare for your next interview, are you poring over lists of generic questions, brainstorming canned answers, and searching your memory for convincing anecdotes? You may be missing the forest for the trees.

After a few years on the job, many paramedics are more than ready to cut down on work-related stress. Becoming a registered nurse is a natural career transition, as the hours are typically more predictable and the work can be just as rewarding while less emotionally confronting. If you’re a battle-weary paramedic ready for gentler hours and a fatter paycheck, the first thing you’ll need to do is obtain the required education. Here’s everything you need to know about leveraging your paramedic experience to become an RN.

One valuable aspect of health care occupations is a clearly established career path. Those with MSN degrees find a wide-open job landscape with careers available in a number of different specialties and industries. With an MSN degree professional nurses can get a jump on the competition and gain the skills they need to progress to a more satisfying and more rewarding career.