Today's nurses are vital, well paid, and well respected members of the health care profession and the community they serve.

Today's nurses are:

- the largest segment of health care professionals, represented by two million members nation wide.

- enjoying attractive salaries right out of college, earning as much or more than new engineers, accountants, or even lawyers.

- primary providers of hospital patient care.

- professionals who exercise unprecedented control over their working hours.

- working in hospitals, private practices, public health care agencies, primary care clinics, home health care, health maintenance organizations, nursing schools/universities, insurance and managed care companies, nursing homes, schools, mental health agencies, hospices, and health care research.