According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is the largest occupation within the United States' single biggest industry - health care - accounting for some 2.5 million of the sector's 14 million jobs.

Although there are many specialist areas within nursing, the bureau said a number of common themes run through the profession.

They include the treatment of patients, the provision of education to patients and the wider public about medical conditions and general health issues, and lending emotional support and advice to the families of those suffering from illness or disease.

Nurses may also be required to record patients' symptoms and medical histories, assist with diagnostic testing, analyze results, operate medical equipment, administer treatment and medications first-hand and assist with rehabilitation.

Within the profession, there are innumerable specialisms that qualified graduates can pursue - or combine.

Nurses can, for example, choose to work in a particular area of treatment. These include perioperative and perianesthesia nurses, who assist surgeons and anesthetists in surgery.

There are also nurses who specialize in medical conditions, such as diabetes or cancer. Other nurses choose to work with particular body systems or organs, such as dermatology nurses who deal with skin conditions.

A career in nursing also offers the chance to work with certain sections of the population, such as children or the elderly.

And, while nurses usually work as part of a team, there are additional career paths that offer more independent settings, such as advance practice nurses.

Whatever career path nurses choose, they normally find the profession exciting and rewarding, according to the National League for Nursing.

However, the bureau added, nurses can also experience emotional strain from treating patients in severe pain or being close to their families.

Between 2006 and 2016, nursing is forecast to be one of the fastest-growing occupations in the US, according to Department of Labor, generating 587,000 new jobs.

In May of that year, average earnings for a registered nurse were $57,280, with variations by specialism and job location.