There are many steps a nursing student must take in order to gain the skills and experience required to be a registered or licensed nurse in the ER, the hospital, or a primary care doctor's office. The responsibilities of a nurse often require spur of the moment decisions and intimate knowledge of the profession's technical, industry-specific aspects.

Last week, Erlanger Health Systems honored more than 200 nurses for participating in the 2009 Clinical and Career Ladder Program. The program provides nurses at Erlanger with opportunities and training for professional growth in clinical, managerial, and educational areas.

Lynn Whisman, Erlanger senior vice president and chief nursing office, said she was "extremely proud" that "a record number of nurses participated in the Career Ladder Program this year." Since the program began in 2000, participation averages have jumped from 25 to more than 200 in 2009.

The program offers four levels of development, based on education and experience.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the employment of registered nurses will grow about 23% until 2016, which is a much faster growth rate than the average for all jobs. Employment of nurses in the offices of physicians is estimated to rise 39% over the same period.