One of the ways nursing in the USA is different from other countries is that most nursing jobs have flexible scheduling, giving nursing professionals the work-life balance, they deserve. Healthcare facilities offer a range of shifts to choose from enabling you to have a schedule that works for you. The choice of shift types includes day/night and weekday/weekends. Unlike many other countries, nurses get paid biweekly meaning 26 times in a calendar year (every other week for 52 weeks in one year).

Notably, nurses in the USA use electronic medical record systems for documentation purposes which have many advantages compared to manual documentation systems. It’s also worth noting that most hospitals will have 8-12 weeks of both clinical and theory orientation programs. The facility pairs the new hire with a preceptor, someone who teaches a new nurse how to practice within that facility safely. This process helps nurses’ transition successfully to the US healthcare system.