Nursing Questions

Hello all, I had a few questions about the nursing profession.

1. Hours: are they consistent every week, or changing on a week to week basis? For example, are there opportunities to work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am-6pm (completely made up days/hour, but you get the picture) or is it all varying from week to week?
2. Vacation time: how much do you have? What should be expected?
3. Government(county) nursing jobs: how does this work? I recently came across openings with my county (I live in IL) and the starting pay was ~27 hourly. Does this increase with experience? What kind of salary can I expect after say 10 years experience?
4. Salaries: what is the real salary for a nurse?
5. Best industry: what is the best industry to practice for and why?
6. Male nurse: as you know I am a male, will this affect the opportunities I have for a career? Will I be discriminated? How will other people look at me in the medical professions?
Quote from nickglavesHello all, I had a few questions about the nursing profession.1. Hours: are they consistent every week, or changing on a week to week basis? For example, are there opportunities to work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8am-6pm (completely made up days/hour, but you get the picture) or is it all varying from week to week? 2. Vacation time: how much do you have? What should be expected?3. Government(county) nursing jobs: how does this work? I recently came across openings with my county (I live in IL) and the starting pay was ~27 hourly. Does this increase with experience? What kind of salary can I expect after say 10 years experience?4. Salaries: what is the real salary for a nurse?5. Best industry: what is the best industry to practice for and why?6. Male nurse: as you know I am a male, will this affect the opportunities I have for a career? Will I be discriminated? How will other people look at me in the medical professions?
Oh! Nursing homes or LTC may also have more 12 hour shifts available sometimes. 7-3, 3-11, 11-7. Or variations of the sort.Nursing homes typically pay a few dollars better than hospitals. There are also phone triage nurses. They work weird hours too. School nurses! They work during the school year, summers off. And depending on elementary, middle or high school they work a roughly 8-10 hr shift.
Allnurses has a forum for Men in Nursing that you can utilize as well: Men in NursingGood luck in your future endeavors!