Shader nodes are missing? I have blender 2.69 and I've been following a tutorial on how to make text.

The only problem is when I go to add a glossy shader in the node editor it does not exist. Neither does the shader category.
It sounds like your render engine is set to Blender Render (also known as Blender Internal or BI) in the Info panel at the top of the window. 

Try setting it to Cycles instead: