14 Great Reasons to Start Your Career in Nursing

There are very few careers that offer the same advantages, benefits, and rewards as nursing. Registered nurses often earn high salaries, work with a wide range of interesting people from all walks of life, and often most importantly, have a significant impact on the people that they work with on a daily basis. And, the registered nurse workforce is expected to grow by around 15% over the next decade, as the industry continues to adjust to an intensifying work shortage as many baby boomers reach retirement age. As a result, nursing graduates are certainly not short of career options once they graduate. Nursing can be an ideal career for a wide range of reasons – read on if you want to learn more.

#1. Nurses Make a Real Difference:

If you want to work in a career that allows you to make a real difference in the lives of others, then nursing could be the perfect option for you. Nurses literally save lives every day, and along with monitoring patients and ensuring that they receive the care that they need, they often go above and beyond their duties. Many nurses volunteer in their communities to improve and promote public health. And, it’s not just the patients who they have a positive impact on – nurses also look after and support many family members and friends in a tough time.

#2. Nursing Programs are Everywhere:

Some academic programs can be difficult to find, but the good news is that couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to nursing. Many colleges and universities all over the country offer nursing degree programs, so whether you want to attend a local nursing school or relocate for your studies, you will certainly have no shortage of options when it comes to deciding where you would like to study.

#3. You Can Even Study Online:

Along with the vast array of nursing programs available at universities and colleges, students are now able to take their nursing degree online if needed. If you are a busy parent, want to get your nursing degree while working full time, have other commitments that may get in the way or a combination of all these, then choosing to study for your nursing degree online may be an ideal option for you. Institutions like Carson-Newman university offer accredited programs that you can take whether you’re starting out studying to become a nurse or are already working in the industry and want to improve your career prospects.

#4. Financial Aid is Available for Nurses:

If you are considering pursuing nursing as a career but are nervous about the costs that you will incur, the good news is that financial aid opportunities and scholarships are often available for student nurses, particularly with the demand for registered nurses on the rise. If you need financial assistance, you can apply for funding from colleges, universities, companies, professional organizations, and non-profits, offering a financial boost that allows newly graduated nurses to enter the industry without the additional worry of being in a large amount of debt.

#5. Entering the Workforce is Easy:

Unlike many graduates of other subjects who may need to wait a while, take on unpaid work to gain experience and send off an often endless array of applications before they can find themselves in a career that they enjoy, nursing graduates often enter the workforce relatively quickly. Thanks to the hands-on nature of the training, many nurses find career openings in the hospitals, clinics and other medical organizations where they trained. In addition, aspiring nurses have a range of options when it comes to studying – you could take a conventional path and get a BSN in nursing taking four years, or gain an associate’s degree or a diploma in nursing which usually takes around 2-3 years to complete. If you’re willing to put in the extra effort, you may also want to consider an accelerated bachelor’s program taking just two years.

#6. You’ll Enjoy a High Level of Job Satisfaction:

There’s no denying that nursing can be a fast-paced and very stressful career, but many nurses will agree that the high level of job satisfaction that comes from working day to day as a nurse makes all the hard work and long shifts worth it. According to statistics, over 80% of nurses feel satisfied with their choice of career, and two-thirds of nurses would encourage others to pursue a career in nursing.

#7. It’s Exciting Work:

Does the thought of spending the rest of your working life in an office cubicle make you feel a little bit depressed? Then, nursing could be the right career for you. If you like things to be fast-paced, enjoy doing something different every day and learning new things all the time, you would likely thrive in a nursing environment. Each day will involve meeting parents with different health concerns, plus emergencies can happen at any time and you will need to be ready for them. The entire workday can often feel like an adrenalin rush when you’re working as a nurse, making it an ideal career for anyone who enjoys a challenge.

#8. You’ll Be Well-Respected:

The nursing industry is one that is very well-respected all around the world. In fact, nurses rank at number six when it comes to the most respected professions around the world, according to a survey conducted by the Varkey Foundation in 2018. Patients certainly understand the demanding nature of the nurses’ job, and they respect and appreciate everything that they do.

#9. You Can Choose a Speciality:

The medical field is filled with many different specialties, and nurses often need to work in each area during training and the early days of their careers. As a result, nursing students are able to choose to focus on one particular area of their studies more than the others, based on their skills, preferences, and interests. For example, some nurses may choose to work with infants and children whilst others may place more focus during their training on anesthesiology, oncology, or theatre, for example.

#10. The Nursing Industry is Stable:

Nursing is a career that offers professionals something that everyone hopes for in a job – stability. In 2016, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that there were three million registered nurses and three-quarters of a million licensed practical and vocational nurses in the US. Over the next decade, the number of registered nurses is set to grow by around 15% – a much faster rate compared to the average. For those looking to enter the nursing industry, this is good news – the demand for nurses and, therefore, the stability of the profession, is on the rise.

#11. There are Many Career Advancement Opportunities:

If you want to spend as much time as you can improving your career outlook, learning new things and working your way up the ladder in your chosen profession, nursing will certainly give you an ideal platform from which to do this. There are numerous ways in which nurses can gain promotions, including professional development, advanced degrees, and continuing education. Earning a graduate degree will give you a strong foundation if you wish to go on to become a nurse anesthesiologist or nurse practitioner, for example, both positions that offer nurses lucrative salaries and higher levels of career autonomy.

#12. You Get to Work with People:

If you’re a ‘people person’ then you will enjoy working as a nurse. Nurses don’t spend their typical working day locked away in an office – in fact, quite the opposite. Their work is done whilst surrounded by people – both patients and colleagues – and their career allows them to meet new people every single day. As a nurse, you will be encountering and working with all kinds of individuals, including newborn babies and infants, children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and people from all different backgrounds and walks of life.

#13. The Schedule is Flexible:

For many nurses, the nature of the work means that their schedule can be as flexible as possible. Nurse work schedules can vary, but typically, as a nurse, you will be working three twelve-hour shifts per week. Since nurses need to be healthy and alert in order to do their job well, heath organizations ensure that they are not overworked, which means that many nurses often get 3-4 days off per week. There is usually flexibility for swapping shift places with co-workers too if needed.

#14. Work in a Variety of Environments:

Last but not least, there are many work environments that you can work in as a nurse outside of hospitals. In addition to on hospital wards, in intensive care units and outpatient facilities, nurses often work at doctor’s offices, in the community, in schools, and in mental health facilities. The type of environment that you work in as a nurse will usually depend on your area of specialization and the specific experience that you have gained as a nurse so far.

If you’re looking for a fulfilling career with rich benefits and high satisfaction, choose nursing!