If you’ve ever thought about working in healthcare, now is as good a time as any to get up-to-speed and join the nursing profession.
The Baby Boomer generation is aging, and there is a growing demand in the healthcare field. As more and more people are getting older, it puts a strain on staffing at all levels, and the demand for nurses is at the highest it’s ever been.
Benefits To A Career In Nursing
By choosing a career in nursing, you’re in a position to impact people in your community significantly.
- Ability To Help Others
- High Demand
- Earning Potential
- Flexible Schedules
- Travel Possibilities
- Trusted And Respected Profession
- Diverse Opportunities Within The Field
- Career Advancement
Help Others: With a nursing degree, you’re able to help and care for others and help their loved ones cope with more severe health issues. As a result, nurses significantly shape individuals, families, and the communities they serve.
High Demand: Registered nurses, especially those with a BSN, are in high demand throughout the country. The demand will continue to grow with the aging population, and the profession is thought to grow faster than most other professions.
Earning Potential: The average salary of a nurse in the US is $63,000, and in metropolitan areas, the pay scale is higher than in rural communities.
Flexible Schedules: Being a nurse can come with a lot of flexibility to your work schedule. RNs can work full-time, part-time, or on-call and many employers choose to schedule employees on three 12-hour shifts and 4 full days off.
Travel Possibilities: One role you can take on is that of a traveling nurse. A traveling nurse gets hired on to a hospital for peak periods before being free to find another contract elsewhere.
Trusted and Respected Profession: Nursing and healthcare have some of the highest community respect and support levels in any US profession.
Diverse Opportunities WIthin Health Care: As a nurse, you can choose to work at hospitals for any number of jobs, such as school nurse, on-site nurse for concert venues, resorts, campsites, and much more.
Career Advancement: Like most professional class careers, the more you gain experience and the higher your level of your education, the more opportunities you have to increase your earning potential.
How To Get A Nursing Credential And Add Degrees
So if you’re considering a career in nursing, there are a few different paths to get started.
Certified Nursing Assistant: The most straightforward point of entry is as a certified nursing assistant. These roles typically involve working in home and long-term care settings. CNAs also serve a primary role as the point of contact between a family and the healthcare organization.
Licensed Practical Nurse: An LPN typically works as the go-between a patient and their health care team. They may be tasks with some physical care tasks such as taking blood pressure measurements, inserting catheters, starting IVs, and changing bandages.
Registered Nurse: Most people think of a nurse when the description really is about a registered nurse. RNs have a broad range of healthcare applications, from administering medications to collaborating with medical doctors.
Advance Nursing Degrees
In some cases, obtaining advanced nursing degrees can open up job opportunities above the role of an RN.
With advanced nursing degrees, individuals are ready and willing to take on more leadership within their organization. In addition to obtaining advanced nursing degrees, some essential qualities for nursing leadership include emotional intelligence, field experience, integrity, and more.
The degrees include;
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
- Masters of Science in Nursing
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Nurse Managers and Executives
In the past, almost all nursing programs required individuals to learn on-campus, but there are now plenty of ways to get a nursing degree online.
And with an aging society, the need for nurses will continue to grow at a pace that outranks other professions.
The flexibility and opportunity to do some good in others’ lives are what make nursing an incredible career path. However, as more and more people get older in this country, it strains staffing at all levels, making a career in nursing all the more in demand. And getting started is easier than ever with online, on-campus, and hybrid learning options.
