There are more than 3.8 million registered nurses nationwide which shows this profession is huge. When you become a nurse, you are stepping into a career that offers roles inside and outside the hospital, opportunities for further education and career advancement, and a trusted professional.
This profession has a lot to offer, and there is no better time than now to become a nurse. It is a great profession that brings your empath nature to work with solid benefits, nurses receive a solid paycheck and help you manage your time very well. These are what make the nursing career attractive.
Steps to Become a Registered Nurse
Before we dig into the reasons why you should pursue nursing let us give you an overview of how to pursue it:
- You must earn the appropriate degree
- You must pass the NCLEX Exam
- You must obtain a license in the state that you wish to practice
You can also take a free cna practice test to prepare yourself for the CNA exam for a rewarding career in nursing. These tests can help you practice and get an idea of time management and types of questions.
Here are reasons why you should consider pursuing a career in nursing.
1. Nursing Is a Trusted Profession
The nursing industry has a solid reputation for integrity, honesty, and ethics. For 20 years consecutively, Americans have rated the ethics and honesty of nurses highest among all professions.
This reflects the vital role nurses play in healthcare and the degree to which patients and their loved ones rely on nurses. People trust nurses not only as caregivers but also as educators, supporters, researchers, and listeners.
Countless nurses have left their homes to bravely face COVID-19, the most significant global healthcare challenge of our time. Therefore, it is likely that the profession will continue to enjoy the top spot in ethics and integrity for years to come.
2. Job Opportunities Inside and Outside the Hospital
As the need for nurses continues to rise, more opportunities are becoming available for registered nurses. However, these opportunities rely on the educational pathway you choose to follow. If you want to have as many career options as possible, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is your best bet. This type of degree lets you practice in a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient settings and enables you to pursue certification in any specialty area.
Career Options Inside the Hospital
Bedside nurses serve at different frontlines of direct patient care. They work in nursing homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. As a bedside nurse with a degree in BSN, you can pursue certification in the following areas of nursing practice:
- Emergency care: These nurses care for patients who require urgent treatment
- Oncology and hematology care: This nurse cares for patients who have (or are at risk for) cancer, blood diseases, or blood disorders
- Transplant care: These nurses care for patients donating or receiving an organ
- Pediatric care: These nurses primarily care for children and patients under 18
- Labor and delivery care: These nurses care for women and babies at all stages of childbirth
- Nephrology care: These nurses care for patients with kidney disease or abnormal kidney function
Career Options Beyond the Bedside
Another benefit of earning a BSN degree? You are not restricted to working only inside of the hospital. You can choose to apply your knowledge and skills beyond the bedside, in different settings such as:
- Airplanes
- Prisons
- Courts of law
- Health insurance companies
- Medical disaster teams
- Laboratories
3. You Can Specialize Based on Your Interests
Alternative nursing careers can also be those that are directly involved with patient care. These job roles, which often require educational training outside of a BSN, include:
- Legal nurse consultants: These nurses work as medical experts in legal cases
- Nurse attorneys: These nurses represent medical professionals in the courtroom
- Nurse writers: These nurses write educational materials, articles, blogs, and even Hollywood scripts
- Nurse entrepreneurs: These nurses own their healthcare business ventures
- Informatics nurses: These nurses develop communication and information technologies
Earning your BSN opens the door to a host of different career opportunities in which you can further your skill and knowledge as a nurse.
4. Opportunities for Further Education and Advancement
The more education you have, the more opportunities there are for advancement and growth as a nurse. A degree in BSN positions you to pursue a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and post-master certificate in an advanced practice role, such as:
- Nurse practitioners: These nurses have similar responsibilities to that of doctors. However, it is important to note that every state has different rules that determine the scope of nursing practice
- Clinical nurse specialists: These nurses bring leadership to practice settings
- Nurse anesthetists: These nurses deliver anesthesia to patients
- Clinical nurse managers: These nurses supervise the nursing staff
5. Nurses Receive High Earning Potential
A BSN degree does not only open up opportunities for medical marketability, but it can provide nurses with higher-paying positions. For example, it boosts your negotiation for a bigger salary and puts you ahead of other candidates with the same level of experience.
The average salary for an entry-level nurse is $51,000. An experienced nurse makes about $70,000 per year.
While an associate degree in nursing (ADN) is the minimum qualification needed to work as a registered nurse, nurses with BSN degrees typically earn more responsibility through supervisory roles. As a result, they earn higher salaries throughout their careers.
6. Nurses Are in High Demand
The numbers do not lie. The shortage of registered nurses in the United States and globally is expected to grow immensely. Some factors contributing to this shortage include the higher demand for preventive care, the retirement of the baby boomer generation, and access to better medical technology. This means there will be lots of open jobs for new nurses.
The COVID-19 outbreak further proves the need for more nurses. A recent article notes that there are not nearly enough nurses to care for hospitalized patients because there are more patients than caregivers.
7. Nurses Work on a Flexible Schedule
The nursing career offers a unique benefit that most professions don’t: job flexibility. Depending on where you choose to work as a nurse, you often have a say when working full-time, part-time or on-call.
While there are nursing jobs that fit the typical eight-hour day, five days per week, the average workday for nurses in long-term health facilities or hospitals is twelve-hour shifts, three days per week.
According to the American Journal of Nursing, flexible scheduling has been shown to benefit nurses, patients, and the organizations they work for.
This promotes autonomy among nurses and also empowers the staff overall. The result is that nurses feel more involved in decision-making and committed to teamwork.
Conclusion
According to the American Psychological Association, people who pursue the feeling of a higher calling in their chosen careers are among the happiest.
When you embark on a nursing career, you will make a difference in your patients’ lives each day. Having a job that offers fulfillment and leaves you feeling like you truly made a difference is one of the most important reasons why you should consider a career in nursing.
