It’s no secret that nursing is one of the most caring professions in the world. Nursing is an ideal choice of career for anybody who wants to spend their lives being there for people in need, advocating for health and wellbeing, and working in a highly fulfilling and rewarding role that they are remembered and respected for. Nursing is a profession that will immediately earn you respect the moment that somebody learns about what you do; there is no denying that nurses face one of the hardest and most demanding jobs in the world and manage to do it while still putting the health, wellbeing, and happiness of their patients first. But aside from the caring part of the job, making a difference and the emotionally rewarding work, there are plenty of other benefits of considering a career in nursing.
High Demand:
The demand for good nurses is higher than ever. The US is currently experiencing a nursing shortage and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects hundreds of thousands of new nursing positions to open up in the next decade. The need for more nurses has been made even more clear thanks to the COVID19 pandemic, which showed the undeniable strain on the healthcare system and how it was affected in a crisis. Many healthcare providers will be looking to hire more nurses in the near future and beyond in order to ensure that the events of 2020 are not repeated in the future.
High Job Flexibility:
Newly qualified nurses have plenty of options to choose from as they enter this profession. There is currently a high level of job flexibility in nursing with good nurses needed in almost every department of healthcare. This means that no matter what nursing specialty you want to get into, finding a suitable position is easier than ever. If you have recently graduated from nursing school or are going to finish your degree soon and are not sure where you would like to specialize in nursing, there has never been a better time than the present to find work in a variety of different departments and settings to get the experience you need to figure out where you want your career to take you.
Work Anywhere:
Once you have graduated from nursing school, all you will need is the appropriate license to work in any state in the US. This will involve sitting and passing the NCLEX-RN exam in the state of your choosing. Many nurses will move around during their lifetime and you know that with this career, finding work anywhere you might decide to move to will never be difficult. In fact, with nurses needed in every corner of the world, finding work abroad is easier for nurses than it is for many other professions. If you decide to relocate, you can be sure that a hospital or clinic nearby will need nurses.
Career Mobility:
Not all nurses work in the ER or on hospital wards at the front line of patient care. As a registered nurse, you can enjoy a high level of career mobility and there are various career options to consider. If you want to get into law, you can find work in the justice system as a legal nurse consultant, or you can go into research and work on cutting-edge medical research in clinical trials and science facilities. There is no end to the variety of career opportunities available to you as a nurse, and there are plenty of careers to choose from for nurses who want to move away from the patient bedside.
Management Career Options:
Along with career mobility, there are several advanced career options to choose from for nurses who want to work their way up the ladder. Advanced career options can go in a wide range of different directions whether you want to continue working in clinical practice or move into nurse management or leadership. Online DNP nurse executive programs are designed to prepare you to work in the world of nurse management, running clinics, managing teams, and acting as a patient representative to all major stakeholders in your organization. Other advanced career options include education, where you will be working to prepare the next generation of nurses in academic and clinical settings.
Advanced Clinical Career Opportunities:
Along with opportunities for nurses who want to pursue a managerial or executive role, there are several advanced roles available for nurses who would like to continue working in a clinical setting. One of the most popular choices is a nurse practitioner. These professionals enjoy more autonomy, authority, and responsibility compared to registered nurses and in many states are authorized and licensed to run their own practice, diagnose conditions, and prescribe treatment and medication without the need for the supervision of a doctor.
Further Study Options:
Nurses are required to keep their knowledge up to date and take regular tests to ensure this. However, there are many nurses who want to continue learning, improve their qualifications, and boost their career opportunities. Today, there are more options than ever before for nurses who want to learn more and advance their careers. There are thousands of online advanced degree options available to registered nurses who do not want to experience career disruption while learning. An online degree provides nurses with the flexibility that they need to continue working full-time in nursing while completing their further study.
Strong Personal Satisfaction:
Last but not least, nursing can be one of the most personally satisfying jobs in the world. Not only do you get to help others and make a real difference with your work, but there are many features of a nursing career that facilitate strong work satisfaction. This includes flexible working hours, high job security, career advancement opportunities, and the chance to have a real impact on improving patient care across the board.
If you are looking for a highly satisfying, rewarding career that is in demand and has plenty of opportunities for advancement, nursing has it all to offer.
