There aren’t many careers with the same benefits as nursing. Training as a nurse means that you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people in the community while building a sustainable and rewarding career for yourself.
Nursing is one of the few vocational professions where you are rewarded for your hard work with a competitive salary and where you continue to be rewarded as you train and progress.
The profession is growing
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of registered nurses is set to grow by 7% between 2019 and 2029, which is faster than the average across other occupations. This growth means that the field is stable, and you shouldn’t have problems finding work once you are qualified.
There are a few reasons for this.
Firstly, the population is aging. People are living longer and are also not having as many children. This means that we are heading for a time where there are more older members of the population than there are younger ones. With advancing years comes additional health issues, which means that extra health care is needed.
Secondly, there is a shift towards more people being treated as outpatients or treated in community settings where the emphasis is on care from nurses rather than from doctors.
Finally, a push is being made towards education. Educating the general population on healthy lifestyle choices and preventing diseases such as obesity and diabetes is a huge part of nurses’ daily work.
You’ll be making a difference
Nurses work closely with their patients, whether that’s in a hospital or out in the community.
If you choose to work in a hospital, it will be you who takes care of your patient’s needs on a day-to-day basis, helping to ensure that they are comfortable and that they are getting everything that they need. You will work closely with doctors, and you will advocate for your patients to ensure that they are listened to.
Working in the community means that you get to shape the lives of families. You will be involved with education and helping people from every generation to make healthy choices and get the most out of their lives.
It’s this close relationship with patients that makes nursing stand out from other careers.
It’s easier than ever to train
It can be tough to retrain if you are already struggling to get to work, look after your family, socialize with friends and somehow sleep! Luckily, it’s now easier than ever before to retrain.
There has been an increase in the number of educational opportunities available online, leveling the playing field and making education truly accessible to everyone. You can take part in an accelerated nursing program online, giving you access to the same quality education as you would receive at a brick and mortar institution, but without having to relocate to do it.
Online nursing programs will help you to find a clinical placement in your area, too, meaning that you will finish your program equipped to embark on your new career!
Opportunity for progression
Nursing is a great career to get into because there is plenty of space for progression and for specializing once you find a field that resonates with you.
Once you have your BSN, you can opt to become a specialist nurse in a particular area; for example, you might specialize in cardiology or mental health. As you specialize, you will have the opportunity to become an expert in your field, and your pay will increase accordingly – which is not the case in a lot of other professions. There have even been several studies indicating that specialist nurses can earn more than some doctors.
As well as specializing in a particular area of medicine, nurses have the opportunity to continue their studies and become nurse practitioners or even to branch out into academic work or teaching.
Excellent salaries
The average salary for registered nurses is £73,300 per year, which is significantly higher than in other professions.
This salary depends on your level of expertise, as well as your location and which type of medical facility you choose to work in. For example, if you were working in a large teaching hospital in a city center, you would be likely to earn more than as a community nurse in a rural location.
Of course, living costs in city center locations are higher so you would need to take that into account when working out where is best to work.
Job satisfaction
A good salary is important, of course, but if you’re planning to work in a particular field for a long time it’s equally as important that are satisfied with your work!
A survey showed that 83% of nurses are satisfied with their jobs.
When searching for job satisfaction, it’s important to choose a career that lines up with your personal values. For many people, knowing that they are making a difference in the lives of others is a powerful factor in how satisfied they feel in their work.
It’s also possible to have a career as a nurse that also provides a good level of work-life balance, depending on where you work. If you work in a busy hospital, you will probably need to work unsociable hours; however, if you took a position in a community health setting, you might be able to get something closer to a traditional nine to five.
It’s worth doing some research on the nursing positions that are available in your area to get an idea of how well they will fit in with your personal circumstances.
Engaging work
The one thing that most nurses will tell you is that you won’t ever be bored! Your work is looking after people, and people are unpredictable.
This means for nurses that every day is packed full of new challenges, new people, and new opportunities for learning and growth. You’ll be in a career that challenges and inspires you and keeps you engaged.
