Choosing a career path is a daunting task. Everyone desires to actually want to get up and go to work in the morning, but your job also needs to fit into your lifestyle and provide the financial incentive you require.
At the end of the day, most people’s life-long goal is to make a difference in people’s lives. A fantastic first step to accomplishing such a goal is to enroll in an Excelsior Nursing program. Becoming a nurse is a great way to challenge yourself and see what you can do to make a difference in this world. Here are three reasons to become a nurse. You can also Learn More about health education online.
Being a nurse is rewarding
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for registered nurses is projected to grow by “15 percent between 2016 and 2026.” This growth is expected due to the rising age of the population, the rise of chronic conditions, and senior citizens, and the fact that there is expected to be a nursing shortage by 2020 is a great reason to become a nurse to help in senior living facilities who need bariatric care in assisted living communities. This seems to display the very real job security found in nursing, which is a reward itself since the stress of not having job prospects after completing a degree is a major concern for most students.
Most people that go into nursing find the job rewarding simply because they spend their day making people feel better. In fact, according to a research examining the motivation for becoming a nurse by the American Nurses Association, the most common theme was rooted in altruism. Additionally, over two-thirds reported that caring was an “essential” trait for a nurse.
According to US News, various nursing jobs made the list of the 25 best jobs of 2019 (with registered nurse coming in at #19, nurse midwife coming in at #16, nurse practitioner coming in at #7, and nurse anesthetist coming in at #5). Nursing degrees tend to lead to personal and professional fulfillment all around.
Nursing offers flexibility
Nursing tends to provide options for a more flexible work schedule than other jobs. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some nurses work in hospitals, family medicine, or full-time assisted living facilities and generally must work 24-hour shifts. This allows them to get their work hours out of the way, freeing up more personal time. Others choose to work in doctors’ offices where business hours are more suitable for home and family life. There also tends to be more flexibility for picking up extra shifts when you need the extra cash.
Nurses can work in a variety of environments, as well, be it the busy ER, the low-key nursing home, or a family doctor’s office. Some nurses may even decide they want to work with participants in groundbreaking clinical trials after they have finished their Excelsior Nursing program or even go onto working in schools. There are all kinds of options to use your nursing degree to fit your lifestyle.
Plus, according to the Nurse Journal, nurses can specialize later on in their careers by earning a certificate. This means that they also have flexible options to advance their career if and when it is desirable.
Nursing has monetary perks
Not only do nurses generally have the opportunity for overtime pay when working in a hospital setting (cha-ching), but the Bureau of Labor Statistics, estimated that registered nurses made on average $71,730 per year in 2018. Keep in mind, though, that this is a median estimate. Nurses that work for government ran institutions tend to make even more (estimated to be $78,390 per year), whereas nurses working in the private sphere tend to make less (estimated to be about $61,850 per year). Also, remember that this doesn’t account for the other perks like medical coverage, vacation time, and student loan help, which may be more common in the private sphere working full-time.
There are many reasons why you should consider nursing for your career choice. Not only does a career in nursing help you feel more fulfilled, but it is also a financially-wise decision. If you’re on the fence about whether nursing is for you, contact an Excelsior College advisor to help you answer any questions you may have.
