Nursing is a rewarding and fulfilling career path for many reasons. If you are considering becoming a nurse, it is wise to learn about the multitude of benefits this profession offers. While the job does come with challenges, the advantages far outweigh any difficulties for most nurses. Continue reading to learn about seven of the top benefits of pursuing a career in the nursing field.
Abundant Career Paths And Specializations
There are so many different directions you can take your nursing degree. While some nurses provide general care, many specialize. More than 100 specialties and subspecialties exist in the field. Some examples are oncology nurses who help cancer patients, neonatal nurses who care for newborns, psychiatric nurses who assist those with mental health needs, and nurse anesthetists who administer anesthesia. The multitude of specialties allows you to zero in on an area that fits your interests and skills. This diversity helps keep nurses engaged in their work.
Opportunities For Advancement
Starting out as an entry-level nurse does not mean you will stay at the same level forever. Nursing offers clear advancement opportunities through experience and education. Many nurses start by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN). From there, RNs can advance their education to become Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) by earning a master’s degree. APRN positions include nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. These roles come with greater responsibility and higher pay. Advancement helps nurses avoid stagnation in their careers.
Ability To Help People
Many nurses cite the ability to make a difference in people’s lives as the top reward of their careers. The job provides daily opportunities to connect with patients, ease suffering, educate, advocate, and boost health. Nurses gain immense satisfaction through knowing their skilled care helps patients heal and cope. They develop meaningful relationships with those they care for over days, weeks, months, or longer. Not every career field allows this level of fulfilling patient interaction. Nurses cherish the ability to positively impact others through their work.
Strong Job Outlook Across Most Settings
In addition to plentiful job openings overall for nurses, a positive outlook exists across settings. Growth is projected in hospitals, physicians’ offices, outpatient care centers, and home health services alike per the BLS. This versatility means you can likely find a job in your preferred environment. Working in a busy hospital ER presents very different challenges than serving as a school nurse. Yet nurses are needed across all types of healthcare settings. The flexibility to switch settings without having to change careers altogether is advantageous.
Opportunities To Innovate
Many nurses appreciate that they can think critically and innovatively to improve patient outcomes. The job involves identifying problems and strategizing solutions. Nurses do much more than just follow physician orders. They assess patients, develop care plans, implement interventions, and evaluate results. Nurses have the autonomy to make changes and solve challenges. Those who enjoy analyzing, strategizing, and innovating find the problem-solving aspects of nursing very rewarding. Nurses drive new models of care delivery.
Entry Through Various Nursing Programs
If becoming a nurse appeal to you, know that multiple educational paths exist to gain licensure. Besides the commonly known ADN and BSN programs, schools offer accelerated BSN options to those who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field. Licensed practical nurse (LPN) and licensed vocational nurse (LVN) programs usually take 1-2 years to complete. And direct-entry master’s in nursing program allow those with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to become an APRN. Having alternatives makes nursing more accessible for aspiring nurses from all backgrounds and stages of life.
To Wrap Up
Pursuing a career in nursing comes with many advantageous benefits. Financial stability, abundant career options, advancement potential, the ability to help people, job flexibility, opportunities to innovate, and multiple educational paths all make nursing an appealing field. If you are considering becoming a nurse, focus on the multitude of rewards the profession offers as you move forward on the path. Weigh the benefits against any perceived challenges. For most nurses, the pros dramatically outweigh any cons of the job. A nursing degree can launch you into a life-long and deeply meaningful career.