Top Ten Reasons to Become a Nurse If you are facing a career change in your life or perhaps you are not sure what you would like to study consider nursing. The benefits that nurses have in their careers is quite astounding. Here are the top 10 benefits of becoming a nurse. 1. Nursing is in high demand despite the slow economy. RN’s are sought for both within and outside the U.S. and the demand for nurses will continue to grow as the baby boomer population ages overall. This provides you with job stability. It also allows you to work almost anywhere since the demand is so great. 2. The salary for a nurse is comparatively high. On average a registered nurse has a median salary of $54,000 and can reach up to $65,000 for more specialized nurses. 3. Nursing jobs also generally come with health insurance as well as other benefits. Having insurance and benefits provided to you can save you a great amount of money. Think of it as your salary being raised a good 7k. 4. The education requirements are relatively low. The minimum education requirements include a two year associate’s degree and passing a licensing exam (the exam must be taken for each state you wish to work in). Compare this to the four years of medical school plus 3+ years residency it takes to become a doctor and you have quite a deal. Since the requirements are low you also save money with a minimal amount of debt compared to the hundreds of thousands in debt you can expect from medical school. 5. There is the possibility for career advancement as nurses can choose to return to school to earn a bachelors or even a PHD. Supervisory or case management jobs such as Health Care Administration become available with higher education. 6. There is demand for nursing in a variety of venues that include health clubs, nurse agencies, hospitals, or the military. You have your choice when it comes to what type of environment you want to work in. 7. Nurses can choose to specialize in order to become experts in a specific area. Examples of this include oncology, heart patients, anesthetics, or psychiatric nursing. They interact with
doctors and can take the opportunity to learn from them. You are not tied down to your specialty either as you can move around to different fields, unlike doctors. 8. Scheduling is flexible as nurses can sign for desired shifts that range between 4 to 12 hours a day. This accommodates for other side jobs, their family, or education opportunities. 9. Nursing allows you to make a huge difference in the lives of others and can be a satisfying and gratifying career for compassionate individuals. You also get to spend more time with these different individuals and develop personal relationships with them. Doctors rarely have the time do this. 10. Your abilities can be applied outside work. You will be able to understand and better care for you family and friends in a way that many in other professions never could.
Photo Pin: Mercy Health, Russ Robinson, Tiffany Terry