Nursing is a really wonderful profession. It isn’t just a job that we as a society are always in desperate need of people to do; it is also a career path that offers excellent job security and numerous opportunities for progression. Many nations are contending with a chronic shortage of nurses, a problem that seems difficult to fix, meaning that any qualified individual should have no trouble finding employment.
Of course, it isn’t these considerations that bring most people to nursing. Rather, it is the possibility of doing good for other people and helping patients through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Whatever the motivations, nursing is an excellent career choice, one that anyone looking for a long-term career path with excellent prospects and the opportunity to help other people should consider.
Nurses Work in Many Different Environments
When we think of nurses, we usually imagine them working in a hospital, assisting with taking patients vitals and various samples, but the work of a nurse is actually much more varied than this. Nurses are required in all kinds of healthcare environments, many of which are highly specialized. Once a nurse has qualified, it is easy to pursue further training in order to allow them to work in these areas. Many of these roles involve working with patients in a research setting, so it is an excellent way of being involved in the more academic side of things.
Working Abroad
Nursing is a highly transferable skill. Hospitals and other healthcare environments have essentially the same requirements wherever they are located. In more specialized environments, such as where there are pandemic outbreaks, nurses are also required to undergo specialist training. Once a nurse has undergone the training necessary to work with infectious diseases, then they will find it relatively easy to find positions assisting with outbreaks across the globe.
Because nursing is such an easily transferrable skill, it is also possible to qualify as a nurse in one country and then to practice in another.
Career Progression
One of the biggest appeals of nursing is that it is a career that allows for several levels of progression. Progression requires earning more advanced certifications and degrees, and these can be studied for at any point in a nurse’s career as long as the prerequisites are met. You can find out about nurse practitioner programs where you can pursue your master’s degree, one of the highest degrees in the nursing profession. It is up to individual nurse whether they want to try and speed through to reach the highest echelons as fast as possible; or rise to the level that best suits them and then remain working there for the duration of their careers.
Career progression as a nurse has been made even easier because of online degrees. Online degrees make it possible for nurses to study for the next level of their career progression at the time of their choosing, and for a much lower price than usual. The ability to study part-time also allows nurses to advance, even if they aren’t able to focus on their studies full-time. There are now a number of established educational institutions that offer online nursing degrees, for example – https://onlinenursing.simmons.edu/fnp/
Opportunity to Educate Others
As you rise through the ranks of a nursing career, you will find that your value increases constantly. This will be reflected in both an increased salary and your opinions and expertise being sought regularly. The ability to be responsible for training and inspiring the next generation of nurses appeals to many of those who choose nursing as a career path. As a nurse, you will have an opportunity to make a real difference to your profession in a way that few other professions can match. And as a nurse educator, you will have an opportunity to make a real difference to your profession in a way that few other professions can match.
Excellent Pay
Nurses are able to command very good salaries, especially after they have gained some experience. Nurses are always in short supply and there is always a high demand for them. Some nurses find the pressure of a hospital environment ideal to bring out the best in their work and to give them the push they need. Other nurses are better suited to research roles, and by taking part in important research they are still able to play a key role in advancing the field.
Benefits
Many jobs and industries are beginning to scale back the benefits that they offer their employees. Meanwhile, the nursing profession continues to do all that it can in order to entice more people to take it on as a career path. Finding employment as a nurse gains practitioners access to more benefits than most jobs can offer.
A career in nursing is an excellent choice for a long-lasting and rewarding career, with excellent job security to boot. Nursing tends to attract those who most want to make a difference to other people’s lives. It is a unique opportunity to work for the good of local communities and to ensure that healthcare is available to those that need it.