Are you thinking you might be a good candidate to pursue a college nursing degree, and then one of the many jobs in nursing? Then read this article to learn more!
Reasons Why a Career in Nursing is Perfect For You
It is often said that while some people choose their professions, other professions actually choose their people. Nurses are one group of people that understand they have been chosen. If you feel this calling to become a nurse already, and if you would like to through education, then you will make an excellent nurse indeed!
The Top 8 Reasons for Becoming a Nurse
Let’s take a look at the top 8 reasons why to become a nurse. This list includes professional reasons, as well as very personal reasoning’s for why nursing might be the right college degree program and career path for you to pursue.
1. A Growing Demand for Qualified Nurses
The nursing industry is expected to grow by over 26% by 2020. Furthermore, with the Affordable Care Act in America, the demand for qualified nursing professionals could lead to upwards of 400,000 new jobs in the next decade.
2. Retirement Requires Replacement Nurses
According to the American Nurses Association, the median age of currently employed nurses is 46, and almost 50% of the workforce is considering retirement. This means that a sizeable portion of the nursing workforce is going to need to be replaced over the next decade.
3. Nursing Runs in the Family Blood
If you come from a family dedicated to service—whether in civilian, government or military sectors, then you may very well view your career as a natural extension of your desire to help others. If this is the case, then nursing might be perfect for you.
4. Nursing Gives Back What You Received
One of the most common reasons we hear as to why to become a nurse is because of a positive experience with a nurse in one’s past. Sometimes, it’s a former patient, or a family member of a patient who has a fond memory of how a nurse’s intervention made their lives better in some way.
5. Specialization Means More Career Choices
Gone is the day when being a nurse meant being confined to a hospital. Today, specialization has resulted in the need for travel nurses, emergency flight nurses, plastic surgery and cosmetic nurses, and even cruise ship or theme park nurses. Having a degree in nursing means you are not only in demand, but that many times you can also call your own professional shot.
6. You Like Flexible Scheduling
Some people thrive at 9-5 jobs, and others tend to feel more impinged upon than not scheduling-wise. If you are one of the latter types of people, then a career in nursing might be perfect for you. Because nursing is a 24-hour a day industry, its professionals have many options for shift scheduling that fits their lifestyles.
7. Salaries for Nurses are Growing
Salaries for nurses are growing at a rate significantly above inflation, a trend that has remained stable over the past several years. This includes the salary for registered nurses, which grew over $20,000 between the years 2000-2010 according to the Health Resources and Service Administration.
8. Nursing is Well Respected
According to Gallup, consumers consistently rate nurses among the most respected profession.This means that you can become an agent for healing in a profession that you can be proud of being affiliated with.
Is a Career in Nursing Right For You?
Only you can answer this question—and for that matter, your reasons for becoming a nurse might be entirely different than any we listed above. But it goes without saying that becoming a nurse is both a lucrative profession, and more importantly for nurses everywhere a calling, lifestyle and so much more.
Being in the nursing industry means being on the cutting edge, the front lines, and in the trenches all at once. Although it is not for everyone, those who are destined for it can rest assured that whatever his or her motivations are, pursuing a nursing education is not only profitable, but also rewarding beyond all your dreams and expectations!