Nursing is a challenging and fast-paced career. This career requires passion and hard work, which most professions lack. However, the perks of becoming a nurse are so many that you can quickly build your passion and put in the effort to help the community, leaving positivity all around you.
The fact that you get to leave a positive mark on someone’s life every day itself is a good enough reason for you to pursue the career. But here are eight other reasons you should consider a career in nursing.
- Steady industry growth
Since nurses are an essential part of a healthcare team, there can never be too many of them. The profession is always in demand and has a steady industry growth as nurses have several chances for career advancement. After getting their degree and a few years of experience, they can quickly be promoted to the position of an advanced practice clinical position or a managerial position.
Additionally, nurses who opt to increase their knowledge via courses and certifications in specializations have more potential for growth. Their qualifications make them more attractive to employers and help them get a good package and position. For example, after completing your associate degree in nursing or Bachelor of Science in Nursing and passing the NCLEX, you can practice as a nurse and wait to get enough experience for promotion. Or you can practice as a nurse and earn your Master of Science in Nursing degree or Director of nursing services certification on the side to get an immediate promotion as the Director of Nursing. Now you may have to spend a bit and work harder to manage your job and studies. But the reward after achieving the position and getting the Director of nursing salary is worth it.
- Excellent security and benefits
Besides getting higher pay than most individuals who have just completed their undergraduate degrees, nurses also enjoy several other benefits. Usually, the tuition and certification fee you spend to become a nurse is reimbursed. Nurses also get paid holidays and sick leave.
Being in the healthcare system also provides you with the reward of health and life insurance and free wellness programs. Nurses are also equipped with a childcare facility. These are just some of the benefits that nurses get.
Since the profession never goes out of demand, nurses know they can get a job easily. If they don’t like the facility where they work, they know they can always change it as there is always someone or the other looking for a nurse to hire.
- Flexible schedule
Another advantage of being a nurse is having flexible hours and getting a choice to choose your shifts. You can have an 8, 10, or 12-hour shift or even a longer one if that’s what you want. After all, the longer the shift is, the quicker you will complete your weekly hours and have time off to spend with your loved ones.
In addition to getting a chance to choose how long they want their shift to be, nurses can also choose the time of the day they want to do their shift. For example, if you are not a morning person, you can opt for an evening or a night shift.
Nurses choosing to work in educational institutes get two months off every summer based on the institution’s schedule. They also get to work only during the institute’s hours and have the rest of the day to themselves.
Travel nurses have the freedom to choose the shift they will be offered as well as the location where they will be working. If you want to work only during business hours, you can opt to become a community health nurse or home care nurse. This way you will also have the weekends all to yourself.
While you have the freedom to choose your hours and shifts, sometimes, you need to sacrifice and work overtime. As healthcare practitioners, nurses must be available to serve patients and ensure everything in the hospital runs smoothly.
- Several job options
With a degree in nursing, you get a choice to work at various places depending on your liking. And if you don’t like the setting of your current workplace, you can easily switch it up.
You can choose to become a school nurse and work at any educational institute. You can also become a correctional nurse and take care of prisoners or become a forensic nurse and help the court collect evidence. These specialized nursing roles, known as the highest-paying travel nurse jobs, not only provide unique challenges and rewarding compensation packages but also offer opportunities for personal and professional growth. With competitive salaries, attractive benefits, and the chance to explore different healthcare systems, these roles attract experienced nurses seeking both financial stability and career advancement. In addition to these exciting opportunities, you can explore diverse healthcare settings and expand your horizons by becoming a travel nurse in these specialized roles, all while enjoying the benefits of competitive salaries and attractive benefits – make sure to visit Medical Solutionsto embark on your journey to a fulfilling nursing career.
Other options include home service nurses, public health nurses, missionary nurses, nursing educators, clinical nurse researchers, etc. Once you become a nurse, you can look into these various job options and choose the one that best suits your personality and requirements.
- A sense of well-being
Choosing a career in the healthcare field always provides a sense of well-being as you treat patients and help improve their quality of life. Being a nurse is a gratifying career path where you make a difference in the lives of your patients. You get a chance to heal your patients, educate them, and participate in their rehabilitation.
Seeing your patient recover and return to their daily life will always provide happiness and make you feel like an essential part of the community.
- Travel opportunities
After becoming a registered nurse, you can choose to become a travel nurse and travel worldwide. You will travel to various places depending on the geographical shortage of nurses.
This career path also comes with a variety of benefits besides traveling. You get high pay and a package that includes travel reimbursement, housing stipend, and usually hourly rates. You can even negotiate your way into getting more benefits from your employer.
Another great advantage of being a travel nurse is seeing the new place you are traveling to like no tourist ever has. This is because the terms and conditions of your contract usually involve you living for 26 weeks or more. Hence, you get to visit not only all the tourist areas but also find new places that are yet undiscovered. You also get to mingle with the locals and learn new things from them.
- Hassle-free wardrobe
Another great advantage of becoming a nurse is that you do not need to worry about updating your wardrobe regularly or spending a lot on it just because of work. Nurses can wear the same colored scrubs every week of the month, and no one would find it abnormal or make fun. In most places, nurses already have a uniform, so they do not need to worry about what they will wear to work the next day.
However, nurses should invest in comfortable shoes as their profession requires several hours of standing or walking from one patient’s bed to another. It’s okay to have a single pair of work shoes and wear them every day as long as they are comfortable.
- Well-respected profession
The pandemic has made everyone realize the importance of nurses who have worked day and night along with doctors for the well-being of patients. Because of their continued dedication and hard work, nurses are now labeled as healthcare heroes. So, choosing a career in nursing means having a well-respected profession that everyone around you is bound to admire and appreciate.
Conclusion
No doubt becoming a nurse is not always rainbows and unicorns. However, as you get into the field and work your way around, you will realize that the benefits outweigh the challenges and disadvantages.
