Change Your Career to Become a Nurse: Are you thinking of changing your career to something different? Maybe you are not sure of exactly what you’d like to eventually do, but know that you want to do something more meaningful and rewarding compared to your current line of work. If you are an empathetic and caring person who enjoys helping others, and want a career where there is high demand for you, excellent job security and great progression opportunities, there are plenty of reasons to consider changing your career to become a nurse.
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1. Study Online
The idea of studying for a new degree to change your career can often be off-putting. If you need to continue working and make a straight swap over to your new workplace, the idea of going to college might seem impossible. The good news for those who want to become a future nurse is that nursing degrees are now widely available online, allowing you to continue working and enjoy more flexible study options. There are many online programs available to help you get into nursing from a different career, including online accelerated BSN programs that allow you to get your BSN in less than half the usual time if you are already degree-educated in a different subject.
2. High Demand
A study conducted in 2019 found that 90% of nurses find work within six months of getting their BSN. If you want to be sure that changing your career is going to be worth it and you’ll find work in your new role quickly, nursing is a great choice. Nurses are always needed wherever there are people, and the current nursing shortage in the US has made the demand even higher. Right now, the WHO has stated that the world is going to need millions of new nurses in the foreseeable future. For those looking for a quick entry into their new career, it’s a great time to train as a nurse.
3. Excellent Pay and Benefits
Along with earning a very competitive wage, nurses often enjoy a wide range of benefits in their career. Some common perks of the job include flexible working hours and employer-covered health insurance and life insurance. Some healthcare employers offer tuition forgiveness programs and tuition assistance for nurses who want to progress with an advanced degree.
4. Countless Career Progression Opportunities
If you hate the idea of working in a job where you feel like you’ve got as far as you can after a short amount of time, nursing might be ideal for you as it’s the complete opposite. As a nurse, you are never short of opportunities to learn something new whether it’s focusing on a certain specialty area or moving up the career ladder to more advanced roles with a DNP degree program from Marymount University. Nurses can move into advanced practice, education, and leadership roles among many others.
5. Travel Nursing
Getting your BSN will also qualify you to work as a travel nurse, which allows you to travel to different locations to support healthcare organizations that are in need of nurses. This is a great way to get different levels of nursing experience, along with ticking places off your travel bucket list along the way.
6. Fast-Paced Work
Some people thrive in a more exciting workplace environment, and if the predictability of your current work has been driving you insane, then nursing could be a great choice for you. In this job, no two days are going to be the same and everything could change in a matter of seconds. You get to meet and work with new people every day, and learn something new all the time.
7. Job Security
Not only are nurses in very high demand, but this job is also one of the most secure options there is. Even when worldwide crises like the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the demand for nurses typically increases rather than decreases. Since nurses are always going to be needed everywhere in the world at all hours of the day and days of the week, it’s one of the most secure job options that you can imagine.
8. Lifelong Learning
The healthcare industry is always changing and evolving, so if you are a person who loves learning new things and does not like working in a job that doesn’t challenge you to improve your knowledge all the time, nursing could be ideal for you. Keeping up to date with the latest developments in healthcare is super important for nurses, and they are regularly tested to ensure that they have the most up to date information, knowledge and skills. The good thing about learning in the modern era is the fact you can always expand your knowledge online. For example, if you want to enrich your nursing knowledge you can always get a certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
9. Make a Difference
Nurses can make a difference in their jobs in a wide range of different ways. Registered nurses are not only there to care for and support their patients, but also advocate for them on a daily basis. As a nurse, you can make a difference to the lives of others and also to communities by providing care where it is needed the most and healthcare education to empower people to make better decisions for themselves and their health. Nurses in more advanced roles such as nurse practitioners and nurse leaders are often hugely instrumental in changing healthcare policy for the better.
10. Satisfaction and Reward
If you crave a career where you can go home each day feeling pure satisfaction that you have been able to make a difference to somebody’s life and be there for them in their time of need, nursing is the perfect career option for you. Nurses are often the first people that others will see when they are going through tough, scary and painful times, and the care, empathy and compassion of a nurse can go a long way in helping patients overcome whatever situation they are in. As a nurse, many aspects of simply doing your job can be hugely rewarding and fill you with pride in yourself, your co-workers and your career choice.
If you’re fed up in your current career and want to do something more meaningful and rewarding, these are some of the main reasons to consider nursing.
