Nursing can be a fast-paced, demanding career – and students need to be prepared for that aspect of the job – but it can also be incredibly rewarding. While there are advantages and disadvantages to any job, here are a few benefits that set nursing apart as a career, not just a job.
- Nurses are in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a nine percent growth in nursing between now and 2030. Couple that with a nationwide nursing shortage right now, and that means there are lots of job opportunities, flexibility in shifts, and nurses are compensated well. According to the BLS, the average annual nurse’s salary is more than $80,000, which is higher than the average annual salary across all professions.
- Nursing is a rewarding career path. Nurses make a huge impact in their lives of their patients every day. Nurses’ skills and compassion can reassure anxious patients that they are receiving the best care possible. It’s one of the reasons why, for the past two decades, nursing tops the list in the annual survey of most trusted professions. A 2020 Gallup Poll found that 89 percent of Americans rank nurses highest for honesty and ethics.
- Opportunities are high for career advancement. Registered nurses with an advanced degree can move into managerial, administrative, and advanced practice positions. Pursuing a career in those positions gives nurses an opportunity to impact care at their hospital, healthcare system, or the profession as a whole.
- Skills learned by nurses are transferrable to other careers. Nurses develop skills in communication, time management, and critical thinking. Nurses excel in communicating with someone who is scared and feeling overwhelmed, deal gently but firmly with someone who is intoxicated or having a mental health crisis, as well as every stage in between. Because nursing can be a fast-paced occupation, nurses must learn time management skills. Finally, nurses must apply critical thinking skills when evaluating patients’ conditions and communicating information to physicians and others on the healthcare team. All of these skills are in demand in most every career.
- Flexibility in choice of specialty, travel, and work settings. Nursing is not the same for every nurse. There are a variety of specialties that require specialized knowledge and skills. There are opportunities to travel locally, nationally, and even internationally. There are also opportunities to change your work setting. Nurses are needed in hospitals, long term care facilities, physicians’ offices, schools, homecare, and many other places. In every setting, you are using your nursing degree to help people.
You can make an impact with a nursing degree from Carlow University, whether it’s your first degree, a second degree, or a graduate degree. To learn more, please visit us on the web at https://www.carlow.edu/academic-programs/nursing-degrees/ or give Admissions a call at (412) 578-6059.