Reasons for Considering A Nursing Career

Nursing is one of the most essential jobs there is. Without nurses, our whole society would be in serious trouble. Below are just some of the reasons why anyone looking for a new career path should consider nursing.

Reasons for Considering A Nursing Career
Nursing is more than just caring for the sick.

Make A Difference and Help Others
Probably the most common reason that people cite for going into the nursing profession is that it gives them the opportunity to help other people in a very meaningful way. There are lots of jobs in which people provide a service to others, and many of these are satisfying, but none can offer the same kind of satisfaction that working as a nurse can.

Even in advanced health care systems where patients generally have very good outlooks, going into hospital can still be a very scary experience, and patients rely heavily on their medical staff around them to make it easier.

Many nurses relish the challenge and reward that this demand provides them with. It is certainly not easy to be a nurse, and the most personal rewards that are to be gained from the job will not come automatically. However, those nurses that do fully embrace the role and are prepared to go further for their patients will be rewarded by the unique way in which they are able to help the patients they come into contact with.

Even nurses who do not work in direct contact with patients and whose work benefits them indirectly will still be able to derive a huge amount of satisfaction from the effect their work has on the quality of care that patients receive. A genuine desire to help other people is one of the best reasons to go into nursing and is one of the motivations that are most likely to lead to job satisfaction in the long-term.

Take on Work in a Variety of Different Settings
When we picture nurses at work, we tend to think of nurses who work directly with patients in a hospital setting. However, this is just one scenario in which a nurse may work. Nursing is a very versatile degree and skill set to have, and as a result, it can ultimately land qualified professionals work in a variety of different fields.

While many of these positions involve direct contact with patients, whether in a hospital or not, a large number also involve little to no patient contact at all. For example, a nurse who works in medical research may have little more to do for the duration of a trial than take blood samples from patients. However, this simple task can be a small contribution to important research that ultimately leads to improved patient care.

As nurses gain experience, they can also choose to transition away from patient-focused roles and towards other roles that are removed from front line health care. For example, lots of experienced nurses will go on to become administrators, where the majority of their work will be in overseeing the administration of a ward rather than working directly with patients.

There are also a number of opportunities in the private sector for qualified nurses to deploy their skills elsewhere. Many big businesses keep nurses on-site, and so do educational institutions.

Excellent Career Progression Opportunities
One aspect of the nursing profession that consistently brings in new recruits and applicants is the excellent and unique career progression system. Nurses can control the rate at which they progress through the ranks by choosing to study for the next level of their qualification at a time that suits them. This contrasts with many other career paths where the worker is completely at the mercy of their employer in terms of when and how they progress.

Nurses also do much of their learning on the job, and this is reflected in the fact that their degrees are designed to be studied while they are working actively as a nurse. We will talk about online degrees later on, but this feature of nursing changes the dynamic when it comes to online degrees, and quite a lot many people would say it’s for the better.

Similarly, nurses are free to take on training opportunities on their own initiative so that they can learn new skills and potentially apply for nursing roles in other settings. Once you have started working as a nurse in one area, it is entirely up to you whether you continue to work and gain experience in that area or take what you have learned and apply it to a completely different scenario.

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Nursing is a career that has traditionally mainly attracted women, and it continues to be one of the best career paths for women in terms of progression opportunities. Because nursing progression is largely down to the nurses themselves and any nurse can choose to study a new qualification and raise their value at any time they choose, the usual barriers that often prevent women from progressing are either not present or, at least, are less pronounced.

Engage with an Important Scientific Field of Study
If you are someone who is passionate about science and medicine, then it is needless to say that nursing has a lot to offer you. Many people underestimate just how involved nurses can be in a scientific side of things if they so choose. Lots of nurses want to work with patients at providing direct care, but others are very interested in being at the forefront of developing the industry itself.

The way that medical research, particularly in a hospital setting, is conducted can often seem Byzantine and hard to wrap your head around. However, nurses who take the initiative to write papers, conduct studies and jump on any training opportunities that come their way will have plenty of opportunities to formally involve themselves with medical research.

The kind of research that nurses are involved in can often seem dry and mundane from the outside, but any front line nurse will be able to appreciate the difference that even small changes in our approach to healthcare can make to the quality of care that patients receive. It is often the most passionate and dedicated nurses who are the most eager to be involved in important research into the future of the profession and their approach to patient care.

Learn Skills You Can Apply Elsewhere
Of course, many of the skills that a nurse will learn are specific to working as a nurse. However, there is also a large number of skills that nurses will need to learn that are more universal in nature and more widely applicable in their general lives. Nurses will have to take the initiative in studying for each stage of their qualification themselves, so in order to advance through the ranks of nursing, they will need to become proficient in all the skills associated with independent learning.

We mentioned earlier how even the skills that are specific to nursing can be used to open a variety of other potential career paths, but a nursing degree can even open doors overseas. If you qualify as a nurse in the US, then the nursing systems in most other countries would also be willing to accept you. Of course, this will vary from country to country, but in general, a quality nursing degree from an internationally recognized university will carry weight anywhere.

Study for Each Stage of Your Qualification Online
There are a number of advantages to studying for a degree online, although this is something that lots of people are still reluctant to consider. If you are worried that the online degree will not carry the same weight when you go applying for jobs as a regular degree, then you need not worry. Online nursing degrees are now available from a number of leading educational institutions. From the RN degree right up to the dnp degree, all levels of your nursing qualification can be studied online, and you can often save yourself a considerable amount of money in doing so.

Not only is studying online often cheaper than a conventional university course, but it also often offers more flexibility in terms of time scales. In the case of a nursing degree, where much of the degree is practical in nature and will occur during your placement in a hospital, studying a degree on a part-time basis is perfect for those who are already trying to balance the working hours of nursing with the requirements of a parent.

Nursing is a solid career choice for a lot of people. It is a profession that attracts a broad range of personality types because of the unique nature of the work that it requires. Everyone who becomes the nurse does so because they ultimately want to make a difference. It is definitely not an easy job and is one that can be very emotionally taxing. However, it is also one of the most rewarding jobs that you can do, and it will give you the chance to help people in a very meaningful way.

Nursing is also a skill that is always going to be in demand as we are always going to need nurses on hand. If you’re looking for a job that could be the beginning of a long career, then nursing is a great place to start.

Featured photo by Sam Chen via Pixabay.