6 Benefits of Switching into a Nursing Career

It can be difficult to know what career you want to enter when you’re going through school. You might start down one career path and decide that’s it’s not right for you a few months or years down the line.

Naturally, your interests might change as the years go by and the things that once excited you might no longer be of interest. While there is nothing wrong with changing your mind, it’s often a tough decision to leave your current career and take the leap into a brand-new industry.

If you have always been a very caring and empathetic person who enjoys helping others, you may be considered a career in nursing. The medical field is one of the most rewarding industries to pursue and nurses are an extremely important part of any medical team.

Let’s take a look at the many benefits of pursuing a nursing career and becoming a qualified registered nurse.

Job Security

Nursing has one of the highest levels of job security in the medical field. As the population grows each year and the average life expectancy rises, the demand for nurses is ever-increasing. And this demand stretches across all different specialties of nursing.

So, no matter what special to you enter, you won’t struggle to find a job. Whether you take an online family nurse practitioner program to enter family nursing, or you specialize in mental health, cardiorespiratory, oncology…there will always be work available.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Humber of nursing jobs is projected to increase at a rate of 9% each year between 2020-2030.

Not only this but nursing enables international employment. Every country requires nurses, so even if you move to another area, you can rest assured knowing you will be able to find a job.

Flexibility

There is a lot of flexibility in nursing. Not only in the wide variety of specialties that you can enter but also in the working patterns. Since nurses tend to work in shifts rather than a traditional 9 to 5, there is more flexibility around your working days and hours.

This is a great option if you have other responsibilities, such as young children or elderly parents. By speaking to your manager and the occupational health team at your workplace, you may be able to request working on specific times and days of the week.

Depending on your location, you may also get several days of paid leave over the course of the year. You will be able to book your leave in advance, so if you wish to go on a family vacation over the holidays or summer, you can easily do so.

It’s important to note that, although nurses have a lot more flexibility around their hours, they are also required to work unsociable hours. For example, most nursing jobs or seven days a week and they cover everything from early mornings to late evenings to night shifts. 

Rewarding

There is no denying that nursing is one of the most satisfying and rewarding careers that you can enter. As a nurse, you can improve the quality of life of hundreds of patients every year by administering treatments and therapies.

Nurses have the opportunity to interact directly with patients alongside a multi-disciplinary team. No matter what specialty you enter, you will be saving and improving lives every day throughout your career.

Patient Interaction

Many roles in healthcare are patient-facing. If the idea of being sat behind a computer all day in a stuffy, dark office is not appealing to you, you might prefer a patient-facing job like nursing. 

If you have great communication and interpersonal skills, you will love interacting with a variety of different patients. Nurses are at the heart of every hospital ward or clinic. You will contribute to the holistic care of your patience alongside your hospital colleagues.

You will be interacting with lots of different staff members to create the best treatment program for your patients and assess their condition. If you thrive as part of a team, you are likely to succeed in a nursing career.

Variety

One of the best aspects of nursing is the variety that is available within the field. No matter what interests and passions you have, there will be one area of nursing that piques your interest.

Some of the main areas within the nursing field are:

• Cardiovascular
• Dementia
• Family
• Geriatrics
• Maternity
• Mental health
• Obstetrics and gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Respiratory
• Rheumatology
• Pediatrics
• Surgery and theatre
• Urology
• Vascular

There is also variety in the location of work. As a nurse, you can work in hospital wards, hospital clinics, primary care settings, private practices, and schools.

No two days are the same in healthcare. Every day brings brand-new challenges and you will need to use your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to overcome them.

You may be faced with a patient that is presenting with an unusual set of symptoms or you may need to learn how to use an advanced piece of equipment as part of a patient’s treatment program. You certainly won’t get bored or complacent in your nursing career!

Great Pay

The exact salary that you receive as a nurse will depend on your location and also your specialty. However, the median salary for registered nurses is around $60,000 each year.

If you decide to complete an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) to become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, you can earn upwards of $100,000 a year. An MSN takes approximately two years to study on top of the four years it takes to become a registered nurse.

Additionally, many nurses get enhancement for working unsociable hours. If you regularly work the evening or night shifts, you may earn much more than this over the course of the year.