You’ve probably heard that working in the nursing field is highly rewarding. While that is true, there are also a lot more reasons as to why a person should consider pursuing a career in nursing. This blog will cover 12 reasons why nursing makes a fantastic career.
Job Flexibility
One of the most convenient aspects of the nursing field is that you’re able to maintain a flexible work schedule. You have the freedom to choose when and where you work, as well as the number of hours you work. Whether you’re considering full time, part time, permanent, or temporary jobs, Favorite can help you explore all these opportunities so you can find the perfect fit for your busy schedule.
Variety of Locations
Nurses are needed just about everywhere, which is convenient for healthcare professionals because it makes it easier for them to find jobs. Another positive is that nurses get to choose from a wide variety of locations to work. Nurses have the option to work at more conventional locations, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians’ offices, or they can branch out and work in less conventional locations such as correctional facilities, military bases, cruise ships, and more. It’s safe to say that when it comes to facilities to work at, nurses will likely never get bored.
Nursing Specialties
In the nursing field, you are able to earn different certifications that will allow you to become an expert in each respective specialty. Once a nurse has specialized in an area or several areas, this will further increase the demand for their services, and with a higher demand comes higher pay. With over 200 specialties, there are a lot of different paths a nurse can take, which is perfect for people who have several interests.
Personal Satisfaction
Because nurses often put the health of their patients over their own, work long hours, and take care of others for a living, they are highly respected by society. Nurses are the link between the doctor and the patient, making sure the patient is cared for and understood every step of the way. Because nurses are able to help others every day at work, most of these healthcare professionals find their jobs to be extremely rewarding.
Nursing Shortage
Since the world’s population is living longer today and will continue to need medical care for longer periods of time, hospitals and other facilities will always need to employ nurses. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing states, “According to the United States Registered Nurse Workforce Report Card and Shortage Forecast published in the September/October 2019 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality, a shortage of registered nurses is projected to spread across the country through 2030,” (Rosseter, 2022). To learn more about this issue, click here to read our blog about the healthcare labor shortage.
Job Security
While the labor shortage among healthcare professionals is not advantageous, this does mean that nurses are secure in their jobs. Since so many nurses need to be hired in today’s world, they will rarely ever have to deal with the difficulties of finding a job. Nurses coming out of school will certainly not have a hard time finding and transitioning into a full-time job since the demand continues to be so high. Knowing that you will always have a job is comforting for many nurses who highly depend on a steady income.
Earn Extra Income
Working with a staffing agency can be a great way to earn an extra income when you see fit. There are many healthcare professionals who work per diem, which gives them the flexibility to choose when and where to work extra hours, holidays, or weekends. Per diem work also allows nurses to choose how often they work, so if they find that their schedule is becoming too hectic, they can easily take a step back.
Career Growth
One of the great things about the nursing field is that you are able to advance your career in a number of ways. As mentioned, there is the option to specialize in one or many different areas within the field. You can also grow your career by applying for leadership opportunities, joining a nursing board, or even just simply networking with other nurses and healthcare professionals (Bonsall, 2023).
Every Day is Different
Being a nurse is an exciting career path to take because every day of work is different. While you may perform some similar tasks day to day, you will find that no two days are the same. Because hospitals and other healthcare facilities have patients coming in and out all the time, nurses get to constantly meet new people and be involved in new situations that they might not have encountered before.
High Pay Rates
Because nurses are in such high demand, the opportunities for earning higher pay rates are abundant. Not to mention they can earn even higher pay when working on holidays since most nurses try to take those days off when they can. While the pay rates do depend on the state you live in, cost of living, the specialty of nursing you practice, and more, most registered nurses make an average of $77,000 a year (Concordia University Texas, 2023). Even though most nurses are not solely in the profession for the pay, it is still a reassuring benefit of the position.
You Get to be Active
Instead of sitting in an office at a desk for eight hours a day, nurses have the ability to stay on their feet and be active throughout their shifts. This is not only beneficial for nurses' health, but it also makes shifts go by faster when you’re constantly moving. On average, research found that nurses working a 12-hour shift often walk five miles throughout their workday (NurseTogether Editorial Team, n.d.). People who strive to reach a certain number of steps in a day are perfect for the nursing field!
You Receive Great Benefits
Finally, you may want to consider pursuing a career in nursing because of the great benefits that it offers. Not only does the profession pay well, but nurses are also offered many benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, childcare, paid vacations and holidays, tuition reimbursement or continuing education programs, and more (Morris, 2023). If you’re someone who loves traveling and going on adventures, then these perks are a benefit on their own for travel nurses!
It’s easy to see that there are many positive reasons as to why a person would want to pursue a career in nursing. We hope this blog helped you gain some insight if you were on the fence about joining the nursing field. Search for our available nursing jobs to start your healthcare career today!
Sources
https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
https://www.nursingcenter.com/ncblog/april-2023/5-ways-to-advance-your-nursing-career
https://absn.concordia.edu/blog/reasons-to-become-a-nurse/
https://www.nursetogether.com/how-much-does-nurse-really-walk-during-their-shift/
https://nursejournal.org/articles/reasons-to-choose-a-career-in-nursing/
