Do you want to make a difference in the world? Nursing is a rewarding way to earn a steady salary. If you are looking for a challenging and fulfilling job – one that might even allow you to travel and see the world – you should consider becoming a nurse. Especially right now, health care is a great field to be employed in because work is consistent, well paid, and always available. Additionally, starting a nursing career is simple. Getting a degree in nursing doesn’t require a lot of money or time. But these are just a few of the many reasons why you should pursue a career in nursing.
1. Nursing Offers Great Job Security
There will never be a time that nurses are not needed in the world. In fact, because nearly all medical institutions require nurses, and there hospitals and clinic are frequently short-staffed, nursing is a fantastic field to get into if you always want to have a job. New employment opportunities for nurses open up all the time and work is readily available almost anywhere for both experienced and new nurses. If you don’t believe us, just look at statistics from the US Bureau of Labor,¹ which predicted a 15% growth rate in this field between 2016 and 2026. With populations on the rise worldwide, the need for healthcare workers and job growth in these sectors is fairly consistent on a global level. Furthermore, nursing will most likely remain a recession-proof profession for many years to come. While many fields are easily affected by frequent fluctuations in the global economy, jobs associated with healthcare, such as nursing, are typically found to have great job security due to their necessity.
2. Nursing Has Flexible Hours
Many people associate the profession of nursing with long hours and shifts, however, this is a misleading assumption. In reality, nurses can actually find much more flexibility in their job schedules than workers in most other vocations. As a nurse, you can choose your hours or shifts: mornings, evenings, midday or night. You can even decide whether you would prefer to work on weekends. The ability to stack your shifts on certain days and free up others is yet another perk that many people do not consider. Many nurses stack shifts to enjoy longer periods of time off, while others like to spread their time more evenly across the week.²
3. You Can Have Your Student Loans Forgiven
Yes, you’re reading this right. If that big loan you took out to pay for your studies seems like it’s getting bigger and scarier every day, nursing is one profession you can enter that will allow you to wave that looming debt goodbye. The government forgives student loans for nursing degrees after graduation, and other kinds special grants are also readily available for students.³
If you start working at a military hospital, a government facility, or as a Peace Corps nurse, you won’t have to repay your loans either. That means that becoming a nurse is one of the few new career opportunities you can pursue that will allow you to keep your budget intact.
4. Many Nurses Travel for Work – And You Can Too!
Nursing is also a great way to see the world while you are doing your job. Nursing degrees and skills are easily transferable from hospital to hospital, state to state and even across the globe. As a nurse, it is possible to find a nursing job that allows you to travel around the globe. For example, some nurses follow athletic teams to all of their different sporting events, wherever they are. International work is available through many channels, and is a great way for nurses to expand their knowledge and understanding of health care on a global level. There are short term options, placing you in locations for periods of time typically ranging from 8-26 weeks, as well as longer term options of 2+ years. Some of the long term positions will even allow for employees to bring spouses and family with them.⁴
5. You Can Study Online
If you want to become a nurse, you have long hours of studying upon you. In recent years, the growth in popularity of pursuing education remotely via online classes has made pursuing a nursing education online easier than ever. You can find nursing degree programs and get everything done remotely. This makes both BA and BC more available for all candidates. Furthermore, online education is typically a more economical route than traditional brick and mortar colleges.
You have online classes which will help you get to an easier start to your degree. There is no time-consuming application process or a $10,000 tuition as is the case with traditional, in-person college attendance. You get the same quality of knowledge, skills, and education without paying enormous amounts of money. The economy of this option is part of what has made online education so popular in recent years.
6. Nursing is One of the Most Meaningful and Fulfilling Careers
As a nurse, you will never be bored, or have to deal with the drudgery and repetition that can be office desk work. Instead, each day will be completely new and every patient unique. The work you will be doing will help – and even save – lives. What could be more fulfilling and satisfying than that? If you are looking to do something with your life that will truly make a difference, pursuing a career in nursing is definitely one way to make it count.
How To Get A Nursing Degree
Getting started on your nursing degree has never been easier than it is right now. With so many choices available, you can begin your medical career by finding an online course that best suits you, or by doing some research on the options available to you locally through traditional education.
After applying, it won’t be long before you start your career and find out just how flexible, affordable, and satisfying it is. Merely find a program that teaches low-priced classes and has the value of a traditional college degree, and you are ready to start your new life as a nurse, as a member of one of the largest workforces in the world!
If you are interested in a nursing career, begin researching how to become a nurse today.
[1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Registered Nurses.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Updated 10 April 2020. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
[2] Maura MacPhee RN, PhD and Lene Svendsen Borra, MH, RN. “Flexible Work Practices in Nursing.” International Council of Nurses. https://cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/files/safe-staffing-toolkit/Flexible-Working-Practices.pdf
[3] Louis DeNicola. “What Nurses Need to Know About Student Loan Forgiveness.” U.S. News. 19 April 2018. https://loans.usnews.com/what-nurses-need-to-know-about-student-loan-forgiveness
[4] “What Is a Travel Nurse? RegisteredNursing.org. Updated 30 March 2020. https://www.registerednursing.org/specialty/travel-nurse/
