Why Become a Nurse?
Why become a nurse? Because even though nursing is the single largest profession in the U.S. health care workforce, there still aren’t enough of them. Current events and the COVID-19 pandemic have altered the health care landscape in the United States, and that reality isn’t going to change any time soon.
However, the growing need for nurses has a bright side for those looking to enter the profession: health care employers nationwide are increasingly offering signing bonuses, tuition reimbursements and more to attract qualified nurses.
Financial incentives aside, why else should you become a nurse? Because perhaps more than any other professional path, a career in nursing grants you access to many other rewarding advantages, affording you chances to make a difference, design your own work schedule and achieve career stability.
Make a Difference in Your Community.
By becoming a nurse, you’ll be joining the ranks of America’s most trusted profession. There’s perhaps no more benevolent career path out there. Whether serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping a new mother through labor and delivery or making a terminally ill patient as comfortable as possible in their final days, nurses care for the community.
Control Your Schedule.
Nurses are needed at all hours of the day and night — a fact that bodes well for you if you prefer a flexible work schedule. While a lot depends on your future employer, nursing is a career path that offers opportunities to work days, nights, weekdays or weekends. In some cases, you may have the option to work in incremental shifts ranging between four and 12 hours.
Achieve Career Stability With Ample Opportunities.
Thanks to an increase in health challenges, rapidly changing medical technology and a growing elderly population, nursing is and will continue to be in demand for the near future.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that registered nurse employment will grow by 7% between 2019 and 2029 — a rate faster than the average for all occupations.
According to the BLS’s latest data, the median annual wage for registered nurses is $77,600.* However, wages fluctuate depending on the industry, such as government, hospitals, ambulatory healthcare services, care facilities and educational services.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited June 05, 2023).
For More Information
Contact us to learn more about why you should become a nurse and whether nursing is right for you.