As you consider entering the nursing field, you may wonder whether it’s the right choice for you. Is nursing a good career, and is being a nurse worth it? These are important questions to think about before investing your time and energy into going back to school for nursing. We’ll walk you through the reasons why you can have confidence in your decision to become a nurse.
Pacific Lutheran University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is committed to equipping students with the skills and knowledge to embark on a successful nursing career. The 16-month hybrid program situated near Seattle, Washington, is designed for those with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 non-nursing college credits. Through the ABSN program, you can graduate sooner and kickstart your nursing career.
Learn more about how the accelerated nursing program at PLU works.
We’ll discuss eight reasons why nursing is a good job and why being a nurse is worth it.
1. In-Demand Career
Nursing offers a career with a high level of job security, especially considering the current nursing shortage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of nursing positions available nationwide is expected to grow by 9% between 2020 and 2030, meaning nurses will be even more in demand in the future.
The growing need for nurses to care for the aging baby boomer population means new nurses will have plenty of roles available to them in the coming years. Also, with the median age of nurses being 52 and many nurses nearing the age of 65, more nursing roles will open up as nurses retire. Because of this gap between nurses’ supply and demand, nursing is a prime field to enter if you’re looking for a career with long-term stability.
2. Strong Earning Potential
Nurses with a BSN can earn a competitive salary, averaging $77,600 across the U.S., according to BLS data from May 2021. Rest assured nurses have the opportunity to earn a comfortable living.
Along with earning a good base salary, nurses can often work overtime or take on weekend or holiday shifts that come with a pay boost. Furthermore, health care providers generally offer nurses a comprehensive benefit plan, including health insurance, 401(k) matching and paid time off.
3. Flexible Scheduling Options
Nursing is a good career because it offers endless ways to tailor your work to the schedule that best suits you. Depending on your work setting, you can work days, nights or weekends. For example, if you want to work daytime hours during the week, you can choose an outpatient care or clinic nursing job. However, if you prefer to work evenings or weekends, you can find an inpatient position at a hospital, rehab facility or nursing home.
Generally, nurses can choose between a variety of scheduling options, such as full-time, part-time, PRN (work as desired) and more. Nurses also can decide to accept a job that offers the shift length that is ideal for them. For example, in clinics, an 8-hour day shift is common. However, if you prefer to only work three days a week, 12-hour shifts are common in hospitals.
As you can see, nurses have myriad options with their schedules, a major advantage of entering the profession.
4. Diverse Job Options
Nursing is a career that opens many doors, allowing you to choose from numerous positions depending on your interests. If you enjoy working with children and young people, you can work in pediatrics, and within pediatrics, there are several sub-specialties you could choose from. Similarly, if you enjoy working with cancer patients, you can work in oncology. The options go on and on.
After graduating from an accelerated nursing program, like the ABSN at PLU, you’ll qualify as a generalist nurse, ready for a variety of entry-level nursing jobs after you graduate and receive your license. After gaining initial professional nursing experience, you can specialize and earn certifications in the areas of nursing you’re passionate about.
It’s also worth noting that nurses can work in the clinical realm or in a nonclinical specialty that uses their nursing skills in an alternative way.
Here are a few of the many nursing specialties:
- Emergency nursing
- Neonatal intensive care nursing
- Surgical nursing
- Labor and delivery nursing
- Outpatient clinical nursing
- School nursing
- Legal nurse consulting
- Case management
5. Growth and Leadership Opportunities
Not only does nursing offer variety in your work, it also offers significant growth potential when you have a BSN degree. Nurses with a BSN are equipped to rise through the ranks in the clinical realm and become nurse managers; they can even take on health care administration roles.
Those with a passion for teaching can go back to school to earn their master’s degree and become a nurse educator, passing on their expertise to the next generation.
If you want to advance as a care provider, you may consider returning to school to become a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, or another advanced practice nurse. These roles come with greater independence and a wider scope of practice. They also have the added benefit of a significant pay boost, averaging $123,780 per year, according to the May 2021 BLS data.
If you’re professionally ambitious, nursing may be an ideal fit for you because it offers several ways for you to advance as you gain experience.
6. High Job Satisfaction
People often go into nursing because of the profession’s intrinsic benefits, such as personal fulfillment and the ability to make a difference. Nurses have the advantage of a career with a clear purpose and the ability to make a daily impact.
When you opt for a nursing career based on your passion for patient care, you’ll feel fulfilled to head into work. You’ll know you are tangibly contributing to people’s lives, leaving you with a sense of personal and professional satisfaction.
7. Daily Variety at Work
If you’re looking for a boring job where every day looks the same, nursing is not for you! A career in nursing offers plenty of variety, and no two days will be the same. You’ll have different patients with wide-ranging health conditions, so you’ll be able to use different skill sets and knowledge each shift.
Even within a nursing specialty, such as cardiology, your days will vary. For example, one day, you may care for a 60-year-old female who’s suffered a heart attack, and the next you may care for a 20-year-old male with congenital heart disease. You never know what each day will bring. You’ll need to stay on your toes and be ready for whatever comes your way. Boredom is not a problem for nurses!
8. Collaborative Team Mindset
Another reason why being a nurse is worth it is the comradery nurses enjoy in the workplace. They can also develop meaningful coworker friendships because of all the time spent working together.
Nursing is a career where you’ll collaborate daily with other nurses and members of the health care team. You’ll care for patients together and support each other. Nurses are some of the most teamwork-focused people out there, ready to lend a hand to a fellow nurse or health care team member whenever possible.
So, if you’re interested in a career where you’ll build positive relationships with your colleagues, nursing may be an excellent choice for you.
Launch Your Nursing Career at PLU
If you feel called to a career helping people in their moments of need, nursing may be the right fit for you. Going back to school for nursing can bring you abundant personal and professional benefits that make all the hard work worth it.
Interested in nursing as a second career? Ask these seven questions before making the career change.
Pacific Lutheran University’s accelerated nursing program can help you earn your BSN and start your new nursing career in as few as 16 months. The hybrid online ABSN curriculum, consisting of online courses, skills and simulation labs and clinical rotations, will help you develop the skills to be a professional nurse. With three start dates each year — in February, June and September — eligible students can begin school and their future careers sooner.
To learn more about how PLU’s ABSN program near Seattle can help you become a nurse, fill out the online form, and our admission counselors will reach out to you.