Nursing is something that many of us think about doing because it’s a career that allows you to make a difference in your community and genuinely improve people’s quality of life.
It’s one of the few careers where you can actually be instrumental in saving someone’s life!
More than this, though, you’ll be part of a community of compassionate and caring people who are all dedicated to educating the public so that they can improve their own quality of life.
Nurses are highly qualified, so it might seem like an impossible task to retrain.
Unfortunately, most people assume that it will take too long to retrain or that they wouldn’t be able to fit their studies around their other commitments, so they never start.
You Can Qualify in 16 Months
If you have a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, you can enroll for your accelerated BSN online and graduate within 16 months.
The BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) is fast becoming the standard in the nursing profession. You’ll need this level of qualification to work in a lot of healthcare organizations.
You will also need it if you want to take your nursing education further. In addition, most masters programs require you to have a BSN rather than any other type of nursing qualification.
After 16 months of study, you will have all of the academic background and on-the-job training you need to take your National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which means that you are registered as a nurse in your state can begin work.
Learning Online Provides a Lot of Benefits
Online learning has come such a long way that now, it is actually preferable to studying in person in many ways.
According to Forbes, the main reasons that learning online is so beneficial are:
The Ability to Work at Your Own Pace.
Every single person has their own way of working. For example, some people work best in the morning, while some people prefer to study by moonlight while fuelled by coffee. If you study online, you have the freedom to design your study schedule so that it works for you, which often means that you will learn more effectively and ultimately get more out of your course.
It’s More Cost-effective.
Learning in-person means that you either need to live near your college or university or get there from where you live. Rents in university towns can be more expensive than in less central locations, and that’s assuming that relocating is possible for you! And adding a daily commute to your timetable always comes with added expense. When you learn online, there’s no travel needed, which means that your education is much cheaper.
Greater Variety.
When you aren’t constrained by physical location, you can choose your course based on what you want to study rather than by course location, which means you can choose the right course for you.
The Demand for Nurses Is Rising
The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) predicts that the number of nurses required will rise by 7% between 2019 and 2029, with an additional 221,900 nurses being required.
This means that once you are qualified as a nurse, you can be sure that you are in a profession where you will always be able to find work.
The level of growth in nursing is much larger than in other professions. This is due to the aging population and the greater prevalence of chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Nurses Are Paid Well
In 2019, the average salary for a registered nurse was $73,300, which is much higher than the national average salary across all professions ($41,950).
The highest-paid 10% of nurses earned $90,760 that year.
Nurses will usually be paid more depending on their level of skill and experience, which means that as you progress in your career, you will be compensated financially. You can also earn more money as a nurse by thinking carefully about where you work. For example, nurses working in large teaching hospitals will usually earn more than those working in rural settings.
Shift Work Is Better Than You Might Think
Although nurses are often required to work 12-hour shifts, and these can be overnight or during other unsociable hours, it does mean that the average nurse working week is condensed into three days.
This means that nurses often have a better work-life balance than other professions, with more full days off that they can use as they like.
Opportunities for advancement
A nursing degree is a qualification that you can build on over time, with the option to pursue multiple different career paths. This means that you can continue to develop your knowledge, and usually increase your salary.
There are even some options that mean you could take a break from primary care if you wanted a change of pace.
Just some of the careers open to people with a nursing degree are:
Specialist Nurse.
Nurses can become specialists in fields like cardiology, pediatrics, oncology, mental health, acute care, and others which mean that they increase their knowledge in their field and become an authority on caring for patients in that area.
Nurse Educators.
Nurse educators work in hospitals or colleges and universities to educate trainee nurses. They have a huge impact on the future of the nursing profession.
Nurse Practitioners.
Nurse practitioners continue their education past the baccalaureate level and gain a level of authority over patient care that is comparable with a physician. In some states, nurse practitioners can even start their own healthcare practices.
Legal Consultancy.
Working in legal consultancy means that you will work with an insurance company or a lawyer to collect and evaluate medical evidence for use in trials.
Research.
Research nurses work to further the medical field by carrying out and evaluating research into treatment practices and disease prevention.
Nutrition and Fitness.
Typically employed by private health clubs, or surgical recovery sites, nutrition and fitness nurses educate patients on the best ways to look after themselves through their diet and exercise. They may also work with patients on things like stress management.