Many young girls have a dream of growing up to be nurses, but few actually follow their dreams to reality. Nursing is often talked about as a challenging and demanding occupational choice, but it is also a richly rewarding career with a variety of benefits. If you have been wondering what professional path you should follow, here are some of the top reasons why nursing may be your true calling.
Pay Benefits
Nursing is a high-paying field of work, and recent nursing school grads benefit from starting salaries that are typically higher than starting salaries in other industries. Personal care services bring in the highest nursing salaries. Most of the nurses in the personal care service industry work in outpatient facilities, doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Job Opportunities
Nursing is not just a quickly-growing occupation, it is the fastest-growing occupation in the nation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 22% more nursing jobs will be added to the economy by the year 2018. If you want to have plenty of opportunities available to you as well as a healthy reassurance of job security, nursing is a great career to choose.
Flexibility
While many people talk about the rigors of nursing schedules, nurses actually have a lot of flexibility when it comes to how much they work. While some nursing jobs require long working shifts, others offer more flexible scheduling options, including shifts as short as four hours a day with weekends off. If you want to avoid grueling shifts, it’s important to look for an employer that will be sensitive to your scheduling needs.
In addition to opportunities for flexible scheduling, nursing is also an occupation that opens up opportunities to travel the country or the globe. Healthcare is needed everywhere in the world, so if you want a career that opens doors to a variety of flexible working locations, nursing may be your ideal match.
Specialization Options
When it comes to specialization options, nursing beats most other professions. Whether you want to become a pediatric nurse, home health services provider or outpatient nurse, your specialization options are practically limitless.
Nursing may not be an appropriate career choice for everyone, but it is immensely rewarding for those who choose to enter the nursing field. If you enjoy helping others and reaping excellent rewards in the process, then nursing may be your true calling in life. For a lifelong profession that offers job security, generous pay and flexibility, consider applying to a nursing program near you.
