Nurses are individuals that care a great deal about other people and have a strong desire to help them and make a difference in their life. Nurses are kind, organized, emotionally stable, and empathetic. Nursing is a hard career; one that is physically and mentally demanding, but it comes with many rewards that make it worth it for many individuals.
You Get to Help People
Most people get into nursing because they want to help others. It’s extremely satisfying being able to make a positive impact on someone’s life, especially when it comes to their health. Being able to save lives makes nursing a very meaningful career.
Nurses are those that not only work to assist with providing treatment for the various medical conditions the patients are going through but they are responsible for calming the customer down and making them comfortable. Nurses get to connect with patients and gain their trust.
You Can Travel
Being a nurse doesn’t mean you’re stuck in one hospital or healthcare facility. If you become a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to travel to health care facilities that may need extra nurses for various reasons.
As a travel nurse, you’ll have to go through the normal education and training, but then you’ll be able to sign a contract with one of the many travel healthcare companies. You’ll have a contract to work in a certain unit, but if staffing is a concern, you may have the opportunity to work in another area instead. Since you’re filling in gaps in these healthcare facilities, you may not end up with your desired hours, but getting to change locations can be exciting for some because it helps to mix things up and allows you to meet new people along the way.
Being Able to Grow
There’s no shortage of growth opportunities when it comes to being a nurse. Nurses are always going to be needed and there’s always going to be job security. The good thing about nursing is that you don’t have to be stuck in one spot forever, you can grow and explore other opportunities if you so wish. There are many ways to grow as a nurse, including going back to school to obtain an advanced degree or participating in continuing education opportunities.
You Can Choose a Specialty
As a nurse, you can choose what you’re good at and what you’re most passionate about. Nurses have the opportunity to pick a specialty and focus on that throughout their careers. If you’re looking for advancement or just the opportunity to work in another area and increase your skills, you’re able to switch specialties. Some of the most fast-growing specialties nurses can choose from include:
- Acute care nurse
- Pediatric nurse
- Trauma nurse
- Psychiatric mental health nurse
- Nurse researcher
- School nurse
- Public health nurse
- Family nurse practitioner
- Dialysis nurse
- Invention control and prevention nurse
- Nurse midwife
- Clinical nurse
- Neonatal nurse
Picking a specialty isn’t something a nurse has to worry about right away if they’re unsure. They can take their time to come up with what stands out most to them. Alternatively, if they already know what area they want to specialize in, a search for something like how to become a clinical nurse specialist will provide them with the answers they need to get on the right path.
Flexibility
Nurses work long hours, but the long hours usually mean nurses work fewer days per week. A nurse is someone that can work anywhere from 10 to 40 or more hours per week, sometimes needing to work overtime to cover shifts and holidays.
Nurses are needed around the clock, making it possible to land on an ideal shift. Nurses can work three 12-hour shifts, four 10-hour shifts, five 8-hour shifts, or on an as-needed basis. Working longer hours per day means you’ll have more days off during the week to spend with your family and friends and for enjoying the things you love to do.
Nurses will have good and bad days. Some days will be more challenging for others. Still, it’s a very rewarding career because of how many lives you’ll touch along the way.