10 Best Things About Being A Nurse

When most people are choosing a career path to pursue, they'll look to find something that will not only be potentially financially rewarding, but that will be emotionally fulfilling as well. One career that manages to be both is that of a nurse. The following are ten benefits that you can expect to enjoy if you decide to pursue a nursing career:

• You'll get to help people - This should be the main reason to get into nursing. The chance to care for people and to help improve their lives or at least make them as comfortable as possible can be incredibly fulfilling. You'll be responsible for aiding patients in numerous ways, from making sure that they're stable and helping to feed them to providing them with the right medications on time and more. You'll also help the families of your patients by addressing any questions that they have and by providing regular updates on their loved ones.
• You'll be inspired by your patients - You'll spend a lot of time with your patients, which means you'll no doubt develop relationships with them. In doing so, you'll find that many of your patients will inspire you with their strength, their optimism and their willingness to fight against overwhelming odds.
• There will probably always be a demand for nurses - Unfortunately, people will always get sick or injured. However, this means that being a nurse comes with the kind of job security that few other job positions have. According to the most recent numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for registered nurses will increase 15% from 2016 to 2026.
• You could make good money - Nurses make very good wages. The median pay in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics was $68,450 per year (almost twice what the median annual wage was for all workers), or $32.91 an hour. Your education, certifications, and experience will create a combination that help determine your salary.
• There will be many opportunities for career advancement - You can advance from being a registered nurse to being a nurse practitioner or a nurse educator through earning an MSN degree. While these positions do require additional education, you could make more money, have more responsibilities, and have generally have more autonomy.
• You can easily switch career paths - One of the things that makes a career in nursing especially attractive is the ability to change career paths without switching careers. The medical field is very big and every different type of practice requires nurses. This means that you can go from a clinical nurse specialist to a pediatric nurse with just a little bit of additional training. While many of your basic responsibilities may remain the same, the nursing jobs are very different from one another depending on the practice.
• Your schedule might be flexible - Many people assume that nurses work long, hard hours. Doctors certainly do, but nurses often have a lot more flexibility. The length of your shifts may be long and may not have much flexibility, but you'll often be able to choose when those shifts are and how many you want to take. Many nurses switch shifts with each other as well, which means it won't be too difficult to take time off if needed.
• You'll learn skills that can be used in your personal life - You'll find that the skills that you learn as a nurse will translate to your personal life. You'll know how to treat people in your family if they fall ill and you'll know what to do if there's an emergency. You'll also learn how to be patient with people and how to stay calm under pressure, two skills that can be very helpful in many different aspects of life in general.
• You could work almost anywhere - The hospital isn't the only place where you'll be able to find work as a nurse. As a nurse, you can get work in many different work environments, including private practices, home care facilities, schools, government agencies and more.
• You don't need to spend a decade in school - Unlike many medical professionals who need years upon years of education, you only need to obtain an associate's degree to become a nurse, although there are further education opportunities available if you're interested in pursuing more advanced nursing positions.

The world will always need nurses, which is why you could find that a career in nursing can be incredibly rewarding, both financially and emotionally.

Are you interested in becoming a nurse? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, ECPI University offers this exciting degree program. With year round classes and an accelerated schedule, you can earn your degree sooner and start looking for work faster. For more information about the College of Nursing at ECPI University, connect with a friendly admissions counselor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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Gainful Employment Information – Nursing (RN) - Associate’s

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