A career in nursing is great for those who want a rewarding role that earns them the respect of their community. It’s a career that offers job advancement, diverse opportunities, flexible hours, job security and good benefits. Nursing is also personally fulfilling because of the supportive team dynamic.
Are you looking to transition your career? Nursing is a great career change option because it is inherently rewarding, innovative, and challenging. A career in nursing offers diverse opportunities, career growth, and the knowledge that you’re making a lasting impact on the lives you touch.
We know this decision is not simple: getting your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) requires significant time, focus, and money. At Notre Dame of Maryland University, we aim to streamline the process as much as possible with our Accelerated 2nd Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. We believe that nursing is an essential and fulfilling role for many reasons, and we’re excited to share them with you.
10 Reasons Why Nursing is a Good Career
Deciding on a new career path can be tricky. That’s why we’ve accumulated ten key reasons to choose a career in nursing. So, when you ask yourself why nursing is a good career, you can confidently say yes.
1. A Career in Nursing is Rewarding
Many search for a career that meets a certain personal standard that they require to find their work fulfilling; for some people, that could be a specific salary, workload, pacing, or setting. However, many people need a more profound sense of meaning from their work, such as helping their community or society as a broader group.
Nursing is physically and mentally demanding but also innately meaningful because it allows people to directly impact their communities. Nurses make a tangible difference in society by helping people live longer and healthier lives, which is more than most careers can say.
2. Demand for Nurses is High
Nurses will forever play an integral role within the health care system, but health care facilities are looking to fill more nursing roles than ever. A nationwide nursing shortage exists in the U.S. due to older generations retiring, increased health needs across the population, longer lifespans, and insufficient nursing school capacity.
With this growing demand for more nurses, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates nursing employment to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032, with 193,100 openings projected yearly.
3. Nurses Can Earn a Great Salary and Benefits
Although salary and benefits vary from state to state, nurses nationwide can expect to earn a comfortable living. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for registered nurses in 2022 was $81,220 nationally and $83,850 in Maryland.
Positions requiring more advanced degrees pay even more on average. In 2022, the median salary was $203,090 for nurse anesthetists and $121,610 for nurse practitioners, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Nurses can expect competitive offers when considering the comprehensive benefits packages typically offered, including overtime and holiday premiums, paid time off, 401(k) matching, health insurance, and maternity leave. Nurses also benefit from upward mobility, with the potential for a steady salary increase as they gain experience.
4. Nurses Have Many Advancement Opportunities
After you earn a BSN, many avenues exist to progress your career. Transitioning to a position in nursing administration or management, such as a nurse manager or health care executive, sets you up to become a leader in the health care field. From there, certain promotional positions may require advanced degrees, but a BSN degree will set you up for a clear progression in your career.
Nurses who prefer to remain in the bedside sector of health care practice can pursue a higher-paying nursing position. Advanced roles, such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives, all require a master’s degree to take on the greater responsibility granted to these positions. Acquiring a BSN is the first step to managing more aspects of patient care and autonomy as an advanced health care provider.
Are you thinking of advancing your career in nursing? Learn how to become a nurse educator in 7 steps.
5. Nursing Offers Flexible Work Hours
Most nursing roles need to provide patients with round-the-clock care all year long. To accommodate patient needs, nursing shifts span either night or day. Hospitals and emergency rooms can also typically adjust to various scheduling needs. If you’re more of a night owl, you can choose to pick up night shifts, or if you’re a parent looking to maximize time with your kids, you can limit yourself to three 12-hour shifts a week.
For those who prefer the classic 9 to 5 schedule, plenty of nursing roles, such as outpatient care clinics, typically adhere to more traditional work hours.
6. Nurses Have Diverse Career Options
As nurses progress through their schooling, they choose a specialty that helps define the direction of their career. However, plenty of workplace options exist, from the bedside to beyond, so nurses are certainly not limited by whichever specialty they’ve chosen.
Many non-bedside nursing roles exist, such as outpatient clinics, health insurance companies, in-home caregiving, and long-term care positions. With a BSN degree, though, countless hospital-centered specialties are available.
Based on your personality, interests, and work style, you can explore myriad specialties to find one that best aligns with your goals. The day-to-day experiences of an emergency room nurse will differ significantly from the routine of a pediatric nurse, an oncology nurse, or a nurse working in the intensive care unit.
Besides traditional nursing practice, multiple career paths are available for more adventurous types. Nurses looking to travel more can become flight nurses or travel nurses; those hoping to apply nursing in unique ways can pursue informatics nursing and home health nursing.
The best part of nursing is that the opportunity always exists to transition between these career types as your lifestyle or interests change.
Interested in travel nursing? Before you start, take a look at 11 travel nursing requirements.
7. Every Day is Different in Nursing
Whereas administrative roles may adhere to a more corporate style of routine, traditional nursing differs from your standard 9 to 5. Every interaction will expose you to new cultures, lifestyles, and symptoms. Honing your problem-solving skills and learning to be flexible in a rapidly changing environment are essential to provide the best care to your patients.
Nursing is also an ever-changing technological field. Because society’s safety and health will always be a priority, constant innovations in technology and treatments optimize the care procedures needed to bring patients back to health.
8. Nursing Has a Tight-Knit Team Dynamic
As a nurse, you’re never on your own. Nursing is a team-based profession; on every shift, you’ll collaborate with other nurses and members of your health care team, such as doctors and specialists.
This dynamic makes nursing an excellent option for social people who want to deeply connect with their coworkers and peers. Working with the same people daily allows you to grow close with your team and develop a supportive group that cares about you and your successes.
9. Nurses Earn the Respect of Their Communities
Nurses are held to a high standard, but that’s because they consistently live up to it. Because they are held to an expansive code of ethics, nurses are honor-bound to treat every patient with dignity, regardless of their nationality, gender, or beliefs.
Nurses also encounter people at their most vulnerable. Experiencing and seeing the dedication and care that nurses put into their treatment makes many people highly appreciative. Such intimate contact with their community members earns nurses trust and respect.
10. You Can Start Your Career Quickly
Career transitions tend to take years and lots of work to gain the experience needed to make the change successfully. However, if you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible for an ABSN program, such as the one offered at NDMU. Students can choose three different start dates per year after completing the prerequisite courses and being successfully admitted into the program.
With an accelerated track, you can graduate in as few as 15 months, fully prepared to enter the nursing workforce with other traditional BSN graduates. So, if you can’t wait to start, the ABSN program is the way to go.
Nervous about starting nursing school? Explore our 8 tips for how to prepare for nursing school.
Is Being a Nurse Worth It?
Now that you know why nursing is a good career, you can rest assured in your decision to pursue this challenging yet rewarding career. Once you’re ready to jumpstart your nursing career, applying to NDMU’s ABSN program will be the first step.
By applying relevant credits from your undergraduate degree, our ABSN program allows students to graduate with their BSN in as few as 15 months. Our program structure is made up of online or on-campus coursework, nursing skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations, where students apply theory to real-life situations. Holistically, each component works to provide students with the experience and knowledge needed to pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-RN®).
Throughout every step of the application process, one of our committed admissions counselors will be there to guide you. Fill out our online form today to get started.