Exploring The Path to Becoming a Nurse

Nursing is an occupation in which highly trained professionals, who aren’t quite doctors, but are still a necessity in the medical profession, check out patients and give them an accurate diagnosis. Nurses are the communicators between doctors, patients, and their families. Their workload could often include tasks such as evaluating and monitoring patients, assisting the doctor in procedures, or even watching over other nurses and making sure their jobs are being done correctly. Being a nurse isn’t easy though; to be a successful nurse, it is recommended that you have good communication skills, because you are the link between a doctor and patient, and you are also usually in charge of talking to a patient’s family regarding their condition and keeping them calm in times of stress.

Discovering the Journey to a Nursing Career

The farther you want to expand your nursing career, the more experience and education you need. There are many other types of nurses which may require different criteria, but Registered Nurses (RN) are a very common choice. According to Study.com, Registered Nurses, for example, need at least an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, and a National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. If a person wants to go a step further, they can get their master’s degree in nursing, positioning them as a Nurse Practitioner. Nurse Practitioners do a bit more than RNs. They complete tasks that more often doctors do, and they are likely found in clinics working on minor procedures or in hospitals working under a supervising doctor. The nursing industry is expanding, and many organizations provide jobs for experienced people, such as The National Student Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and The American Nurses Association, which according to onwardhealthcare.com are the top three. All of this work does end up paying off for many people in the profession; the average nurse makes about $70,000 a year! Nursing is also a growing occupation, meaning the need for them is increasing every year. From 2016 to 2026, this occupation will grow by a significant 15 percent, which compared to many professions, is a lot (bls.org). With the economy growing, more hospitals and clinics are being built, which supports the need for nurses more. A good thing about nursing is that it is everywhere. Where there is a hospital, there is a very high chance that a large amount of the staff are nurses, so finding a nursing job near you shouldn’t be too difficult. Since nursing is such a broad profession, you have many options of what you want to go into. A very common practice is becoming a Registered Nurse, because they are higher than your average nurse, and don’t take loads of school time to become.

Educational Requirements and Opportunities

Though becoming a nurse doesn’t take a large amount of school time, based on what type of nurse you want to become, there are still a few educational requirements. To become a Registered Nurse, which is a common type of nurse, an associate degree is required. It is more useful to get your bachelor’s in science for nursing, because it’s a higher form of education which will most likely catch the attention of hospitals you are applying to for a job. This will take about four years, so working part-time would be best so you can manage school and still get experience in the work field. Getting work experience provides you with an idea of how to manage your time, while also bringing in some income. Nursing school can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000, so applying for scholarships and grants would be a wise thing to do. Also, having a part-time job can help you earn money. One way to get experience in the field would be to apply for an internship; there are many internships for nursing, which could help you decide if you enjoy the profession and could also help you become accustomed to the schedule and workload. Asking someone who is a nurse could also help you learn more about the field. I, myself, know only one person who is in this occupation. She is my family friend who has recently become a nurse practitioner. She advises me to not stop at a bachelor’s degree, but to go on to get my master’s in nursing to become a nurse practitioner like her.

Personal Motivation and Career Aspirations

I believe I have what it takes to be successful in this career because helping people is something that I am very passionate about. Seeing others happy and well makes me feel like I’ve brought change to that person’s life, no matter how minor the fix may be. This career also helps me become prepared for future crises that may occur outside of a hospital scene, and when I least expect it, such as someone fainting in a store, or injuring themselves while doing normal things. I will be able to quickly diagnose them, so further damage is not caused. This career serves people in the community who may be sick or injured and gives me an opportunity to help them. Being around people and having a part in assisting them in a positive way has always been an interest to me. Knowing that I’ll go home after I’ve aided them, and I was able to fix or find a solution to a problem they had has always been an interest to me. Nursing also provides me with a comfortable pay in which I’ll be able to provide for my family’s needs as well as my own. A reason I chose nursing was because of its flexible timings, in which I can choose to work full or part-time, and still earn a comfortable living. It gives me more time with my family, while helping me afford all of the necessities and entertainment options in life.

Conclusion: The Exciting Journey of Nursing

Nursing is a great occupation that will allow me to live a comfortable life as well as a fulfilling one. It is a job in which there is always excitement and there is organization to control the chaos that comes with it. From serving patients and listening to them to helping a doctor bring someone back to life, this career will never have a dull moment. It is important to go into a career in which you enjoy; then going to work will not become a tedious task to perform, but a fun day every day. I am a person that cannot sit in one place and do a tedious task, I like to move around to make the time pass by faster. That is what this career is all about, and I believe with all of my heart, that this is the perfect job for me in terms of work and pay.

References

Registered Nurse Requirements. (2019). Study.com. Retrieved March 2019, from https://study.com/registered_nurse_requirements.html

Registered Nurses. (2018). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved March 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm-for-career-development/

Top 10 Nurses Organizations For Career Development. (2018). Onward Healthcare. Retrieved March 2019, from https://www.onwardhealthcare.com/nursing-resources/top-10-nurses-organizations-for-career-development/

Top 11 Skills for Becoming a Successful Registered Nurse. (2018). Registered Nurse: All Guides about RN schools and Programs. Retrieved March 2019, from https://www.topregisterednurse.com/registered-nurse-skills/

What is Nursing & What do nurses do?. (2018). ANA. Retrieved March 2019, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/