Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

I believe that nursing is both and art and a science consisting of psychosocial and biological sciences that work together to continually improve the health care field. I believe that with the knowledge and clinical experience from the TVCC ADN program I will be able to provide the best care possible to the people in the community. As a nurse it is important to carry the attributes of being caring, compassionate, understanding, non judgmental, realistic, open-minded, honest, ethical, and moral. I also feel that it is important to maintain sensitivity to all cultures when providing care. Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

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I believe that nursing care starts at the client’s birth and continues throughout their life span. I believe t continued care includes heath promotion,…show more content…
As a nurse I will use my knowledge of critical thinking skills with in the nursing process: assessment, analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Furthermore as a member of the nursing profession, I will assume accountability and responsibility for the quality of nursing care that I provide to clients, act as an advocate to promote quality health care for all clients, and take part in activities that promote the development and practice of professional nursing. I believe that heath is based on emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. I believe that it is the absence of illness and abnormal conditions. I believe health constantly changes across one’s life span. I believe that it is important for a nurse to ensure that the relationship is not only with the client but with their families, friends, other health care providers and caregivers. It is the nurse’s responsibility to provide individualized care for each client. A nurse should educate them and their family to ensure health promotion and health maintenance I believe that as a nurse we are to serve our community by providing education of preventative health care, information about community agencies and health care resources. I believe that as a health care professional I should participate in local health screenings Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

As the population of the United States ages, the need for skilled nurses increases. That’s where I come in; I plan on being a registered nurse. There is currently a nursing shortage and very few nurses graduating from their nursing schools and practicing. To top that, the average age of a registered nurse is 45.7 years old, which means that the current nursing shortage will only increase as older nurses start retiring. With the retirement of baby boomers, a good chunk of the population, more available patient care is going to be necessary. There is currently an ever-increasing shortage of registered nurses to provide care for the growing number of people in nursing homes, home health care programs, and hospitals.
In order to draw more people to the career of nursing, benefits and salaries for nursing will increase dramatically in the near future. Nurses will get better labor unions and more rights in the Standard of Care. There will be more financial aid available to people trying to obtain an education to become a nurse. Becoming a registered nurse requires attending and graduating from a state-approved nursing school. It must be state approved because nursing in the work force is regulated by the state and local governments, not the federal government. This is also why the licensing exams for becoming a registered nurse, or any kind of nurse for that matter, are controlled by the State Board of Nursing.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay
There will be an estimated shortage of over 434,000 nurses by the year 2020. This shortage is caused by a number of things. For one, most nurses are females and started practicing because there wasn’t much else for a female to do in the working world other than being a teacher. Now that there are more job opportunities for females, there is a steadily decreasing number of people coming to the profession. Enrollment and graduation from state-approved nursing programs is in a continual decline.

When it comes to choosing a specialty, the majority of us are trying to pick up the one which will give us financial freedom. However, when you are inspired with the profession, you might not look at the financial aspect and mainly focus on what you like to do or what kind of contribution you can bring into the field. People who are thinking about their contribution are often talented scientists, honest police officers or lawyers and usually, they are successful in what they are doing because they made the right choice. And there are numerous such specialties which require talent or a strong will to help and nursing is among them. In my essay, I decided to answer the question what inspired me to become a nurse. And I can say for sure that there are numerous reasons, but the main was evident. A lot of people are still keep asking me why do you want to be a nurse, and they are getting the same answer. It was well-known disease – cancer. From the attitude to it my nursing path began it way, and I have started to research and to learn more about this specialty.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

So, why do I want to be a nurse who helps patients with cancer? There are a lot of specialized nurses who have various talents; however, nurses who are working with people who have cancer are different. They are aimed not only to provide needed by the patient treatment but also to support this person, share with the person the will to live, help his or her relatives to overcome depressed thoughts about the future.

Nurses who are taking care of cancer patients are real angels and not looking on hard emotional conditions surrounding them they are trying to stay positive and to make the life of their patients different.

When we are speaking about cancer, we imagine a bold pale person who is dying from that disease. However, in most cases, it is not true. The person, who fights cancer, is strong morally. He or she is trying to be positive no matter how hard the path, and help not only themselves to fight, but also others who support them. These people probably ones who now how high the cost of life and how easy to lose it. And supporting them is a great choice when you want your occupation to be connected with such an important thing.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

First, I thought about this career path when I saw the film The Bucket List (2007) by talented producer Rob Reiner. It was the story of two different men who had a fatal form of cancer. They created the list of things they wanted to do before they die, and followed it. This film shows how the view of a person changes when he or she hears the diagnosis, and how the will to life can modify the disease flow. Of course, the end of the story was unexpected, and one of the main heroes died, but the second got a chance for a new life. I think this film is about how hard circumstances change the life of people, their thoughts, and relationships.

Another reason for nursing career path choice was different fundraising campaigns I see online each day, on Facebook people from different countries asking for the help. They are looking for money to fight the disease and each day we are losing beautiful individuals who didn’t have money to overcome cancer. These stories are hard to read, and because I am not able to help financially these people, I decided to support them in another way, to become a nurse and take care and support them in a professional way.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

The first step besides reading and researching nursing programs was visiting medical center which helps kids with cancer and their parents. It was the hardest thing for me in my life, to see such sweet beautiful and smart children who from their birth are fighting a disease. They are just kids, who want to go to school, have friends and spend time in the park with their parents. They are dreaming of becoming healthy and living like other kids, enjoying sports and spending time with their parents. For Christmas, they wish health to everyone surrounding them. Here children of 10-12 years old are older than the majority of adults, because they do understand how much the life costs and do have the will to live; I saw it in their eyes.

I was just a volunteer who helped with simple day to day tasks at the center. I saw smiling nurses who used toys, candies and other things to help kids to go through treatment procedures: hours under medicine droppers, pricks and pills intake, different analysis and examinations – everything was carried out with love and special attention to each small person here.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

The next step in my future nursing path was visiting adults’ cancer center to help there. Here are older people fighting with this illness. And this place is also full of positive people who support each other. Nurses here are tired but ready to help. Each day they help people medically and psychologically. And this is a great job because without this support patients won’t be successful in their fight. It is great to be surrounded by kindhearted people, and I want to become a part of this community because I want to share with all these people my will to life.

I want to be a nurse who is helping to fight with disease; I want to support people who are in a bad situation and need support and stimulation to fight. I want to be a nurse who inspires others, helps them to overcome depression.

I want to be a nurse who is professional and able to prescribed treatment, reduce pain, save life and much more. I want to be a nurse who helps in one way or another. I want to be a nurse because I love making the world different and friendly to anyone.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

Nursing is defined as the protection, promotion, and optimization of health
and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through
the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of
individuals, families, communities, and populations (American Nurses
Association, 2012). It is also defined as the use of clinical judgment in the
provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to
cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life,
whatever their disease or disability, until death (Royal College of Nursing
2003, 3).
Nursing is widely regarded as a noble profession in the society because of the
core value it promotes in its practice-which is the care of life. Public opinion
polls identify the nurse as a person who makes the healthcare system work for
them. Therefore, a nurse is an important person and nursing an equally
important career to the health care system. (Booth 2002, 392- 340.)
In this paper we will look at the global view of nursing, nursing education
and the perceptions of nursing career which will help us to relate with the
target group of study. The data will be collected from students having an
international background which means they are able to work anywhere in the
world after their studies.
There is an increasing evidence of imbalance in the global nursing work force
supply and demand. (The International council of nurses 2004; WHO 2006;
Imison et al. 2009.) Worldwide, there also exists a shortage of nurses when
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compared to the required services for them. (Attree, Flinkman, Howley,
Lakanmaa, Lima-Basto & Uhrenfeldt 2011, 787).
In Finland nursing shortage has been a cyclic phenomenon since the 70’s, 80’s
and earlier 90’s. However, the early 90’s witnessed a run of unemployment
due to a drop in demand for nursing so much that young nurses could not get
employment positions. As a result, they had to move to other areas of
profession. This increased shortage in supply of nursing which reached
critical and difficult level when compared to other areas of employment in
Finland as reported by the Finnish ministry of employment and Economy.
(Attree et al. 2011, 787.)Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay
Therefore there is need to increase recruitment of nurses into the healthcare
institutions and also devise ways to retain the nurses. This is a major
challenge in today’s nursing shortage environment as there are many factors
that determine the reasons why a Registered Nurse (RN) would accept a
certain job and whether they will still work in the same institution after the
employment or move to other more gainful areas of employment. (American
Nurses Association, 2013.)
Tackling this global trend has seen several measures employed in different
countries. Most notably in developed countries, the measures are far reaching,
all inclusive and futuristic in execution. In the United States for example, for
several years, the enrollment of nursing students for bachelor’s degree
programs declined as reported by Association of colleges of nursing.
Strategies were developed to provide a long run solution to the problem.
Some of these strategies are recruiting high school students, committing
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millions of dollars to support the nursing programs and offering scholarships
for students who agree to work in long term facilities. (Nevidjon & Erickson
2006, 464.)
In Finland, the measures taken are quite similar; JAMK University of Applied
sciences increased the intake of students in the past three academic years. In
2011 there was an increase in the annual intake quota for English-taught
degree programmes. The intake quota increased from 190 to 210 places in all
degree programmes, where 10 additional study places were allocated to the
nursing degree programme. (JAMK University of applied sciences, 2011.)
In year 2013 the intake was 30 students in the international nursing
programme and it increased to 40 in year 2014 (JAMK University of applied
sciences 2012 & 2013). JAMK University of Applied Sciences has a provision of
transfer to another degree programme within the same field of study only if
the degree programmes have had the same selection criteria (JAMK
University of Applied Sciences, 2013).
Therefore, it has become expedient to identify what the perceptions of
prospective students are about nursing and what were or are the reasons for
their choice of nursing as a career so that the programme authorities can take
measures to improve on the courses that would guide the students to take the
right path, sustain motivation, arouse more enthusiasm and retain them in
this chosen career.
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2 NURSING PROFESSION
2.1 History of Nursing
The nursing profession has developed throughout history in that earliest
nurses never attended nursing school; they were often nuns and other women
who provided care for the sick, poor, or homeless without family support.
During the middle ages, early hospitals were operated by nurses who were
affiliated with religious organizations. (Nursing school path, 2012.)
The history of professional nursing traditionally began with Florence
Nightingale who was a well-educated daughter of wealthy British parents,
where she defied the social conventions to become a nurse which was not a
respectable career for a well educated and bred lady. She believed that
nursing provided an independent calling which was full on intellectual and
social freedom for women who had less career options at the time. In 18th and
19th centuries, nursing profession expanded into care of soldiers during
prominent wars including the Crimean war in 1853 where Florence
Nightingale served as a nurse with her trained nurses too who reorganized
the barracks military hospital. (D’Antonio & Buhler-Wilkerson, 2013.)
She later authored a book by the name ‘Notes on nursing’ between 1856 and
1860, which was a guideline for nurses and would go ahead and she open one
of the first nursing schools, The Florence Nightingale School of Nurses In
1860, in London (Nursing school path, 2012).
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At the end of the 19th century, more nurses started working towards
leadership and education policy in nursing schools, therefore recognizing
their roles as more than bedside caregivers. In the 20th century, nursing
continued to evolve to having professional organizations and new programs Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay
designed to specifically address nursing profession challenges. Nursing skills
developed more during this time and nurses gained greater roles with more
critical functions and not being a doctor’s assistant only but expanded into
many specialties. (Op. cit. 2012.)
The increasing emphasis on national and international work in developing
countries and the advocacy of healthy and safe environments has
strengthened the nursing profession. World Health Organisation (WHO)
supports and recognizes nursing as the backbone of most health care systems
around the world. (D’Antonio & Buhler-Wilkerson, 2013.)
2.2 Shortage of Nurses
The multidisciplinary Global Advisory Group of the World Health
Organization has acknowledged the worldwide nursing shortage. The
shortage is due to the fact that fewer people are choosing nursing as a
profession and the current nurses worldwide are aging. (Booth 2002, 392-400.)
The Majority of member countries of the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), including high income countries,
report nurse shortages (OECD 2009), and the WHO reported in 2006 that
almost all Western- European and Scandinavian countries have a shortage of
nurses which is more likely to increase and persist (Op. cit. p. 787).
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Shortage of nurses has reached a crisis point for health services internationally
and this shortage has repercussions for the next generation of nurses which
means there will be workforce shortage and this holds implications for
development of nursing research and continued practice development
(McDermid, Peters, Jackson & Daly 2012).
Due to aging of current nurse faculty and undersupply of well-prepared
nurses there are feelings of uncertainties, anxiety and isolation associated with
the changed responsibilities. (McDermid, et al. 2012.) The shortage is said to
be also due to factors related to wage, work, job satisfaction or dissatisfaction
demographic or workplace factors which determine whether the nurse
switches from healthcare to non-healthcare roles.
(Kankaanranta & Rissanen 2007, 2).
The shortage of nurses doesn’t affect all countries because in some European
countries and some healthcare areas there is no real nurse shortage (Attree et
al. 2011, 787). An example would be of Poland, which has sufficient registered
nurses, though many migrate to earn more money by working in a foreign
country (Pedersen 2008).Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay
In Finland, it has been estimated that a quarter of the Finnish population will
be over 65 years old of age by 2020 which will raise the demand for healthcare
services and advances in medical practice and technology. There will be
changes in the public expectations in health care system which will increase
demand for Registered Nurses. (Kankaanranta et al. 2008, 2.) Many
retirements are expected in the coming years, however, there are fewer
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replacements for them. Some reports say that 1 in 5 nurses are expected to
leave the profession within the next 5 years. (Kankaanranta et al. 2008, 2.)
There is urgent need to retain nurses for the profession because of the
shortage and growing intentions to leave the profession. The reasons given by
a cross sectional research done in 10 European countries state some of the
major reasons that would lead to the nurses to leave the profession were,
nurse-physician relationship, leadership, participation in hospital affairs,
female-gender, working fulltime and burnout (Heinen, Achterberg,
Schwendimann, Zander, Matthews, Kózka, Ensio, Sjetne, Casbas, Ball and
Schoonhoven, 2013).
To reverse this trend, all the faculties dealing with healthcare issues should
work together to make sure that the working conditions of nurses are good
and that they can be able to retain them in the profession. As per recruitment,
improving recruitment and retention is related to multiple factors, such as
improving nursing’s image, providing early role models and exposure to
careers in nursing, improving working conditions and wages compared to
alternative careers, professionalism, and better education. (Brewer, Zayas,
Kahn & Sienkiewicz 2006, 56.)
Also, the factors to be considered in recruitment include the faculty’s
reputation, the salary, the union status and the autonomy while the factors
that influence the retention include the ability to be involved in decision
making, practice autonomy, management’s respect for workers, and the work
load and shift arrangements and worked. If the faculty works on these factors,
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then the recruitment and retention of staff will help in curbing the problem of
nurse shortage. (American Nursing Association, 2013.)
More or so, it is important to start from the core of the issue which is the
recruitment of students, who would study to be well-equipped and prepared
for the working life and this starts by knowing their perceptions and
expectations in the profession and be able to guide them in the right direction
and therefore being able to retain them too.
2.3 Perception of Nursing
Perception is the way in which something is regarded, understood, or
interpreted (The Oxford dictionary 2013). Therefore nursing as a ‘concept’ is
more than just a definition (Mason-Whitehead et al. 2008). It is part of a
framework of communication, language of a group and this reflects who
nurses are and this definition carries a person’s perception (Safari, Saleh,
Nassar, Amre & Froelicher 2011, 2).
It is important to ascertain how students perceive nursing and the decision to
choose nursing to be their career or any other career is highly influenced by
one’s previous ideas about the career. The society and media play a major role
in influencing the image and ideas the student has of nursing career.
(Mooney, Glacken & O’Brien 2008, 386.)
Studies investigating students’ perception of nursing at the beginning of the
nursing programme showed that the students had idealistic views of the
profession with concepts of caring, compassion and nurturing but after the
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exposure to clinical experiences it shifted towards it being more of technical,
documentation and procedural skills (Safadi et al. 2011, 2).
A study done in Rio de Janeiro by Spindola, Seibert, Francisco and Clos (2005),
of 62 high school students indicated that the students associate the nurse
figure to the assisting function and they visualize nurses as an auxiliary of the
physician and that they were not aware of the different categories of the
nursing profession and the education level of the profession. Therefore it is
essential to give information to the youngsters before entering college for
them to know what nursing is all about so that they choose the profession
knowing what it entails therefore reducing the rate of dropouts and therefore
retaining them in the profession.
Vanhanen and Janhonen (2000,1054), say that majority of nursing students
perceive nursing as a career which offers opportunities in caring for people
and the students also emphasized on employment opportunities while it
(nursing) promotes their own personal growth. However, Mendez and Louis
(1991), say that nursing students do not always regards nursing as an ideal
career. Therefore the students choose nursing for other reasons, like
recruitment opportunities.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

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People are attracted to a profession not because it matches their own values
and those of the profession, but because of other personal, social, economic or
political factors (Vanhannen et al. 2000, 1055). Nursing career is also perceived
as lacking in interest, challenge, creativity, responsibility, varied wages, high
status, comfortable conditions compared to other ideal careers (Ben & Becker
2012).
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Another perception about nursing is that it is regarded as a career more
suitable for females than male and this was found out from a research made in
the University of Ontario Canada (Bartfay, Bartfay , Clow & Wu 2010). The
research was made from female and male nurses and non-nursing university
students. It was found out that it is generally perceived by the society and
stereotypes that male nurses are for example, gay, effeminate, less
compassionate and caring than female nurses and it contributes negatively to
the recruitment and retention of the nursing students in the program and
adds to the shortage of nurses (Op.cit. 2010). Due to the fact that the career
(nursing) has been associated with feminine characteristics, it is frequently
perceived as a woman’s job (Mooney, Glacken & O’Brien 2007, 1845).
In general, nursing is perceived favorably for its ability to provide security of
employment and a steady income (Op. cit. 2007, 1844). As mentioned earlier,
it is perceived as a job that involves caring, nurturing and teaching it also
required compassion, patience and strength (Mooney et. al 2008, 386).
Many males perceive nursing as involving working with complex technology
and therefore consider nursing to offer career potential (Op.cit. 2008, 387).
A charge nurse at Newham community children’s home by the name Andrew
Mcgovern (2006) wrote an article which brought out the perception of the
public on nurses. He said that the public view nurses as people who take care
of the sick and he adds in his own perspective nurses care for people at every
age, from before birth to death. He also says that nursing is not just a career
but it is about making a difference to the patients and their family. As much as
it will never be the most financially rewarding career, nurses remain to be the
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most recognizable health service symbol. Hard work, effective communication
skills and being practical and having the ability to work in a team and act as a
leader are some of the characteristics a nurse requires.
A research done of highly academic students in the United Kingdom revealed
a different perception of how some people perceive nursing. These students
wouldn’t consider taking a nursing career because of the perception that
doctors cure patients whilst nurses only care for patients. The students also
believed that nursing shouldn’t be a university programme because they
didn’t believe that nursing required a university education. In short the
students believed that nursing wasn’t for high achievers but for low achievers
and dim students, therefore, this hindered the students from choosing nursing
as their career and therefore chose to undertake other courses which were
believed to be in line with their grades and nursing was viewed as the last
resort career choice. (Neilson & Lauder 2008, 687.)
2.4 Reasons for choosing nursing career and factors that
influence the choice of the career.
The reasons students choose to study nursing are firstly, the education and
career aspirations which include the student’s belief that nursing is their
choice of career and that there is advancement in the nursing career or nursing
education. (Tan-kuick & Ng, 2011.)
The second reason is the personal ability which is the stress management,
motivation, perseverance and self-confidence. Third reason is the socio-
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economic status which includes job security, images, stereotypes and
monetary reward and another one is parental and peer encouragement which
includes the parental and peer perceptions and support. (op. cit. p. 2.)Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay
Another reason would be the expectations of employment. This boils down to
job security, knowing that after studying it is easy to acquire a job and that as
a healthcare professional, one cannot go without a job. (Gutierrez , Maranon,
Poch & Prat 2010, 236-42.)

Few careers offer the same advantages as nursing: registered nurses earn high salaries, work with interesting people, and — perhaps most importantly — significantly affect people’s lives, often even saving their lives. With the registered nurse workforce projected to grow by 15% over the next decade, the nursing industry also must grapple with an intensifying work shortage as baby boomers retire. This means that nursing graduates usually do not struggle to find jobs once they graduate. Yet nursing can work as an ideal career for a plethora of other reasons as well. Read on to learn about 25 more reasons to become a nurse.

1. Nurses Make a Real Difference
Nurses — quite literally — save lives every day. They monitor patients, making sure they receive all the care they need. But they also often go above and beyond, with a majority volunteering in their communities to promote public health, as found by a 2017 study published in the Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice journal.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

2. Nursing Degree Programs Exist Everywhere
While some academic programs might seem obscure or difficult to find, colleges and universities offer nursing degrees all over the country. Nursing students can find programs in every state, and at least one nursing degree in every metropolitan area. In fact, health professions make up one of the most popular areas of study in higher education, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

3. Nurses Can Pursue their Education Online
On top of that, many higher education institutions offer online nursing degrees. These programs work as great options for people who cannot enroll in traditional degree programs. Students with other demanding responsibilities, like taking care of families or working full time, often opt to pursue distance learning programs.

4. Many Nursing Students Find Financial Aid Opportunities
Individuals who want to pursue nursing but feel nervous about the costs should consider searching for scholarships and other financial aid opportunities. Students can find funding from colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, companies, and professional organizations. This financial boost can help nursing graduates enter the industry without worrying about debt.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

5. Nurses Can Enter the Workforce Relatively Quickly
While some nursing students take a conventional path and earn their BSN in nursing in four years, other nurses decide to earn an associate degree or diploma in nursing. These options typically take 2-3 years to complete. Nursing students can also find accelerated bachelor’s programs in nursing that allow them to finish their degrees in as quickly as two years.

6. The Nursing Profession Boasts a High Level of Job Satisfaction
About 83% of nurses feel satisfied with their choice of nursing as a career, according to a 2017 survey on registered nurses from AMN Healthcare. Additionally, two-thirds of nurses who responded to the survey said they would encourage others to pursue a career in nursing.

7. Nurses Get to Do Exciting Work
For nurses, not one day looks the same. Each day involves meeting different patients with various health concerns, so nurses tackle challenges that change every time they step into work. Often, the workday feels like an adrenaline rush. Indeed, most nurses embrace the challenges that come with the profession, according to the nursing survey from AMN Healthcare.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

8. Nurses Receive Respect
Nurses work in a well-respected industry. In fact, nurses rank as the sixth-most respected occupation in the world, according to findings from a 2018 survey from the Varkey Foundation. It seems patients understand the demanding nature of nurses’ jobs, and as such, they appreciate the work nurses do.

9. Nurses can Choose their own Specialty
The medical field includes many different specialties, and nurses need to work in each area. Consequently, nursing students can choose to concentrate in a particular area based on their interests. They might opt to work with infants as midwifes or neonatal nurse practitioners, for instance. Or they could work in gerontology or anesthesiology, among many other options.

10. Nurses Work in a Stable Industry
The nursing industry included about three million registered nurses and three-quarters of a million licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in the U.S. in 2016, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS also projects that number of RNs will grow by 15% in the next decade — much faster than average.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

11. Nurses Can Advance in their Careers
Nurses can gain promotions through professional development, continuing education, and advanced degrees. Nurses who earn graduate degrees can become nurse practitioners or nurse anesthesiologists, for example. These positions give nurses much more autonomy and lucrative salaries. Nurses can also take on leadership positions and become nurse administrators.

12. Nurses Work with People
Nurses do not spend their entire workday locked away and isolated in an office. They work while surrounded with both colleagues and patients, meeting new people each day. They encounter all sorts of individuals, like newborn babies, teenagers with serious illnesses and unique perspectives on life, and elderly patients with end-of-life wisdom.

13. Nurses Work on a Flexible Schedule
Nurse schedules vary, but nurses typically work 12-hour shifts three days a week. Health care organizations value the alertness and physical well being of their nurses, so they try not to overwork them. This means that nurses often get four days off per week, and they often can swap their work days with a coworker if they need to change their schedules.

14. Nurses Never Stop Learning
For nurses, every new challenge can translate into a learning experience. Nurses learn about people, diseases, cultures, and treatments in their day-to-day work. They can also enroll in continuing education courses, which help them gain deeper knowledge of their profession and become better nurses.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

15. Nurses Gain a Competitive Salary
The median salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses equaled $45,030 in 2017, according to the BLS. Registered nurses earned a median pay of $70,000 that same year, while nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners earned a median salary of over $110,000. By comparison, the 2017 median household income stood at about $60,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

16. Nurses Can Work in a Variety of Different Environments
Nurses can work in many different settings based on job availability and their interests and specializations. Many nurses work in physician clinics or public hospitals. They also find employment in nursing homes, residential care facilities, ambulatory healthcare services, or even people’s private homes.

17. Nurses May Qualify for Student Loan Forgiveness Plans
Nurses may qualify for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program. The HRSA program may pay up to 85% of student loan debt for nurses who work full time in an eligible critical shortage facility in high-need areas, depending on their financial need.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

18. Nurses Work Essential Jobs
Nurses perform vital duties within every healthcare institution. Nurses check on patients, perform tests, respond to emergencies, and administer medications. Nurses often work as the liaison between patients and doctors, relaying important information to doctors. In fact, without nurses, neither doctors nor surgeons could do their jobs.

19. Nurses Often Receive Good Benefits
As with any career, benefits vary based on the place of employment. That said, many nurses receive enviable benefits packages. For example, Army nurses get low- or no-cost insurance packages. Nurses who work for government hospitals or federal organizations, like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), also receive great insurance packages and retirement benefits.

20. Nurses Can Use their Vital Skills Outside of Work
Emergencies occur all the time, not just at hospitals and clinics. Children choke on water in pools, and people come down with heart attacks or epileptic fits. No matter their location, nurses possess the training to provide First Aid attention to people who need it. They even perform CPR while thousands of feet in the air.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

21. Nurses Build Relationships
Relationships make life meaningful, and nurses do not need to worry about living without significant connections. They can bond with nurses and other coworkers about the life-saving work they do every day. They also connect with patients who stay at their facilities long term, in addition to those patients’ families.

22. Nurses Can Switch Jobs Relatively Easily
If nurses need to move to another town or state, they can often do so without the headache of an endless job search. Although all states outline different requirements for nurses, the Nursing License Compact (NLC) lets nurses work in 34 states with one license.

23. Nurses Can Use their Expertise to Begin a New Career
Nurses do not need to stick with a nursing career their entire lives. If they feel the need for change, they possess the knowledge and skills to work in public health, community education, and patient care coordination. They could also return to higher education for a master’s degree or Ph.D. and then switch to nursing administration or education.Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay

24. Nurses Who Work for the U.S. Armed Forces Can Travel the World
The U.S. Army Nurse Corps, active since 1901, recruits nurses to work for the U.S. Armed Forces. The Army offers nurses reserve duty and active duty status. Like any army member, active nurses may find themselves based anywhere in the world. The Army also may pay for nurses’ advanced degrees and outstanding student loans.

25. Nurses Care
Individuals who want a career with integrity need to look no further than nursing. Americans believe that nurses perform the country’s most honest and ethical work — and they have continued to believe this for nearly two decades — according to a 2018 Gallup Poll. About 84% of those polled responded that nurses held high or very high ethical standards. Reasons Behind Nursing As Career Choice Essay