Nursing Careers
Nursing Tops List of "Most Prestigious Occupations"
"Firefighters, doctors, and nurses are seen as prestigious occupations by US adults, while business executives, stockbrokers and real estate agents are seen at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to having prestigious occupations." According to the July 26, 2006 Harris Poll.
Nursing Careers
As the population in the US continues to age, there's an ever-increasing demand for nurses, especially skilled nurses with advanced education and training. And with the spiraling costs of health care, nurses are more often on the front lines of health care delivery. While doctors are becoming more specialized and spending less time with patients, nurses are stepping up to provide direct health care to more patients than ever before.
A study done by the US Bureau of Health Professions indicates that by 2020, the need for nurses in the US will grow to more than 1.7 million registered nurses, while less than 635,000 nurses will be available. In fact, the US Department of Labor has identified Registered Nursing as the top occupation in terms of job growth through the year 2014.
What does this mean for nursing career prospects? Well, it means that with a 4-year degree in nursing, you'll have one of the highest starting salaries in any field, and with more schooling, you'll have the potential to earn over $100,000 per year. Learn more about nursing salaries in your region.
Careers in Nursing can be Very Flexible
You might choose to work in a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center or other extended-care facility. You might work with a private practice physician, in a community health agency, a federal nursing agency, in industry and business, at a school, or in the military. Additionally, work can include, but is not limited to:
- Assisting medical specialists such as surgeons and obstetricians
- Pursuing independent nursing careers, such as legal nurse consultants, medical writers, nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists
- Joining medical, nursing and forensic research teams
- Providing nursing-on-call for home patients (home health agencies)
- Serving international organizations, such as the United Nations or the Red Cross
- Teaching aspiring nurses
- Working at community health clinics
- Working in specialized health care units and long-term care facilities such as hospice nursing, standalone nursing homes and patient rehabilitation
- Working on boards to assist in developing hospital regulations
- Working with health care, insurance and medical businesses
Should You be a Nurse?
Nursing is a challenging and rewarding career that takes a keen mind, determination and the desire to make a difference. Nursing also takes critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal skills, flexibility and a strong background in mathematics and science.
Your work can include everything from actual patient care - such as changing IVs, replacing bandages, giving medications and seeing to the general comfort of patients - to administrative, management or research roles. Many nurses continue to expand their career options by furthering their education beyond the basics to become registered nurses. There are dozens of specialized fields of nursing. Some of the most popular include: nurse anesthesiologist, school nurse, forensic nursing, pediatric pursing, critical care nursing, and neonatal nursing.
There is even a new trend in entrepreneurial nursing, where licensed nurses combine other specialty skills to form new businesses. Possibilities include nursing informatics (combining nursing and computers), legal nurse consulting (combining nursing and law) or a range of home health care businesses.
The old notion of the female nurse in white starched uniform handing instruments to the male doctor has given way to a new world where an increasing number of nurses are male, and nurses are involved directly in providing patient care. Whatever your career choice in nursing, with the nurse shortage in the US and the revolution in healthcare delivery we're experiencing, you can be sure that the more education you have, the more demand you will find for your skills, and the more highly you'll be paid.