Yes, admit it. During your bleaker moments (studying for chemistry mid-terms, for example) you wonder why you ever thought of health professional school at all. Consider, for example, that if you are lucky enough to be granted admission to the school of your choice, your painstaking efforts shall be rewarded with four more grueling years of study---if you are pre-med, make that seven, if you count those three minimum nose-to-the-grindstone years as an intern/resident. That's right, becoming a healthcare service professional is hardly a glamorous affair, though most constituents consider it uniquely rewarding.
Especially those clever nurses.
What makes nursing different? After all, the nursing school admissions process is so competitive that it isn't unlike medical school. Berkeley doesn't even offer a nursing degree. And what would your parents and friends think if you shed your projected white coat for a wedge cap? Well, my friend, it is time to dust off your definition of the nursing career. Here are the top 4 reasons why you should consider entering this exciting, evolving field:
1. Depth of Patient Care.
If you find that you are attracted to health care because you want to "treat the whole person" or "connect" with patients, then nursing is the career for you; the bulk of what nurses do is educate, treat, and bond with their patients. Granted, there are some patients you'd rather not get to know so inimately. But for the most part, nurses enjoy the level of patient-practitioner connection that their job allows.
2. Salary.
Although nursing salaries vary, most people are surprised to learn how much nurses are making, especially in the Bay Area. According to Salary.com, the median base salary range for a registered nurse in San Francisco is around $72,000 a year. After 4-5 years, many nurses are earning a six-figure salary. Not bad for somebody with just a bachelor's degree. If you become a Nurse Practitioner, in SF you can expect a base salary of around $99,000.
3. Flexibility.
How would you like to work 3 days a week and still earn a six-figure salary? The fact is, many nurses enjoy incredible flexibility in their work schedules that other health practitioners can only dream of. RNs often have the option to work a 12-hour day three days a week, and enjoy four days off. If you are forced to work on a holiday, then your employer often pays time and a half for your trouble. If work/life balance is important to you, bear in mind that few careers allow this kind of job flexibility-to-earnings ratio. Even if you decide to become a Nurse Practitioner, you often will never work beyond 9-5.
4. Demand.
Employers practically roll out the red carpet for nurses. Sign-on bonuses ranging anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 are common. When the boomers retire, expect that desperate employers will be dreaming up even tastier goodies to seduce lucky nursing graduates. If you have always itched to travel around the U.S., there are many travel nursing programs which have sprung up to address the increasing shortages in various major cities. How would you like your rent and moving expenses covered while you live in a high-rise in Chicago? Craving some time on the beach? Try a 3-month travel nursing assignment in Miami.
If you want to pursue work that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, pays well, makes you feel needed, challenges your intellect and allows you to enjoy...well...other things besides work, then consider nursing. For more information, check out Discover Nursing.
