Nursing Career - A Smart Choice

If you have been considering entering into thethere are not enough facilities, competent to meet
healthcare industry as a professional nurse, here arethe growing demand. The American Association of
some points to consider....Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reports that the shortage
Nursing careers encompass a wide range of activitiesof faculty in nursing schools has reached an alarming
related to the field of delivering healthcare. As pureproportion. This is happening because on one hand
healthcare professionals employed in hospitals andthe present faculty workforce is fast approaching
similar other healthcare units, people in nursing careersretirement, and on the other, the pool of younger
cater to treatment, safety and recovery of acutelyreplacement faculty is decreasing.
or chronically ill or injured people, health maintenanceThis has thrown a unique opportunity for experienced
of the healthy, and treatment of life-threateningregistered nurses to pursue nursing careers of
emergencies in a wide range of health care settings.teaching and counseling new students. Among other
Additionally, nursing careers also span manyconsiderations in favor of teaching profession, higher
non-clinical functions, such as medical and nursingemolument is surely a big motivating factor. Since
research, forensic research, nursing education, medicalteaching requires higher education in nursing (masters
insurance, serving medical, pharmaceutical anddegree or higher), experienced nurses who already
healthcare companies and so on.have bachelor degrees, may consider enrolling for
In the United States, it is estimated that nursinghigher education in order to enhance their nursing
careers of about 50 percent of nurses start atcareers. At the same time, as the nursing institutes
hospitals of all hues. Indeed, hospitals remain there-organize their teaching facilities, school-level
largest employers of registered nurses. But there aregraduates may find nursing careers lucrative to
other avenues for promising nursing careers, some ofpursue and excel.
which are enumerated below:o Working in specializedMany institutes of repute offering nursing courses,
healthcare units and long-term care facilities (hospicefor example University of Northern Colorado, Duke
nursing, standalone nursing homes, patientUniversity School of Nursing in Durham and SDSU
rehabilitation, etc.).o Assisting medical specialists likeCollege of Nursing to name a few, are offering
surgeons, ophthalmologists, obstetricians and others.oaccelerated BSN programs (Bachelor of Science in
Nursing-on-call on private duty for home patientsNursing) as a direct response to shortage in nursing.
(home health agencies).o Serving in outdoorThese programs allow students, who already have a
community health clinics.o Educating aspiring nurses asdegree in another discipline, to earn a BSN degree in
teachers.o Engaging in medical, nursing and forensiconly 16 to 20 months instead of traditional 4-year
research, either self or as assistants.o Independentprogram.
nursing careers like legal nurse consultants, medicalOften people in mid professional career feel that
writers, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialistsnursing careers are more suitable for them.
and so on.o Serving international organizations, likeAccelerated BSN programs aim to hasten their
United Nations, Red Cross, etc.o Serving insurancejourney back to their heart's desire. In order to
companies and managed care centers.o Serving insweeten the things for them, many hospitals in fact
statutory bodies responsible for hospital regulations.osponsor students for these programs to assist their
Serving companies engaged in healthcare and medicalnursing careers. They pay tuition fees in lieu of their
business.working for them after graduation. Hospital authorities
Job consultants have long noted an increasingare effusive in their praise for second-career nursing
uptrend for nursing careers. By all accounts, thestudents. They say that students, who opt for
employment opportunity for registered nurses isnursing careers after having spent early life in other
expected to grow at a much faster pace throughfields, often make terrific nurses. They come as
2014 compared to all other occupations. Since thematured persons, broadly educated and knowing how
occupation is very large and in view of rising medianto conduct themselves in the workplace.
age of registered nurse population, the requirementNursing careers have several tales. The ability to
of registered nurses is likely to create the secondserve mankind is certainly one of them. Bravo to
largest of new jobs among all occupations.that.
Even though nursing careers are on an upswing,