When it comes to jobs and careers, the last couple of years have been rough for a lot of people. With the pandemic and things like lockdown changing the demand for certain industries, and in some cases permanently changing how some jobs are done, many people find themselves reconsidering their current career paths.
Of course, retraining for a new career can be a daunting prospect, as can choosing the right second career to pursue. With healthcare on everybody’s minds right now, it is no surprise that a lot of people considering switching to a new career path are looking into roles in fields like nursing and healthcare administration. Here, we look at some of the reasons why nursing can be a good field to move into, how to do it, and whether it could be right for you.
How Easy is it to Move into Nursing from Another Profession?
The first step on the path to becoming a nurse is to get a BSN. Most nurses then go on to become a registered nurse, or RN, and gain clinical experience before pursuing further qualifications like an MSN if they want to advance their careers further or move into a specialism. If you don’t already have a degree, then gaining the BSN is your first priority when starting out on a nursing career path.
You may be surprised to learn that nursing is a field that had a lot of uptake for online degrees even before the pandemic. This means that there are lots of high-quality colleges that offer fully online BSN programs, as well as programs for other nursing qualifications. So, if you are getting your BSN as your first degree, you have plenty of options when it comes to studying remotely. Studying online is not only safer and more convenient during the current COVID situation, but it is also less expensive and more flexible than studying on campus, so this certainly makes it easier and more viable for a lot of people looking to retrain as a nurse.
However, if you already have a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing subject, you may well be eligible to enroll in an accelerated BSN program. This style of program allows you to study intensively to attain your training in a short space of time, and your college will also help you arrange work placements to complete the required hours of clinical experience. Accelerated BSN programs, such as those available from Baylor University online, can make transitioning from another career into nursing a much faster process, and therefore more viable for a lot of people currently considering switching careers.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Choosing Nursing as a New Career Path?
There are many reasons why somebody might find nursing to be a great choice of career change. These can include:
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Nursing is in demand everywhere, making it possible to live wherever you want and meaning you should have no problems finding a position if you want to relocate later
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There are so many specialisms and career paths for nurses that you can almost certainly find a sphere of nursing you find interesting, and which suits your personality and skills
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It is a ‘futureproof’ career to some extent, as it is unlikely all nurses will be replaced with robots or AI in our lifetimes
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Some nursing career paths can be highly lucrative, attracting six figure salaries
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Nurses are required in all kinds of environments, as well as hospitals and clinics, so you can choose the type of place you want to work in and the kind of schedule you want
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Nursing skills are useful even when you’re not at work!
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Nursing can be a rewarding career where you can make a big difference to people’s lives, or in some cases even save lives
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You can take your career as far as you want, whether you want to remain on the front lines treating patients, become an advanced specialist in a certain field, or move up into leadership roles
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Nursing work is varied, so you won’t feel like you’re doing the same thing every day
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There are opportunities if you want to work overseas – many visa programs consider nursing a highly in demand profession
As you can see, there are lots of reasons why nursing can be a sensible but also fulfilling choice of career.
Is Nursing Right for You?
While there are roles in nursing to suit most people, these are generally specialisms you can advance onto later. For instance, people who don’t enjoy treating patients can work in research or healthcare informatics, or progress into management, but some clinical experience is always going to be required in the early stages of your career, and as part of becoming qualified. This means that if you are considering becoming a nurse, you do need to be someone who enjoys working with lots of different people, and who is able to be caring and professional even under pressure.
Naturally, you also have to be someone who is comfortable with things like blood, and isn’t squeamish, though studying and working in healthcare generally makes things like bodily functions seem familiar and routine, so if there are some things you are currently uncomfortable with or find a bit disgusting, chances are you’ll become more confident with them long before you begin actually working as a nurse!
Some nursing roles, particularly in hospitals, can be demanding in terms of working hours, and so being able to cope with a demanding job is a plus; however, there are plenty of roles in nursing that don’t carry those kinds of demands, such as working as an onsite nurse in a school or workplace, or at a clinic with fixed hours, so this is not an essential.
If you are interested in becoming a nurse as a career change, why not take a look into some of the online training and qualification options available to you today?
