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Nursing: A Secure Career Choice Just Keeps Getting Better

By Wendy Croix
Learning & Life Columnist

As the aging population increases, the number of well-trained medical professionals needed to care for seniors has skyrocketed. However, supply hasn't kept up with demand, and no single healthcare worker is in shorter supply than the nurse.

How profound is the nursing shortage? Government predictions assure us that nursing will be the second most in-demand career in the country over next five years--and the shortfall is predicted to last through 2020. You could start nurse training this year and know that you're facing a decade of opportunity after you complete your training. As a nurse, you'll be wanted and needed in every state and every community.

Nursing Careers--Choose Your Training

Though the core wish to help other people is a nursing universal, the paths to its expression are diverse. You can enter the nursing field with as little as an 18-month certificate and work in an entry level nurse's aide position while you continue your studies. With a bit more training, you can have a two-year associate's degree in nursing. At this point, you can take a staff nursing position and get tuition reimbursements toward your bachelor's in nursing (BSN). Alternatively, you can get a diploma from a nursing school. Online nursing programs further increase your training options.

Job Security and Benefits, Too

Once you're licensed, you'll reap the benefits of a nursing career--both tangible and intangible. You'll have lots of career alternatives, since nurses don't just work in hospitals; they work in medical offices, clinics, medical spas, and long-term care facilities. If you long to travel, know that nursing is one of the most portable of all professions. The nursing shortage isn't just local, it's global. With an R.N., you can specialize. Be an administrator, an educator, or even a nurse-midwife. Whichever path you take, you'll have excellent medical benefits and the respect that comes with membership in the medical community.

Sources

• AACN - Media Relations
• Exploring Careers. JIST Publishing, Inc. 2003.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook

About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.

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