I am currently studying to obtain a degree in Exercise Science from the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Mississippi. After obtaining this degree, I am faced with several choices because of the wide range of career paths this offers me. I am currently looking at using this degree to apply to nursing school. In an attempt to expedite this process, I have researched many different schools, but have ultimately decided that it would be ideal to apply and gain entry into an accelerated nursing program. As of right now, this is the career path that I am embracing because of the readily available jobs, my prior educational history, and geographical liberty.
Based on research, a career in nursing seems to provide a longevity of job availability. Firstly, doctors will always need nursing. Nurses perform a necessary job within patient care, implementing the orders for doctors and making sure patients are comfortable and well looked after. This career seems like a good choice because the demand for healthcare professionals will never be eradicated, especially as health rates in the human race are declining. The United States is expected to experience a shortage of Registered Nurses that is supposed to intensify as the Baby Boomer generation ages and the need for health care grows. In addition, with improved technology and managed-care issues, only the most severe patients require hospital stays and intense treatment; therefore, the most skilled and specialized nurses are in great demand in hospitals all over the country. As a result of nurses being in such great demand, this creates a sense of job security that most professions do not provide. Even in times of economic uncertainty, nurses are always able to find positions in which to work and this is a major benefit to choosing this career path.
Secondly, nursing is an appealing career choice because of its ability to specialize as well as having control over your own education. Nurses have the opportunity make the choice of how far in their career they would like to advance. The opportunities for advancement are great in the profession, and allow the nurse the ability to become a leader in healthcare. Advancement could be obtained by something as simple as being named leader of your floor to obtaining and advanced degree, and that flexibility is a trait of the career that seems appealing for a person who desires total control over their work. Similarly, the ability to specialize is an important aspect and benefit of choosing the nursing career. Nurses have choices in their specialty not only beginning in nursing school, but continuing throughout their careers. These choices begin with being able to choose clinical opportunities in school to even choose which patients you would like to serve. Nurses also are afforded the choice to work outside of the hospital. There are opportunities available in all types of settings from prisons to schools or even from large corporations to insurance companies. A person’s nursing career is full of opportunities for those willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get there or even just expand their work ethic.
Another appealing aspect to a nursing career is the freedom to choose where you want to work. A nurse is affording an amazing benefit of geographical freedom. This ties back to the idea the nursing jobs are readily available anywhere that there are people, but there is also an interesting aspect to nursing called travel nursing. The traveling nurse can expect to receive a good deal more in wages than would be earned locally. Traveling allows the opportunity to advance clinical competency through assignments at award-winning facilities, while also visiting exciting new locations across the country. Hospitals hire travelers to meet short-term or seasonal demands which allows the opportunity to see new places and experiences new injuries and illnesses. Travel nursing allows a geographical freedom that is appealing as a young adult as well as a geographical freedom that is appeal as someone who wants to have stability later in life which is a major appeal to this career.
Ultimately, researching a career path in nursing has demonstrated a freedom for control over most aspects of work life. This is appealing to someone who knows what they want in the immediate future, but also allows a flexibility for someone as life changes and plans change. The readily availability of jobs is an advantage because the goal is to work and be able to help those in need for as long as possible. It is a major benefit that you can control how far a person would like to advance in their career as well as the opportunity to specialize and work with patients that you are most interested or most skilled with. Lastly, it is a great advantage that as a nurse you not only have control over where you settle down with your job, but also have the opportunity to travel and take advantage of all the different opportunities all over the world. Overall nursing is the most ideal career path to me as it allows me the ability to stay flexible in life as well as always being a reliable sources of stability.
