With the world population getting healthier, it is not surprising that the healthcare sector is growing rapidly and is poised to add more than 4.3 million jobs through 2014. There will be an estimated eight million vacancies by 2020 and nursing professionals will be in great demand. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Statistics on Registered Nurses proves this requirement. Previously a female domain, the sector is slowly attracting men.

Choosing a Nursing Career

Nursing is one of the very few professions that give you immense personal satisfaction along with a good salary. Nursing requires some specialized ‘people skills’ such as patience, compassion, calmness, flexibility, leadership, and an element of wit. You should be able to recognize these traits before you opt to study to become a nurse. Getting into nursing schools requires a high academic standard in English, Algebra, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Psychology. Nursing requires you to pass a pre-admission test called the NLN Pre-admission Exam in addition to the SAT.

Career Opportunity in Nursing

There is a growing shortfall of trained nurses. With improved medical care people are living longer and hence the need for specialized care is greater. A Bachelor of Science degree in nursing is almost guaranteed to get you a job. The average entry-level salary of registered nurses is above 40,000 dollars which, compared to other careers, is reasonably high. This amount rapidly increases with added specialization. Today, career opportunities in nursing are not limited just to hospitals. From the Peace Corps to home nursing, research, nursing school, and working in the community health clinic or corporate health centers, the options are many. You can also go for higher studies to become clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, etc.

Specialized Training

Nursing is not limited to basic bedside care of patients. It involves specialized training to handle different types of patients: psychiatric, AIDS, geriatric, pediatric, terminally ill, patients in the ICU, etc. Such specialization in one area is called Case Management Nursing. As senior nurses you will be expected to look after administrative issues and other healthcare related matters, including the very difficult task of handling the relatives of the patients.

Nursing Courses

Choosing from the huge number of nursing programs is not an easy task. Keep in mind that you should choose a state-approved and accredited school. You can opt for a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a Hospital Diploma of two to three years. To get trained in a specialty area such as Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Practitioner, or a Nurse Anesthetist, a master’s degree is required. To become a researcher or professor you will need a doctoral degree. 

While better healthcare services have increased the average life-span of individuals, an aging population has increased the numbers of the sick. So, the demand for nursing professionals in the future can only grow.