Nursing is a fast-growing healthcare field that provides opportunities to help others and make a difference in people’s lives. It’s one of the professions that not only gets you a handsome income but also respect. Nursing is always a highly demanding career. Nurses make up approximately 50% of healthcare employees, yet this is insufficient to serve the populations of many countries.
Like any healthcare profession, nursing jobs are challenging. It requires empathy, emotional stability, and energy to take on this line of work. However, no matter how demanding and exhausting it is, nursing is perhaps the most fulfilling and rewarding career.
If you’re someone who enjoys looking after people in need, this article is for you as we will outline the importance of a nursing career.
Importance of Nurses in Healthcare
In the healthcare system, nurses have a greater degree of autonomy than ever before. They are responsible for providing care to patients that no other professional can do. Here is the list of the importance of nurses in the healthcare system.
- Patients spend more time with nurses than they do with doctors. The first person to notice when patient conditions deteriorate are nurses. They quickly respond to critical situations and help save their lives.
- Doctors often use medical terminologies that are difficult to understand for patients and make them feel insecure. Nurses are the healthcare providers who educate patients about their disease, treatment, medicines, and other procedures in easy-to-understand language.
- Nurses keep records of patients’ health. They take a history of the disease, monitor vitals, assess their condition, and communicate with professionals about it.
High Demand
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many nurses quit their jobs due to stress and pressure. It increases the shortage of nurses around the world. In a 2020 report, The world health organization stated that they need to increase approx 5.9 million nurses to meet their demand. This shortage of nurses increases vacant positions and job opportunities for new graduates.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 9% increase in employment growth for registered nurses from 2016 to 2026. In recent research, registered nurses were ranked among the top 10 in-demand professions for 2021 by LinkedIn.
Growth Opportunities
Most other medical fields are expensive and time-consuming, but this is not true for nursing. A nursing degree can be completed in a year or sooner. As explained through ABSN online, you can enroll in a nursing program if you have a bachelor’s degree in any field. Most of these online programs require 16 months to become a professional nurse.
It’s a profession that allows you to serve humanity. If you’re already an RN, you can choose to enroll in an accelerated RN to MSN program as well.
You can also start from the entry level and continue to learn new things throughout your career. The healthcare system is exploring new technologies and innovative research to provide better care to patients. As a result, nurses often stay up to date with advancements and continue to learn.
You can also try to be a NHS nursing. One of the key benefits of NHS nursing is the opportunity to provide essential care and support to those in need, contributing to the well-being of the community.
Respectable and Trusted Profession
Nurses ensure that they provide details of diagnosis and treatment plans to patients and their families, which promotes patient trust in nurses. According to Gallup Honesty and Ethics Poll 2021, the most trusted profession in the US is nursing, and maintained this position for 20 years. You’ll notice that, out of the top 5 most trusted Professions, nursing received 81% of the votes.
- Registered nurses – 81%
- Professional doctors – 67%
- Teachers – 64%
- Pharmacist – 63%
- Military personnel – 61%
Earning Potential
Nurses earn higher wages because of their increased demand globally. According to the BLS report 2021, the annual salary of a registered nurse is $77,600. Nurses who work in government sectors and hospitals have higher wages of approx $85,920 than private sector nurses.
Another benefit of a nursing job is that you can earn more by picking up extra shifts. In the US, overtime pay is around $12,000. Aside from a lucrative salary, a nursing career has more benefits such as health insurance, paid vacations, and retirement plans.
Flexibility
Nursing jobs provide flexibility as they are structured into shifts rather than specific daily routine hours. You can choose to work full-time or part-time. Flexible working hours give you the flexibility you need to fulfill other obligations in your life, such as family and social activities. Hospitals sometimes need their nurses to work long shifts, but community nursing programs and clinics now offer more regular hours.
Additionally, you can work in different settings such as clinics, hospitals, and home healthcare. A nurse may also apply to work in a particular specialty, such as geriatric nursing, pediatric nursing, or trauma nursing.
Like any other profession, nursing can be challenging, but it’s a most respectful and trusted profession. With its increased demand, there are many platforms from which you can earn a healthy wage annually. Besides good income, it gives benefits of flexible job hours, continual educational growth, and travel opportunities.
