Reasons to Be a Nurse
Have you ever considered nursing as a potential career path? Are there qualities about this field that you find interesting and would love to learn more about?
Today, I’m sharing some great reasons you should become a nurse!
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Nursing • Education • Finance
Ginika E.
Last Updated: November 12, 2023
Have you ever considered nursing as a potential career path? Are there qualities about this field
that you find interesting and would love to learn more about? Today, I’m sharing some great reasons
you should become a nurse!
Reasons to Be A Nurse
1. Opportunities at the Bedside and Beyond
When it comes to nursing, what is the first image that comes to mind? I’ll take a guess. An individual in
scrubs tending to a patient at the bedside. Am I right?
People often presume that nurses provide care to patients that require total assistance, but this could not
be farthest from the truth.
While there are nurses who love working at the bedside, it’s vital to acknowledge that it’s not for everyone.
Today, I want to share with you some options that take us away from the classic style of nursing and
present additional forms of nursing that aren’t normally spoken about.
Once you become a licensed nurse, you have the opportunity to dip and dabble into other specialties. I’ll
talk more about this later. Beyond the bedside, nurses are eligible to work as a :
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Nurse Informaticist
- Nurse Health Coach
- Public Health Nurse
- Nurse Esthetician
- Research Nurse
- Forensic Nurse
And the list goes on … and on. For many, the ideal nursing career does not comprise of many years
serving at the bedside and that is totally fine.
During my time as a nursing student, I do not recall learning about roles beyond the bedside with the
exception of community health nursing. However, with the information I have acquired from talking to
nurses, I recognize the opportunities are vast.
Therefore, the variety in opportunity is amongst the best reasons to consider becoming a nurse.
Relevant Content:
2. Career Advancement
Like many fields, nursing has room for growth. Whether you start out as an LPN or RN, it does not have to
end there. In this field, degrees like an associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate each give access to
different roles and salaries.
As you may know, the minimum educational requirement to be a nurse is an Associates in Nursing (ADN)
and a Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN), but what is required for more advanced roles in the nursing field?
Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are classified as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN). NPs have the
option to operate within one of many different specialties:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Adult – Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Dermatologic Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Before a RN can practice in any of these advanced roles, a Master’s in Nursing (MSN) must be acquired.
Furthermore, depending on your interest, you will apply and enroll into a program offering your desired
concentration.
Most MSN programs take between 2-3 years to complete and some offer a part-time option for students
with a busy schedule. As a nurse practitioner, salary differs by speciality, location, healthcare facility, work
hours and more. However, NP’s generally make upwards of $100,000.
Moreover, it is important to mention that some programs only offer the DNP track for nurse practitioners.
This track usually takes 3-5 years to complete.
CRNA
CRNAs are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. Like nurse practitioners, CRNA’s are considered
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN).
CRNAs are tasked with administering anesthesia intraoperative and monitoring patients during and
after the procedure until they are stable enough to enter the PACU.
At one point, this nursing role could be attained with a master’s degree. However, in 2022, the
barrier of entry was lifted. In 2022, all MSN programs stopped offering a master’s degree with a
concentration in nurse anesthesia.
So, what does it take to become a nurse anesthetist now?
To become a nurse anesthetist, a registered nurse must become a Doctor of Nursing
Practice (DNP) with a specialization in Nurse Anesthesia or a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
(DNAP).
CRNA Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a Nurse Anesthetist in 2022 was
$205,770.
The DNP is the terminal degree in the nursing field. Unlike a master’s degree, the DNAP/DNP allows
nurses to educate at the collegiate level. The DNP also offers specialization for nurse practitioners and
nurse midwives.
Overall, the opportunity for career advancement is amongst the most popular reasons there is great
interest in becoming a nurse.
3. Salary
A wise man once said, “It’s all about the mula, baby!” and he was right, well partially. Passion and a love
for what you do is always recommended, but a job’s financial component can never be completely
overlooked.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for Registered Nurses in 2022,
was $81,220 outearning the median salary, $74,580, of all U.S workers as reported by Census.gov. Over
the most recent decades, wages in the nursing field have grown significantly.
In recognition of our aging population and national nursing shortage, several facilities have increased
their pay in order to attract both experienced nurses and new grads.
Of course, pay differs by location and need. Thus, nurses working in densely populated cities like New
York and Los Angeles can expect to receive higher salaries, but such wages take cost of living into
account.
As the demand for nurses grows, we can also expect to see greater shifts in compensation.
4. Specialty Swapping
With the range specialties in the nursing field, it is nearly impossible to be restricted to a single area of
nursing.
Most nurses start off on one unit (with the exception of floating nurses), acquire experience on that unit
and based on preference, they can decide to stay or transfer to a new area.
Similar to other fields of work, certain units cater to different personalities. As some are better fit for the
fast paced nature of the emergency department, others are better suited for the more tranquil neonatal
unit.
Although every nurse may not begin in the unit that best fits them, there is space for change and
transition. This transition may also occur beyond the hospital and into an outpatient setting.
The opportunity to change where you work with ease is amongst the best reasons to be a nurse.
5. Working Remotely
It is true that nursing can be a very physical, labor intensive job, but did you know that nurses have the
option to work remotely?
Remote work has become increasingly popular in recent years and the field of nursing has become fairly
involved in this trend. Therefore, this is considered one of the more intriguing reasons to become a nurse.
For many, working from home is not ideal as you develop a physical distance from patients and lose that
day to day communication with co-workers.
However, for others, remote work is optimal as it grants more flexibility and a self-established routine. In
nursing, remote work comes in roles like:
- Case Manager
- Phone Triage
- Telehealth
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Patient Care Advocate
- Nurse Screener
- Care Navigator
- Nurse Coordinator
Remote work has many benefits and for some, can even increase productivity. There are many
opportunities for nurses that prefer remote work and it’s exciting that the field of nursing has grown in this
direction!
Some additional reasons you should consider being a nurse: Healthcare benefits, early access to pension
(dependent on your state) and working in unique environments.
I believe many of the reasons listed above aided in guiding my decision to become a nurse and it might
for you too.
So , is nursing for you?
It may take a while to figure out if nursing is an appropriate profession for you and there is no rush. Of
course, there are many other reasons to considering becoming a nurse, but I hope this article has given
you a quick snapshot of the field and a few of its wonderful aspects.
Feel free to drop a comment below on other reasons people should consider nursing! Also, out of the
reasons you should become a nurse, do any stand out to you?
Reasons to Be a Nurse
Have you ever considered nursing as a
potential career path? Are there qualities
about this field that you find interesting
and would love to learn more…
Ginika E.
Last Updated: November 12, 2023
Welcome to The Community!
Stay up to date with our latest posts, receive exclusive deals, and more.
Have you ever considered nursing as a
potential career path? Are there qualities
about this field that you find interesting
and would love to learn more about?
Today, I’m sharing some great reasons
to consider this profession and why you
should be a nurse!
1. Opportunities at the Bedside and Beyond
When it comes to nursing, what is the first
image that comes to mind? I’ll take a
guess. An individual in scrubs tending to a
patient at the bedside. Am I right?
People often presume that nurses provide
care to patients that require total
assistance, but this could not be farthest
from the truth.
While there are nurses who love working at
the bedside, it’s vital to acknowledge that
it’s not for everyone.
Today, I want to share with you some
options that take us away from the classic
style of nursing and present additional
forms of nursing that aren’t normally
spoken about.
Once you become a licensed nurse, you
have the opportunity to dip and dabble into
other specialties. I’ll talk more about
this later.
Beyond the bedside, nurses are eligible to
work as a:
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Nurse Informaticist
- Nurse Health Coach
- Public Health Nurse
- Nurse Esthetician
- Research Nurse
- Forensic Nurse
And the list goes on … and on. For many,
the ideal nursing career does not comprise
of many years serving at the bedside and
that is totally fine.
During my time as a nursing student, I do
not recall learning about roles beyond the
bedside with the exception of community
health nursing.
However, with the information I have
acquired from talking to nurses and
healthcare professionals, I recognize that
the opportunities are vast.
Relevant Content:
2. Career Advancement
Like many fields, nursing has room for
growth. Whether you start out as an LPN or
RN, it does not have to end there.
In this field, degrees like an associates,
bachelors, masters and doctorate each
give access to different roles and salaries.
As you may know, the minimum
educational requirement to be a nurse is
an Associates in Nursing (ADN) and a
Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN), but what is
required for more advanced roles in the
nursing field?
Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are classified as
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(APRN).
NPs have the option to operate
within one of many different specialties:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Adult – Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Dermatologic Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Before a RN can practice in any of these
advanced roles, a Master’s in Nursing
(MSN) must be acquired.
Furthermore, depending on your interest,
you will apply and enroll into a program
offering your desired concentration.
Most MSN programs take between 2-3
years to complete and some offer a part-
time option for students with a busy
schedule.
As a nurse practitioner, salary differs by
speciality, location, healthcare facility,
work hours and more. However, NP’s
generally make upwards of $100,000.
Moreover, it is important to mention that
some programs only offer the DNP track
for nurse practitioners. This track usually
takes 3-5 years to complete.
CRNA
CRNAs are Certified Registered Nurse
Anesthetists. Like nurse practitioners,
CRNA’s are considered Advanced Practice
Registered Nurses (APRN).
CRNAs are tasked with administering
anesthesia intraoperative and monitoring
patients during and after the procedure
until they are stable enough to enter the
PACU.
At one point, this profession of nursing
could be entered with a master’s degree,
however, in 2022, the barrier of entry was
lifted.
In 2022, all MSN programs stopped
offering a master’s degree with a
concentration in nurse anesthesia.
So to become a nurse anesthetist now, a
registered nurse must become a Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) with a
specialization in Nurse Anesthesia or a
Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
(DNAP).
CRNA Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the median annual salary for a
Nurse Anesthetist in 2022 was $205,770.
The DNP is the terminal degree in the
nursing field. Unlike a master’s degree, the
DNAP/DNP allows nurses to educate at the
collegiate level.
The DNP also offers specialization for
nurse practitioners and nurse midwives.
3. Salary
A wise man once said, “It’s all about the
mula, baby!” and he was right, well partially.
Passion and a love for what you do is
always recommended, but a job’s financial
component can never be completely
overlooked and it should not be.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the median annual salary for Registered
Nurses in 2022, was $81,220 out earning
the median salary, $74,580, of all U.S
workers as reported by Census.gov.
Over the most recent decades, wages in
the nursing field have grown significantly.
In recognition of our aging population and
national nursing shortage, several facilities
have increased their pay in order to attract
both experienced nurses and new grads.
Of course, pay differs by location and need.
Thus, nurses working in densely populated
cities like New York and Los Angeles can
expect to receive higher salaries but such
wages take cost of living into account.
As the demand for nurses grows, we can
also expect to see greater shifts in
compensation.
4. Specialty Swapping
With the range of specialties in the nursing
field, it is nearly impossible to be restricted to
a single area of nursing.
Most nurses start off on one unit (with the
exception of floating nurses), acquire
experience on that unit and based on
preference, can decide to stay or transfer to a
new area.
Similar to other fields of work, certain units
cater to different personalities. As some are
better fit for the fast paced nature of the
emergency department, others are better
suited for the more tranquil neonatal
unit.
Even though every nurse may not begin in the
unit that best fits them, there is space for
change and transition.
This transition may also occur beyond the
hospital and into an outpatient setting.
5. Working Remotely
It is true that nursing can be a very
physical, labor intensive job, but did you
know that nurses have the option to work
remotely?
Remote work has become increasingly
popular in recent years and the field of
nursing has become fairly involved in this
trend.
For many, working from home is not ideal
as you develop a physical distance from
patients and lose that day to day
communication with co-workers.
However, for others, remote work is
optimal as it grants more flexibility and a
self-established routine. In nursing, remote
work comes in roles like:
- Case Manager
- Phone Triage
- Telehealth
- Legal Nurse Consultant
- Patient Care Advocate
- Nurse Screener
- Care Navigator
- Nurse Coordinator
Remote work has many benefits and for
some, can even increase productivity.
There are many opportunities for nurses
that prefer remote work and it’s exciting
that the field of nursing has grown in this
direction!
So, is nursing for you?
It may take a while to figure out if nursing is
an appropriate profession for you and there
is no rush.
I hope this article has given you a quick
snapshot of the field and a few of its
wonderful aspects.
Feel free to drop a comment below on
other reasons people should consider
nursing!