Re: What I Love About Nursing Is....
I came to nursing in my mid 30s and love my career. I touch people's lives positively everyday and I make a difference everyday.
I was a paramedic for several years, got a BS in Education, taught paramedics at the community college full time for several years.... then my daughter was born... I looked at how much I was working in my full time job (60-80 hours/week) added to that my part time medic job (12-24 hours/week) and how much I was making (50 K/year)... two years later I was an ADN RN working three days/week and making more than I had been as a full time college instructor and a part time medic. My daughter is 7 next month and I am the Clinical Coordinator of a 24 bed step-down unit at a academic/magnet hospital and I have an amazing life - both professionally and family.
If I were to tell any young person a career to look at it would be Nursing. It certainly is not for everyone and I think the wrong types of people are being attracted to the profession (either not physically, mentally or emotionally capable of being a nurse) but if you have what it takes this is an amazing profession...
In Upstate NY where I live, this is the only career where jobs are readily available and starting pay is in the mid $20/hour with an Associate's Degree... There is extraordinary flexibility and diversity in this field (school nurse, flight nurse, ICU/SCU/CCU, clinic nurse, research nurse, et cetera ad infinitum) potential advancement -- NP, Clinical Nurse Specialist, CRNA and most institutions are paying for education...
My long term plan is to attend CRNA school. My institution has tuition agreements with 5 schools AND they will pay me a living stipend while I am in school. They start CRNAs out at $140,000/year...
What other profession are jobs readily available, there are diverse opportunities available, education is paid for and pay is above average?
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