Do nurses get any opportunity for advancement?

[RN4008]

Hi everyone,

I am currently a pre nursing student, and I have been having doubts about whether or not nursing is for me I tend to be someone who is motivated to keep moving up and advancing when i work ( working towards promotions, raises, etc.) and while I love the idea of being a nurse, it doesn't seem to me that there are many? Is this true?

On a separate note, I am a little intimidated by the high stress and responsibility of the nursing profession since I don't deal that well with that level of responsibility...do you think this is a deal breaker? I love the idea of nuturing patients and helping them, but I am not sure that the other aspects of nursing fit well with me. PLEASE help, i feel so lost right now, and I don't know if I am making the right choice with nursing.

Thank you so much everyone :redbeathe

[llg, PhD, RN]

Yes. There are lots of opportunities for advancement in nursing. However, advancement comes with taking on more responsibility. It's a double-edged sword.

Also, while there can be some advancement at the bedside that can be achieved without additional education ... many of the advancement opportunities require on-going education and the earning of advanced credentials. Some of those may mean going back to school for higher academic degrees (MSN, DNP, PhD, etc.) and/or require that you be certified in your specialty.