The Positive Aspects of A Nursing Career

I was twenty-five when I started nursing school and there was a woman in my class who was fifty-nine. For my classmate, as is the case for so many others, nursing was a second career. Whatever the reason behind choosing nursing as a career, there are many positive aspects that help make the choice easier. Among the innumerable favorable aspects to a career in nursing are: job security, respected profession, continual learning, ever changing, flexibility, and having so many choices of specialties. I may not have realized all the benefits to a nursing career when I started out, but I have come to appreciate them over the years.

In the article "Job Satisfaction", on the website Expert advice from Career Key, the top things people look for in job expectations are: pay, job security, and independence, nursing provides all three of these.In searching for a job or career, we want the one that will provide us with longevity. A company that provides benefits including medical, dental, and retirement plans are ones that invest in their employees. In return, they want people who are willing to stay at their job for a long period of time.

When I see women in heels and panty-hose, I am glad for my scrubs and tennis shoes. Those women may look pretty, but I can do without the blisters.

Over the years, nursing has provided me with job stability that allowed me to keep my family medically insured and food on the table. There were times when I was the sole worker in my home, so I was extremely grateful for my ability to earn a decent paycheck. Nursing brings with it a sense of respectability. We as nurses have a unique body of knowledge, especially once we specialize in an area.

Our education combined with experience allows us to teach and treat our patients based on the expertise we have gleaned over the years. When our patients are slammed with a new diagnosis, bombarded with twelve dollar medical words from their doctor, or just plain scared, being able to explain to them what exactly the diagnosis means and how to manage it is very satisfying to me and beneficial to the patient.I happen to love going to school, but even if you don't, nursing is a continual classroom. I can honestly say that working in the GI Endoscopy lab I learn almost on a daily basis. Sometimes I learn from seeing something on the screen that I've never seen before, other times it may be a nugget of knowledge from my co-workers and of course the knowledgeable doctors give us lessons all the time.

I often say in my articles how fast nursing changes. New medications, procedures, treatments, philosophy, etc. keep us on a continually advancing pathway. If you don't like new developments then don't become a nurse. Knowing what you like and don't like is a large part of finding a job that best suits you. I like the challenges nursing provides, it keeps the cobwebs out of my brain.

I have always worked full-time, but nursing provides multiple choices of work hours. Nurses can work at multiple facilities, a few days a week, or a couple of days a month depending on what their needs are. The flexibility is outstanding, allowing the nurse to tailor the job to fit their lives.

I have always heard from previous nursing instructors that at least one year on a med/surg floor is a must coming out of school to gel all the knowledge learned in school with hands on skills. I am grateful for my three years on a med/surg floor. I realized early on that what I had learned in school was a fragment of what I would learn after graduation. Those first few years are all about putting the pieces of the puzzle together.Even with all the benefits to a nursing career, some people won't be happy. This is not always related to the job, it is an intrinsic dissatisfaction. I could name some down sides to nursing, but I think we already know them. Every job has it's shortcomings. As I mentioned before, knowing yourself and what your talents are, are basic to job satisfaction. Realizing what is important to you and what is not important is the first step to choosing the right career for you (Job).

We all have our issues at work that can build up and make us want to pull our hair out. Face what you can change with a maturity, understanding that some things we won't be able to change. However, the things we do have a voice in, speak up! Give input when appropriate, you might be surprised with some positive changes. Resolving our work issues helps us avoid depression, anxiety, tension, and interpersonal problems(Job).

Job security, respect, evolving knowledge, being able to make your own hours, and finding your niche or changing it are all positive aspects of choosing nursing as your career. Realizing what is most important to you in regards of a job can save you time and money wasted on school or training for a career that won't be fulfilling. What sticks out in my mind is the stability of the nursing job market when the financial market all around me was on a fast downhill slide. When businesses were shutting their doors and downsizing, I was safe in my job. In the end, there are many factors when considering a career. If you are thinking about going to nursing school, do your research and be your own advocate.

For all those seasoned nurses or newbies, Happy Nurses Week!

References

Saari, Lise M. & Judge, Timothy A. "Employee Attitudes And Job Satisfaction". Whiley InterScience. Vol 43, No. 4. Winter 2004. Pg. 395-407. 9 April, 2015. Web.

"Job Satisfaction". Job Satisfaction - Expert advice from Career Key. 9 April, 2015. Web.