A Career In Nursing
Whether you want to work in sales, business management, public policy or even research development, nursing is the profession that allows easy access to these workplace settings and more. A nurse can be a salesperson, working for a pharmaceutical or medical supplies company. A nurse can build and own a major company such as a home healthcare or staffing agency. A nurse can influence the quality of care for hundreds of patients a day by being the chief nursing officer of a major medical institution. A nurse can also be a legislator, working from the political frontlines to ensure adequate healthcare resources for their constituents. A nurse can be a scientist, working to further the medical frontier by developing new and effective treatments.
Nursing, of course, is also the profession that can be found at the bedside of millions of patients, whether they be in the hospital setting, schools, residential group homes, military, and in their own homes. This is the most common vision of nursing and clearly one of the most fulfilling. Here is where nursing was born, taking care of the wounded and ill, and here is where nursing remains as well as spreading its wings to reach the healthy by offering health and wellness education. Nurses are much more present and visible in the communities now, working hard to bring healthcare and primary prevention to those most underserved.
Working in a healthcare institution allows nurses numerous choices for specialties and workplace environments. Some nurses start at the bedside in a general medical-surgical setting only to later move around to specialty areas such as the intensive care unit or emergency department. Others may eventually leave the bedside to work instead in administration, informatics, outpatient or home care settings. Nurses who return to school to obtain an advanced degree can go on to work in a hospital or outpatient setting as a nurse practitioner, nurse educator or nurse researcher—just to name a few.
Nursing has changed so much over the last several decades with the advance of its own professional knowledge base via research and the recognition of nursing contributions on a global scale. The face of nursing has changed as well, more accurately reflecting the diversity of the population. This shift has only served to strengthen the profession and enrich the knowledge base.
This is a career that is in demand and it is a career that offers many benefits. Because of the nursing shortage this is one profession where job opportunities post-schooling are not a concern. Additionally nurses are needed no matter where you live, so the job search when relocating is often easy. Typically there are numerous work schedules to pick from, allowing for an easy fit into most lifestyles and the pay for nurses in the clinical setting is often competitive. So, if you are an individual that likes a challenging, fast-paced environment and you are often told you are "good in a crisis" and able to make critical decisions when under pressure, then nursing maybe the career option for you. Nursing is a fast paced, high tech career that is both challenging and rewarding. Though the work is hard—physical as well as mental—it is emotionally fulfilling and meaningful.
Editorial provided by Mechelle J. Plasse, MS, RN CS, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Academic Administrator, Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, School of Nursing.
