High Demand and Opportunities: Pursuing a Nursing Career in Today's Job Market

As many have experienced over the last several years, the American job market is becoming increasingly competitive and difficult. For many budding professionals graduating from college, it’s nearly impossible to land a professional job role since they’re competing against professionals with years of experience.

Fortunately, one particular career path is becoming increasingly secure due to worker shortages. Specifically, nursing is an amazing profession with many open positions across the country waiting for qualified professionals to fill them.

If you’re deciding which career path to pursue or are looking to transition into a more secure and fulfilling job role, it’s important to explore the opportunities that nursing can offer. By doing so, you may find that the nursing field holds all of the right elements to make it an enticing career to pursue.

Here’s an exploration of the process of pursuing a nursing career in today’s job market.

Putting the Job Market Into Perspective

Before understanding why a nursing career is so attractive in the modern era, it’s important to zoom out and understand the current state of the job market. In a variety of industries, shifts in the economy have made it more difficult for individuals leaving college to secure entry-level roles.

As such, many aspiring professionals are now looking to branch into fields with a higher demand for professionals. Fortunately, while some fields are inundated with workers, others are rising in demand.

One such field is that of healthcare, with the need for nurses slated to rise significantly over the next decade. This being the case, if you’re looking for a new career path to pursue, nursing is definitely a field you should explore building a career in.

The Benefits of a Nursing Career

Stepping into a nursing role has many benefits that are attracting aspiring professionals from all walks of life. Anyone looking for a new profession can benefit from an understanding of the many positive attributes of nursing roles.

Some key benefits of a nursing career include:

● Job Availability: As has been noted, new graduates in a variety of fields are currently finding it incredibly difficult to find entry-level roles in their area of study. Fortunately for nursing majors, there are currently scores of nursing roles needing to be filled, meaning it’s more than likely that you’ll land a role soon after becoming qualified as a nurse.

● Job Security: While fields such as tech periodically go through times of huge layoffs, healthcare does not have the same problem. Given the growing need for healthcare professionals, those qualified for these roles are typically very secure in their roles and don’t face the threat of being terminated without reason.

● Professional Growth: Though registered nurses make up a significant part of the nursing force, there are a variety of advanced nursing positions out there as well. From travel nurses to family nurse practitioners, nurses have opportunities to grow their professional skills and step into more advanced roles.

● Competitive Wages: Unbeknownst to many Americans, registered nurses can command lucrative wages well over the national average. In addition, experience in these roles paired with additional education can qualify nurses to step into more advanced and lucrative roles.

Steps to Take to Become a Registered Nurse

Whether you’re looking to step into your first professional role or to switch professions, it doesn’t hurt to understand the process of becoming a registered nurse.

To become qualified to step into a registered nurse role you’ll first need to get the requisite educational degrees. Most registered nurse employers will require you to either have an associate degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree.

This process typically takes anywhere from two to four years to complete. Next, you’ll need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination. Essentially, this provides you with a license to legally practice nursing in the United States.

At this point, you’ll be ready to land your first nursing role and grow into a skilled healthcare professional. If you find that after working as a registered nurse for a few years you’re ready to take your career to the next level, you can obtain a graduate degree and qualify yourself for new and exciting advanced nursing positions.

Nursing Is One of the Most Secure Career Paths in the Modern Era

As the demand for healthcare professionals grows in America, the security of the nursing profession increases as well. From unparalleled job security to opportunities for professional growth, a nursing career comes with many attractive benefits. As time goes on and more aspiring professionals become aware of the amazing perks of a career in nursing, it’s more than likely that there will be an uptick in the number of individuals pursuing these amazing roles.