Nursing, a Second Career with Unlimited Job and Salary Possibilites?
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It is never too late to learn something new. This is the reason that some decide to go back to school to enroll in a new course or even pursue a master’s or doctorate degree. If you have the desire to help people, perhaps you should consider nursing as a second career.
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Nursing is a noble profession because you are able to help a patient recover from an injury or illness. It enables you to think about problem and how to solve it so you don’t just follow the doctor’s orders.
To become a nurse, you have to go back to school to learn about biology, chemistry and a few other subjects that will help you understand how you are able to help a patient when you get the chance to work in a clinical setting.
Given that there are more 1,500 programs all across the United States, you should do some research about the school you plan to enroll in. Some of the things you should consider are how much it costs, the curriculum they use and if they are accredited by the nursing board.
For those that cannot afford tuition, they can apply for aid, a loan or scholarship if this is offered by the school. If you still want to work while studying at the same time, you can ask if there are part time courses available or classes held at night.
Once you graduate, you will have to pass the state licensure exam and if things look good, you may now apply for work in a hospital or clinic.
If you are able to stay as a nurse for a number of years and want to advance your career further, you can do so by enrolling in advance courses. This will allow you to specialize in one field of nursing and become head of a group of nurses or work as a consultant, educator, instructor or researcher.
Shifting to a career in nursing may be frightening at first because you are stepping outside your comfort zone and moving into the unknown. But if this is really what you want, surely you will do your best to hurdle over these blocks and succeed in this endeavor.
Studies have shown that a lot of people decide to shift to nursing because of the money you can make. If this is your primary reason, you shouldn’t even bother because chances are, you won’t be staying here for the long term.
To succeed, you must have the desire to help people because you are in a life saving business where mistakes could mean the difference between life and death.
Aside from nursing, those of you who don’t want this job but still want to help patients can take on other positions. You can find work as a pharmacist, technician or lab assistant who also plays a role in the hospital as they work with doctors and nurses.
How well you are as a nurse is entirely up to you. Naturally, there will be people there to help you out but it is your decision to take their advice or to take another step forward. If you are not happy in this new career, don’t be afraid to shift to another.
After all, you did it before and you probably still haven’t found the kind of challenge that you are looking for.
[tags] nursing jobs, salaries, nursing schools [/tags]
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Nursing Career Choices That Could Benefit You…
Filed Under Nursing Career Tips, Nursing Careers Overview | Leave a Comment
When you graduate from nursing school and pass the state licensure exam, you can start applying for work. While some will work in a hospital, others may find employment in labs, schools, private companies and non-profit organizations. This is when your nursing career choices are available to you.
The nice thing about being a nurse is that wherever you work, everyday is different than the day before. Why? Because of the human factor as new patients are brought in and old ones are discharged. This means that in the field of nursing, you will never get tired because change is always constant.
Let’s take a look at the two nurses. One who is a resident nurse or RN and the other a licensed practicing nurse or LPN. Yes, they are both nurses but what makes the two different is the fact that the RN is a specialist while the LPN is a generalist.
The LPN reports to an RN. This is the person that makes the rounds and takes the patient’s blood pressure and temperature. They administer shots and monitor the catheters. The resident nurse can do the same thing but they are more concerned about other things which is why they have the opportunity to work for instance in ambulatory care, diabetes management, cardiac and vascular nurse, dermatology, HIV/AIDS, oncology, pediatrics and a lot more.
If you don’t want your career to be stagnant as an LPN, you can go to school and work at the same time until you are able to earn your degree and finally earn the title of a resident nurse.
Another career choice that can you places is by being a nurse practitioner. Being in this position allows you to perform many of the functions that doctors do that includes prescribing medication. They handle the most common illnesses as well as provide counseling and prevention. For this you need to get a master’s in nursing. A study shows that NP’s make an average of about $61,000 per annum.
Since we are talking about advanced degrees, another career choice is that of the nurse anesthesiologist. When a patient is undergoing surgery, this person is there to make sure the right dosage is given so the operation is painless. This is considered to one of the highest paying nursing jobs today.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US. While there are steps being taken to reduce these figures, there are still patients that have to be treated and that is where cardiac care nursing comes in. Cardiac care nurses work with doctors as they perform angioplasty, bypass surgery or install pacemakers. They work in the hospital and at times conduct house calls.
Some patients require long term care. For that, you need a case manager nurse that will keep track of the patient’s condition at the same time in a cost effective matter. These individuals usually help the young and the elderly who are suffering from illnesses such as AIDS, cancer or heart disease.
There are other nursing careers aside from those mentioned. What happens after you graduate will determine how successful you will become in the future. Nurses who want to go on further are advised to take up advance courses in nursing and then specialize in a particular field.
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