SDN founder's hand holding a stethoscope

Growing up, I had no deeply ingrained desire or aspirations to be a nurse.

In fact, I mostly became a nurse accidentally. And I even applied to nursing school on a whim — and I suppose, on a hunch.

It wasn’t until I was applying to universities that the idea of becoming a nurse even crossed my mind. I figured if I got accepted, I’d give it a try. Well, lucky for me, I got accepted to the first school I applied to and never looked back.

While I’m no longer at the bedside, I was at a bedside nurse in general medical-surgical nursing for six years, and they were some of the most stressful, overwhelming, and challenging years of my life. So challenging, I often wondered, “Was nursing the right choice for me?”

Every career path has pros and cons, and nursing is no different.

Some days, the stress and challenges can be overwhelming and heartbreaking, but there are also many really cool reasons to be love being a nurse, too — you might just have to get a little creative in your approach to your career.

From forming genuine relationships with patients to having flexible work schedules, job security, and professional development opportunities, nursing offers something for everyone. It’s a career that requires hard work and dedication, but it also provides rewards that make it all worth it.

All the reasons to love being a nurse…

Genuine relationships with patients — I hear your groan, but I promise I’m not usually this cheesy.

Bedside nursing can be difficult to form genuine relationships with patients, especially in an acute care setting. The combination of the acuity of the patients, the nurse-to-patient ratios, and the mounting tasks a nurse has to deal with can make it nearly impossible to form those relationships.

Obviously, bedside nursing gives you direct access to patient care, so when it does happen, and you get to form that nurse-to-patient relationship/friendship/mutual respect, it can feel deeply rewarding.

The nurse-to-patient relationship is invaluable to the care and well-being of the patient. You have a unique opportunity to empower patients to make choices for themselves that will enrich their lives and better their health.

And that’s one of the best reasons to become a nurse.

Nurse besties and work-wives

Honestly, I would not have gotten as far as I have in nursing without my fellow nursing students’ and colleagues’ endless support.

There were many a night at 2 AM passed with my fellow night shift nurses talking about life, love, and utter nonsense. To this day, some of my best friends have come from those first few years of night shift nursing, and I am so grateful to have worked with some truly amazing nurses over the years.

Now, I’m not naive enough to believe that everyone will have this type of positive experience in the nursing field, and you shouldn’t be either.

It is important to recognize that not every individual’s experience in the nursing field will be the same. But, while some nurses may act unkindly, gossip, or be condescending, many nurses are also incredibly compassionate, willing to share their knowledge, and are a great source of support for one another.

Not every job will be well suited to you and your personality type. I’m a big advocate for finding another position if you are experiencing any abuse or lateral nurse-to-nurse bullying in your work environment.

There are plenty of jobs in the nursing field that will give you different perspectives, and there are also plenty of nurses who are passionate about advocating for their patients AND fellow nurses.

Flexible work schedules

Hospitals and many clinical areas provide 24-hour care allowing for nurses to have 24-hour rotating shifts, which means there are opportunities for nurses to work 12-hour shifts during the day, 12-hour shifts during the night, or even a regular ole 9-5. You can even choose to be a full-time employee or take per diem shifts when you feel like working.

Using these flexible schedules, you can create a healthy work-life balance, whatever that may look like for you. Depending on the specialty and clinical setting, there is a variety of schedules available in the nursing field, allowing nurses to explore what works best for them.

Hellooo, job security

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics finds “employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030” and “about 194,500 openings for registered nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade.”

The nursing profession is and always will be in demand. This is especially true as the Baby Boomer generation ages and nurses switch specialties, depart from the profession, or retire. People will always be coping with chronic illnesses and healthcare needs throughout their lifetime.

Even as the healthcare field changes and develops new treatments, nurses will adapt, change, and grow along with it.

Job security is part of why nursing is an excellent career because you will always have a job as long as your license is active and in good standing. You will always have that next opportunity available to you should you decide to move on from your current position.

Professional development — my personal fave

There is SO much variety within the nursing profession. For example, an article by Johnson&Johnson lists about 100 different nursing specialties!

You can work in an acute care hospital setting, a long-term care facility, a clinic, an office, a school, a prison, at Disneyland, on a cruise ship, start your own business (cough, cough), and everything in-between.

There are plenty of opportunities to work in different specialties without additional education, which is great for the nurse who needs a new environment but isn’t ready to return to school. On the other hand, nurses can choose to continue their education and pursue a graduate or doctoral degree to rise the nursing profession ranks.

The professional development opportunities for nurses are endless and, again, provide job security throughout your career. You may just have to reinvent what it means to be a nurse on your own terms. And when you’re ready, I’ll be right here to support you however I can.

Compensation

For the most part, today’s society significantly undervalues the nursing field, especially for the amount of trauma, stressors, and violence experienced in the field, so I do believe nurses should get paid more because of that…

However, the nursing profession does get paid well overall if you look at the statistics; this, of course, also depends on where you live and your specialty of choice.

On average, a nurse’s salary in the U.S. is around $82,750, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $59,450 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $120,250. In contrast, the national average salary for all professional occupations in the U.S. is around $58,200. That’s almost a $25k difference and absolutely something to consider while considering different career paths.

I also have found that it’s pretty rare to land a fairly well-paying job right out of college with zero experience, and for me, this was a deciding factor on whether or not to pursue nursing.

I knew I had to pay for college on my own (like so many of us do), meaning I would be taking out a lot of loans. Therefore, I knew I would need a salary right out of school to keep up with the debt I would incur.

With nursing, there is a ton of opportunity for career growth and the possibility of high 6 figure salaries. Salary isn’t the sole reason to get into any profession, but it is helpful and important to know the compensation and growth potential in your career of choice.

Masters of adaptability

The nursing field constantly changes depending on new evidence-based practices, medications, treatments, procedures, and skills. Therefore, nurses must become knowledgeable and develop critical thinking skills to adjust to the ever-changing environment effectively.

The skills you learn as a nurse are invaluable. You’ll learn to be creative and resourceful when faced with a new challenge and be willing to take the initiative to find solutions. With each new development, nurses must be ready to learn, grow, and adapt to the new environment.

It is incredibly gratifying to rise to the challenge of change and become resourceful in your practice. Being able to stay up to date with the latest healthcare practices and technologies, as well as being able to think on your feet and come up with creative solutions to problems, are all essential skills of being a nurse.

You can easily apply those same skills to your life outside of nursing, enabling you to become more creative and resilient in your approach to any situation.

With these newly acquired skills, you may even be able to put them to use by starting a small business. You will be able to think outside the box and find innovative solutions while demonstrating the tenacity and drive needed to make your endeavor successful.

A career you can take anywhere

The nursing profession is extraordinarily versatile, and you can take this career literally anywhere you want to go.

Travel nursing became especially popular during the COVID pandemic, where salaries were much higher than the full-time staff in the same positions. While the discrepancies for travel versus full-time staff salaries have equalized a bit, traveling is still very romanticizing.

Being a nurse allows you to go to places you’ve never been before while still getting paid.

Nursing gives you the incredible opportunity to choose where you live, your specialty, and the type of clinical area you work in, while giving you a competitive salary and a flexible schedule. Meaning, nursing is a career that can quickly help you craft the life you want to live.

Take aways…

Becoming a nurse isn’t an easy decision, and this is not an easy profession.

Being a nurse is challenging, demanding, and exhausting; however, there are also many benefits that come with it. It can be advantageous and allow you to have a steady and successful career with many opportunities to grow and develop new skills within the profession.

Even within the nursing field, there are many different opportunities and specialties that allow you to change courses without having to change careers. You can take traditional and non-traditional paths within the field and build a career you really love, even if you didn’t think it was possible in the beginning.

Overall, becoming a nurse is a rewarding career that gives you the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives every day. Nursing is a challenging field, but with the right mindset, knowledge, and dedication, you can really make the most of your career and create a well-balanced life in every aspect.

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