Do You Want a Career Change Where You Can Travel and Work? 8 reasons why nursing is a good fit

Are you feeling fed up with your current job? Are you sick of sitting at the same desk every day, completing the same boring tasks? Do you wish that you’d chosen a profession that was a little bit more challenging? Something that allows you to care for others, make a massive difference to individual lives, and experience new situations every day? Would you prefer a job that allows you to up and leave, knowing you can work in any country with your skills?

If that’s the case, then you might want to think about switching your career to nursing. Whatever your background, training to become a nurse is now easier than ever. And good nurses are always in high demand, making it one of the best career choices for job security, high pay, career progression and more.

Here are just some of the reasons why switching your career to nursing is a move you won’t regret.

It’s Faster Than Many Other Career Changes

If you’re thinking of switching your career to another field that requires you to hold a relevant degree, you might have to go back to college for four years and get a degree all over again. Nobody has time for that! While online degrees have made it easier to facilitate a career change without having to come out of work or work part-time for nearly half a decade, it’s still a lot of time to be studying until you’re ready to make the switch.

There’s a lot to learn to become a nurse, but you could get there in just one or two years thanks to programs like this accelerated BSN program online. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in another subject, you can take this program instead of the regular four-year one, and get your BSN in half the time or less.

In order to qualify for the accelerated BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program, you’ll need to have the following prerequisites:

1. A bachelor's degree in any subject
2. English language
3. Microbiology
4. Anatomy & Physiology
5. Chemistry
6. Nutrition
7. Statistics
8. Sociology
9. Psychology

These will depend on the school that you choose. If you don’t have any of them, you can usually complete short courses before you apply.

Enjoy Steady Industry Growth

Registered nurses are one of the most in-demand occupations across the US. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nursing employment is going to grow steadily over the next few years due to:

1. More baby boomers retiring
2. Increased public access to health insurance
3. Healthcare advances that extend the average lifespan

It’s an Exciting, Active Job

If you want to change your career because you’re tired of sitting at a desk all day, you can’t really get much further from a desk job than nursing. You’ll be on your feet all day, tending to patients and working closely with a dedicated team of healthcare providers. Nursing is a profession filled with challenges, changes, and constant excitement. No two days are the same.

You’ll Make a Difference

“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion and caring without a prescription” - Val Saintsbury

And it’s true; nurses do more than simply administer medication and treat wounds. They are there to care for and support their patients, helping them to improve not only their current situation but their lives overall. As a nurse, you will have plenty of chances to leave a positive impression on somebody’s life on a daily basis.

Professional Development

Since no two days are the same when working as a nurse, you’re probably going to learn something new at work every day. There’s no shortage of on-the-job training and professional development opportunities, and once you’ve earned a BSN, you will be able to go on to take more advanced nursing degree options like the MSN. You could go on to become:

1. An advanced nurse practitioner
2. A certified nurse-midwife
3. A certified nurse anesthetist
4. A nurse leader
5. A nurse educator
6. And much more!

Additionally, nursing is such a vast profession that there are many opportunities for career changes within the industry. Maybe you’ll work in the ER for a few years before deciding that you’d like to spend more time with babies. You can switch to working as a neonatal nurse by taking a certified course or study to become a nurse-midwife. Since you already have the basic knowledge, skills and experience, studying to switch to a different area of nursing doesn’t usually take a huge amount of time.

Choose from a Variety of Work Environments

Once you’ve earned a BSN, you’ll hold the ticket to potential employers in a wide range of nursing environments. To name a few, you might be working in:

1. Hospitals
2. Doctor’s offices
3. Corporate clinics
4. Nursing care facilities
5. Schools
6. Cruise ships
7. Medical research facilities
8. Within the community
9. Urgent care centers

If you love to travel, nurses are needed all around the world, as well. Once you’ve earned a BSN, there's nothing stopping you from going ahead and finding nursing work abroad, whether you want to permanently relocate to another country, or provide help during disaster relief operations.

Flexible Work Schedules

Depending on where you work, your shifts as a nurse can often be flexible depending on your needs. Since nurses are required around the clock, seven days a week, you can take your pick of the times and days that are best for you to work. If you prefer to get your shift over and have a few hours left of the day you can take early morning shifts, or there may be the option to take longer shifts over fewer days of the week, so you can get more days off to spend with your family. If you prefer the traditional 9-5 work schedule, you can often get this working at a doctor’s office. There are lots of options to choose from.

Salaries are Competitive

Thanks to the current nursing shortage, you can expect fantastic job security and great wages when working as a nurse. The median salary for a nurse in 2017 to 2018 was $71,730 per year. But it’s not all about the money; as a nurse, you’ll be a well-respected member of the community, and your work will be highly rewarding.

If you're tired of your current career, there are so many reasons to switch to nursing.