Why 2023 is the year of the Nurse
The updated 2023 US News and World Report “best healthcare jobs rankings” has been released and the nursing field has dropped 3 spots to #8 from #5 in 2022. You may think that you should look elsewhere to begin a career in medicine, however, the nursing field has never been in more demand than now due to a labor shortage! Boasting a 6.2% expected growth over the next 10 years, nursing should be considered the best healthcare job of 2023! Although still considered a challenging job, with its own stressors, here are three reasons to choose nursing as your primary career option in 2023.
#1 Flexibility may be the best reason to consider nursing school. First, you have the option to complete nursing school in 2 years with an associates degree or in the more traditional 4 years with a bachelors degree. Once you become a nurse the opportunities to grow are unparalleled. Just within nursing, if you grow tired of being a bedside nurse, you can become a charge nurse, nurse manager, hospital administrator, work in medical or device sales, a consultant, researcher and more. If you choose to advance your education, with only a few more years of school, you could become a nurse practitioner (or APRN), a nurse anesthetist (CRNA), a nurse midwife, or obtain a master in nurse science degree and become a nursing instructor.
#2 Pay is another huge highlight of the profession. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic the rise of travel nurse pay has been exponential. Not including the sign-on bonus and housing stipends, it is not uncommon for a travel nurse to take an assignment worth over $3000/week. That’s an annual salary of $156,000/year! For those that are able to travel the country and sign on for short term contracts, this is a great opportunity to pay off debt, save money, and invest in the future. Because of the temptation of nurses to travel, the overall pay of nurses has also increased to be competitive for the permanent staff.
#3 Lifestyle and diversity is the third reason that nursing should be at the top of your career list. A nurse can work in a diverse setting such as an intensive care unit, operating room, a helicopter, emergency room, doctors’ office and much more! In addition, most hospital nurses work 3, 12 hour shifts per week with the option of going part time or prn as life changes around them. This type of flexibility offers a very desirable work/life balance and can cater to many types of lifestyles.
Let us know if we can connect you with one of our nurse mentors to learn more!