8 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Nursing

The U.S. Healthcare industry continues to grow every year. Current U.S. healthcare spending currently comprises 18% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is projected to increase to 20% by 2025. By this statistic alone, healthcare workers, especially nurses will continue remaining highly sought after.

Here are 8 more facts about why one should pursue an occupation in nursing:

  1. Always-in-Demand Employment Opportunities
    The high demand for nurses will continue increasing for several reasons. Chief among them, is the aging baby boomer population. As more people enter into senior and retirement age, the need for nursing care will grow.
  2. High-Paying Career Growth
    The highest paying career positions in nursing all hover in the USD 100,000 range: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist ($133k), followed by General Nurse Practitioner ($97k), and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner ($95k).
  3. Home Health Care is the Nursing Specialty in Highest Demand
    With an ever-increasing senior population in the U.S., it is no surprise that home health care is the nursing specialization in highest demand. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and Licensed Practical Nurses (CNA) are particularly sought after to fill such positions.
  4. Alternative Career Opportunities After Nursing
    Nurses can continue their education to become doctors or teachers. The option may be enticing to anyone considering a career change after some time in the healthcare industry.
  5. Male Nurses Grow in Number Annually
    The number of male nurses has been increasing yearly. Although the nursing field has traditionally been female, the disparity between the two genders is narrowing year by year as more male nurses enter the field to also take advantage of the excellent opportunities.
  6. Never Stop Learning
    Continuing education hours are always required since all nurses have to ensure their skillset remains sharp. Therefore, nurses have an added advantage of annual professional development opportunities. This only serves to increase the value of nurses, especially over the long-term.
  7. Nursing is the Most trusted job in America
    According to  Gallup honesty/ethics poll, nursing has been at the top of the list of Honesty and Ethical Standards in Professions since 2001.
  8. Nursing is one of the top-ranked occupations
    Over 100 best job, based on The US News, many nursing specialties are taking the top 25. These specialties are Nurse Practitioner rank 3, Registered Nurse Rank 18, and Nurse Anesthetist rank 22.

References:

https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2017/02/16/spending-growth

https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs

https://www.spok.com/blog/10-fun-facts-about-nurses-national-nurses-week

http://scrubsmag.com/10-essential-facts-about-nursing-you-need-to-know/