Nursing school is expensive, and it can be time consuming. So it make sense that you should consider if it’s worth the cost. Many people who are considering nursing school are wondering if it’s worth the time and money.
Would that money and time be better spent going to college and trying to get a degree in a professional arena (Business, for instance?) What about a different sort of clinical path? LMFT or LMSW’s? Would these be better investments than obtaining an RN?
What are the job prospects for nursing? Is this something that will yield benefits? These are all things that people who are looking into nursing school are going to be curious about.
Since this article is designed to go over the benefits of nursing school, the best approach is to list it out in a number format.
Nurses Are In High Demand
Nurses are in high demand. They are unique among healthcare workers in that government mandates require hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and non-profits to pay for nurses to be on site. Registered nurses therefore are always going to be able to find work, no matter what the economic downturn. In every state in the country, nurses are in high demand. There is always a need for nurses. In fact, nurses can sign up to be a travel nurse (this is a regular nurse who has agreed to work a contract out of state) and make tax free money and be flown to the state and housed at the expense of the hospital or travel agency.
Even if you are a nurse who did not obtain a BSN, but instead only got an Associates Degree in nursing, it's still a lucrative job. Most clinics and hospitals will hire BSN RNs as well as AS nurses.
In fact, nursing is one of the jobs that has the highest outlook for growth. While many jobs can be outsourced, nursing roles will be mandated by government action to always remain in-person work. Nurses, therefore are essentially protected by law to have work--in the same way public employees such as Police, Fire, and Public School Teachers have gaurenteed job security.
Nurses Get Paid Very Well
While nursing school might look like an expensive, the truth is that it’s a investment that pays off. Nurses make serious money. Most people are not familiar with how lucrative the nursing profession is. In fact, it shocks most people who hear that nurses make as much money as they do.
There are few degrees that a person can get where they can immediately get a job and make as much money. In major cities such as NYC and LA, nurses can make 100k as soon as they graduate from school. All they need is a degree and to pass their license and they can get a high paying job.
If you are curious as to why nurses make so much money, you can read more about it here. The fast answer is that insurance companies and government regulations.
Nurses Have Strong Unions
This is one of the more important aspects of the nursing jobs. Unlike most jobs in the private sector, nurse have strong unions to represent them. In most hospitals, nurses are part of a union. The union makes sure that nurses are all paid a uniform and high salary (nurses do not have to interview and compete for higher salaries –they are paid according to union rules). When there is a problem, nurses are not by themselves, they have the strength of the union to help them. This means that salary fights are fought by union leadership. There have been endless news articles detailing the battles fought between nursing unions and hospital boards (the executive staff at hospitals make the lion's share of the money--hospital CEO's regularly make 1 million in compenstaiton and equity roles).
Flexible Work Schedule
Nurses are one of the only careers where you can work whenever you want. In most companies, a person needs to work Monday to Friday. Some blue collar workers have to work overnight shift 5 days a week. This isn’t true with nursing. Almost all nurses work a different type of schedule. For instance, a typical nursing schedule would be a 3x12 (this is three days a week for twelve hours a day). Not all nurses work 12 hour shifts, however. Some nurses work per diem or do home assesment visits for a few hours a day (this is where they visit a home and sign up people who are on disability or recieve government benefits).
Nurses can also take advantage of their nursing degree and work per diem. A nurse might only work once a week, but make several hundred dollars. Nurses who work per diem shifts can work once or twice a week and make a enough to cover their expenses including car payments and travel.
Companies Pay For Housing and Travel
Nursing is one of the few jobs available where your employer will pay for you to travel across the country and pay for housing and food. This situation is called Travel Nursing. Travel nurses are paid even more than regular nurses. Companies fly them to hospitals around the country where there is a shortage nurses. The pay that the nurses receive is, in many cases, tax free depending on the mileage from their legal place of residence. In addition to money, airfare, and hotel expenses, nurses and their significant others and family receive money for food and other expenses. These contracts usually run 13 weeks.
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