When you first chose your career, what were you hoping for? Was it career progression? Was it to have a job that you loved? Was it to make a difference? If so, did that happen? Is it likely to? If not, it might be that whatever you chose, even if it seemed like the right direction at the time, may well not be the ideal career for you. If you love what you do, you will fight to become better and advance as much as you can; if you’re not interested, you won’t put the effort in to do this, and this could be a sign that you should change careers.
Nursing can be something that suits a lot of people, and if you have ever wondered whether retraining as a nurse and starting again in terms of your career is a good idea, read on.
We’ve put together some of the reasons why nursing is such a great choice, and why retraining might not be as frightening as it sounds, even if you have a full time job and family commitments to take into account.
Anyone Can Do it
The truth is, anyone can be a nurse. There are no barriers when it comes to age, location, sex, religion or even education. Of course, this doesn’t mean that anyone should be a nurse; in fact, it’s a career choice that just wouldn’t suit many people. However, if you want to do it, and you feel it would work well for you, then don’t hold back because you will be able to do it, even if it takes some time to gain your important qualifications.
If you are going to be a nurse, or thinking about becoming one, there are some personal attributes that you will need in order to be the best you possibly can be. These include:
· Compassion
· Being organized
· Selfless
· Dedicated
· Able to work shifts and long hours
· Able to talk to people
If you can do and be all of these things, then a career in nursing could be ideal. You can learn online at your own pace, so you can continue to work as you study in your spare time. In fact, the learning doesn’t end when you get your first qualification; if you want to progress your career later on, you can use the same method and look at DNP programs online to enhance your knowledge and gain ultimate career satisfaction.
It’s a Calling
You might not even be questioning whether becoming a nurse is the right thing for you to do – you might already know because it is the kind of career that is a calling for many people. They just can’t see themselves doing anything else, and even if they chose a different path for financial reasons or reasons of convenience, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to go back to their dream job at a later date.
When nursing is a calling for you, you simply aren’t going to be satisfied doing anything else, and in order to be truly happy you will need to retrain. Since we spend so much of our lives working, it’s important to be happy and content in what we are doing on a daily basis. Therefore, even if you are concerned about losing income or your work life balance, it is something you are going to need to consider.
Speak to others around you and look for support. You will be able to find those who can help you address your concerns online, perhaps in forums or on college sites. Others will definitely have gone through the same thing you are, and they will have the answers you are looking for. Rather than being miserable in your current job, it is crucial to make the move to be happy in nursing, even if it is a major upheaval to begin with.
Every Day is Different
You might not like your current job because you find it boring; if everything is the same, day after day, you just aren’t stimulating your mind. Although some love the routine of going to the same place each day and carrying out what they might feel are almost ‘soothing’ tasks, that’s certainly not for everyone, and if you are feeling bored at work, retraining as a nurse will soon solve that problem.
When you work as a nurse no two days are ever going to be the same. There will always be different patients with different ailments to treat, and you won’t be able to predict what is going to come through the door at any given moment. This is exciting, but it’s also rewarding; when you are able to help someone, no matter what their complaint or problem might be, you will know that you have done a good job and that you have excellent skills. You can go home feeling proud of yourself and with complete job satisfaction.
Make a Difference
One of the ultimate reasons for becoming a nurse is the chance to truly make a difference in people’s lives. Imagine a stay in hospital without a nurse to (sometimes literally) hold your hand and make you feel calmer and more comfortable. It would be much worse than it needs to be, so you can see that just by their presence, a nurse is going to be helping someone in some way.
Nurses make a big difference in the short term, but they are also vital for long term care as well. Some patients are going to be in hospital for much longer than others, particularly if they have a terminal illness or they are recovering from major surgery. Or they might be able to go home, but they will need medical care on a regular basis for the foreseeable future. This is where a nurse will really come into their own; they can make someone’s entire life so much better with their compassion and care. Making a difference feels so good, and if it’s something you want to be able to do, a career in nursing will allow that to happen every single day.
