How Nursing Offers Opportunities for Professional and Personal Fulfillment

One of the most common themes that pop up when you research the career of nursing is that it is a stressful and thankless career plagued by high levels of burnout. Yes, nursing can be a stressful career. We would be lying to you if we said otherwise. However, just because a role is stressful, it doesn’t mean that it cannot be fulfilling.

In today’s article, we will explore how and why nursing can actually be an extremely fulfilling career, not just professionally but personally as well.

1. You Impact People’s Lives for the Better Everyday

A major factor that results in a lot of nurses getting burned out is that the activities they perform become rote, and the pressures that come from low staffing and senior management make the experience quite suffocating.

As a result, they forget the significance that all their actions have. From taking a simple blood test to often being the first one to respond to emergencies, the impact that nurses have on patient welfare on a daily basis is immense.

Nurses are often considered the backbone of the healthcare system in every country, and it is vital to realize how lucky one is to have the opportunity to help people. As a nurse, you are often the one who will end up being the most in contact with a patient besides their family. You provide the help that even their family members are unable to do.

As a result, the trust that you gain from patients is precious, and for many people, it can be one of the most rewarding things to be able to gain and deserve that trust.

2. The Journey to Become a Nurse Teaches You a Lot

While nursing degrees aren’t as intensive as an MD, it still goes deep into several facets of the human body and how to take care of it. You learn anatomy, maternal and child health, principles of pharmacology, and a lot more. Much of this knowledge can be life-saving and can serve you well in several situations outside the hospital.

Getting a nursing degree has also become a lot more convenient these days due to the rise of online courses. Searching for the right online nursing degree can be a bit tough with the number of options out there.

However, if you are serious about taking nursing up as a career, it may be a good idea to join online communities, such as the Reddit thread “r/nursing,” and peruse reviews and opinions of well-known online programs.

One option that aspiring nurses often consider is Holy Family University, which made it to University HQ’s top ten list for the best bachelor’s degree in the state of Pennsylvania. With the online option, you don’t have to be a resident of Pennsylvania to attend the course, which is great.

A Career in Nursing Can Be a Spring-Board Professionally

If you decide to go into nursing, it can be heartening to know that there are a lot of other related fields and career opportunities that await you. For example, once you leave the hospital setting, you could become an educator of nursing.

Colleges and universities often hire nurses with experience in the field in order to teach, and this can be an extremely fulfilling experience for many. However, you may or may not need to complete some additional training depending on the institution, but it can be well worth it for the change of pace.

Similarly, you can choose to go into a number of more relaxed settings, such as elderly care or palliative care. Many people are also willing to pay well for home nurses who would visit patients at home to provide more personalized care.

The options are plenty, and you also have the added peace of mind that comes from knowing that nursing isn’t going to be taken by AI any time soon.

Conclusion

Nursing often gets a bad reputation because of the stress and tension that the role is known to have. While it is naturally difficult to see things rationally when you are under pressure and short-staffed, it is important to realize that nursing is one of the most helpful careers that a person can enter.

There is a reason that it falls under the category of “essential workers.” There isn’t a country on earth where the importance of the nursing profession isn’t paramount.

Yes, doctors have more experience and are trained to be able to diagnose and develop treatment plans and are the primary source of medical care. But it would be impossible for hospitals to run with only doctors.

Thus, nursing can be a fulfilling career, especially on the personal side, if you can put things in perspective and enjoy the process of transforming lives, one day at a time.