Nursing a Second Career

Nursing, a Second Career

It is never too late to learn something new. This is the reason that some decide to go back to school to enroll in a new course or even pursue a master’s or doctorate degree. If you have the desire to help people, perhaps you should consider nursing as a second career.

Nursing is a noble profession because you are able to help a patient recover from an injury or illness. It enables you to think about problem and how to solve it so you don’t just follow the doctor’s orders.

To become a nurse, you have to go back to school to learn about biology, chemistry and a few other subjects that will help you understand how you are able to help a patient when you get the chance to work in a clinical setting.

Given that there are more 1,500 programs all across the United States, you should do some research about the school you plan to enroll in. Some of the things you should consider are how much it costs, the curriculum they use and if they are accredited by the nursing board.

For those that cannot afford tuition, they can apply for aid, a loan or scholarship if this is offered by the school. If you still want to work while studying at the same time, you can ask if there are part time courses available or classes held at night.

Once you graduate, you will have to pass the state licensure exam and if things look good, you may now apply for work in a hospital or clinic.

If you are able to stay as a nurse for a number of years and want to advance your career further, you can do so by enrolling in advance courses. This will allow you to specialize in one field of nursing and become head of a group of nurses or work as a consultant, educator, instructor or researcher.

Shifting to a career in nursing may be frightening at first because you are stepping outside your comfort zone and moving into the unknown. But if this is really what you want, surely you will do your best to hurdle over these blocks and succeed in this endeavor.

Studies have shown that a lot of people decide to shift to nursing because of the money you can make. If this is your primary reason, you shouldn’t even bother because chances are, you won’t be staying here for the long term.

To succeed, you must have the desire to help people because you are in a life saving business where mistakes could mean the difference between life and death.

Aside from nursing, those of you who don’t want this job but still want to help patients can take on other positions. You can find work as a pharmacist, technician or lab assistant who also plays a role in the hospital as they work with doctors and nurses.

How well you are as a nurse is entirely up to you. Naturally, there will be people there to help you out but it is your decision to take their advice or to take another step forward. If you are not happy in this new career, don’t be afraid to shift to another.

After all, you did it before and you probably still haven’t found the kind of challenge that you are looking for.