You know you’re ready. You’re nervous, you’re anxious, and you’re a little bit scared – but you’re ready to change careers to nursing. But it’s a big change, and a little reassurance wouldn’t hurt, right? Here are the top three reasons why now is the perfect time to “start over” with nursing.
1. Nurses have never been more in-demand.
And are going to be even more in-demand in the coming years. With the job market still in recovery and the recession still on our heels, if you decide to change careers to nursing, you want as much reassurance as you can get that it’s a stable career field. First, a poor economy usually doesn’t hurt nursing jobs. Second, and most important, is that nurses are in high demand – and the demand is only getting higher. So while it might be a big step, changing your career to nursing is a smart decision.
With the current nursing shortage expected to only get worse before it gets better, nurses will continue to be in-demand because nurses have a huge impact on health care. Hospitals know that bachelor’s-educated nurses mean better patient outcomes and have become focused on recruiting as many qualified nurses as they can. In other words, the opportunity in the nursing field is vast, so changing your career to nursing might place you in a more stable line of work than you are in now.
Also, by becoming a nurse, you’re actually doing something good for health care in the U.S. That might sound like a dramatic statement, but the nursing shortage is very real and not expected to end any time soon. The fact is, we need more nurses. (“We” meaning the good old U.S.A.!) Your passion for helping people has never been more valuable.
2. Accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs can take only 2 years.
The traditional, four-year BSN has limited the field of nursing by literally not having enough seats to make the supply fit the demand. Many would-be great nurses wind up on a waitlist and end up choosing another career path instead.With an ABSN program that uses hybrid learning, students get the same education – including crucial clinical hours – but it takes less time, usually about two years. Hybrid learning includes online course, sophisticated simulation labs, and in-hospital, hands-on education. Nurses from these programs are more “practice-ready” and sought out by employers.
Related: Utica’s ABSN Program Requirements Remember, you don’t have to go through the admissions process alone.
Our ABSN Admissions Advisors are here to help every step of the way, from that first contact to your first day of classes. They’ll help you with everything from transcripts and prereqs to timelines and time management.
Related: Nursing Career Planning Guide: 5 Big Steps to Becoming an RN
3. You’re burned out and you’ve waited long enough to change careers to nursing.
People who decide to change careers to nursing are usually working in fields like teaching or social work. They want to help people, but their current fields have either become too restricting or too unstable, leaving them feeling like they are not making a difference. Sound like you?
Working every day in a career you no longer love is demoralizing, especially if you feel you’re not getting enough pay and crave more responsibility. You’re probably tired of complaining about your job and dreaming of a day when you can do something that helps more people, something you’re more passionate about – a day when you become a nurse.
Related: Why My Nursing Career is a Blessing
So why the wait? The time has never been better, and with an ABSN, you can get your degree and become a nurse in half the time it would take if you took the traditional BSN approach. Contact an ABSN Admissions Advisor and find out what you need to do to get started. It’s time to love your career again!
