Unsure how to know if nursing is for you? Read about some of the signs that you might be ready for a career in nursing, like people skills and a love for learning. See if you’re up for the job with help from Utica ABSN.
Do you find yourself feeling stuck or like you’re at a crossroads in your career? You might be asking yourself questions like, “Am I happy in my current field?” or “Am I moving toward my long-term goals?” It may be time to look for something new in your professional life. For those who are prepared to go back to school, nursing is a rewarding future career that can be accessible sooner than you might think.
Through Utica University’s CCNE-accredited Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program located in Syracuse and Albany, New York, students can complete a rigorous blended online-onsite curriculum. In as few as 16 months you can graduate with a BSN degree, ready to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) and enter the field.
If you’ve been contemplating a new career in nursing but are still wondering “Is nursing right for me?” read on for six signs that can help you determine how to know if nursing is for you.
1. You Want a Career With Meaning and Growth
Take a close look at how you feel about what you do every day. Do you enjoy it? All jobs include some mundane responsibilities, but if you’re in the right role, those should be exceptions rather than the rule. Can you see yourself with the same organization, or at least in the same type of role, five or 10 years from now? A career path should be just that: a path. It should lead somewhere and offer you opportunities to take off in different directions. If you feel like you’re in a job with unclear prospects, this might be the perfect time to consider nursing — especially because few other fields offer as many diverse employment opportunities.
Earning a paycheck is one thing, but what keeps people passionate about their jobs is being needed and appreciated. If that’s important to you, ask yourself whether your daily workflow in your current job is something that will meet this desire. Most nurses enter the profession because they have a strong desire to change others’ lives for the better. If emotional satisfaction is missing from your work, or if you feel like you’re just going through the motions, that’s another sign that you’re ready for a bigger change.
Learn more about what nursing school is like and how you can succeed as an ABSN student.
2. You Are Ready to Work Hard to Achieve Your Goals
Entering into a nursing career means you’ll be taking on a career that requires hard work and diligence. The daily tasks for nurses never end, and successful nurses can translate their drive for patient care into a flexible and rewarding career.
Pursuing a nursing career starts with earning a BSN degree, especially if it’s through an ABSN program. Utica University’s ABSN program is an accelerated, full-time program with a robust curriculum that blends online-based coursework, in-person skills and simulation labs and clinical rotations at top area hospitals. Completing any ABSN program is hard work, but it will be good preparation for a nursing role in a fast-paced clinical environment.
3. You Love Being Able to Help Others
Some healthcare professionals prefer working behind the scenes to ensure nurses and doctors take their breaks, get paid and have patients’ files prepped. However, nurses generally spend a lot of time with patients, so you need to make sure that you enjoy talking to people and engaging with others around you.
Nurses help their patients through appointments and even medical emergencies, so you need to be prepared to interact with people calmly. If you enjoy working with others and have good communication skills, you may enjoy working as a nurse.
4. You Are Prepared To Deal With Fast-Paced, Intense Situations
Nursing is a rewarding job even if some tasks seems daunting. Nurses get to reap the emotional rewards patient care can offer, but no day is the same when you’re working in a bedside nursing role. At times it’s a stressful job, there are moments when you might be helping to save a life, which is incredibly rewarding.
5. You Are Seeking Schedule Flexibility
While a nursing career can be fast-paced, the career offers a wide array of options when it comes to scheduling. Many nurses chose to work in settings where they work three days on and four days off each week. This allows for more continuous time off. Others work weekly schedules more aligned with regular business hours. It all depends on what you want from your career, which is much more flexible than you might find in other career fields.
6. You Are a Lifelong Learner
Nurses are constantly learning. After completing nursing school and entering the field, you will learn new and updated skills and techniques throughout your career. Nurses must renew their licenses every two years to maintain their status as a registered nurse. Therefore, you will always need to continue learning and keeping up with your skills. If nursing is a second or third career, pursuing a degree may feel overwhelming, but a passion for learning will help you succeed.
Unsure of how to succeed in nursing school? See some of our top tips for standing out as an accelerated nursing student.
Start an Exciting Career in Nursing!
Beginning a new career can seem daunting. But when that career is nursing, you know you’re making a wise investment — not only in your own future, but in the futures of all the patients you’ll help along the way. If you were unsure of how to know if nursing is for you, we hope you are now a little closer to determining whether it is the right path forward for you. Why wait to find out? Contact us today by requesting more information online, and begin a conversation about your goals and qualifications.
