Top 10 Benefits of Being a Nurse

What are the benefits of being a nurse? There are many benefits, including a robust job growth rate, great salary expectations and opportunities to pursue career advancement. Other benefits of being a nurse include working in a meaningful field and the diverse range of nursing specialties and workplaces.

Are you considering changing careers to become a registered nurse? Explore the top 10 benefits of being a nurse to help you decide.

If you do not feel fulfilled in your current career and are considering a change, why not switch to a nursing career? What are the benefits of being a nurse? A nursing career offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who need competent care, a sympathetic ear and a compassionate touch during a difficult time.

In Concordia University Irvine’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, students participate in a values-based curriculum, designed to prepare nurses to provide culturally sensitive, competent patient care. Our curriculum is informed by Dr. Jean Watson’s philosophy of caring, which strives to educate culturally and academically diverse students to develop a philosophical and scientific approach to nursing that holistically treats patients in need of care.

If you’re passionate about the well-being of others, the following benefits of being a nurse might entice you to explore education and career pathways in nursing.

What Are the Benefits of Being a Nurse?

Every aspiring nurse has their own reasons for pursuing the career, and everyone’s journey is different. However, you may find the following benefits applicable to your situation.

1. A Meaningful Line of Work

One of the most common reasons people switch to nursing is that they want a career that allows them to make a meaningful, tangible impact on people’s lives. As a nurse, you not only affect patients’ health outcomes, you also have daily opportunities to brighten the day for your patients. Whether you’re sparking some “laughter therapy” for a cancer patient or soothing a crying child with a broken arm, you can serve as a shining example of compassion and care.

Many aspiring nurses find inspiration for their career transitions in their faith. In Concordia University Irvine’s ABSN program, we believe that nursing is both an art and a science and that it provides a way for caring professionals to uphold Christian values in service to others.

2. A Career You Can Be Proud Of

Nothing is quite like the satisfaction you experience when you know that you have helped someone feel better and heal. Nursing is a career that you can be proud of for many reasons. Not only does it make a positive difference in healthcare outcomes, but it is the most widely trusted profession in the U.S.

According to Gallup’s 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll, the ethics ratings for almost all professions were down that year, but positive perceptions of nurses held steady. Nurses were at the top of the list as the most highly trusted profession for the 22nd consecutive year.

3. Considerable Demand for Nurses

A shortage of qualified nurses has existed in the U.S. for many years and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. This translates to a high demand for nurses across the country.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth rate for registered nurses from 2022 through 2032 is expected to be 6%, faster than average for all professions. This indicates that healthcare employers expect to hire about 177,400 new nurses during this time.

The job growth rate for advanced practice registered nurses is even higher. The BLS anticipates the job growth rate for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners to be 38% from 2022 through 2032, much greater than average. This indicates that about 123,600 new jobs will open up during this time.

4. Diverse Range of Nursing Specialties and Workplaces

The benefits of being a nurse include the opportunity to choose from a wide range of specialties, allowing you to follow your particular interests. The many different nursing specialties include the following:

• Pediatrics
• Geriatrics
• Acute care
• Critical care
• Trauma nursing
• Oncology
• Dialysis
• Hospice care
• Mental health

Additionally, you can work across a wide range of workplace settings. Although many nurses work in hospitals, other options include:

• Long-term care facilities
• Retirement communities
• Home health nursing agencies
• K-12 schools or universities
• Emergency medical evacuation flights
• Private corporations.

Nurses are also needed at nongovernmental organizations to provide care to for people in need around the globe, from war refugees to famine victims.

5. Opportunities for Career Advancement

You will begin your career as a registered nurse (RN), with many ways to pursue career advancement after gaining clinical experience and advanced credentials. With a graduate degree and board certification in a specialty area, you could apply for licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN).

APRNs work with greater practice autonomy than RNs. Four main types of APRNs exist, with additional subspecialty areas:

• Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
• Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
• Nurse practitioner (NP)
• Certified nurse midwife (CNM)

APRNs provide direct patient care, just like RNs. If you would like to pursue a career path in another direction, you can apply for career advancement positions, such as a nurse administrator or health services manager.

6. The Benefits of Being a Nurse Include Enviable Earning Potential

As a whole, the healthcare field compensates providers well. Of course, differences in salary expectations depend on the employer, geographic location, nursing specialty, years of experience, and so on.

According to the BLS, RNs made a median annual salary of $86,070 as of May 2023. APRNs were even more well-compensated, with a median annual salary of $129,480 during the same period. Additionally, the BLS reports that medical and health services managers made a median annual salary of $110,680 as of May 2023.

7. Learn Something New Every Day

Are you the type of person who dislikes monotony? Are you eager to learn and willing to tackle new challenges? Nursing could be a great career for you. Each shift brings new patients and problems to solve. You will meet a diverse range of individuals and learn something new every day.

Lifelong learning is foundational to nursing. Nurses are responsible for providing a wide range of culturally sensitive care and must constantly adjust their approach to each patient to meet their unique needs. Nurses must also remain abreast of the constantly evolving healthcare system as new technology is implemented and evidence-based practices are updated.

Wondering how to become a nurse online with a hybrid curriculum? Read more to learn online learning’s role in a nursing curriculum.

8. Be Part of a Collaborative Team

If you’re a people person who enjoys the mutual support of your team, nursing could be the right fit for you. Nurses work collaboratively with each other and other healthcare providers and support staff. This mutually supportive collaboration benefits all nurses, as well as their patients.

Collaboration is one of Concordia University Irvine’s ABSN program learning outcomes. Nurses must be adept at providing team-based, safe patient care to be successful in their careers.

9. Opportunities for Travel

If you love to travel, you may be attracted to the travel opportunities in the nursing field. The benefits of being a nurse include the potential to become a travel nurse, a professional who fulfills short-term work contracts at various healthcare facilities around the country.

As a travel nurse, you can experience new areas and regional cultures to an extent not possible on a weekend getaway or vacation.

Even if you do not want to become a travel nurse, nursing as a profession tends to “travel well.” That is, nurses are in high demand all over the country. If you would like to move somewhere else, you will have plenty of nursing opportunities in the state where you are licensed. You may also be able to move to a different state without receiving additional licensure if the states are part of the Nurse Licensure Compact.

10. You Can Get Started Sooner Than You Think

If you are eager to start your nursing career but hesitant to head back to school for four years, you should know about the alternative paths toward a nursing degree.

At Concordia University Irvine, you can earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree in as few as 15 months. Concordia’s Accelerated BSN empowers nursing students with a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 65 non-nursing college credits to earn a nursing degree in an accelerated time.

Learn how one Concordia nursing alumna helps boost student engagement and foster meaningful alumni–student mentorships.

Start Working Toward Your Nursing Career Today

Becoming an RN can be a challenging journey, but at Concordia University Irvine, you will receive comprehensive support from your instructors and peers and even Concordia alumni, who frequently volunteer as mentors.

Our ABSN program curriculum offers flexibility, allowing you to choose from a hybrid online/in-person learning approach at our ABSN Learning Site in Rancho Cucamonga campus or complete nursing coursework in person at Spectrum Campus in Irvine. As an ABSN student, you will work through a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare you as a highly competent, caring, and compassionate nurse who upholds Christian values in service to your community.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and serve the healthcare needs of your community, our Christian university welcomes you to apply. Contact our specialized admissions counselors today to learn how you could earn your BSN in as few as 15 months.