What Are The Pros And Cons of Being A Nurse?

• August 13, 2020
• kupplinadmin
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Advantages and disadvantages exist in every career. Being a nurse is no exception. There are pluses and minuses to be a nurse. While this article will cover the pros and cons, we think being a nurse is a very rewarding career. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, we want to highlight both the pros and cons.

This is our top Advantages and Disadvantages of being a nurse.

Advantages

High Demand

Registered nurses, especially those with a BSN, are and will continue to be in high demand across the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects registered nurse employment to grow 15% between the years 2016 and 2026, a much faster rate than the average for all occupations.

Earning Potential

According to a recent Yahoo News article, a nurse in the United States earns an average annual salary of $63,000, which is more than double the global average of $26,698. Take note that RN salaries are typically higher in metropolitan areas than they are in rural areas.

Diverse Employment Opportunities

While hospitals have long been the largest employers of RNs, today’s nurses can choose to apply their skills in any number of practice settings, from airplanes and cruise ships to campsites and military bases. There are also more than 100 specialty areas to choose from, including forensic nursing, holistic nursing, informatics nursing, and travel nursing.

Personal Satisfaction

Nurses are highly respected in society for the role they play and the knowledge that they possess. Moreover, they are the link between patients and their doctors making them a very important intermediary. They spend more time with the patient and see them through a full recovery. This can bring much personal satisfaction.

Ability to work in many places

As a nurse, you can work in different places, depending on your own preferences. If you prefer working in the suburbs to working in the town, you could find a rural hospital there. Additionally, cities host many top-rated hospitals. Work can also be found overseas if you want to travel.

High Flexibility

In the profession, you can work out a schedule that fits you. You can be a part-time, temporary or full-time worker. More amazingly, you do all of the above at the same time. In some places, you’re allowed to work for three to four days a week and be free for the rest of the remaining days.

Disadvantages

School is Very Difficult

In nursing schools, students have little time to relax and go about their businesses. The course demands a lot from them, keeping them on their toes throughout the semester. The reason behind this is the need to have highly-skilled personnel in hospitals and clinics. A slight miscalculation could be fatal to the patient in the nurse’s care and thus a very detailed course outline is developed for nursing students. This means that they will always be busy reading for the constant tests.

Exposure to viruses and germs

Hospitals and doctor’s offices are full of sick people. As a nurse, you are exposed to a lot of these germs. Make sure you constantly wash your hands during and after your shifts.

Physical Demands

Another challenge in nursing is the need of physical strength and involvement. As a nurse, you will be required to lift patients from time to time whenever they need to be transferred. You might also be required to lift boxes as well as other equipment.

Stress

Every day isn’t always fun and joy. There are many things, which may overwhelm you on the job. You may lose a patient that you had grown very fond of and this may take a toll on you. In this job, you never know what to expect. Not every patient comes out of the hospital alive and seeing someone die is not an easy thing to handle.

Working Long Days.

As previously outlined, nurses can pick up extra shifts. While picking up extra shifts results in getting more money, there is a tradeoff. And that is working long days.

Difficult conditions.

Depending on where you are working and the specialty, you could find yourself working in challenging conditions.