9 Facts to Motivate You into a Nursing Career

When we think about the medical field, it's easy to become lost in the apparent glitz and glamor of the world of celebrity doctors (we can blame Dr. Mike for that one), but what about the rest of the team?

It's estimated that nurses outnumber physicians with a ratio of 10 to 3, and there are many different levels of nurses too. From newly qualified nurses right up to post-master's doctorate nurses, and the salary for these roles increases across the board too.

9 Nursing Facts

If you are considering taking on pediatric nurse practitioner programs online, let these 9 facts about nursing sway your decision. It is a fantastic career choice and one of the most rewarding jobs.

1. Nurses are in good company

It is estimated that around three million nurses are working in the USA right now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you are wondering just how many people that really are, more nurses are working in the USA than there are people in the entirety of Jamaica. 

To scale it up even further, it is estimated that over 19 million nurses are working across the world, which is five times the entire population of Uruguay.

2. Nurses win step contests

The shift patterns for nurses is dependent on the setting and their field of specialty, but, on average, a soft is usually 8-12 hours long. Unlike their sedentary desk-working companions, the role of a nurse requires them to be on their feet a lot more. 

It is estimated that nurses walk around 4-5 miles per shift, nearly double the 2.5 miles the average person does in a day.

3. Nursing is a global profession

It is a simple fact that the human population needs nurses and physicians. For that simple fact, nursing is a truly global profession and practiced in practically every country across the world in one way or another.

Professionally certified nurses in the US have the option to take their career overseas, be it by emigrating to another country, doing travel nursing, or even working for charity endeavors like Doctors Without Borders. Nurses are in demand everywhere, so if travel is your thing, your nursing career could provide an excellent opportunity.

4. Nursing is an ancient profession

The earliest dated record of nursing as we would recognize it dates to 300 BCE and the Roman Empire, with contemporary reports suggesting they worked in Roman hospitals. In India, nursing has been recognized since around 250 BCE.

Nursing practices continued to find their place next to doctors and physicians throughout history, and, by the middle ages, the nurse as a stand-alone professional was reasonably well established. 

During World War One, the rise of arguably the most famous Nurse of all, Florence Nightingale, revolutionized the view of nurses and nurse education, as well as the way hospitals were run, infection spreading was prevented, and how patients were cared for. Some also credit Florence Nightingale with being the reason why nursing is disproportionately populated with women over men.

5. Nurses can be specialists

While some nurses are general practitioners, many advanced practice nurses choose to specialize in areas of care. The benefits of this are twofold, not only can nurses really hone their skills in an area of interest, but the salary increase for specialty careers is exponential. 

If you are wondering what the choices are for nursing specialism, Nurse Journal came up with a list of 100 specialisms, here is a selection of 10:

1. Critical Care Nursing
2. Urologic Nursing
3. Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
4. Developmental Disability Nursing
5. Managed Care Nursing
6. Vocational/Licenses Practice Nurse
7. Family Practice Nurse Practitioner
8. Dermatology Nurse
9. Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing
10. Medical-Surgical Nursing

6. Nurses Have Their Own National Week

Few careers inspire a nation so much to give them their own national week, but Nursing does! National Nurses Week runs from May 6 to May 12, ending on Florence Nightingale's birthday, and has been celebrated for over 40 years in the US.

7. Nurses have workplace variety

Did you think that nurses work just in hospitals? You would be wrong! Nurses can be found in all sorts of healthcare settings, from hospitals to family care practices, private care facilities, and of course, in charity settings.

Here's a quick overview of the employment figures of nurses in different settings according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

8. A Nurse's Job Is Varied

Many people will see nursing as 'physician's assistant' or even 'doctor in waiting', but that could not be further from the truth in modern medicine!

A modern nurse's role is incredibly varied and depends on the specialism and seniority, the practitioner has many different tasks to perform during the day. These tasks may include admitting patients, taking medical histories, performing diagnostics and lab work, advising patients on care, interpreting results, and, in some states, a nurse may even be able to prescribe medicine to patients.

The education of nurses has of course grown along with the specialisms. Many advanced practice nurses are incredibly highly educated, and their responsibilities within their roles will reflect this.

9. Nursing Students Have Many Peers to Learn From

It is estimated that over half of the students studying within the health sector are studying to become nurses. With so many specialisms, the prospect of gaining insight from your peers is very high within the nursing student social sphere.

Nursing is a career that is highly sought after, there is also a global shortage of nurses. Working in nursing is not only an incredibly rewarding career, but it can be a career that opens doors to amazing experiences.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)