Careers in Nursing
It's hard to imagine a career that offers more flexibility and opportunity than nursing. Nursing graduates today often have numerous job offers when they graduate. A career in nursing offers:
- Job security
- Flexible scheduling
- Good pay, with starting annual salaries for RNs ranging from $30,000 to $45,000
- A wide variety of work settings
- Intellectual challenge
- Clear advancement opportunities
- The reward of helping others
The field of nursing offers a wide range of employment opportunities with clear paths for career progression. At every level, nursing offers the ability to make a difference and help people, often in a way they will remember for the rest of their lives. In fact, many nurses became interested in the field because of help that they or a loved one received from a competent and caring nurse.
NC's Critical Need for NursesAccording to the North Carolina Center for Nursing, our state is projected to experience a critical shortage of nurses by the year 2010. Two key factors are contributing to a shortage of nurses in North Carolina:
- The registered nurse workforce is increasing in age. The average full-time registered nurse is about 44, and many nurses (approximately 24%) are expected to retire within the next five to 10 years. This includes many nursing leaders and educators.
- North Carolina's elderly population will double by the year 2020, creating increased demand for highly skilled nurses as well as nursing assistants.
Health Care agencies throughout the state report a significant need for an increased number of nurses in emergency rooms, operating rooms, critical care facilities and long-term care settings. Not only does North Carolina need more nurses, the state needs nurses with a higher level of education to handle the increased complexity of care. Better educated nurses are needed in all professional roles including patient care and additional faculty for nursing education programs.
The need for more nurses equals increased job opportunities for nurses. The more education the nurse has, the more the job options increase.