7 Amazing Reasons to Become a Nurse ...

1. Rewarding

One of the best reasons to become a nurse is that it's so rewarding. You spend your working day helping people and looking after them. If you're a 'people person' and not fazed by anything, it could be the ideal profession for you. Nursing is not an easy ride, and at times may be heartbreaking. But it will also be immensely rewarding.

2. You Love Caring

Are you the kind of person who loves caring for others and looking after them? You might have what it takes to be nurse material. Modern nursing may have changed from earlier days, but it's still fundamentally about caring for people. It could be a much more fulfilling career than working in an office could ever be.

3. Helping Patients Cope

I've spent a lot of time in hospitals, and every single time it's the nurses who have made a difficult experience that much more bearable. They help patients cope with their illness and recovery, and the boredom and stress of being stuck in a hospital. Doctors may not have much time to talk to you, but the nurses always do their best to sit and chat if you need a shoulder to lean on.

4. Career Progression

Nurses aren't merely a doctor's assistant, as they are sometimes considered to be. Nursing can actually be a highly qualified profession, and nurses can take courses that allow them to carry out procedures and even dispense medicine. There are opportunities to progress in your career if you have ambitions - too many to detail here. Why not look into it?

5. Specialties

There are so many different specialties when you go into nursing. You could specialise in caring for older patients, or be a pediatric nurse. You could work in intensive care or be a theater nurse. Then there are the various specialties, such as cardiac, oncology, psychiatric or stoma care.

6. Flexible Hours

If you don't fancy working a 9-5 job, nursing is one career where you can work different hours. You can always work in a doctor's office if you want to keep more 'normal' hours and still be a nurse. But if you're a night owl you can do night shifts. You may also be able to fit shifts around family needs - I met one nurse who was a single father (of older kids), who found that night shifts worked very well for him.

7. Nurses Are Amazing

I've met a lot of nurses, and I haven't met one I didn't like. Perhaps a particular type of person goes into nursing. They really deserve to be paid so much more, because they do a very important job. It's not glamorous, but they're amazing people.

If you're considering nursing, you should be aware that it's not an easy profession. At times your job may be very difficult. But it also has a very rewarding side that compensates for the difficult moments. Do you know any nurses?