Changing career is becoming much more common. With people living longer, and the retirement age being pushed back, it’s now much more likely that at some point in your life, you’ll want to change career. One of the most popular careers to go into? Nursing. While it’s a challenging choice, there are many reasons why it’s perfect for more mature candidates who want a second career.
There are lots of routes into nursing
When choosing a career change, you’ll be wondering about the practicalities and whether you have the right qualifications. Luckily, when it comes to nursing, you have a few options to get yourself qualified and ready to practice. For example, you may want to consider a Bachelor of Nursing post registration, which will get you ready for a wide range of nursing careers. Speak to your local university to see what they offer.
Nursing requires a lot of soft skills
Nursing requires a lot of skills that you acquire through life experience. While people can start a nursing degree at any age, those with a bit of life experience are more likely to have the essential soft skills that they’ll find useful when they’re in pressurised situations. Many universities will quiz you on these skills when you are interviewed for a place and will take them into account alongside your experience and qualifications.
There are lots of specialisms you can get into
Nursing covers a wide range of different careers, so you can specialise in an area that suits you. Some career paths you could consider include:
- Mental health nursing
- Child nursing
- Critical care
- Nurse practitioner
- Midwife
- Aged care nursing
Nurses work in all sorts of settings, from hospitals to doctor’s surgeries and clinics, and even schools and colleges. This means a nursing degree gives you lots of options in the long-term and many ways to grow your career.
Nursing is generally well paid
Nursing is not a career you go into to get rich, but in general, the salaries are above average, and specialist nurses are well paid, especially those in management. Do some research into average nursing salaries to see what kind of rates you can expect. It’s also worth remembering that nursing jobs tend to come with good benefits, and there is generally always a high demand for nurses, so it can be a good career path if you value stability.
Being a nurse is satisfying
Lots of people dislike their career path as they feel like they don’t make much of a difference. Being a nurse means you’re in a career where you help others every day, and it certainly doesn’t get boring! If you’re sick of being stuck behind a desk from nine to five, it may be a career to consider.
Looking for a career change? Nursing is one field you may want to consider. Working as a nurse can be very tough, but there are also lots of upsides to the job, and it’s great for those who are seeking more excitement in their days.
