Working as a registered nurse is not only incredibly fulfilling mentally, but also physically. Nurses tend to have better health than other people thanks to a number of reasons that we will explain in more detail below. This article explores the health benefits of working as a registered nurse.
Job security and stability
Working as a nurse is fulfilling work for a number of reasons, all of which have potential protective effects on health. Not the least of these is job security and stability.
Nurses are crucial to public health in the US. They are so important, in fact, that the thought of being without them is almost impossible to imagine. As it turns out, however, the number of nurses in the workforce is shrinking by the year. Two of the main drivers of this shortage are age and education. First, many of today’s nurses are baby boomers. As the generation nears retirement age en masse, many of them are retiring to spend the rest of their lives in peace and quiet. According to a report, this exit is only expected to increase in the coming years, placing fewer nurses in the healthcare system than we’ve seen in decades. Second, the number of educational opportunities for nurses is inadequate to train replacements for leaving nurses fast enough to avoid any shortage whatsoever.
The good news is that solutions for both of these issues are well underway and nursing programs in the future are primed to educate more nurses, more quickly. In the meantime, however, the shortage has left today’s nurses, as well as those hitting the market in the coming years, invaluable. In fact, the need for experienced nurses will remain high in the future even once new nurses enter the industry. Experienced nurses will be the people helping new entries to train and become accustomed to their roles.
All of this means that nursing is a stable profession with nearly guaranteed jobs long into the future. This, in turn, relieves nurses from the worry of not being able to find work and losing their health insurance in the process.
Flexible work schedules
For today’s professionals, one of the main issues they encounter when attempting to look after their health is time. It is difficult for many employees to take time off work to see their healthcare providers, especially when they work traditional hours. When you are scheduled to work from 8am to 5am with limited break time, it becomes much more difficult to routinely see your healthcare provider when the need arises. Nurses don’t have this particular issue.
Nursing is nothing if not flexible. While nursing professionals work long shifts, many of them do not work every day as a tradeoff. In fact, some nurses work just three days a week in exchange for 13 or 14-hour shifts. As a result, they have plenty of time to visit healthcare professionals and take care of any health concerns that might arise. The four days off a week typically provide nurses with enough time to recharge, making them less prone to burnout and stress than some other professions.
Reduced risk of health disparities
In addition to having the time to seek prompt medical help when the need arises, nurses are also at a reduced risk of health disparities. One of the biggest reasons why patients end up struggling with the health system is because they lack the knowledge and experience needed to advocate for themselves. This is one of the reasons why nurses must serve as advocates for their patients. They understand what rights their patients have and also how to demand that they be upheld.
When seeking healthcare for themselves, nurses are better able to stand up for themselves and demand stellar care than the majority of other people. This ensures that they receive the best care possible and results in them having better health outcomes.
Active lifestyle
Nursing is nothing if not physically demanding. Nurses are on their feet for hours at a time and rarely have much time to lounge while working. The result is plenty of calories burned and cardio completed without ever setting foot on a treadmill. This doesn’t mean that nurses never need any outside exercise, of course, but rather that they have a leg up on sedentary professionals who spend much of their workday behind a desk.
Active lifestyles are well known for their positive influence on overall health. People who move more are healthier in general and tend to live longer and more mobile lives than their sedentary counterparts. If you are looking for a career that keeps you moving well into your 50s and 60s, nursing might just be the perfect choice.
Mental stimulation
There are a number of reasons why keeping your brain engaged is important for your health, but the most important of them is that clear thoughts keep you engaged with the outside world. This, in turn, enables you to remain connected with loved ones even as you leave the workforce and begin to age. Barring unexpected health issues, consistent mental stimulation can have a profound impact on your quality of life as an older individual.
Just as they are on their feet at all times of their day, nurses are mentally stimulated for the vast duration of their shifts, if not for the entirety of them. This engagement begins the second they step foot on the floor at the beginning of their shifts! Nurses must be able to catch up with the patients in the healthcare environment in question and determine how to meet their unique health needs as soon as they begin working. This cognitive engagement continues throughout the rest of their shifts as nursing professionals interact directly with patients socially and professionally to ensure that they are doing well both mentally and physically.
Nursing is a great career for people concerned with mental stimulation. Even beyond the health benefits, working as a nurse is never boring and will keep you engaged every step of the way.
Variety in specialties
Doing what makes you happy is the first step to a long and fulfilled life. Nurses are able to work in a wide variety of different specialties, which allows them to pursue their interests and professional passion. If you are especially interested in working with infants and newborns, for example, but don’t have the time or inclination to become a pediatrician, then nursing might be your best bet. Labor and delivery (L&D) nurses work directly with pregnant women, their newborns and their loved ones, allowing them to learn all about pregnancy, birth and healthy infant care.
From focusing on mental health to the elderly and everything in between, the field of nursing gives nurses the opportunity to pursue nearly any healthcare interest you can imagine. The best news is that you don’t typically need more than a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to explore these niches as a nurse. Completing your undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree opens the door to many different specialties and types of work in nursing, and you don’t have to spend many years earning it either. Accelerated BSN (ABSN) programs are ideal for busy people who are ready to enter the field as quickly as possible and start pursuing their passion. The best ABSN programs are offered by established names in education such as Wilkes University, which offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to train nurses in all areas of nursing. This builds a strong foundation, allowing them to pursue any specialty later on with ease.
Once you discover your passion, going to work every day becomes something to look forward to, not something that causes stress.
Empathy and compassion
Two of the most important emotions in humankind are empathy and compassion. These two emotions allow us to build those social relationships that are so important to our health and happiness, and they also enable us to find the strength to care about the people around us, even when we don’t know them on a close or personal basis. Nurses are experts in empathy and compassion. They understand not only why exercising empathy and compassion are important, but also how fulfilling caring for other people can be.
While caring for other people can sometimes be tiring, it is also deeply satisfying and helps nurses remain happy in their careers as well as in their personal lives. Understanding these emotions is important to our health and well-being as functional adults in society. As a result, nurses are some of the most well-adjusted professionals in the country, and their health is better as a result.
Sense of purpose
We’ve already touched on how important it is to do what you love as a profession, but we also want to discuss the health benefits of having a sense of purpose. When you wake up every day excited to start helping people, your days are naturally less stressful than they would be if you woke up and had no idea why you should even get out of bed. Having a purpose in life makes it easier not only to find happiness, but also to set goals and grow as people.
Nurses have a great sense of purpose. They know exactly why they wake up every morning: to help people. This means that they aren’t worried about not leaving a positive mark on the world, because their work has tangible results. From watching their patients get better to helping them get ready to return to their lives and loved ones, nursing professionals are some of the most self-assured people around.
Supportive networks
Humans are social beings. Without the ability to routinely interact with other people in a positive manner, our mental health sometimes begins to decline and our happiness decreases accordingly. Think about the last time you were isolated at home. The widespread COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 might provide some food for thought here. Did you miss seeing other people in person? For many, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.
With the above in mind, you might not be surprised to learn that the healthiest people are those with positive relationships. For this reason, jobs that allow you to interact with people on a regular basis are some of the healthiest. As we touched on briefly above, nurses are in near-constant interaction with other people. From speaking with patients and other nurses to routinely checking in with physicians and their patients’ loved ones, nurses are routinely pushed to socially interact with many different people all the time. Even nurses who work almost exclusively at night have their fair share of social interaction.
Building supportive networks with other people is at the core of becoming a successful and happy nurse. For this reason alone, a career in nursing is one of the healthiest you can have.
Conclusion
Are you interested in learning more about working as a registered nurse? From a strong sense of purpose to constant mental and physical stimulation, nursing is one of the healthiest professions in the US. Keep the above tips in mind as you search for the best university for your needs, and you’ll be building a positive career in no time!
