Why Major in Nursing?

In today’s cut throat market, college students are stressing out about what they need to major in. What will provide the best money? What will give me stability? There are the traditional choices of business and finance, or even your basic pre-med or pre-law degrees. However, one of the most rewarding majors, both financially and otherwise, is nursing. Why major in nursing? There are several reasons to don those scrubs.

First and foremost, it’s a field of high demand and low supply. Most people assume that, since doctors get paid highly and the job requires a great deal of education, it’s a more lucrative career to pursue. However, in the United States today, being a doctor is expensive, not only because of the amount of education you must pursue, but because of the high cost of insurance. However, nursing can pay a great deal of money, and because it’s not often sought after as a career, there is a huge shortage. Hospitals and clinics are paying nurses more and more because they need nurses on staff, but there aren’t enough people to fill the positions. Why major in nursing? It’s a degree that guarantees employment at a good pay rate.

However, there are more rewarding reasons to major in nursing than just the paycheck. As a nurse, you are often the individual who spends the most amount of time with patients. You do all of the preliminary screenings and tests, which means you get a chance to know the people you’re helping to treat. Often, you’ll find yourself in a position to offer some form of comfort, even if it’s only in the form of a shoulder to lean on and a kind, listening ear. This makes the position tremendously rewarding. Patient care can truly make the difference in recovery, and as a nurse, you play a pivotal role in that process. If a patient has high morale, it has been statistically proven that they will heal faster. As a nurse, you are in a unique position to influence that morale, and thus, the patient’s health. Why major in nursing? It’s a degree that allows you to make a huge impact on a suffering individual’s life.

As an individual seeking out a degree from an institution of higher learning, you have a lot of options. You can choose to express yourself artistically. You can consider a job in insurance or banking. You could always opt to study education and become a teacher. However, take a moment to look at the nursing program offered at your school. If you go down that path, you’ll find yourself in a career that pays more than enough to make ends meet, and gives you a chance to reach out and make a huge difference in the life of a patient in pain. So, why major in nursing? The real question is, why not?