Every year, thousands of young adults and many mid-career professionals decide to become licensed nurses. Why do they do it? Besides the fact that there always seems to be a shortage of qualified workers in the nursing field, the pay is excellent, and new entrants to the discipline can choose the place where they wish to pursue their careers. Benefits for new hires are also among the best for graduates in any area of expertise. What are some of the ways that can help a future nurse speed up the process of becoming qualified and gaining enough experience to land a prime position?
Fortunately, there are many practical tips that make life a bit easier for anyone who chooses the profession. Some of the best ones include being proactive by volunteering at a local hospital to get a feel for the job, researching the top schools, applying for college loans to cover tuition and related costs of a four-year degree, joining online forums, and exploring the various career paths within the job category. Consider the following suggestions if you plan to build a career as a nurse.
Do Hospital Volunteer Work ASAP
The summer between high school and college is a great time to inquire about volunteer hospital work in your hometown. Many collegiate admission offices even suggest doing such work to gain insight into the way healthcare establishments operate. The requirements are usually quite simple. If you are a high school graduate, over the age of 18, and are enrolled in a four-year nurse training program at an accredited school, you can sign up to spend between 10 and 40 hours per week performing all sorts of hospital chores. Expect to do a little bit of everything, from registering incoming patients to helping with customer service inquiries over the phone or online.
Use Loans to Pay For College
Paying for schooling is one of the two biggest hurdles to entering any profession. For future medical professionals, the most efficient tactic for dealing with the financial side of education is to get a student loan. Today’s lenders offer reasonable terms, fair interest rates, and other conditions that working people can live with. Taking out a loan to cover books, lab fees, tuition, and transportation is also the most frequent way of paying for a nurse’s four-year course of study at a college or university.
Additionally, it’s easy to apply online and get all the information about rates, terms, and repayment periods within a short period. On the academic side, earning good grades is a challenge for everyone in a collegiate program that leads to licensing. However, for students who feel they need to repeat a course or get extra tutoring help, there are multiple opportunities to do so. The great majority of students graduate within four years unless they’re attending special five-year programs that offer special credentials at the end of the coursework.
Research Your Favorite Schools & Programs
Don’t omit the research phase of your preparation. It should include several hours of checking out the pros and cons of at least five college programs to which you might apply for admission. Everyone has a short list, so create yours and then get busy comparing reviews, expenses, faculty ratings, daily student life, and other factors that play a part in your final decision about where you’ll hang your academic hat as a nurse in training.
Join a Reputable Forum
There are hundreds of nursing-related chat and discussion forums you can join. Some are much better than others, so take your time finding a room that is moderated by a licensed medical professional, does not charge a membership fee, includes many participants, and features educational discussions about subjects that interest you. Note that some chat forums focus on how to get admitted to a collegiate program, while others are geared to assist students who are already in school. Join several rooms to get an idea of how the daily discussion goes. Don’t spend more than about 15 minutes at a time in a session. After about a week of lurking and minimally joining in a few conversations, select one that suits your needs and that you can attend several times per week.
Deal With Legal Troubles
No matter your age, it’s imperative to deal with any legal issues that stand between you and a nurse’s license. The situation is typically not a problem for young adults. But those in their 20s and 30s who choose to enter a nurse training college program can have one or more marks on their legal record. Ask a lawyer if you could get any misdemeanors expunged from your record, especially if they happened before you turned 18. Be prepared to show documentation that you attended diversion programs for any impaired driving citations. Take your lawyer’s advice about how to handle violations other than driving and low-level substance possession matters.
