Could Nursing Be Your Passion?

1. If you could create your perfect career, it would include lots of:

Explanation: If you're like most people, you probably had a hard time choosing just one answer to this one. Nearly all American workers desire a better balance between work and leisure. But why should you have to choose just one? A really great career should offer you everything you desire and more.

2.The sight of blood makes you:

Explanation: Sometimes we think it's the sight of blood that upsets us, when in reality for many of us it's the idea of pain and suffering that we have such a hard time dealing with. If you receive education and training on how to alleviate pain and suffering in patients, you may find you are gifted in this area. For those who really are terrified at the sight of blood, there are plenty of nursing jobs where day-to-day contact with blood is not expected.

3. You are at your best when you are:

Explanation: A satisfying job brings out the best in you, no matter what that best may be. There are few careers that offer flexibility, interesting projects, a variety of tasks, and the opportunity to care for and help people that need it most. Nursing is a career that offers all these things and more. Don't be afraid of wanting to have it all. For most of us, a rewarding career will allow us to stay busy and engaged, have a bit of flexibility, and have a fulfilling personal life.

4.What factor is most important to you in your career?

Explanation: The desire and quest for meaningful work is part of the human condition. Seems like no matter how much money you make, if you're not making a difference in some small way, you'll probably end up dissatisfied and burned out. It's also important to be adequately compensated for your hard work and training. Nursing offers great salary and benefits along with the chance to make a difference. What working environment could be more pleasant than that?

5.In work, it's most important to be:

Explanation: It's nice to be liked at work but it's also important to be respected. Being in demand is also important to many people, but too many workers feel like their jobs really don't matter to others. In some fields, like auto manufacturing and computer technology, American workers aren't as in demand as they once were. These jobs are being moved out of the country. In healthcare, however, workers are needed, appreciated, and very much in demand. These are the sorts of jobs that simply can't be moved overseas. There is a projected nursing shortage of 800K by the year 2020.

6.Nurses come in all ages. What's yours?

Explanation: Nursing is a profession where all ages are well-represented. Only 9.1% of RNs are under the age of 30. The average age of RNs is 45.2 years.

7.You've dreamed about changing careers. What is the one greatest obstacle to realizing your dream?

Explanation: In 1985, the average age at graduation for an RN was 24.3. In 2000 this average age had increased to 30.9. Mature students can feel at home in a nursing education environment. Concerned about financing your education? Federal sources include scholarships and grants. Employer-paid tuition is becoming increasingly useful as nurses become more in demand. The counseling center at the community college in your area can offer you tons of free or low cost resources on finding the best career for you. If you are worried about meeting your other obligations while attending school, the counseling center can help you. Nursing classes are available in the evenings and online. Getting a nursing degree while taking care of your family is easier than ever.

8.One thing you can't stand at work or at home is:

Explanation: Any career worth having is bound to have some amount of stress. Boredom, chaos, and uncertainty, however, should be the exception, not the rule in a fulfilling work environment. It would be unrealistic to expect a career in healthcare, including nursing, not to have moments of drama and uncertainty. It's part of the human condition and ultimately part of what makes nursing such an exciting career.

9.The nursing career has opportunities in all levels of education. Which best describes your current education level?

Explanation: Nursing is one of the few careers that one can enter at any point in their education, from high-school graduate to PhD. Nursing also allows the opportunity to earn a variety of degrees, from a nursing certificate to a master's degree.

10.If you had a few hours, you'd like to do which one of the following:

Explanation: Taking your passions into consideration is a great idea when contemplating a career change, but it's also a great idea to step outside your comfort zone and consider trying a pastime that while, on the surface might not appeal to you, may end up igniting your passion. You may think you're not a "people person," or "the outdoorsy type," but it's possible that you could be wrong! Whether you'd love to do something outdoorsy or read a good book, you need a career that will keep you physically active and mentally engaged.

11.How much vacation time do you take every year?

Explanation: The average number of vacation days per year for Italy is 42 days. The average for Brazil is 34 days. Those workaholic Japanese? 25 days. Americans? A pitiful 13 days of vacation time per year. No doubt there are the workaholics that contribute to this dismal number, but there are plenty of people out there who would gladly take more time off if it were paid time off and if they could afford it. In many instances, professional careers tend to offer benefits like paid time off and a good salary that make vacation time possible. Employees that are in high demand, like health care workers in general and nurses in particular, are being lured to jobs with great benefits... and plenty of paid time off!

12.Nurses come in both genders. What's yours?

Explanation: The current rate of male nurses is approximately 5.4% of the current nursing population. Out of this number, however, 38% of male RNs are under 40 as opposed to the lower rate of 31% of female RNs are under the age of 40.

13.Sunday nights you can be found:

Explanation: 42% of American workers are coping with burnout. 33% say that they have reached a dead end in their jobs. 21% would like to change jobs or careers. If you find yourself not looking forward to Monday mornings, you are not alone. But you can change your Sunday attitude by changing where you are on Monday.

14.What is your current occupation?

Explanation: 45% of the American workforce say they are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their jobs. When describing themselves as "passionate" about their jobs, only 20% of the American workforce agreed. No two passions are exactly the same, but if you are dreading work every day, with no hope for the future, it's never to late to consider other options. Nursing is predicted to be one of the ten hottest job over the next eight years by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Your current skills will be highly valued in the nursing profession, and you'll be on a career path, not just working at a job.

15.In what environment do you work best?

Explanation: Few careers offer a variety of working environments. Health care jobs in general offer work in just about every environment you can imagine. Nurses work in quiet, swank plastic surgery offices, fast and often chaotic emergency trauma centers, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and even colleges where nursing is taught.