What to do After Getting a Degree
Completing your university degree and gaining recognition for your achievements has to be the highlight of any educational journey. However, while completing university may seem like a relief at first, this newfound freedom may be a bit overwhelming, especially if you are still trying to figure out what to do after graduation. You may even tire of your previous field and want to change your discipline.
Even though nurse practitioners require advanced education in the nursing field, not all nurse practitioners obtain undergraduate nursing degrees.
If you find that you are interested in healthcare, you may even consider a career path as a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners provide direct patient care without needing the opinions of a physician, receive a comfortable salary, and work in various environments. Nursing is also considered one of the most fulfilling and rewarding jobs in the healthcare sector. Those with a knack for nurturing may find this career path the right fit.
What is a nurse?
Simply put, 21st-century nursing is essentially the glue holding a patient’s healthcare journey together. Nurses work tirelessly to recognize and protect the needs of individuals requiring care.
In essence, a nurse is a healthcare professional working as a highly trained medical team member to help patients throughout their treatment process. Nurses possess extensive medical knowledge regarding numerous illnesses, disorders and diseases. They also have training in using complex medical technologies and tools. These professionals undergo intense training that provides them with hands-on experience of examining, supporting and treating those requiring care.
Far beyond the long-established reputation for dedication and compassion lies a specialized profession that’s constantly evolving to meet society’s needs. Nurses are, at this point, indispensable in protecting public health, from determining the most accurate diagnoses to educating the public regarding healthcare.
Nursing can be considered both an art and a science: addressing the heart and mind. At its heart is an intuition for caring for a patient’s needs. This is, in turn, supported by the mind and involves stringent core training. Based on the extensive range of complex skillsets and specialisms in nursing, every nurse has specific passions, strengths and levels of expertise.
The nursing career has a unifying principle. Nurses are not confined to considering test results in determining a patient’s condition. Instead, using critical thinking skills, nurses use their judgment to incorporate objective data with the subjective experience of their patient’s physical, biological and psychological needs. This guarantees that every patient receives the best possible care regardless of their social status.
Some of the most common responsibilities of a nurse include the following:
- Working next to doctors and physicians to establish treatment plans for patients.
- Asking patients about their health symptoms and physical activity.
- Checking patients for any apparent signs of trauma, disorder or illness.
- Assessing patients by recording their health history and taking their vital signs.
- Tending to outward physical wounds by cleaning and suturing them.
- Ensuring the utmost comfort of patients.
- Administering the required medication to patients in the form of IV drips, pills or injections.
- Sanitizing and organizing medical apparatus and other tools.
- Taking blood samples of patients for testing.
- Ensuring that patients remain up to date on their treatment process.
- Offering emotional support to patients and their families.
- Neonatal care.
How to enter the nursing profession with a non-nursing degree
It is necessary to undertake medical education to be able to qualify for offering advanced nursing care. Although numerous nurses have nursing degrees, as mentioned, it is also possible to step into this profession with a different degree.
That said, below are the general steps to entering a nursing career with a non-nursing degree.
Enroll in an accelerated nursing program
The very first step when entering the nursing profession without any prior education in the field is to enroll in an accelerated MSN program, also known as a Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice.
It is a general requirement for registered nurses to either have a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree in nursing. Still, if you already have a bachelor’s degree, you do not have to duplicate your prior four years of education.
Many educational facilities now provide accelerated programs with non-nursing majors at the forefront, where students can take the required courses and labs and complete clinical hours within a shortened timeframe. Accelerated nursing programs usually last around 18 to 24 months, depending on the school.
You may enroll for direct entry nurse practitioner programs at accredited universities such as Elmhurst. The online MENP (Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice) program at Elmhurst University is specially designed for those with bachelor’s degrees in other fields who are interested in entering the nursing profession. This direct entry nurse practitioner program offers a fast-paced pathway to earn your MSN degree in just 20 months.
Volunteer
While this is not much of a requirement, volunteering can help you gain experience in your career. You may pursue an internship in healthcare or social care before training to become a nurse. An internship can help improve your skills and give you hands-on experience. Moreover, you can also establish valuable connections in your field, leading to more future job opportunities.
Complete your clinical hours
While in your accelerated nursing program, you will likely get numerous opportunities to complete your clinical hours. All aspiring nurses must complete their prerequisite clinical hours, interacting with actual patients at hospitals, physician offices and clinics. Students are often required to do rotations, allowing them to gain knowledge about varying departments and specialties in the healthcare field.
Note that the time you take earning your clinical hours is crucial, especially when you are new to the nursing field. During this time, you may get the opportunity to garner lasting career connections with fellow nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals you may interact with regularly on the job.
Pass the NCLEX-RN exam
The next step on your path to becoming a nurse without a nursing degree is passing the registered nurse licensure exam, commonly called the NCLEX-RN exam.
All aspiring registered nurses must take and pass this exam to advance their careers and qualify for licensure to practice in their respective states. Your accelerated nursing program should prepare you to sit in the exam by offering the required training, knowledge and experience to obtain a passing score on the exam. The exam focuses on your ability to use critical thinking in daily nursing situations. Accelerated nursing programs in universities such as Elmhurst prepare students to take CNL (Clinical Nurse Leader) exams.
To register, applicants can apply to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Apply for a license
After passing your NCLEX-RN exam, you can move on to applying for your state nursing license. Requirements can vary from state to state. Therefore, check to confirm that you submit the suitable materials and fees.
This is also an excellent time to start working on your application materials (i.e., your resume and cover letter). While filling in your resume, ensure that you add your contact information, work experience, a summary, relevant skills, and, most importantly, your certifications and academic history. This will give prospective employers an accurate idea of your skillset, capabilities and experience in the nursing field.
Consider networking
Establishing a strong network of healthcare professionals is a surefire way to find resources, support and work opportunities as a nurse. Interact and form connections with classmates, professors, physicians, colleagues, and anyone you think will help link you with options and invaluable information.
You can stay in touch with your peers via phone, email, social media platforms, or job networking websites that allow you to post updates throughout your journey.
Apply for open roles
Finally, you may begin applying for open occupations in your newly joined field. You can look for available positions using job recruitment sites. Such websites let you filter by your geographical location and career field.
You can also send your resume and cover letter to any professional from your employment network. They may be able to help by offering an opinion and asking you to make any improvements or changes if necessary.
You can study for interviews by searching for commonly asked nursing-related interview questions, which will help you prepare appropriate responses.
What are accelerated nursing programs?
An accelerated nursing program refers to a direct-entry nursing degree program. Such programs are established to help aspiring nurses obtain their bachelor’s or master’s degrees much quicker compared to the conventional, on-campus programs.
Some of these accelerated programs allow practicing nurses to quickly broaden their education and skillsets so that they can become eligible for more prominent roles. That said, most of these programs are meant for non-nurses with degrees in other majors who seek to quickly change career paths to nursing.
Normally, accelerated programs come as accelerated BSN or MSN programs. These are for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in different fields looking to enter nursing.
ABSN or AMSN programs provide such students with a faster path to earning their nursing degrees without spending another four years studying. As stated, such programs take between 12 and 24 months to complete.
Note that ABSN and AMSN programs are pre-licensure programs (i.e., students are yet to obtain their licenses to practice as registered nurses).
When you hear someone mention ‘accelerated nursing programs’, they are referring to ABSN and AMSN programs.
Reasons why pursuing a nursing degree is worth it
Nursing is among the most sought-after careers, and it is not hard to see why. Although nurses have significant responsibilities, they also have great rewards and the gift of personal fulfillment. These professionals help patients in their most vulnerable moments, offering support throughout recovery.
A nursing career may be the right fit if you have completed your degree in a different field but are looking for further education in a more fulfilling career path. Below are some reasons why a career in nursing is so in demand.
A rewarding career path
It should be no surprise that nurses are highly regarded and appreciated in many countries. Nurses are essential to healthcare systems as they help administer medication and treatments, support suffering patients, and comfort worried families, among many other things.
Nursing always comes with a sense of fulfillment because you receive instant feedback on how your efforts affect the wellbeing of many. This lets you establish close bonds with others and learn about their life stories, which is a gratifying experience in and of itself.
If you have ever seen people upset or scared, you must know that calming them is a natural altruistic desire. By working as a nurse, you explain to patients the roles and procedures of different medicines, comforting them and helping alleviate their fears. This specifically applies to children, but adults often need just as much support.
Your medical expertise applies outside of work
People often overlook this aspect of being a healthcare professional. Everyone is concerned about their health and safety, but sometimes tragedy strikes. Therefore, it is better to be prepared.
As a practicing nurse, you will always be at ease knowing that you can administer first aid in an emergency, even outside your workplace. If anything happens, you can perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), know what to do when someone faints, know how to act when someone’s asthma attack is triggered, and much more. The list can go on, but the main idea is that nurses have the power to save lives no matter where they are, and not every professional can say that.
Security and stability
The nursing profession is in very high demand. It is considered one of the safest careers, offering stability and a reliable income. Nurses never have to worry about losing their job, even during serious economic crashes.
For instance, in the US, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for nursing occupations points to a 6% increase from 2021 to 2021. The median salary for nurses is $77,600 per year as of 2021.
Plenty of job opportunities
Nurses can work in various healthcare settings, including clinics, nursing homes, physicians’ offices and hospices. They can also work at educational facilities, businesses and the military.
Nurses also choose their specialty. For instance, cardiovascular nurses assist patients suffering from chronic heart diseases, and neonatal nurses care for newborns.
Furthermore, nurses also have flexible work schedules. Their options range from regular nine-to-fives to weeks comprising three 12-hour shifts.
Excitement on the job
Part of the reward that comes with nursing comes from a nurse’s day-to-day role. This is not your typical role where you sit at a computer desk all day. This is an exhilarating career where each day is different from the last. Each patient has their own story to tell, symptoms and treatment needs.
As part of their job, nurses must think on their feet, get creative, and problem-solve for their patients’ benefit.
Moreover, nurses are also on the frontline of change in healthcare and medicine, another vital component of their careers.
Nurses can easily gain inspiration from new research, technologies and treatment methodologies. Practicing nurses are required to be ready to learn about the newest possible innovations in medicine, allowing them to evolve within their roles.
Numerous leadership opportunities
The new skills you get the opportunity to learn by tending to different types of patients can help significantly as you navigate your career as a nurse. Nurses must monitor the rest of the healthcare staff and assign patient care, carefully making the necessary adjustments during their shifts. Nurses exhibiting strong leadership skills may assume administrative positions (e.g., clinical nurse leader or unit manager).
You may also benefit from leadership-focused roles in clinical practice. These include clinical specialists, practice nurses and case managers. A career in nursing provides various avenues to move up the career ladder and take on additional roles.
Collaboration with healthcare professionals
Practicing nurses play a special role in the healthcare sector. Nurses are the only consistent healthcare professionals giving the most time to patients. Therefore, nurses get the chance to work next to healthcare teams to streamline patient care and improve results.
Nurses are also considered the hub of patient activity as they are up to date on the recommendations of each healthcare worker tending to the patient. Nurses displaying exemplary critical thinking and organizational skills ensure that each nurse knows how their guidance impacts the overall care plan for the patient.