The bright future of nursing

I keep seeing articles like this, touting nursing as "recession-proof" and a booming industry.

This is pretty exciting. Nursing schools are expanding enrollment, particularly among second degree professionals.

When the nursing shortage really started gaining attention, I heard a lot of complaints about how many new nurses were really second degree nurses - people with backgrounds in teaching, business, etc. The problem was that these people were already in their 30s and 40s, and those who were "in the know" wanted people to start in their 20s so they could have longer career trajectories.

I've worked with quite a few people who have come to nursing as a second (or third) career choice. Many of them are mature, committed, and have lots of skills beyond assessment and giving shots. Many of them had wonderful communication and problem solving skills as well.

So with this newer movement of second degree professionals, we can see a lot of benefits: a new addition to the workforce with a variety of skills, people who have made the commitment to attain additional education (and therefore might be more likely to keep continuing their education), and the promotion of nursing as a profession of choice.

How exciting is that! And of course, the growth of nursing programs will promote the growth of faculty positions, so that's even better news for me, too ;)