For many hard-working and service-minded professionals interested in a hands-on healthcare career, nursing provides the best range of rewarding and accessible opportunities. There are over 2 million Registered Nurses (RNs) in America; the largest occupational group in all of healthcare. The field is still growing, by almost 25%.
Work is about getting paid, but a career should be about more than just making a living. For many people, a nursing career may be the perfect balance of interesting, meaningful work and earnings and advancement potential.
In the wealthiest, most advanced nation in the history of the world, over half of Americans are unhappy with the job they have. The Conference Board, a global market research firm, has conducted a widely-cited job satisfaction study for over 20 years. Their first survey, in 1987, found that over 61% of people were satisfied with their career. By last year, that number had dropped to an all-time low of 45.3%. It's not just that people aren't making enough money - many feel frustrated and bored by the repetitiveness of their workday and the meaninglessness of their daily tasks.
Many of us choose to define ourselves by what we do – "I'm a mechanic, I'm a sales manager, I'm a nurse." What does it mean when almost 55% percent of us are unsatisfied with the career path we've chosen? Something is terribly wrong.
We at University Bound believe in the American Dream. We believe that every person has the right to do something they love. Beyond that, we believe that with dedication, smart choices, and hard work, every person has the ability to succeed. You may not have what it takes to be a brain surgeon, you may be too old to go to astronaut school, and unfortunately, "pirate" is not a legitimate profession, but it's not too late to have an exciting, rewarding and fulfilling job in nursing. It is a job sector that is expanding massively as an aging and growing population demands affordable healthcare.
These are hands-on, rewarding jobs in an exciting setting: all of our nursing school subcategories (Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Nursing Assistants) have healthy growth rates, significantly higher than the 8.2% expansion for all civilian jobs forecasted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2008-2018. The BLS predicts that Registered Nursing positions will expand by 22%, Licensed Practical Nursing positions by 21%, and nursing assistant and aide positions by 18%.