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It’s a solid career choice on paper. Learn a trade, have a good income and feel like your work is making a difference.

What isn’t mentioned is completing your shift, dealing with patients’ needs and concerns and learning what’s expected of you in the job.

Is nursing a good career? Yes, it can be. However, there are things you’ll want to know before deciding it’s the path for you.

What you’ll learn:

• Is Nursing a Good Career? Start With the Numbers
• Choosing a Degree Is a Career Decision
• The First Year Changes the Rules
• Shift Work Has a Cost
• Nursing Isn’t One Job for Life
• Nursing Career Advice for Students
• Wrapping It Up

Is Nursing a Good Career? Start With the Numbers

The salary is a big factor for many. According to the BLS, registered nurses make a median of $97,550 per year. That’s for all working RNs as of May 2025.

Keep in mind that this is a national median, so your starting salary may be lower depending on the role and location. You may be offered a certain amount and told you can pick up extra hours or work shifts at a premium. Don’t count on these hours when deciding if you can make ends meet.

The BLS projects registered nurse employment to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035. However, that doesn’t guarantee vacancies in your preferred area or specialty.

When looking at if nursing is worth it, compare what you can earn in your area against the cost of becoming qualified. Tuition, cost of living and possibly travelling to clinics and paying off student loans. If you can’t afford to become qualified, that great pay isn’t going to mean as much.

Choosing a Degree Is a Career Decision

There are multiple ways you can become qualified to be a nurse in the US. These include approved Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and diploma programs. You’ll also need to pass the NCLEX-RN and meet your state board of nursing’s other licensing requirements.

Some facilities will require you to have a bachelor’s degree. Others will allow nurses that became qualified through an ADN or Diploma program. So it’s something to consider when you’re picking what you want to do.

If you know what type of nursing you want to pursue, research what qualifications you’ll need. If you’re thinking about managing or furthering your education. Don’t pick the cheapest option because it may take you longer to get your dream job.

When you’re researching, look at graduates’ experiences as well. Belmont Abbey College gathered information by surveying 500 college-educated nurses across the U.S. about their reasons for choosing nursing, job satisfaction, challenges and advice for students

Also, check with your state’s nursing board that the program meets its approval and NCLEX-RN eligibility requirements. Research clinical placement locations and pass rates instead of just taking what the college tells you.

The First Year Changes the Rules

Once you start working, everything you learned in school will come into play. Assessing patients, documentation, communicating with family members and coworkers.

It can be a lot when you’re new to working. When you’re giving your handover to the next shift, explaining how the patient’s condition has changed is just as important as what you did for them.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You may be qualified to work but you won’t know everything the first day. Know what’s expected of you and when to ask someone with more experience.

Your first job can set you up for success. Look into what the orientation process is, if you’ll have a preceptor or mentor. And what support is available when you’re busy working a shift.

Not all jobs will treat you this way, so research what your co-workers will be like as well.

Shift Work Has a Cost

If you think nursing is just a normal 9-5, think again. There are nurses working nights, weekends and holidays. Some even have to be on call.

This can affect many areas of your life. Seeing your friends, child care, time to relax etc. Some may be able to adapt to working shifts, others may not.

Another factor to consider is how physically taxing the job can be. Depending on what you’re doing, you’ll be on your feet for most of your shift. Carrying patients, bending, and more.

Working as a nurse can also be mentally draining. Working with sick patients and their families can take a toll on you.

In an April 2025 report, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing said stress and burnout were the leading non-retirement reasons reported by nurses planning to leave the workforce. Heavy workloads and understaffing were also major concerns.

While working as a nurse can take its toll, that doesn’t mean it’s not a job for you. Staffing levels, breaks and scheduling differ between employers, so ask about workload and available support before accepting an offer.

Nursing Isn’t One Job for Life

Something else you may not think of when choosing to study nursing. You have a wide variety of options to work in.

Nurses can work in many places. From hospitals, to doctors’ offices, schools, and even health services. There’s many variations to what you can do and how fast paced the job can be. Someone that goes to patients homes may have very different workdays compared to working in a hospital.

Maybe you loved emergencies when you first started, and now you enjoy teaching patients or working in the community.

Depending on what job you want, it may require you to gain more knowledge, experience, certifications or degrees. Nursing gives you many options you can choose to do once you’ve become qualified.

Nursing Career Advice for Students

Not sure if nursing is for you? Here are some things you can do to see if it’s a career for you.

• Talk to nurses. Find out what they did for most of their shift, what they didn’t like and what they liked about their job. It can help you understand what you’re getting into.
• Shadow in a hospital or medical facility. If your school allows observation or volunteerism, use that. Just being able to see how they communicate with each other may help you decide.
• Look at job postings. Search for entry level positions in your desired area. See what qualifications they’re asking for. There may not be as many jobs available as you think.
• Plan your time out. Once you have a class schedule, figure out how you can make time to study, work and get to clinicals. You’ll want to have time to relax as well, so don’t plan for perfect days.
• Ask uncomfortable questions. Before you enroll, ask your school what they will do if you fail or struggle with your courses. If you need to retake, how much will it cost and how long will it add to your schooling?

Use what you learn to decide whether nursing fits your goals, budget and daily life.

Wrapping It Up

There are pros and cons to working as a nurse. But if you love the job, know that the hours will be challenging. You’ll have to spend money to become qualified, but it can be a career you enjoy.