Considering a Career
Change to Nursing?

by NewsUsa

Considering a Career Change? Nursing Offers Possibilities...

(NewsUSA) - After many years as a Hollywood writer and producer, William Kenney decided to make a drastic change by starting a new career as a nurse. For anyone thinking about a career change like Kenney, there has never been a better time to make a switch to a career in nursing.

Employment prospects for registered nurses are excellent, and they'll only get better as the population ages and requires more health care, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Currently, there are 100,000 vacant nursing positions nationwide, and the shortage is expected to grow to nearly 500,000 job openings by 2020.

The switch to a nursing career can be made more quickly than some might think. Anyone who already has a bachelor's or master's degree can enter an accelerated nursing program offered by many community colleges and universities.

"Accelerated nursing programs are ideal for people who want to do something with the education they already have, or who find that their degrees don't offer as many opportunities as they had hoped," said Andrea Higham, director of the Johnson & Johnson Campaign for Nursing's Future. "These accelerated programs put people on a fast track to becoming a nurse, and the nursing profession also benefits by attracting more individuals with diverse backgrounds."

"I was 40 when I started to consider a second career in nursing, and when I discovered I could earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in one year because I already had a bachelor's degree, I decided to move forward," explained Kenney, RN, BSN, CPN at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and former Hollywood writer and producer. "What an amazing adventure it's been to discover a whole new world when most people my age are experiencing career burnout. It's a great feeling to go to work everyday knowing that I can make a difference in people's lives."

Dr. Peter Buerhaus, Valere Potter Professor of Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, said career changes by those moving to nursing have already begun to make a dent in the nursing shortage.

For more information about careers in nursing, visit www.discovernursing.com or www.campaignfornursing.com.