Are you empathetic, caring, and compassionate? Do you have strong communication skills, excel at solving problems, and possess a keen attention to detail? Are you excited by the idea of working in healthcare? If so, you may have the potential to become a good nurse!
If you think you have what it takes to become a nurse, it’s natural to have questions before you commit to pursuing a nursing career. Is nursing hard? Is nursing a good career? What, exactly, are the responsibilities of a nurse? And how long does it take to become a nurse? These are all excellent questions! In this blog, we’ll do our best to answer these questions and explore the many perks of nursing—from the potential to help others live healthier lives to the multiple exciting nursing career paths available.
What to Expect in Your Journey to a Nursing Career
Nursing Programs that Provide Hands-On Training
How long it takes to become a nurse depends on your path. Nursing school takes most people two to four years, depending on the program. People typically begin a nursing career by earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). South University’s BSN program includes a mix of classroom, lab, and hands-on learning to prepare you for situations you may face in your nursing career. The nursing program focuses on improving your critical thinking skills and utilizing that information as part of your nursing practice.
The BSN program can prepare you to take the NCLEX-RN exam — the national licensing test required to become a registered nurse. Many employers prefer candidates with a BSN because these programs offer more in-depth training in nursing leadership, critical thinking, and public health. Such skills are highly valuable in today’s complex care environments. BSN programs can also offer more comprehensive and diverse clinical nursing experiences, helping students gain a deeper understanding of the healthcare system.
Diverse Nursing Career Paths
Healthcare is a huge field, with many nursing career paths to choose from. After earning an BSN, becoming an RN, and gaining experience in the field, you may qualify for an entry-level role in these areas. Registered nurses can also work to become a clinical or academic nurse educator or pursue nursing management. Nurses who work in informatics nursing, nursing management, and nurse education may benefit from completing a specialized Master of Science in Nursing program. To become a nurse practitioner, you must also complete a Master of Science in Nursing. Nurse practitioners can also specialize in numerous areas, including family practice and adult-gerontology.
Remember, if you tire of one specialty, you can work to transition into another. Just know that different specialties often require different nurse certifications and training. How long it takes to become a nurse practitioner or pursue a particular nurse certification varies based on your past education, the amount of time you can commit to studying, and other factors.
Whatever your preferences on scheduling or patient populations you hope to serve, many nursing career paths could fit your needs. Switching healthcare facilities can be another way to find a role you like. Private practices, community clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools all offer something a bit different. Plus, if you move, you can find healthcare organizations practically everywhere. Remote jobs are also available to today’s nurses. Some nurses even work in travel nursing, taking on short-term nursing assignments while exploring new areas in the process.
A Responsibility to Put Quality Care First
The precise responsibilities of a nurse will vary by their role, and there are tons of different roles! Still, at the heart of it, when you become a nurse, your goal is to provide quality care for patients. The main responsibilities of a nurse are to assess patient conditions, develop and implement care plans, monitor progress, and collaborate closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals to ensure the best outcomes. Seeing and prioritizing patient needs is a must for being a good nurse. Even nurses who don’t work as directly with patients (like those in management or who focus on advocacy, research, or teaching) have the power to improve the lives of others.
Additional responsibilities of a nurse include building relationships with patients, providing emotional support, and advocating for patients. Whether in a hospital, clinic, school, community setting, or elsewhere, nurses are often the first point of contact and a constant source of compassion, skill, and support throughout a patient’s healthcare journey. A good nurse makes their patients feel comfortable being honest and open. As a nurse, patients should see you as someone they can count on in difficult scenarios. Nurses also educate patients and caregivers about diseases, treatments, and recovery. Through education and preventive care, you can help to keep people from getting sick in the first place.
Opportunities for Growth and Learning
The healthcare field is always changing. New technologies are introduced. More effective techniques are discovered. Across every healthcare setting and all possible nursing career paths, employers expect nurses to adapt to these changes. For this reason, nurses are constantly learning and growing. Staying up-to-date is often part of the responsibilities of a nurse. Continuing education can be required for specific nursing positions, nurse certifications, or state licensure.
In this way, people who enjoy being lifelong learners will probably think nursing is a good career. However, if you want every workday to be the same and aren’t interested in learning new things, nursing might not be the best fit for you.
Registered nurses (RNs) also have many opportunities to elevate their education. In addition to becoming an RN working in direct patient care, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing can equip you to pursue nursing career paths as an RN working in administration, management, and research. From there, you could earn a master’s degree that prepares you to pursue roles as a nurse practitioner, informatics specialist, nurse educator, or healthcare leader. (Nurse practitioners are a type of advanced practice registered nurse, or APRN). APRNs are RNs who have acquired additional education, helping to equip them to provide primary and specialty care.) Some nurses also pursue a doctoral degree in nursing to build further expertise.
Strong Predicted Job Growth
One way to decide if nursing is a good career is job growth. If that’s your criteria, the answer to ‘Is nursing a good career?’ is a resounding yes! As the US population ages, the need for healthcare services provided by educated professionals is rising. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that, by 2033, there will be 6% more RNs and 46% more nurse practitioners employed than in 2023.
That above-average employment growth is partially driven by the aging Baby Boomer generation and their increase in healthcare needs. Couple their healthcare demands with many people planning to retire from nursing careers in the coming decade. The result is that nurses are in demand. The BLS expects RN growth in many areas, including outpatient care centers, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare. In addition, nurse practitioners are being increasingly counted on primary and preventive care as part of a larger healthcare team. (In 2024 and 2025, U.S. News & World Reports ranked nurse practitioner as its #1 best job, best health care job, and best STEM job!)
Hard Work That’s Impactful and Respected
Is nursing hard? In many ways, yes. Being a good nurse isn’t easy. It takes someone willing to commit to their education and to do their very best every day in situations that can sometimes be stressful or emotionally fraught. Some days as a nurse may feel longer and harder than others. Still, nursing is a fulfilling career where you can have an impact on your patients—emotionally and physically—as you care for and support them through their most vulnerable and difficult moments. Nothing good comes easy, right?
Nurses see patients of all ages and in every imaginable state. They provide vital care and attention to patients and their families in their times of need and can improve their health and well-being. For these reasons, it should come as no surprise that nurses are a respected and trusted group. For 23 consecutive years, Americans have ranked nurses number one in honesty and ethics out of a wide range of professionals, including other healthcare workers. As a nurse, not only will people have an understanding of what you do for your community, but you’re likely to have the respect of the majority of people you meet.
Take the Next Step in Building Your Nursing Career
If you think you’d be a good nurse, you’re in the right place! At South University, we’ve helped prepare thousands of students to start or elevate their careers in nursing, and many of our nursing program leaders and instructors are practicing nurses. Together, their experience and expertise cover a wide range of nursing career paths.
Our nursing programs are designed to equip you to not only pursue becoming a nurse but develop into a confident and skilled healthcare provider. Our graduate programs also include specializations that can prepare you to pursue areas like family nurse practitioner, adult gerontology nurse practitioner, nursing informatics, nurse educator, and nurse administrator.
Ready to start your journey to become a nurse? Request information today to learn about our nursing programs.
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Graduates are required to sit for and pass the national certification exam and obtain a state license in order to work in the field. (Exam names vary by program) Please refer to the State Professional Licensure Determination and National Certification/Licensure section of the University catalog for program and state specific information. South University cannot guarantee each graduate will pass the required licensure examinations. Outside agencies control the requirements for taking and passing certification/licensing exams and are subject to change without notice to South University. Students must pass the required licensure to work in their respective field.
Clinical/Medical programs have a required ground clinical, practicum, or externship requirement. We cannot guarantee flexibility in these components of the program.
South University does not promise or guarantee licensure, employment, or salary amounts.
Credentials and experience vary by faculty and location.
