Is Nursing a Good Career for Career Changers?

At Xavier University’s College of Nursing, we come across many applicants looking to change careers to nursing because they feel stuck in an occupational rut. If you’ve been contemplating a career change, the time could be right to make your move. If you find yourself asking “is nursing a good career,” the answer is a resounding yes. Not only are nurses in high demand nationwide, but they are also viewed as one of the most trusted professions in the country.

However, changing careers is easier said than done. Many people want to become a nurse but feel like they’re too far along in their career to go back to school. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially with our 16-month ABSN program, you can make the change on an accelerated timeline.

Is Nursing a Good Career for You?

Transitioning from one profession to another can be difficult. You must be willing to put yourself out there, learn new skills and leave old career habits behind.

Aside from graduating from a nursing program and obtaining your nursing license, you must have other qualifications to be a nurse. Nursing is a profession where you must have the right skills and personality to be successful. Before jumping into the deep end, use these questions to help determine if the nursing profession is a good fit for you.

• Can you empathize with others?
• Do you like working as part of a team?
• Can you maintain clear focus in stressful situations?
• Do you pay close attention to detail?
• Can you remain calm in the face of frustration?
• Are you a good listener?
• Can you communicate effectively?

Great nurses are competent, collaborative, and compassionate. If you responded “yes” to these questions, you might have the qualities of a great nurse. Our nursing faculty can teach you how to be a competent nurse through innovative and relevant learning experiences, but intangible factors like compassion can’t be taught.

Advantages to Being a Career Changer

Having two bachelor’s degrees can be more of an advantage than you might think. For example, if you have a bachelor’s degree in another discipline and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70, our second-degree ABSN program can accelerate you into the nursing profession.

Whether you studied accounting, biology, communications, or psychology, we build on this education so you can graduate as a practice-ready nurse in 16 months. Before you get started in the full-time, four-semester program, you must satisfy our four ABSN prerequisite requirements — which is minimal considering that some ABSN programs require as many as 15 prerequisites.

Depending on your existing degree, you may have already met some of our prerequisite requirements: anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics. If it turns out you need to complete one or all the ABSN prerequisites, you can do so online through our university.

By attending an ABSN program, you can leverage your previous education to kickstart your new goals. Not to mention, your previous knowledge and experiences can help you to be a better nurse. Viewing the world from multiple perspectives will allow you to connect to your patients on a deeper level.

Nursing Programs Designed for Career Changers

Once you’ve established that a career change to nursing is right for you, it’s time to start looking for nursing programs. Accelerated nursing programs, like our ABSN program at Xavier, are designed for career changers like you. Because we require our incoming students to hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you can jump right into your nursing coursework, which is composed of online courses, skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations.

Online Courses

Our online accelerated nursing courses bring a level of convenience to the rigors of nursing school. Rather than being tied down to a specific classroom schedule, you can learn the fundamentals and theories of nursing any time of the day or night.

While instructor deadlines still apply, our online courses allow ABSN students to study at their own pace. Students can go back and review content as many times as they want. And even though students are not on campus, it’s easy for them to connect with our nursing faculty.

Nursing Labs

Located inside our dedicated ABSN Learning Centers in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, our nursing labs feature advanced equipment, medical supplies and simulation technology that allow you to practice your skills in a mock clinical setting where it’s OK to learn from your mistakes.

During skills lab, students learn how to safely and effectively apply core nursing skills, such as administering intermuscular injections and inserting NG tubes, without the fear of harming a patient. Because students practice these skills on clinical task trainers and/or full-body medical manikins, they don’t have to deal with that extra pressure while they’re learning.

In simulation lab, we challenge students to think and act like a nurse by having them integrate nursing theory with practice while making clinical decisions in real time. We also create scenarios where students can see things from a patient’s point of view.

Clinical Rotations

Starting in your first semester, clinical rotations are where you experience diverse areas of nursing practice, work with different patient populations and gain concentrated experience with a preceptor. Our university’s strong clinical partnerships throughout Ohio give ABSN students access to more than 90 patient locations within the TriHealth, Mercy Health, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and The Christ Hospital networks as well as the Cleveland Clinic.

Clinicals are active learning environments that allow you to perform the tasks a nurse would typically do in a situation. Clinicals start out simply, such as taking patient vitals. In time, you will start to perform more complex skills, which may include starting an IV line.

What Your New Career in Nursing Can Look Like

Once you’ve gotten through your nursing education and have obtained your nursing license, it’s time to get your new career started. While most people imagine nurses in hospitals at the bedside, nursing encompasses many different job responsibilities. By earning your BSN degree through Xavier University, you’ll be prepared to practice the profession in a wide variety of settings, such as:

• Hospitals
• Military bases
• Nursing homes
• Physician offices
• Schools
• Urgent care clinics

Given the variety and opportunities that come with the nursing profession, you’ll find having a BSN degree from Xavier means never being stuck in a career rut again.

Career Outlook

Aside from being an exciting, dynamic, and fulfilling career, nursing can also be a practical choice for your future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for RNs from 2021 to 2031 is expected to grow 6%, which means almost 200,000 positions will need to be filled. Additionally, the median pay is around $77,600 each year. All these numbers add up to a stable career that can provide a good lifestyle for you and your family.

Ready to Change Careers to Nursing?

Is nursing a good career for you? If you’re serious about taking the accelerated path to nursing, there’s no reason to wait. Contact our admission team today and start working toward an ABSN program start date in spring, summer or fall.