Aionna Gunn ‘28, Photo Editor
Nursing is a practice that most people are familiar with, and a career path many want to go into.There are those who are merely dreaming about being a nurse, and those who are advancing to be a nurse. Those who are invested in this path may have noticed that as they get older, there are more opportunities to take specific nursing oriented classes.
As interest in nursing grows, so does the importance of preparing nurses to meet the increasing demand for healthcare. The notice in these new classes and engagements for nursing is not without reason, as nursing is a job with a very high amount of demand all over the United States. Nurses can never be replaced, as people are always getting older and run into physical problems that need care.
Though nursing is very competitive, it is easy to ask the question: “Why is it so competitive if it is in such high demand?” The answer to that question is because they do not just need someone to fill in the position, they need the best and qualified to fill it in. Most programs do not have the room, or when they do, it is very limited. For a job like nursing, it is very important that people receive proper training in order to give people excellent care. This puts a lot of pressure on the people who are choosing to pursue this career path, so let us take a step back and see what it takes to get into nursing school. According to the School of Nursing at Goodwin University in Connecticut, here are seven things that nursing schools highly look upon:
- A passion for nursing
- A strong skillset
- Academic excellence
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Communication
- Organization
- Time management
Each of these are important because of the structure of the nursing program. This field is very important, but particular. Nursing is meant to ensure that everyone gets well taken care of, both physically and mentally. Achieving this would mean that each of these attributes are instilled in the candidate who is in pursuit of nursing. While some characteristics may be stronger than others, each should be evident in the individual, making this list essential for anyone entering this career.
But, how can one do this easily? Truth is, they just can not. A position in nursing school takes years of hard work and dedication to learning. But, only those who are willing to work with true passion are closer to successfully becoming a nurse—such as Senior Kailee Brown. She said, “I knew I wanted to pursue nursing because I’ve always had an instinct to help other people whether it be after incidents or just in general through community service.”
Brown shows the dedication and heart it takes to become a nurse. Her passion for helping people has driven her to do numerous activities to get involved in nursing: getting an intern job at a nursing facility, as well as attending Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) for health sciences. It is sacrificial and difficult to become a nurse, but it is the heart that is behind the pursuit that makes it all the more worth it when one’s effort is put forth.
A genuine heart is what makes a career in nursing easier to achieve. It is easy to spot the candidates who will be qualified. This is because this information will make the desire to be a nurse grow, and they will want to be good at what they do. Just as Brown said earlier, her why is bigger than the fight. This desire is important to be a nurse, but it can be said for any career that the passion to do the job makes the job much more enjoyable. Before pursuing any career, it is effective and important to analyze the why in what one does.
