The average hospital employs almost one thousand people. Most of them are not doctors. They aren’t nurses. They aren’t even administrators. In fact, the majority of people working within a healthcare system will not have any healthcare-specific degree at all.
There are custodians. Food service employees. Receptionists. There are Technicians. Outside the hospital, there are home healthcare workers. Personal care aids. Home health aids. CNAs (certified nursing assistants).
These jobs are a great way to test the waters and figure out if nursing is right for you. In this article, we take a look at what it takes to get these positions, and how they can lead naturally into a career in nursing.
First, What Background Should You Have?
It depends on the position. CNAs (certified nursing assistants) often have an associate’s degree in nursing. They went to school for two years, possibly at a community college, and completed basically the first half of their nursing education.
They are not registered nurses, but they could become one without starting at the very beginning.
Hospital technicians also usually only need an associate’s degree, though there is a trend toward hospitals preferring candidates with a bachelor’s degree, even for more entry-level jobs.
Why Do These Career Paths Lead Easily Into Nursing or Other Healthcare Roles?
There are a few factors that make it easy to transition from entry-level healthcare positions into other roles.
- Educational overlap- In certain cases, there may be skill overlap that makes it easier to transition into nursing. For example, if your current job requires you to hold an associate’s degree in nursing, you can complete the bachelor’s degree program in two years or less if you decide you would like to become a registered nurse.
- Internal transition– It’s not exactly hard to find hospitals that need nurses, but it’s still nice to have connections. People already working within a healthcare system may have a smoother transition into nursing than those on the outside.
- Tuition assistance- It is also possible that you will have an easier time getting employer-sponsored tuition assistance if you are already working within a healthcare system. Obviously, this is very dependent on where you work, but it can do a lot to make your degree more affordable if things work out.
It’s also just a great way to see if healthcare is really for you. Many people get into nursing only to find out after they already have student loans and a job that it isn’t right for them. If you have already tested the waters a little bit, you will have a much better understanding if this is the career path you want to pursue.
It’s easy to like the idea of working in healthcare. The compensation is good. It’s respectable work. You have the opportunity to make a difference in the world. It’s also hard in a way that is difficult to fully understand from the outside. People who transition from one healthcare job into a new one may have a better chance of going the distance.
Why Do People Choose Nursing as a Second Career?
People pivot into nursing at surprisingly high levels because it is meaningful work. Often when people pivot into new career paths it is because they feel unfulfilled with what they are currently doing.
Nurses, of course, are heroes. Who wouldn’t want to go from working a bland corporate job into a role where they can change or even save lives?
The other thing? There are many different ways to get licensed. If you already have a college degree you can opt for either an accelerated program, in which you knock out all of your requirements within two years or less, or a certification-only program, in which you complete courses at your leisure, but don’t have to complete four years of electives and prerequisite classes.
Certification-only programs allow you to focus on only nursing classes. Depending on what your previous educational background was, you may be able to complete the program in a timeline that is pretty close to that of an accelerated degree.
The perks of the job itself are also enticing. Nurses earn competitive salaries and they even enjoy a surprising level of flexibility. There are dozens of different career paths they can go down, and some even have the opportunity to choose their own hours.
If you are interested in pivoting into nursing, make a point of thoroughly exploring all of your educational options. You should find that there are many online and offline programs, each of which is well-matched to certain lifestyle requirements.
Other Healthcare Careers
Some jobs operate adjacent to the healthcare system. For example, many social workers do some or all of their work in hospitals. It could be that someone on their caseload is receiving long-term medical care.
It could also be that they are there in response to patient needs. Many elderly patients in particular need extra support to ensure that they understand their treatment options, have ways of making it to their appointments, and so on.
Though social work involves a completely different education than any of the other jobs we have described in this article, there is a surprisingly high level of skill overlap. Particularly soft skills.
Social workers need to be compassionate. They need to have a strong grasp of time management and task prioritization. They need to be good listeners and strong communicators. They need to be able to witness high levels of human suffering without letting it influence their own emotional baseline.
Like healthcare, it takes a special person to be able to do this work. To become a social worker, you will need a bachelor’s degree in social work. Many people also go on to get their graduate degrees.
Conclusion
There are so many different ways to get involved in the world of healthcare. Whether you are already working in a hospital setting, or just very interested in making the pivot, nursing as a second career is an excellent way to make a difference in your community.
There are so many ways to get licensed. Find the one that makes the most sense for you.
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Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren
With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.
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