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10 Reasons to Be Proud You’re a Nurse

Nurses Month celebrates these healthcare heroes.

All year long, the American Nurses Association (ANA) serves as an advocate for the nursing profession and its 4 million U.S.-based registered nurses.1 And while the ANA and other organizations celebrate the contributions of these dedicated healthcare professionals 365 days a year, too, the ANA sets May aside for a special observance: Nurses Month.

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“Nurses make a difference as trusted advocates who ensure individuals, families, and populations receive quality patient care and services,” the ANA said in announcing its theme for 2022, Nurses Make a Difference. “Nurses make a difference by influencing and shaping health policy decisions that ensure all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare coverage.”2

Nurses make a difference in immeasurable ways and have infinite reasons to be proud of their careers in nursing. Here are 10 of those reasons:

  1. Nurses Earn the Public’s Trust
    The nursing profession ranked No. 1 for the 20th consecutive year in the Gallup organization’s Honesty and Ethics survey. In the 2021 poll, 81% of Americans surveyed said nurses had the highest ethical standards. Medical doctors were in second place at 67%, a full 14 points below nurses.3
  2. APRNs Bridge a Gap in Rural Communities
    Nurse practitioners make a difference in communities across America, and in rural settings, they’re providing much-needed healthcare services in the wake of physician shortages. “While almost 20% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, less than 10% of U.S. physicians practice in these communities,” according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).4 Nurse practitioners are helping to extend coverage and now constitute 19% of the rural hospital primary care workforce.4
  3. RNs Work for Health Equity
    Since the dawn of their profession, nurses have worked tirelessly to provide quality healthcare for all. The Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report says these healthcare professionals continue to be key players in achieving equity: “Nurses play multiple roles in acute care, community, and public health settings, through which they can influence the medical and social factors that drive health outcomes, health equity, and healthcare equity.”5
  4. They Enjoy Diverse Nursing Careers
    Becoming a nurse means you have many options to serve your community. RNs work in schools to teach students and their families about healthy lifestyles. They bring quality nursing care to prison and jail populations. They teach in online master’s in nursing degree programs and serve as nurse mentors. They set the strategic course for healthcare organizations as nurse leaders. They provide critical care in hospital emergency departments and promote wellness in community clinics. Nurses Month is a great time to look around and spot nurses excelling in their various and unique roles.
  5. RNs Are in Demand
    The world needs nurses in so many capacities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 276,000 new RN positions will be needed between 2020 and 2030, a growth rate of 9%.6 There is an even greater need for nurse practitioners who have earned a master’s degree. The aging population and the focus on preventative care is adding to the demand for these nursing professionals, who can expect to see a job growth rate of 52% by 2030.7
  6. Nurses Are Leaders
    These healthcare professionals are proud leaders at bedsides, in classrooms, and in administrative roles as nurse leaders or nurse executives. The National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice envisions nurses playing an even larger leadership role, too: “Given its size and the many roles the nursing profession plays, it has the opportunity to assume a leadership position in the value-based transformation of healthcare.”8
  7. Their Work Blends Head and Heart
    Nurses’ heads guide their hands in providing skilled and compassionate care. Today’s nurses are empathetic. They are also critical thinkers who work in high-pressure environments making split-second decisions. Today’s RNs are nurse informaticists, using cutting-edge technology to improve healthcare delivery. They are good listeners and excellent communicators. They are teachers who help patients and families manage chronic conditions and understand diagnoses. They operate with precision. They work proudly in a helping profession.
  8. Nurses Are Healthcare Superheroes
    Some superheroes don’t wear capes—they wear scrubs. Nurses have always served on the front lines during times of emergency. But their work during the COVID-19 pandemic has elicited even more respect from a grateful public. The Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report is dedicated to these proud professionals: “Their dedication and persistence in the face of adversity saved countless lives. They were also there to ease the suffering of the dying with a hand held, a song sung, or a video call to loved ones.”9
  9. They Have Job Satisfaction
    More than 80% of nurses surveyed said they were satisfied they’d chosen a career in nursing, with the majority saying they were “extremely satisfied.”10 And on the U.S. News & World Report Best Health Care Jobs list, nurse practitioner ranks No. 1.11 NPs surveyed cited upward mobility as one of the reasons for their job satisfaction.
  10. RNs Value Education
    Nurses are committed to lifelong learning. By advancing their education in online nursing programs, nurses are preparing to meet the growing demand for nursing professionals.

A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree can lead to rewarding job opportunities in a variety of career fields. If you’re getting ready to select an online MSN program, look for Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation, which indicates a nursing program’s quality and integrity.12

Walden University’s online MSN degree program has CCNE accreditation and offers a variety of specializations to help you tailor your studies to your career goals. There are five nurse practitioner specializations that can prepare you to pursue certification and credentialing. If leadership in nursing is your ambition, there’s a Nurse Executive specialization. Other specialty practice options include Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics, and Public Health Nursing.

Walden offers a wide variety of online programs for nursing, including the CCNE-accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) online degree program. For nurses who have already earned an MSN, there are doctoral programs to consider: the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the PhD in Nursing.

As a leader in distance education for more than 50 years, Walden understands that working professionals need flexibility to achieve their educational goals. All of Walden’s online nursing programs give you the opportunity to earn a degree while staying active in your nursing career and personal life.

Choosing the right online nursing school can help you advance your career and bring you even more reasons to be proud that you’re a nurse, 365 days a year.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) online degree program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
 

1Source: www.nursingworld.org/ana/about-ana/
2Source: https://nursesmonth.org/about-nurses-month/
3Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/388649/military-brass-judges-among-professions-new-image-lows.aspx
4Source: www.aha.org/system/files/2019-02/rural-report-2019.pdf
5Source: https://nam.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Report-Highlights_Future-of-Nursing.pdf
6Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-1 
7Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm#tab-6
8Source: www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/advisory-committees/nursing/reports/2019-fifteenthreport.pdf
9Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573914/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK573914.pdf
10Source: www.amnhealthcare.com/amn-insights/nursing/surveys/2019-survey-of-registered-nurses-a-challenging-decade-ahead/
11Source: https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/nurse-practitioner
12Source: www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing (BSN), master’s degree program in nursing (MSN), post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Walden University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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