Nursing is one of those professions that is less negatively impacted by a downward spiraling economy. Even during poor economic times, employer demands for qualified nursing professionals remains quite strong. However, despite the level of nursing career sought, an ample amount of study time and career preparation is necessary to meet employment goals. A career path is nursing can lead individuals to both a personal and financially rewarding profession – one that never suffers any overcrowding since as populations grow and people live longer, more demands for medical professionals continue to rise. In fact, the field of a nursing professional has many opportunities for individuals to continue the learning process, gain specialization in certain focused fields in nursing and develop a career path that possibly begins at mere entry-level positions with a sight set at gradually gaining more education and experience climbing up the ladder of success in the chosen field of nursing.

A Need Forever to be Filled
Nursing is one of the few employment fields where a constant need for qualified personnel remains vitally strong and job security does actually exist. Nursing is probably the most skilled job in demand today. All the proof you’ll ever need is found looking at the employment classified advertisements in any local Sunday newspaper despite the size of the city or town. A small town newspaper may display a few job openings where a large city paper may dedicate column upon column – or a separate, dedicated section to nursing positions open in the area. The plain truth is that there are never enough trained personnel to fill all the nursing jobs available. This results in what is a constant shortage for qualified individuals to fill all the jobs needed in what amounts to about a need for between 100,000 to 150,000 slots across the country. Many experts agree that the situation is so critical that if nothi9ng can be done to attract more people to the profession, within 15 years the shortage will reach a need for 800,000 nursing jobs throughout the nation that may go unfilled.

Employers Compete for Qualified Personnel
This makes it quite a competitive industry – from an employers’ point of view – since medical institutions including hospitals and doctors’ offices are going head-to-head attempting to lure qualified personnel with employment packages possessing excellent salaries, benefits and hiring bonuses. The wave of baby boomers has reached retirement age and life expectancies have increased allowing people to live much longer lives than in the past and more and more people flock to live in the U.S. every year explaining why this profession is so much in demand. Therefore, if you are a qualified nursing professional, you will never have to worry about being unemployed. Anyone seeking job security would have to go a long way to discover a better opportunity than becoming a nursing professional.

Start Your Nursing Career as a CNA
Individuals can begin a nursing career as entry-level CNAs, or Certified Nursing Assistants. The next step would lead toward becoming an LPN, or Licensed Practical Nurse or Vocational Nurse. Many nursing professionals do, indeed, set their personal sights and goals toward becoming a RN, or Registered Nurse. There are several ways to accomplish this goal either through two- or four-year courses leading to an AND (Associate Degree in Nursing) or gaining a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). Typically, certification to become a CNA or licensing to become an LPN does not require obtaining a college degree. Many courses leading to a CAN certification or an LPN licensing are offered by local school districts through Vocational Education. In some situations, especially obtaining CNA certification, employers offer in-facility training sponsoring individuals toward becoming qualified employees at that sponsoring institution.

If an individual wishes to explore the possibilities of a nursing career, starting in a CNA position gives an opportunity to get in-the-field experience that may just compel an individual to seek nursing career advancement.