Careers to Consider: Nursing

Nursing is a broad field with many specialties and opportunities. Unfortunately, many high school students may have inaccurate preconceived notions about the field, such as the idea that men in nursing are rare.

Thankfully, there are ways to help educate students about the field and get them excited about a career as a nurse. It can be helpful to utilize some key resources to help expose students to the nursing field and imagine themselves stepping into the role.

Here are some resources to help curious students learn more about the nursing field.

An Overview of the Field and Its Specialties

Before tapping some more in-depth resources, a great place to start getting high school students excited about nursing is by providing them with an overview of the field. This can dispel their preconceived notions while also showing them the variety of opportunities and paths in the field.

To start, it can help to explain the different types of nurses and specialties that students can pursue. If a particular student has an interest in travel, you can spend more time explaining the role of travel nurses and the lucrative salaries they can earn. Conversely, if someone has an interest in emerging technology, you can point them in the direction of nursing specialties that have an emphasis on technology such as nursing informatics.

By giving students a broad overview of the nursing industry and the many avenues they can pursue in the field, you can change their attitude toward nursing and pursuing a career in the field.

Ways Highschool Students Can Explore Nursing Themselves

While talking about nursing may be a way to spark interest, many students may need a more potent catalyst to actually pursue a role in the field. Having a list of all of the resources in your areas that allow students to explore the field can be a great way to let students experience what the job is like and imagine what it would feel like to step into the role.

These resources could include things like healthcare internships and nurse shadowing opportunities in medical institutions. If some students have a keen interest in volunteer work, connecting them with healthcare or nursing-related volunteer opportunities is also a great way to get them involved. Hopefully, engaging in these experiences will get students excited about pursuing a career in nursing and spark their curiosity to do more research on their own.

Online Nursing Resources

Today’s high school students are no strangers to online activities, and providing online nursing resources may be a great way to get them engaged in their own research. Some resources could include articles and videos that highlight what it’s like to be a nurse and the benefits that come with pursuing it as a career. Podcasts can be another ripe resource to provide to students as they can listen to them during their commute to and from school.

By providing a list of various online nursing resources to students, you encourage them to continue researching the field outside of school. Resources created by actual nurses can be especially valuable, as these professionals are more knowledgeable about their field and can paint a vivid picture of what their professional life is like.

College Nursing Programs

Once you’ve exposed students to various nursing resources, it’s important to follow up with those who show keen interest. In these follow-up sessions, it can be effective to have a number of resources connected to college nursing programs. Be sure to thoroughly explain the difference between various programs, the amount of time they’ll take, and the importance of determining one’s career goals before committing to a specific program.

In addition to various programs, it can be helpful to provide scholarship resources that students can take advantage of. Feeling aware of their options will make these students more likely to seriously contemplate a career in nursing.

Explain Ways to Find Jobs in Nursing

No one wants to pursue a degree or education in a field that might leave them without a job. To dispel these fears in your students, it can help to provide them with resources that explain how nurses can find jobs and the steps that they can take to get there. The more prepared your students feel, the more likely they’ll be to pursue a career in the field.

One significant tip you might provide students with is the importance of networking to expose one to new employment opportunities. In addition to this, you may provide them with nursing events and opportunities in your local area that will give them the power to both improve their networking skills and make connections that can help them land a job once they’re qualified as nurses.

Help Students Connect with Real Nurses

While you can do your best to espouse the wonders of nursing to your students, it won’t be the same as having an actual nurse connect with them. This being the case, it can be incredibly useful for you to find nurses who are willing to connect with students — whether that’s over zoom, email, or social media — and describe their experiences and answer students’ questions.

The more students you’re able to connect with real nurses, the greater chances you’ll have of sparking a substantial interest in your students. This being the case, though it may involve a little more work on your part, finding nurses willing to communicate with students can be an amazing resource to educate students about the nursing field.

Nursing Can Be a Ripe Future for Students

Though it may not be the profession they always dreamed of stepping into, many students may become excited by the nursing field by being exposed to some key resources. By being mindful of student interests and educating them about nursing specialties that align with their interests, you should have no problem instilling students with a curiosity to learn more about the process of becoming a nurse.