Caring For Others, Earning For Yourself

Nursing is an ancient profession, as respected and needed now as it’s ever been. When you ask nursing students or veteran nurses why they chose their profession, you’re likely to hear a reply along empathetic lines. These men and women become nurses because nursing gives them the opportunity to help people on a grass-roots level, day in and day out, and see the immediate impact of their efforts go towards alleviating another person’s suffering. That’s a noble place in one’s heart to begin a career from; and thankfully, it’s a sentiment that’s being financially rewarded.

There’s no two ways about it: the job market is changing rapidly, and more people than ever are at their wits’ end trying to find a career that’s both fulfilling and capable of providing a decent lifestyle. As time goes by, nursing continues to emerge as one of the best options to achieve both. That’s why nursing programs at the community college and undergraduate level are bursting at the seams across the nation, as people of all ages and from all walks of life are discovering that they can earn a median salary of over $68,000 once becoming a registered nurse. That’s no small potatoes in this day and age; and when you consider that the work that nurses do is actually nourishing, dynamic, and rewarding, you can see why it’s such an attractive option for so many people seeking a career.

Is Nursing Protected From Automation and A.I.?

If you follow the news at all, you’ve likely heard about one of the most concerning trends that continues to converge on dozens of traditionally stable career fields: automation. Although automation is capable of saving business owners and manufacturers untold piles of wealth over the long term, it’s also steadily wiping out jobs that used to be viable, abundant careers. Even formerly unassailable stalwart professions such as being a truck driver are in danger of being entirely replaced by robots and automation. No, that’s not a plot line from a bad science fiction movie: it’s reality, and it’s only becoming more prominent by the year.

Yet, nursing is seemingly immune to automation (at least for now). That’s because nurses don’t only follow protocol in terms of treatment. They also provide something much harder to quantify: empathy. Can you automate empathy? Can you teach a robot to hold someone’s hand, tell them a story, reassure them, smile at them, and tell them that everything will be all right? Nursing is an extremely humanistic profession, one that thrives on interpersonal communication and the ability to provide relief both medically and psychologically. To be sure, that’s not easy to do, and it’s why nurses go through such rigorous training to enter their field. But it’s also something that’s not easily replaced by computer software or an algorithm.

If you’re interested in becoming a nurse or finding out more about nursing in general, a great place to start is in our wonderful Los Angeles Community College district, which is abundant with excellent nursing programs that can be a catalyst for a new and exciting career centered around providing help to others in your community!