Registered Nurse Benefits

The employment benefits of a registered nurse include perks such as paid vacation, sick leave, medical, dental and vision insurance, employee health benefits, education, paid holidays, and social security.  For a breakdown of the value of the employment benefits of the registered nurse check out my employment benefits page.

Registered Nurse Professional Benefits
There are several professional benefits to being a registered nurse. These benefits are professional reputation, professional mobility, opportunities for advancement, professional growth and membership in one of the largest professions in the healthcare industry.

let's look at professional reputation first. Nurses enjoy the highest ratings in almost every poll in regards to positive characteristics such as honesty, integrity, and compassion. In fact, it's not unusual for nurses to rate as number one for these characteristics public opinion polls. Nurses are often sought out to endorse legislature and popular causes because of the credibility that nurses have.

Professional mobility is one of the top reasons that many people say they became a nurse. Nurses enjoy one of the highest levels of geographical and professional mobility in the world. Travel nursing is one prime example of geographical mobility. Another example is the ability to change the type of nursing you do. For example, you might work in the hospital this year. And decide next year that you want to be a home health nurse. Or instead of being a home health nurse you might decide to become a diabetic educator. It's not much of an exaggeration to say there are almost as many different ways to be a nurse as there are nurses in this country. You never lack for new horizons in nursing.

Of course every profession has opportunities for advancement. The floor nurse today can easily be the vice president of nursing services in five years depending on the size of the organization or the hospital where he or she works. If working for yourself and being the boss is something that appeals to you nursing offers many opportunities for the entrepreneur.

Professional growth is another area that goes hand-in-hand with nursing. For example, there is advanced practice nursing. If you have a bent for diagnosis and like to problem solve, create treatment plans and prescribed them then being a nurse practitioner is right up your alley. Other professional growth opportunities exist as a nursing educator, clinical nurse specialist, or in nursing leadership. Nursing is truly a profession where it can be said that learning is just beginning upon graduation from nursing school.

Finally, we have the fact that as a nurse you belong to the largest group of working professionals in the healthcare industry. In fact, nursing comprises one of the largest bodies of professionals in the country. As a member of a professional association you have the opportunity to shape social, political and economic causes. I don't know if this is a benefit or a responsibility but it's certainly part of being a professional nurse. In fact, one definition of a professional includes membership in an association that promotes the ethics, professionalism and high standards of that profession within its industry.

Registered Nurse Personal Benefits
The personal benefits of being a nurse are probably one of best parts of being a nurse. There are several benefits that come to mind; personal autonomy, making a difference, and being an important member of society. Whenever they do a study on job satisfaction and how people feel about themselves the results are usually very surprising. Many people assume that if a job pays lots of money then everybody will be happy. That usually isn't the truth.

Job satisfaction and self-worth are linked to things like knowing that your job is meaningful and knowing that you have personal autonomy and make decisions that are important. Many nurses cite saving lives, improving health, and making a difference as one of the top reasons they love being a nurse. Let's face it, with public opinion being so high about nurses there is no doubt that being an important member of society and having a huge impact on so many peoples' lives can be very rewarding. Of course, the salary should be in line with the importance of the work. But salary alone does not make for job satisfaction and feelings of self worth.

This list is certainly not all of the registered nurse benefits. Whatever reason you may have for wanting to know the registered nurse benefits you may rest assured that being a registered nurse is a very rewarding career with many benefits and rewards.