“Getting a Good Job in America” Part 10 – Nursing and other medical Jobs

There is an article from US News and World Report this week that describes the 100 best jobs in America:

According to the article, here is how “best” is defined:

“No single job suits all of us, but many of the best ones have a few attributes in common: They pay well, challenge us year after year, match our talents and skills, aren’t too stressful, offer room to advance throughout our careers, and provide a satisfying work-life balance. Whether the position is in demand is also a consideration among job seekers. U.S. News uses these qualities to rank the 100 Best Jobs of 2021.”

One thing about the list is the prominence of medical jobs at the top of the list:

#1 is Physician’s Assistant at $112,000
#3 is Nurse Practitioner at $110,000
#5 is Physician at $200,000
#7 is Speech-Language Pathologist at $78,000
#13 is Physical Therapist Assistant at $58,000

The thing about the Nurse Practitioner is that: a) it pays well, b) there are a lot of openings (more than 100K), c) the requirements are much lower than those to become a physician, and d) you can approach it incrementally.

What does incrementally mean? This post from Reddit this week demonstrates the process:

From custodian to nurse practitioner

Step 1- start as a custodian (janitor)
Step 2 – become a registered nurse
Step 3 – become a nurse practitioner making 6 figures

It is not a trivial path, but there is a path and plenty of job openings if you are planning to go to college anyway.

One path would be to get a bachelor degree in nursing and become a registered nurse. You could do this at a college like ECU:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Then move up from there to nurse practitioner:

Family Nurse Practitioner

Associate degree in Nursing

Or a lower cost option would be to start through a community college with something like this associate degree:

Associate Degree Nursing – AAS

The associate degree is described in this way, and would give you an entry point:

“The Associate Degree Nursing curriculum provides knowledge, skills, and strategies to integrate safety and quality into nursing care, to practice in a dynamic environment, and to meet individual needs that impact health, quality of life, and achievement of potential. Course work includes and builds upon the domains of healthcare, nursing practice, and the holistic individual. Content emphasizes the nurse as a member of the interdisciplinary team providing safe, individualized care while employing evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. Graduates of this program are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Employment opportunities are vast within the global health care system and may include positions within acute, chronic, extended, industrial, and community health care facilities.”

100 Best Jobs is a great article to get other job ideas. Some of them only require a high school diploma.