Take the Leap into Nursing!

Life may lead you in an interesting direction before you decide nursing is right for you. But making the switch is a good idea.

Nurses have been the most trusted profession for the last 18 years, registered nurses have an expected 12 percent job growth by 2028, and three advanced practice nurse specialties are among U.S. News & World Report’s “best jobs.”

• Nurse Practitioner, one of the top 10 “Best Jobs” 5 of the last 6 years
• Nurse anesthetists: Leading the way in DNP education

Here are stories of 5 MSN (Entry Into Nursing) students who came to nursing after a first (and very different) career.

Tyler Block

Both my parents are nurses, which influenced me early on. After touring with Cirque for 10 years (and with all my limbs still intact!), I decided it was a good time to find a more sustainable career. So I returned to the States and jumped right into it.

Jessica Jackson

My undergrad major was musical theater. My career change was fueled by my love of pregnancy and child birth. During my pregnancy, I came in contact with a provider that was less than wonderful. With a little push from my midwife, I set out to be the change I want to see and become a midwife!

Anne Batchelder

I worked on 7 political campaigns, including Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and Cory Booker’s first race for Senate. After the 2016 race, I was ready to move on from politics, but did not want to go back to global health policy and program management. I got the flu and had a fever dream where I realized that if I could really do anything, I wanted to work with people as a nurse. Before I recovered, I had registered for prerequisite classes.

Brian Rogers

Before nursing school, I spent three summers as a deckhand in the sockeye salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. (Eat wild-caught salmon!) I made the switch to nursing because I wanted a career path that wasn’t as affected by supply and demand and climate change as the fishery can be. That being said, I’ll be looking for jobs in Alaska after I graduate and hope to stay involved with the Bristol Bay fishery—so I’m not sure you can say I’ve entirely made the switch.

Alison Bradbury

I received my Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from NYU, then toured the country with a musical, sang backup for Ron Pope and in concerts alongside Broadway performers, appeared in an episode of Law and Order: SVU, and even performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade. I decided to change careers after volunteering during the Hurricane Sandy recovery in Rockaway Beach, NY and at Gay Men’s Health Crisis in Manhattan.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in another field and want to be a nurse, the MSN (Entry Into Nursing) program might be a good fit.