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Jaselle Rios

Professor Hugetz

ENGL 1301-05

10/7/2020

JOB REVIEW OF FINAL ESSAY

Registered nurses provide care and treatment to patients with a variety of medical

conditions, as well as administer medication, and manage certain medical equipment. With a

generous salary, a flexible schedule, a growing demand, various requirements, and a range of

opportunities, – being a registered nurse is an excellent career choice in the Houston/Galveston

area.

Becoming a registered nurse begins with one of the few educational paths: an associate’s

degree in nursing, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing

program (Occupational Outlook Handbook). Not only this, but they must pass the NCLEX-RN

test in order to attain their nursing license. After all is said and done, one can make an average of

about $80,575-$105,119 per year (Career Coach) . With this salary, one could easily pay off

college debt and make a good living for themselves. While this career choice might not be for

everyone, and there may be some tough schooling involved – this generous salary could be a

motivator that would be well worth it in the end. Considering that Houston is one of the largest

cities in the U.S, there wouldn’t be a shortage of work hours. If one desired to work full time or

part time, this field has a flexible schedule for anyone: whether it be a person who desires to be

constantly working, or someone with a family and kids they need to attend to – the possible

schedule for registered nurses are adaptable for those who need it.
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A reason there isn’t a shortage of work, is because there just so happens to be a shortage

of nurses. Registered nurses especially are facing a demand that is projected to grow around 7%

from 2019 to 2029

(Occupational Outlook Handbook). This growth is faster than average for most careers, but

considering the increasing rate of chronic conditions and diseases, and the aging baby-boom

population, (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and now, the newly aware thought of another

possible pandemic in the future: there is going to be a major demand for nurses in the near

future. The Covid-19 pandemic gave the public a glimpse of reality of what it truly means to be

in the medical field. While the schedule for a RN maybe flexible, when there’s a major breakout,

or a pandemic that arises – nurses are called in despite their hours in order to compensate for the

spike of patients being treated. However, since there is such a demand for nurses currently, if the

demand were to be met: the United States could possibly be better prepared for the next potential

pandemic. There are 4,862 annual job openings (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and a variety

of possible employers; anywhere from hospitals, schools, private practices, clinics, to military

bases, government agencies, and home health (Career Cornerstone Center). With this projected

growth for this career in the future, it adds on to the benefits of becoming a registered nurse in

the greater Houston area.

While there are so many pros to becoming a registered nurse, this career is not meant for

everyone. Nurses need to have a variety of skills in order to maintain this job. Being able to keep

up in a fast-paced environment while coming and going between patients can be strenuous for

many people. The wide range of specializations means a wide range of things you get to see –

depending where one decides to specialize, one could witness anything from childbirth, to gory

sights, such as victims of violent crimes. So, while one must be able to accommodate for the
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physical requirements of this career, they must also be able to deal with the emotion stress of

nursing as well. As a nurse, a person will deal with thousands of patients with a variety of issues

throughout their career. Not every single one of the patients makes a full recovery, and while a

grim truth, it’s a necessary that nurses do not become too attached to patients in order to not form

biases. The requirements of a nurse are many: from being able to think and react quickly, and

showing compassion to patients, to educating family members and communicating with other

medical professionals.

With all of these skills needed, come plenty of opportunities when becoming a registered

nurse. As previously mentioned, these nurses can anywhere from a clinic, to a military base. Not

only that, but the specializations available are limitless. There’s nurse midwives, pediatric

nursing, oncology nursing, critical care nursing, and so many more – if one desired to enter into

any of these special fields, getting their RN license would be a proper first step into their desired

specialty. If one desired to stay close to home after attaining their license, they could work in a

local hospital, clinic or even school; however, if they desired to stay on the move and travel, one

could work for a travel company or possibly a military base (Career Cornerstone Center). This

area of nursing has endless opportunities for anyone who decides to put in the work to be a part

of this field. Whatever interests a person now, might not interest them later, and with a RN

license – it’s possible to change your specialty or find a job that suits your current interests. The

possibilities with registered nursing are far from few.

Registered nursing is an amazing career choice overall – but with Houston’s growing

population and the endless opportunities it has to offer: this area of nursing would be an excellent

choice in this city. With a projected growth, a high demand, generous salary, and a broad variety
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of specializations and routes this career could lead – becoming a RN is easily one of the best

career choices for those in the Houston/Galveston area.

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SOURCES:

 "Registered Nurses : Occupational Outlook Handbook." 01 Sept. 2020. Web. 07 Oct.

2020.

 "What Can I Do with This Degree? NURSING." Nursing. Web.

 Alvincollege.emsicc.com. Web. 07 Oct. 2020.