Maybe you found your way onto this blog because you want to be a nurse and are looking for some more information on the steps you can take to become one. Or perhaps you’re still unsure of what you want to do for a living but nursing always seems to pop into your mind. Either way, look no further as we go through the pathways you can take to become a nurse, as well as the different career options you can choose from once you obtain a nursing degree.

Why Nursing?

First of all, why would anyone want to become a nurse? Well there are many reasons to do so. If you’re still unsure if this is the career for you, just make it through this paragraph and surely your mind will be made. Potentially the most appealing upside to becoming a nurse is the constant and increasing demand for nurses in the workforce (NursingUniforms.net, n.d., para. 2). If practicality is something you’re looking for in your career then nursing is perfect for you. Furthermore, nurses make a great salary, reaching as high as $72,000 for specialized nurses (NursingUniforms.net, n.d., para. 3). The role of a nurse is simple yet diverse. You will always be caring for patients and using your medical education and experience to the best of your ability, but you can work in many different environments, with a multitude of other professions, and can specialize in a number of areas (NursingUniforms.net, n.d., para. 4-12). Last but definitely not least, as a nurse you would be making a difference in people’s lives (NursingUniforms.net, n.d., para. 6). For some, that is more important than any salary, discovery, or invention.

Check out this link for a video of nurses explaining why they chose this career: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_m1P_nAmA

 

(“Job Vacancy”, 2017)

The graph above shows the increase in job vacancies in Ontario (and other provinces/territories) from 2016 to 2017. These numbers are only to increase throughout 2018 and the rest of the following years.

To correlate with above, the graph below shows the real number of job openings. As we can see “health care and social assistance” which is where nursing would fit into is top three in vacancies.

(“Job Vacancy”, 2017)

What You Need

So now you may be wondering, “Do I even have what it takes to be a nurse?” Well allow us to go over some basic requirements you need to meet in order to get accepted into a good nursing program. You can use this to gauge where you currently are in your studies and whether you should start grinding for those As. The average admission requirements for most nursing programs are around 75%. If you are looking for the most competitive programs available and are ready for a challenge, then take a look here (article link). For a quick reference, these are the admission requirements for McMaster University’s Nursing program, one of the top schools in all of Canada for nursing:

• English U
• Biology U
• Chemistry U
• One of Advanced Functions U, Calculus and Vectors U or Mathematics of Data Management U
• Two additional Grade 12 U or M courses to total six courses
• Typically a minimum average of 85% is required for consideration.

(“Admission,” 2017)

A nurse cannot officially call themselves a nurse in Ontario without applying and receiving a valid certificate of registration from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). Any graduate of a nursing program, such as that of McMaster University, is eligible to apply and become a nurse (“Become a nurse,” 2018).

References

NursingUniforms.net. (n.d.). 20 reasons why you should be a nurse. Nursing Link. Retrieved from http://nursinglink.monster.com/content/education-resources

Maclean’s. (2017, November 20). Best nursing universities in Canada: 2018 rankings. Education. Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/education

Admission. (2017). Prospective Students. Retrieved from https://nursing.mcmaster.ca/prospective-students

Become a nurse. (2018). College of Nurses of Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/en/become-a-nurse

Job vacancy and wage survey, third quarter 2017. (2017). Job Market Trends and News. Retrieved from https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_bulletin.do

“Why I Became a Nurse” Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H_m1P_nAmA