Is Nursing School Worth It? 5 Things to Consider

Ah, the classic is nursing school worth it dilemma. The question. The intrigue. And, of course, the reality many people ask themselves every single day.

Welcome to my blog! I’m Sadia, a women’s health nurse practitioner, women’s health content writer, and social commentator. I do many things, but mostly, I write and speak my mind. All views my own unless stated otherwise. Grab something to drink and scroll away with me. It’ll be good for both of us, promise.

So, nursing school. Honestly, I’m writing this blog while cranking some Ms. Marvel songs (the music on that show was amazing) and thinking about what to write about for this week.

I know I’m supposed to have my weekly Wednesday blogs pre-done and organized, but I’ve been swamped lately. New projects and new job opportunities kept me busy the past few weeks!

Also, I know there are a ton of blogs and books on is nursing school worth it. Nurses, health care professionals overall, your friends, and more all have their opinions on this hot topic. Even before COVID-19, nursing is a field that everyone’s got an opinion on.

But, the real question is, what do you want to do as a nurse? I remember being a high school senior and hearing how nurses made good money, it was an easy job (a total fucking lie), and that it allowed for work-life balance.

The truth about nursing is that there are literally hundreds of things you can do with a nursing degree. You can literally make your own nursing path doing so many things as a nurse. I personally fell in love with nursing since I can leverage my degree and my knowledge in more ways than a lot more people realize.

If you’re thinking is nursing school worth it, here are some things to consider!

First, why do you want to be a nurse? No, seriously. Why do you want to be a nurse? Grab a sheet of paper, your phone, whatever. Write down at least 10 reasons why you want to be a nurse. Yup, 10. Whether it’s money, flexibility, career path options, green card access, whatever. List them. And if you can’t hit 10, then you don’t want to be a nurse bad enough. You’ll either work non-stop as a nurse till you find something else in life, settle for a career you don’t enjoy, fall in love with nursing as a nurse, or a hot mix of something else.

If you don’t have a clear why as to why you’re doing something in life, it’s going to be a complicated road. Whether it’s exercising, having a relationship, or going to school, knowing your why is going to keep you motivated. Because let me tell you, nursing school fucking rocked my world, and I would not recommend that life for anyone unless you know you want it.

When it rains, it pours

Second, what sort of things do you WANT to do as a nurse? Unless you’re legit brand new to nursing, you’ve seen nurses do a ton of things lately. From social media influencers to YouTubers to nurse lawyers and more, nursing has a lot of career paths. Sure, there are nurses who work their careers at the bedside, and that’s great. AWESOME. Bedside life is a great life. But, the thing about nursing is that you can swing so many career paths from one degree.

Being a professor, doing health communications, serving as a public speaker, getting into corporate life, and more are all realities for many nurses. Nursing is that career with so many options. Do you want to start IVs, do patient education, or work with pregnant people? All can be yours in the world of nursing.

Let’s talk money

Third, money is real. Inflation is almost double digits, and America is pretty much in an unofficial recession. Nurse wages, like many other careers, HAVE NOT kept up with inflation. Many new graduate registered nurses earn $22-30 an hour at most hospitals from what I’ve seen. After doing nursing school, frankly, that’s subpar pay that many hospitals will not raise (unless a ~bleep~ occurs).

Nursing is NOT A FAST EASY MONEY CAREER. You’ll see people talk about making $100K as an RN, and that is not true for new grads. Nurses raking in $100K+ have YEARS of experience as a bedside nurse, work two jobs, push social media, do travel nursing (and most travel nurses have years of experience before even getting hired), and more. There are many nurses who also do nurse writing, serve as clinical preceptors, and more to hit that income.

If you’re only thinking about nursing for money, you are going to be in for a real shock when you start applying for jobs.

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The toll on your body

Fourth, nursing is a physically and mentally demanding career. You will be moving patients, running, not getting regular bathroom breaks, and more. You will be overworked and underpaid almost everywhere you work. Have you considered your health prior to nursing school? Honestly, I went to therapy in nursing school and go to therapy now. I take great care of my mental health and also my physical health. Then again, I’m a major health nerd, so I practice what I educate on.

I workout at least three times a week, eat mostly home-cooked meals, and live a pretty stress free personal life. Nursing is a high stress job. If you’re life is already stressful and your health is not the best, you will feel this more as you work as a nurse. Ask yourself, is nursing school worth it?

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Affording nursing school

Fifth, financially, is nursing school worth it? Personally, I think all schools are overpriced and not worth the hype. I think if you’re going to go to nursing school, do it at a community college or state school to save yourself thousands of dollars. I went to a private nursing school because I knew I wanted to be a women’s health nurse practitioner, and most public nursing schools don’t offer this program.

Also, I already graduated with an Associates from my local community college, and my credits were wonky to transfer into the nursing program. Either way, I’m a community college grad and a private school grad. I felt like my community college was worth it more than the private school. And way more organized and personable. I know people like fancy names and things, but eh. I never was a fancy woman like that. All institutions of higher education are businesses. Just get your degree and move on.

So, what does this all mean?

Do what you want, baby. Only you know is nursing school worth it – to you. For you. For whatever future you want. Think about this career and your life and do what you gotta do. I LOVE being a nurse, I love women’s health, and I love what nursing has done for my life. For me, it was the right choice. For some, it was a mistake. Your life is your life. Just deal with it and go with your gut.

Yours Truly,

Nurse Sadia

DISCLAIMER: Nurse Sadia is a licensed and board-certified women’s health nurse practitioner and registered nurse. All information on this page and on www.digitalhealthcommunicator.com is for educational and informative purposes only. It is not meant to be used for self-diagnosing or self-treatment of any health-related conditions. While the information presented has used evidence-based research and guidelines for accuracy, Nurse Sadia cannot guarantee any inaccuracies as healthcare is rapidly evolving.

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