|
"You Can
Jump Fences, That's what I like About Nursing."
|
Karra now works for a large health plan developing methods to improve
the delivery of health care to large numbers of patients.
According to Karra, "the security you get
with nursing is in its flexibility…that’s what I like
about it—you can go from role to role, you can jump those fences."
At 21, Karra was very poor, had a brand new baby,
and needed a good job to support her husband while he was in school.
She chose nursing as a career because she was seeking stability.
She earned her first license as a vocational nurse (LVN) in Washington
State and hasn’t stopped since.
"Young people [today] are not given the real
story about nursing," says Karra. For example, did you know
that:
|
In California,
a full time entry level R.N. salary is around $50,000 to $60,000
per year. Some areas of California are so desperate for qualified
Registered Nurses that they will offer signing bonuses of $10,000
or more, plus relocation costs. |
|
The U.S. military
provides free nursing education and advanced clinical training,
tremendous leadership opportunities, and (depending on current
national policy) can even grant U.S. citizenship to men and
women who volunteer. |
|
The U.S. government
can help you repay your student loans if you choose to work
in a location designated "high need." |
|
Other nations
value the superiority of the American nursing education. They
will employ, house and feed new graduates. In addition, they
pay them a salary large enough to pay off student loans in about
two years. |
Karra emphasizes that nursing has really
changed over the years, and there are now more opportunities than
ever, both in terms of education and employment. Coincidentally,
just like Karra’s resume, the list of opportunities in nursing
is actually way too long to list in just one story.
|