A career in nursing is an excellent choice for those who desire a competitive salary, job stability, and an opportunity to give back. For veterans looking to find a civilian job in the greater Boston area, nursing is an excellent choice, particularly as the career requires several skills that veterans acquire while on active duty. Nurses enjoy rewarding careers and typically earn fairly high salaries with competitive benefits.
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This article covers a list of three potential nursing careers veterans can pursue in the Greater Boston area.
Top Nursing Careers for Veterans
1. Registered Nurse
A career as a registered nurse (RN) is not only rewarding in and of itself, but also provides several additional career opportunities as it is a stepping stone to multiple other positions in the healthcare field. RNs hold a wide range of duties, but they are generally responsible for meeting the needs of patients by keeping accurate records of their medical history and serving their overall healthcare needs.
RNs enjoy a competitive average salary of approximately $75,330, and the job outlook is expected to grow by 9% over the next ten years.
In order to become a nurse, you must obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited college or university, and then pass the NCLEX exam to become certified.
2. Nurse Practitioner
One of the careers you can pursue following a position as a RN is that or a nurse practitioner (NP). NPs hold more authority and decision-making ability than RNs, and can provide direct patient care without being supervised by a physician. There is some overlap between RNs and NPs, but NPs are also responsible for providing individual treatment plans for patients, providing referrals, and more.
NPs also hold higher salaries than RNs, with the average NP bringing in approximately $117,670 yearly.
NPs must start their careers as RNs, and the position requires either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
3. Clinical Nurse Leader
Clinical Nurse Leaders are largely responsible for ensuring that the various caregivers involved in caring for a patient are communicating effectively. CNLs also conduct research, work to measure patient outcomes, and are involved with some of the administrative processes of health care such as internal policy development.
CNLs also earn a reasonably high annual salary, making on average more than $92,000 per year.
CNLs start their careers as RNs before earning a master's degree in a certified CNL program. Once they have completed their degree, they are eligible to apply for their CNL certification.
Top Employers
1. Boston Hospitals
One of the reasons there are many nursing jobs to choose from is that hospitals typically employ a large number of nurses. On average, the BLS reports that RNs make up 30% of total hospital employment. Therefore, as long as hospitals exist there will be demand for nurses to fill them.
There are many hospitals in the Boston area that offer employment opportunities for nurses. The following is a list of some of the best Boston hospitals to work at:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Hospital East Boston
- Tufts Medical Center
- New England Baptist Hospital
- Boston Medical Center
Each of these hospitals offer opportunities for nurses to succeed and grow in their individual careers. Furthermore, hospitals in Boston have a natural need for nurses, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Boston VA Medical Centers and Clinics
As a veteran seeking a career in healthcare, you may feel a strong sense of obligation towards the armed forces following your military service. Working for the VA in a medical capacity is a common choice for veterans who become nurses and want to give back specifically to other veterans.
Some of the VA medical centers and clinics in Boston include:
- Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center
- West Roxbury VA Medical Center
- Brockton VA Medical Center
- Causeway VA Clinic
- Framingham VA Clinic
- Lowell VA Clinic
- Plymouth VA Clinic
- Quincy VA Clinic
Each of these locations provides nurses an opportunity to serve those who have served this country.
Where to Find Nursing Jobs in Massachusetts
If you are in the market for nursing job opportunities, there are several sources that can help you land your desired job.
If you're looking for a position with the VA, USAJobs.gov is an excellent resource for finding federal jobs in Massachusetts. This resource will show you all the federal jobs in the state, but you can narrow it down to only show jobs in the nursing field. You are also able to narrow your search down to a particular city or area of the state, so if you want to find federal nursing jobs in the Boston area, this tool allows you to do so.
LinkedIn is another excellent resource for job postings, and allows you to find others in your network that might be able to help you get an interview or recommendation somewhere. With LinkedIn, you are able to sign up for job alerts, apply for jobs, view your application status, and connect with potential employers.
Finally, each of the employers listed above is likely to have their own job postings board or career page that you can visit directly to find job openings. For example, Massachusetts General Hospital has a career page on which you can view the job postings that are available and the benefits you would receive working for the facility.
How to Become a Nurse
If you are interested in pursuing a career as a nurse, your first step is to earn your BSN at an accredited college or university. If you have previously worked as a military medic, navy corpsman, or some other medical capacity in the military, nursing is an excellent career choice as you likely already have several of the skills required to succeed as a nurse. There are several challenges you will likely have to overcome, however, so it is important to have a clear understanding of your goals and the steps you will need to take in order to fulfill them.
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