How to Help Your Child Build a Career as a Nurse

According to the Journal of Nursing Regulation, nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the US, with as many as 4.2 million registered nurses (RNs) in the country. It is a rewarding and challenging career path, but it’s also one that requires a lot of dedication.

If you have children interested in nursing, they need to make sure they have what it takes before they start their careers. Here are some ways you can help your child build the confidence, education, and skills needed for success as a nurse:

Start With Math

As a nurse, your child will be required to do the math regularly. This includes everything from patient care and medication management to understanding how to work with other team members.

Because of this, your child must start practicing their math skills as early as possible. If they don't have good math skills, now is the best time to find an after-school program or tutor so that they can help improve your child's ability in this area.

Encourage Science Exploration

If you want your child to pick up a nursing career, science is the best way to get them interested in the field. Science is a great way to learn about the world around us and how things work. It's also an excellent way for them to learn about the human body and other living things. Encourage your child’s curiosity by exposing them to as much science as possible.

There are many different types of sciences, and one of them will surely catch your child’s interest. If you're unsure where they might want to go with their passion, try researching various scientific fields and see what catches their eye.

Get Help from Online Learning Platforms

If your child needs help with nursing topics, recommend that they use online learning platforms. These websites help students learn by testing their knowledge, as well as by providing tools that allow them to make flashcards and create study notes.

In addition, these sites offer video tutorials for students who need more instruction on their coursework. Most of these sites are also quite reasonably priced, so accessing them will not be hard on your pocket.

Join Organizations

Joining organizations that are relevant to a nursing career is a great way to network with people in the field and learn more about what it means to be a nurse.

You can consider joining the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). The AANP promotes professional growth through advocacy, education, and certification for nurse practitioners.

In a recent in Yahoo! Finance, the AANP opened a national conference in Orlando, Florida, with 350 live and 80 on-demand sessions. It also held networking sessions to help nurse practitioners (NPs) in their careers.

You can also join local groups like the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) or the American Nurses Association (ANA). Both organizations work on national issues related to teaching and nursing, respectively.

 

Volunteer at Healthcare Facilities

Volunteering at healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes is a great way to give your child the opportunity to learn more about the healthcare field.

By working as unpaid volunteers in various departments, they will have an opportunity to gain knowledge about all aspects of healthcare, including patient care and medical procedures.

According to Zippia, healthcare is the top volunteering industry in the US, and there are more than 121,000 total student volunteers employed in the country this year.

The volunteering experience will help your child make informed decisions when considering their future career path because it allows them to see what it is like daily for healthcare professionals. Not only will they be able to observe different types of equipment used in these facilities, but they can also ask questions while observing medical procedures performed by doctors and nurses working there.

More time spent volunteering at these facilities will increase your child’s desire for this career choice as well as strengthen their passion for helping others through providing quality care. This ultimately makes them more likely to pursue higher education related specifically to nursing studies if desired later on down the road.  You can inspire your child's nursing aspirations by exploring the rewarding world of traveling nurse jobs, opening doors to diverse opportunities in healthcare.

Conclusion

If you have a child who wants to become a nurse, they must get started on the right track as soon as possible. The sooner they learn about what it takes to become a nurse and how much work goes into this career, the easier it will be for them when they are older. 

It can be difficult for kids to understand what nursing is all about if there aren’t many people in their lives who have been nurses before. We hope these tips will help parents explain what being a nurse means and how important it is for society today.