Nurses have more opportunities, resources, and authority than ever before. Nursing offers the flexibility to balance family life with a career that offers ample room for advancement.. Nurses also have greater job security, and can even travel around the world as part of their job.

1. Schedule Flexibility
You can work days or nights, or in positions with a regular nine-to-five schedule. You can work three 12-hour shifts in a row and have a long weekend to spend with your kids. If you need to make time for a doctor’s appointment or a Little League game, you can easily rearrange your schedule by talking to your supervisor or finding someone else to cover your shift.

2. Great Salary and Benefits
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with an associate’s degree a registered nurse (RN) makes $65,470 per year. Nurse practitioners make an average of $96,460 per year. With a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing, there is the potential to earn a six-figure salary. A nurse educator at a traditional nursing college can make up to $140,000 a year. Plus, nurses of all skill levels receive great health and dental benefits and can also receive life insurance or retirement pensions.

3. Job Security
The current nursing shortage means that hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, and other care facilities worldwide are struggling to fill positions. In the U.S. alone, demand for RNs is expected to grow by 19 percent over the next 10 years. The demand for skilled nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists is expected to grow by 31 percent. There are opportunities available, all over the country, in urban as well as rural areas for those looking to join the nursing field.

4. Plenty of Room for Advancement
If you’re an ambitious woman looking for a career with plenty of room for upward mobility, nursing is for you. A BSN in nursing will open doors to many of the most prestigious, highest-paying hospital positions. With an MSN, you’ll be qualified to work as a nurse practitioner, and in many states, open your own practice. A DNP will prepare you for administrative roles or a career in education. If you begin a career in nursing with an associate’s or bachelor’s and then later decide you want to pursue more education, it’s easy to earn a DNP online while you continue to work full-time.

5. Opportunities to Travel
Nursing is a great career for those who want to see more of the country or the world. Travel nursing agencies allow nurses to take temporary positions in cities or rural communities worldwide. You may earn even more money as a travel nurse than you would in your local area.

Plus, you’ll make a difference for people living in areas where medical resources are scarce while being able to explore the world as part of your job.

Overall nursing offers many advantages as a personally fulfilling and well-respected profession — the chance to travel, great job security and benefits, and opportunities for advancement.