Two common questions I get–How did I know I wanted to be a nurse? Why did I go back to school for nursing? My answer may surprise some of you guys. I honestly had no idea I wanted to be a nurse and didn’t really know if I would enjoy the career or not. It seems silly thinking back on it, but at the time I knew that because of the nursing shortage that I could get a job as a nurse. I’d have benefits and I’d have job flexibility depending on what type of nurse I wanted to be. There were a lot of perks! So, I started taking my pre-requisite nursing courses and immediately fell in love with anatomy & physiology. I figured, I love this class, and this material is so interesting–so I’m sure nursing will be a good fit! Little did I know what an impactful career it would be. I know that may sound naive, but I didn’t truly realize the importance of the profession until I was actually in it. I initially became a nurse because it seemed like a job that checked off all the “right” boxes. But now I know that nursing goes way beyond that. This is why I’m grateful for companies like Johnson & Johnson who are doing everything in their power to support nurses, help end the nursing shortage, and help current nurses advance their careers.

One of Johnson & Johnson’s first initiatives that addressed the nursing shortage was in 2002 when they launched their Campaign for Nursing’s Future. It’s been projected that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 500,000 nurses. Johnson & Johnson has been addressing this future shortage for almost 15 years now. I think this speaks to how dedicated they are to supporting nurses and helping address this future healthcare crisis. As a result, they’ve provided over 20 million in nursing scholarships, worked with over 25 nursing organizations, launched the Nurses Innovate QuickFire Challenge. The nursing workforce has now grown by over 1 million and is expected to grow by another 1 million by 2030 which is incredible.

Beyond that, they’ve also developed the Minority Nurse Faculty Scholarship which gives financial support to students from minority backgrounds that are going for their masters as a nurse educator. They also have several other programs that focus on providing nursing scholarships and research support, and disaster relief nursing.

I sometimes get messages with people asking me if they should go back to school for nursing or if I like being a nurse. I think this depends on a lot of things. Being a nurse is incredible in a lot of ways. It’s a career where you actually feel like you’re making a true difference. Sure, every day doesn’t necessarily feel that way, but I think in your heart you know that you’re making an actual impact. It’s a job that we need people to do. For me personally, it can be difficult working in a medical ICU. It’s definitely not the most uplifting place and it does take a toll on me, but it also makes me truly appreciate the life and blessings that I have. Many people are not as lucky. However, that is just a small portion of nursing. The beauty of nursing is that there are so many fields and specializations that probably you can find an area that suits your needs and interests.

I know a lot of you guys have wanted me to dive deeper into nursing, so Stephen and I also did a podcast episode where we go into my career, and nursing as a whole, plus some more initiatives Johnson & Johnson has done to support nurses. You can take a listen to that episode here. I hope it opens your eyes to understand the world of nursing a little better, and why the profession is so important! And why we should go out of our way to support companies like Johnson & Johnson’ who are doing everything in their power to support nurses and their education. I hope you guys enjoy the episode!