I was asked to review this book, 201 Careers in Nursing from the Springer Publishing Company and yes they did send me a free copy of the book but rest assure, I will give my honest review, so here goes….
This book provides general information about 201 careers in nursing. It covers a basic description, skills needed, certifications/ education required and websites you can visit for more information. I’ll talk about this later in the review.
There are also interviews with nurses practicing in their chosen fields such as Nurse Entrepreneur, Flight Nurse and Nurse Anesthetist, to name a few. Each nurse shares their story on how they got started, what are the rewards of being a nurse and honest advice to anyone contemplating becoming a nurse.
I did like this section because I enjoy reading stories about how others got started in nursing and how much they love what they are doing.
Not all nurses are burnout and frustrated with their jobs as some may think.
The introduction is well written so be sure to read it, you’ll discover who this book is for. It’s for those entering the nursing profession (students, new grads) those thinking about a career in nursing, or if you know someone thinking about a career in nursing and also a useful resource for guidance counselors at high schools.
This book provides basic information to guide you in your decision making.
Now if you’re already in nursing and thinking of a career change you may not like this book especially if you want information on salaries rather than basic description and requirements. If this is you, your better off looking for that information online rather then from this book.
Side note: It does state on the cover that information is provided about salaries but I didn’t find them listed anywhere in this book.
If salaries in nursing are of interest to you check out the website indeed.com and scroll to the bottom of the page and look for salaries, click on this tab and type in the nursing specialty you’re interested in and the city where you would like to work. Up pops a list of salaries you can expect in that area. Remember salaries in nursing will differ depending on where you live and your experience level, it’s most likely why it’s not listed in this book, too many variables.
Getting back to the book review, I didn’t see any listing of Geriatric Care Manager as a nursing option, not sure why, it’s a fast growing nursing career choice especially with baby boomers retiring. As a Home Care Nurse, I get ask a lot if I know of anyone who does geriatric care managing. People are willing to pay for this service, it’s something to consider for any nurse who loves working with the elderly.
That brings the total to 202 careers in nursing.
There’s also some disagreement when it comes to requirements, I wish they would have used the word recommended rather than requirements, but I understand some jobs will require you to have a BSN or MSN but not all, so when applying for a nursing job read the requirements carefully and don’t be afraid to apply for a nursing job that wants certification in a nursing specialty, you may have transferable skills that will do. It all in how you word your resume and how you present yourself that gets you the job.
For me, this book serves its purpose and is a great resource for what I do, I write about alternative nursing careers and coach nurses in making smart career choices.
I would highly recommend it for nursing students, new grads and those considering a career in nurses. It will provide these groups of people basic information with an overview of all the great opportunities nurses have today, along with career tips for new nurses (found in the introduction section) which I found useful.
Tina 🙂