6 Reasons to Be a Nurse in Nashville
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After deciding you want to go back to school for nursing, it’s important to find the right city and school. Finding the best city for you to live and work in can be mentally exhausting. Not only do you want to live somewhere that fits in with your lifestyle, but you need a city that can meet your criteria for work. If you’re curious about nursing in Nashville, Tennessee, you’re going to want a better idea of what life is like as a nurse in Nashville if you’re not from our area. Our new accelerated nursing program in Nashville is now accepting applications, so don’t delay if the area sounds good to you!
Work where you want. Living in Nashville gives you more opportunities as a nurse than if you were living in a smaller city or town. If you’re interested in working in hospitals, Nashville has more than 30 hospitals in the metropolitan area and is the home of three of the nation’s best hospitals, including our clinical partner Saint Thomas Hospital, which was ranked as a top teaching hospital. If you’re looking for something different, you can work at the various senior living facilities, as a home health care nurse or as a school nurse. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary of a registered nurse in Tennessee is $64,120, and the cost of living is significantly lower than in cities such as Chicago.
Nashville offers all of the excitement of living in a city without being overwhelming. Compared to Chicago’s population of 6.5 million people, Nashville has a dramatically smaller population of 1.5 million. That said, a smaller population doesn’t translate to fewer jobs. The nationwide nursing shortfall is in effect in Tennessee, and plenty of opportunities exists for nurses within the state.
Nashville has plenty to do. Whether you love country music, spending time outside, or visiting museums and historical attractions, you will never be bored in Nashville. Nursing students in Nashville can use their spare time to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, take in some classical music at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, or take a walking tour through Nashville to learn about the history of the city. Nashville is the home of the historic Grand Ole Opry, where you can take in a show or go on a backstage tour of the country’s most famous stage.
Enjoy the travel. Take advantage of Nashville’s central location during your breaks from classes and clinicals and do some local traveling.Spend a day or two in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where you can visit the Titanic Museum or enjoy yourself at the Dollywood theme park. If you’re looking for something more active, visit Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the Smokey Mountain National Park. The winding road to the trail offers beautiful views of the mountains, and the half-mile walk to the dome is a great source of exercise. Once you reach the top, you can see up to 100 miles away on clear days.
Connect with your classmates. Students in the accelerated nursing program at Marian University enter the program with the same classmates they leave with, and most live in the area in order to attend labs and clinicals. You’ll be able to build contacts with the people you may one day be working with. Not only does this help set you up for a successful career, but it also allows you to build more personal relationships with your peers.
Take advantage of the food scene. If you’re a self-described foodie, Nashville is the place for you. If you are a health-food nut, check out The Wild Cow for vegan and vegetarian cuisine, or stop by Nashville’s Farmers’ Market to pick up some fresh food and cook yourself up something healthy and delicious, or find a restaurant within to try. Any nurses looking for some southern barbeque should check out Jack’s on Broadway or B.B. Kings. Both offer authentic southern pork barbecue and beef brisket to satisfy your cravings, and B.B. Kings also features blues bands. If you’re looking for some out-of-town food, check out Chuy’s for some tex-mex or Noshville for authentic New York deli food. Check out the Frothy Monkey for a pulled pork sandwich, and you may run into Ben Folds while you’re there.
Ready to get your life going as a nurse in Tennessee? Contact us for information on enrolling in our ABSN program today!