Top 5 Reasons to Start a Nursing Career in 2026

Whether you're graduating high school or working through community college, now is the perfect time to consider a future in nursing. Here's why:

1. The U.S. Is Facing a Historic Nursing Shortage

During the next decade, health care systems nationwide—and especially in California—are bracing for a major gap in the nursing workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country will need more than 189,000 new registered nurses each year through 2032 to meet rising demand.

Why the shortage? A combination of:

• Retiring nurses (especially from the Baby Boomer generation)
• Aging populations with more chronic care needs
• A backlog of patients from the pandemic
• A limited number of nursing school instructors

For students entering the field now, this means greater job availability, faster hiring and long-term job security.

Nursing truly opens doors—no matter what your interests are.

2. A Nursing Career Offers Dozens of Pathways

Many people will picture nurses working in hospitals—but that's just one option.

As a registered nurse, your career could take you to:

• Pediatric clinics or schools
• Public health organizations
• Emergency departments or intensive-care units
• Mental health or addiction treatment centers
• Travel nursing assignments across the U.S.
• Telehealth or virtual care settings
• Humanitarian aid and global health work

You can also specialize in areas like oncology, neonatal care, trauma or cardiac nursing. And after gaining experience, you can continue your education and become a nurse practitioner, nurse educator or health care administrator. Nursing truly opens doors—no matter what your interests are.

3. Nurses Earn High Salaries—Especially in California

In California, the average salary for registered nurses is more than $93,000 per year, according to the BLS. That’s nearly double the national average across all occupations.

And beyond salary, many nurses receive:

• Strong health and retirement benefits
• Union protections
• Overtime opportunities
• Job mobility across regions or specializations

If you're looking for a career that pays well and makes a difference, nursing offers both.

4. You Don’t Need a Medical Background to Begin

What surprises many students is how accessible the nursing pathway actually is. You don’t need to have a medical or science background to start. Here’s how it often works:

Step 1: Complete general education and science prerequisites (like chemistry, anatomy, physiology and microbiology).

Step 2: Apply to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program or Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN).

Step 3: Graduate, then pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become licensed.

Our Nursing Preparatory Program provides a strong foundation for aspiring nurses, preparing students to seamlessly transfer into a BSN program—such as our linkage with Samuel Merritt University—after completing required coursework. With our flexible scheduling options, you can balance work, evening classes or full-time study while pursuing your goals.

Starting your nursing journey now puts you on track to graduate and enter the workforce at exactly the right moment.

5. Nurses Make a Real-World Impact Every Day

From routine checkups to crisis response, nurses are essential at every level of health care. They:

• Advocate for patients
• Educate families
• Support physicians and care teams
• Deliver life-saving interventions
• Offer comfort, compassion and stability

And unlike many careers that may feel abstract or disconnected, nursing allows you to see the difference you’re making right away. For students seeking meaningful, hands-on work, it’s one of the most rewarding professions available.

Why 2026 Is the Right Time

Starting your nursing journey now puts you on track to graduate and enter the workforce at exactly the right moment. Employers are ramping up hiring; nursing school seats are expanding; and the industry is adapting to include more tech, preventative care and personalized medicine.

By 2028 or 2029, you could be wearing your scrubs, helping patients and earning a strong salary—all while doing something that truly matters.

Whether you’re just beginning your college search or exploring your next step after high school, nursing is a career that offers stability, growth and purpose. With so many paths to enter the field—and so many communities in need—there’s never been a better time to start.

Learn more about how you can start with our Nursing Preparatory Program.