In an April 1, 2026 article in the Wall Street Journal titled “Nursing Is the Surefire New Path to American Prosperity”, author Jeanne Whalen writes that;

“Factory work used to be Americans’ most reliable ticket to the middle class. Office jobs offered another dependable route. But as automation, globalized manufacturing, and now artificial intelligence threaten or narrow some of these paths, healthcare jobs have become the surest bet. At a time of uncertainty in the labor market, nursing offers not only stability but, for some, a pathway to real prosperity.” (emphasis added)

And:

Factory work used to be Americans’ most reliable ticket to the middle class. Office jobs offered another dependable route. But as automation, globalized manufacturing, and now artificial intelligence threaten or narrow some of these paths, healthcare jobs have become the surest bet. At a time of uncertainty in the labor market, nursing offers not only stability but, for some, a pathway to real prosperity.” (Emphasis added)

Ms. Whalen relates Miranda Mammen’s story:

“Miranda Mammen became a licensed practical nurse after earning a community-college diploma. Later, she went back to school for a bachelor’s in nursing and worked in an emergency room during the pandemic. Four years ago, she got her doctorate and became a nurse practitioner.

With each step, the 33-year-old has boosted her pay and responsibilities. These days she is working at a primary-care clinic in Lincoln, Neb., earning about $120,000 a year. She conducts annual physicals, treats respiratory illness and abdominal pain, and manages chronic conditions.

She and her husband, a garage-door technician, own a three-bedroom home, contribute to their 401(k)s, and are taking their child on a trip to Florida this summer.

“We don’t really have to worry about getting our bills paid,” Mammen said. “That definitely takes away the stress of the economy that I know a lot of people are experiencing.”

Ms. Whalen writes that now:

“The median annual wage for registered nurses in the U.S. is $93,600, compared with $49,500 for all occupations, according to the Labor Department. For nurse practitioners and others with advanced degrees, it is $132,050.”

and that:

“Healthcare has generated some of the most consistent job growth of any U.S. profession since the early 1980s, thanks to soaring healthcare spending and the aging population. Total jobs in the industry overtook those in the manufacturing and retail sectors in the early 2000s, and the gap has continued to widen since then, according to an analysis of federal data released by the University of Chicago. 

The sector was the largest source of job creation in the U.S. last year, as many other industries cooled or contracted. That trend continued in January, though employment in the sector dropped in February, partly because of nursing strikes in New York City and elsewhere.

and that:

“Gone are the days when nursing was confined to the provision of basic care and feeding. More than two-thirds of registered nurses these days have a bachelor’s degree, while others with graduate degrees can prescribe medication, deliver anesthesia, and handle primary-care visits.”

COST FACTORS

Ms . Whalen also writes that:

“Insurers and healthcare companies have pushed to move more care out of the hospital and into the hands of lower-cost providers, allowing nurses to perform more work previously reserved for physicians. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 turbocharged demand by expanding medical insurance to millions more Americans.

Loyola’s nursing school has grown in recent years to keep up with demand, said Lorna Finnegan, the dean. Last year, it enrolled 305 freshmen in its bachelor of nursing program, up from about 200 a few years earlier, and it aims to admit 400 a year once a new building opens. About 13% of registered nurses in the U.S. last year were men, up from 8% in 2005, according to the Labor Department.

“Nursing, I think, is really recession proof,” Finnegan said. “We have an aging population. We have growing chronic illnesses in our population. We also have healthcare expanding outside the hospital.”

DOWNSIDES:

Ms Whalen also writes:

“The downsides of the job are also real. Night shifts, weekend duty and long days caring for physically and emotionally fragile patients can lead to burnout. The pandemic was especially tough on many, contributing to a steep drop in the registered-nurse workforce in 2021, studies showed. Those ranks rebounded in 2022.

A 2024 survey of 800,000 U.S. nurses by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found that among those planning to leave the profession within five years, 41% attributed that to stress and burnout, second only to retirement. Thousands of nurses in California, Hawaii and New York City went on strike early this year to protest staffing shortages and push for higher wages.( Emphasis added)

CONCLUSION

I agree with Mar’i Fox who said:

““We’re exposing ourselves to these different infections…And, oh my goodness, bodily fluids,” said Mar’i Fox, a 28-year-old hospital nurse in Chicago who earns about $80,000 a year. She appreciates the job’s pay and stability and is currently saving to buy a home with her husband. Ultimately, though, she chose nursing because she felt a calling to care for others, she said.” (Emphasis added)

““I think nursing, and medical professions in general, you have to have a connection to something that will keep you beyond the money,” she said. “Because if you don’t, you won’t survive.”

I myself knew I wanted to become a nurse since I was 5 and read the Golden Book “Nurse Nancy” and knew I wanted to become a nurse. I became an RN in 1967 and worked in critical care, dialysis, home health, and oncology until I retired at 65. I took care of my parents at the end of their lives and later helped friends and their parents as a volunteer.

What I learned and felt was worth more than any salary!

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