What’s it Really Like to Work as a Nurse in NYC?

Working as a registered nurse is exciting enough as it is. It is a fast-paced profession that places you at the right spot to help thousands – if not millions – of others. The healthcare industry itself is growing rapidly, so there is no shortage of opportunities to seize when you are a registered nurse.

There are programs to help you push your nursing career forward too. Baylor University, a leading name in this field, is opening up its courses to more students and professionals. You can become a PNP nurse or specialize in family care without jumping through hoops.

Working as a nurse in big cities, however, is even more exciting. Healthcare facilities in big cities receive more patients on average, putting more pressure on nurse practitioners. Even in specific areas such as pediatrics, PNP nurses can be quite busy with patients.

So, what is it really like to work as a nurse in a big city? More specifically, what’s it really like to work as a nurse in New York City? We spoke to a number of professionals in this field and here are some of the interesting things we found.

A Family

Nurse practitioners working for healthcare service providers in NYC are like a family. They spend a lot of time with their coworkers, fellow nurses, and other healthcare professionals that they become a very tight group of people; almost like a family.

Nurses must have good collaborative skills in order to succeed in this field. Courses such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (DNP PNP) have classes designed to teach registered nurses how they can collaborate more effectively.

A PNP nurse treating a patient will need help from other healthcare professionals. Pediatricians, lab specialists, and other professionals are also involved in delivering the best care for the patient, hence the closeness of fellow nurses in this field.

Work-Life Balance

NYC, in particular, is a good city to be busy. Maintaining a work-life balance in New York City is a lot easier than in rural areas because your friends, the things you personally love to do, and other components of your personal life are most likely within reach from where you work.

After a long shift, for instance, going to a nearby lounge is the perfect way to unwind. If you want to spend some time with friends from outside of work, chances are the same lounge is accessible from where they are in the city.

The same is true with leisure activities. Simple things like taking a walk in Central Park or going on a culinary hunt around Midtown West are equally fun to do. Even better, there are always friends you can bring along on the adventure.

Great Food

Speaking of going on a culinary hunt, New York City is home to fine restaurants, superb food trucks, and a long array of delicious cuisines to try. There is no dish you cannot find in New York City. Even when you are on a super-tight budget, there are so many great places visit, including:

• Joe’s Steam Rice Roll. This place mainly sells cheong fun, which is a form of rice noodles with toppings like pork and beef.
• Superiority Burger. If you just want a good old-fashioned burger, this is the place to visit. A thick and juicy beef patty will soon fill your mouth for no more than $6.
• White Bear. A great place to visit for dumplings is White Bar. The Chinese restaurant serves wontons and other dumplings in their simplest form. Order the Number 6 for a satisfying meal.
• Cheeky Sandwiches. As the name suggests, the place serves sandwiches and burgers. The one to try is the fried chicken sandwich; tender yet fulfilling every time.

New York City is home to great cuisines. Here’s the interesting thing: a lot of food trucks and great restaurants are within walking distance of hospitals and healthcare facilities. Nurses and doctors regularly enjoy great dishes in between busy work shifts.

Great Supporting Facilities

While the subway isn’t the most convenient mode of transport in the world, it is one that works for New Yorkers. You can get to any part of the city on a subway, and then continue to your destination using other means of transport.

The traditional New York yellow cabs are just as easy to find. If you don’t mind yelling to hail a cab, you will have no trouble getting around the city. Ridesharing apps provide alternatives worth considering as well.

Nurses in NYC, however, walk or take bike rides to work. New York City is biker-friendly, with bike lanes and dedicated parking spots for bicycles all around the city. Riding in New York City is also considered more efficient since you don’t have to worry about traffic.

Lots of Opportunities

As mentioned earlier, New York City is filled with opportunities for nurses and healthcare professionals. There are 26 magnet hospitals – hospitals that attract professionals from around the country or even from around the world – in the city, including Rochester General Hospital and Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

The long list of great hospitals is among the things that make NYC very attractive. Even better, hospitals and medical practices in the city are expanding at an incredible rate, which means there are a lot of vacancies for registered nurses and nurse practitioners. You just have to have the right set of skills and experience for the job.

To become a PNP nurse, for example, you need more than the aforementioned DNP degree. The skills you also need to master are:

• Time management
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Professionalism
• Attention to detail
• Collaborative skills

These skills are the foundation of any successful nursing career. Mastering the necessary skills may seem like a tall order at first, but online programs from top names like Baylor University certainly make becoming a nurse practitioner more accessible.

So, what is it like to be a nurse practitioner in NYC? From what we have gathered, the profession is one of the most rewarding indeed. Besides, you are looking at a median salary of $90,000. Ready to start a career in the healthcare industry?