Nurses are growing younger in age as the profession continues developing and pacing the economic recovery, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
During the seven-year period from 2002 to 2009, nurses aged 23 to 26 in the field grew by 62 percent, according to a Health Affairs study released in December 2011. The study noted the amount of nurses in that age group developed more quickly than projected, and one Atlanta nurse exemplifies that trend.
"It was a lot harder than I thought. Nursing covers so much information," elective surgery staff nurse Stacey Sado with Atlanta Medical Center told the news source. "There's so much memorization and so much critical thinking. It takes a special person to be a nurse. On our [nursing] boards, there are questions that say check all that apply. If you miss one, you miss the whole question. Now that I'm working, I understand why they do that."
The 25-year-old appeared destined to work as a caregiver. She was an athletic trainer for her high school football team, where she took pleasure in taping ankles and wrists.
What convinced her to pursue one of the nursing jobs was coursework in health sciences while in high school.