For many different individuals in all stages of life, the prospect of becoming an RN can shine a bright light at the end of a tunnel often filled with job loss, repossession of the household car and the threat of loss of housing or foreclosure.

For single moms, the opportunity to earn a lucrative nursing salary means a way to provide for one’s family and create a future for their children. For low-income minorities, earning a career as a nurse is a way of maximizing earning potential, providing new financial opportunities for the next generation while giving back to the community.

A career path in nursing offers endless options that can be added to the already attractive RN salary (over $65,000 per year on average – double the national median salary). Nurses can start at the LPN level, working as a practical nurse while going to school for their Bachelor’s degree. After earning their BSN degree and RN license, there are opportunities for additional certifications in specialty areas such as critical care or oncology as well as option to continue one’s education to the primary care provider level and a very lucrative career as a nurse practitioner.

The opportunities are endless and statistics show that, on average, minority nurses are more likely to take advantage of them. 52% of African-American nurses go on to earn the bachelor’s degree in nursing, versus 46% of Caucasian nurses. 46% of Hispanic nurses also earn their BSN (12% of all Hispanic women across the board of any sort of bachelor’s degree). Minority nurses are also more likely to use their career earnings to start a second career while also giving back to their home communities with their newfound health care knowledge and expertise.

There are several national scholarship programs geared towards promoting diversity in nursing by attracting minority students. The U.S. Indian Health Service offers financial assistance for American Indians who agree to work for their department following graduation. Chicago offers a free practical nursing program that prepares minority students to sit for the LPN boards by high school graduation.

Finally, on a national level the United Health Foundation’s Diverse Scholars Initiative grants scholarships that average $5,000 per student to African American, American Indian, Asian American and Latino American students.

Sources: Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Businesswire.com