Henderson 1 Sarah Henderson Mr. Beers SLS 1501 12 Oct.

2013 Which Career is the Better Option: Nursing or Law Enforcement Deciding on a career in post-secondary education is quite literally a life decision. Many people are asked at a young age what they want to be when they grow up. Decisions range from teachers to firefighters, doctors to lawyers. Nurses and police officers are two careers that have distinct similarities and differences including financial stability, included benefits, and require traveling. Both nurses and police officers make a considerable amount of money. The annual median wage of a registered nurse is $65,950 across the country (Registered Nurse: Salary). As a resident of Wildwood, Florida, living less than ten minutes away from The Villages, health care professions are in high demand in my area. Constant medical plazas and hospitals are being built as The Villages continues to grow. Because of high demand in any profession, higher wages are offered. In effect, the annual wage would most likely be higher working in a retirement aged community. The annual median wage for a police officer is $50,957 (Salary Wizard). In Wildwood and The Villages, there are no major law enforcement stations that are on constant duty. Many of the patrolling officers watch for speeding and enforce common law. In any area, police officers are needed to help enforce government rules and laws, but because of Wildwood being an average small town, not too much crime occurs on a day to day basis. Because police officers are not in high demand in the area, the average annual salary would most likely be lower

Henderson 2 than the national average. While nurses have more options when it comes to an annual salary (different specialties), police officers are commonly paid for overtime. Nurses and officers of law enforcement have included benefits. Many employers in the medical field offer flexible work schedules, optional child care, and pay bonuses (Statistics, Registered Nurses). Nurses can choose to work on any shift and have increased pay automatically at certain times of the year. If a nurse were to have a child with no one to watch after them on a day to day basis, a child care service similar to a daycare is provided for nurses or any medical related profession. The retirement age for any police officer can be at any age younger than a typical retirement age and includes allowance for required uniforms in the service (Statistics, Police and Detectives). This means that at any reasonable age, members of a police force can retire with the same retirement benefits as a person of older age in any other profession. Uniforms can be costly, so a certain amount of pay is docked out of ones salary specifically for uniform costs. Having a career in nursing or law enforcement requires traveling. Returning to ones home state includes the consideration of the location of the closest hospital and police station. The Greenville Memorial Hospital is an average of 25 minutes away from Williamston, South Carolina (Google Maps). The Greenville Police Department is an average of 31 minutes away from Williamston, South Carolina (Google Maps). If working seven days a week, 5.8 hours (nursing) to 7.2 (police officer) hours would be spent traveling back and forth. The amount gas spent would need to be taken into effect as to deciding which job location would be better. At Greenville Memorial Hospital, the starting salary for a registered nurse is $60,000 (RN Salary in Greenville, SC). The starting salary at Greenville Police Department is $31,840 (Greenville Police Department). Working as a nurse at the hospital would be an increased starting pay and

Henderson 3 would require less traveling time and gas. Working at the police department would be a lower starting salary and would need more traveling time throughout the week. Based on research, becoming a nurse is the superior career option over a police officer. Because I plan to move to my home state or stay near The Villages, a career as a nurse is more sought after by both cities being filled with retirement aged people. Less police officers are needed in either city since it is not a high traffic area such as New York or any other major city. Police officers do not have as many personal benefits as do nurses. As for traveling, I would not want to spend more time and gas going to work as a police officer than I would becoming a nurse. The better and superior career choice would definitely be becoming a nurse.

Henderson 4 Annotated Bibliography Foley, Pamela, Christina Guarneri and Mary Kelly. "Reasons for Choosing a Police Career." International Journal of Police Science and Management (2008): 2-8. Print. Throughout the article, the authors talk about research they have shown to help provide evidence in choosing the intended career. Reasons for Choosing a Police Career: Changes over Two Decades also points out proven data over who typically goes into law enforcement, if gender dominates, if races dominates, and even factors to consider when thinking about the career as a police officer. The article is basically trying to give general information on the career and helpful insight into why you might choose it. The article is important because it allows me to see what my possibilities are of becoming a police officer and if I should further my interest in becoming one. The article is basing information on research through studies and other sources. Google Maps. 2013. Web. 5 October 2013. The map shows the distance and average time of traveling it would take from Williamston, South Carolina to the Greenville Memorial Hospital and the Greenville Police Department. The map also presents information that the route to and from Greenville would require to pay a toll. Tolls definitely add up, even after a week. The salary would need to be taken into account with this information. This is important in deciding how much time on average would be spent in a week and the distance to and from Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville Police Department. 2013. Web. 5 October 2013. The webpage provides information on salary, job experience, and qualifications needed to become a police officer for the Greenville Police Department. This benefits me so that

Henderson 5 I know what I need to do, what courses are required, what experience I need to have, and what my pay options are. Also, the webpage provides me with an insight into to job field in being a police officer. There are statistics in average annual wages and even schedules in hours. This can help decide how much I would typically make starting the position and a certain amount of time. Jirwe, Maria and Ann Rudman. "Why Choose a Career in Nursing?" Journal of Advanced Nursing (2011): 1615-1623. Print. In the article, Jirwe and Rudman provide helpful insight to the nursing field through the use of practical surveys taken my graduates in Sweden. The surveys were used to determine what the motives of the graduates were, why the motives were chosen, and if stress over choosing the career is associated with the motives. Through tables and charts, I can see how the data is obtained and each part is thoroughly explained through subheadings, including explaining the goal, the test subjects, ethical considerations, data analysis, and others. The full article is based on the idea of what drives and motivates many students to become nurses. The article is important because it provides insight into what it may take to being a nursing student and how it can affect me in numerous ways. Registered Nurse: Salary. 2013. Web. 5 October 2013. The webpage provides information on the average annual salary of registered nurses across the country. From here, I can compare and contrast the average annual wage against the profession of law enforcement. This also shows typical statistics in annual wage and pay raise in certain areas of the country so I can base my research off of the location I plan to be in after completing my major. Registered Nurses. 29 March 2012. Web. 5 October 2013.

Henderson 6 Registered Nurses provides information on the benefits, job security, and average annual wage for a registered nurse. This benefits my research in obtaining specific evidence in proving that a career in nursing is a better option for a career. From here, I can decide if it would be a smart decision in the long run to have a career in nursing and how well the occupation is growing or remaining steady. According to the information, the statistics on becoming a nurse and job availability are both increasing. Research, Institute for Career. Careers with the County and State Police. Chicago: Institute for Career Research, 2009. Book. Careers with The County and State Police provide me an outlook of life as a law enforcement officer. I learn what the qualifications are, what the job duties include, and what a potential salary might earn me within a years time. Because the information and research by the author is based on the average annual pay in the country, I cannot see the salary in a specific area. This, however, might lead to problems because different areas have different pay options and wages for their police officers. RN Salary in Greenville, SC. 2013. Web. 5 October 2013. Looking at the Greenville Memorial Hospitals webpage about registered nurses, I can obtain information about the average annual salary of the nurses working within the hospital system. This provides me with specific information to decide if working as a nurse, or even in the certain hospital is a right step for me in choosing a career. The hospital system even provides the past, present, and possibly future annual pay of all occupations in the nursing career. This can provide me with options for specialties within the nursing career. Salary Wizard. 2013. Web. 5 October 2013.

Henderson 7 Salary Wizard provides information on the salary of nurses and police officers across the country. From here, I can establish a contrast and comparison of annual pay and which one is a better option in the long run. It also provides different wage patterns. I can determine which career is more stable in the pay field, which is more likely to increase or decrease, and the statistics of past years pay. Statistics, Bureau of Labor. Police and Detectives. 29 March 2012. Web. 5 October 2013. In the web article, the Bureau of Labor reports the statistics on becoming a qualified police officer. The information includes benefits and average annual wages. From here, I can compare and contrast the average annual wage along with the benefits versus a career of becoming a registered nurse.