Are you thinking of having a career in nursing? Nursing is one of the most demanding and fulfilling jobs in the world. But it is not a career that you can choose willy-nilly. It is a profession that demands a lot and gives very little.
You need to have a passion for caring as well as strong mental fortitude to carry on even when you’re dead tired.
So, if you’re thinking of pursuing this career, you need to think about why you even want this job in the first place. Think of all the impact it can have on your personal and professional lives. And while it does look like an awesome job to have, the long hours along with high stress might not be the best fit for you.
But, if you have your mind made up and are ready to give it your all, there are some things you need to know before you truly commit to becoming a nurse.
6 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to a Career in Nursing
You know, nurses are one of the largest workforces in the health and medical industry. There are more than three million nurses in the workforce already and many hospitals and medical care centers still feel shorthanded.
With nurses in such high demand, the jobs in the field are expected to grow by nearly a quarter million from 2021-2030 alone. Plus, if you join an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing online, you can become a certified nurse in less than a year.
There’s No Time to Rest
Nurses need to be active almost all the time they work. Taking care of patients, administering medicine, cleaning up, and much more. So, after you’ve become a nurse, you’ll almost always be on your feet.
You need to be prepared to do all the legwork, even if you feel like lying down.
DID YOU KNOW?
Nurses can walk up to 5 miles in a 12-hour shift, which is more than most Americans walk in 18 hours.
Be Prepared to Work Long Hours
For those who are familiar with how hospitals work, there is just no end to the line of patients that walk in at all times of the day. From people coming in for minor bruises to full-on emergencies, nurses need to assist with almost all those duties.
It is pretty common if your 8-12 hour shift got extended to 18-20 hours, just because the hospital was short-handed or emergency patients kept pouring in.
Learn Skills That are Helpful for Caregiving
Nurses usually need to not only assist doctors with their daily work, but they also need to do patient care as well as administer medicine. You need to learn skills that will help you balance between all those aspects.
Prepare for It To Be Stressful
It’s not always smooth running in a hospital. With the constant influx of patients, some needing minor care to some being in a vegetative state and requiring your full attention, it can get pretty stressful for nurses.
Sometimes there are even patients who die while treatment is being given. All this can be very taxing on your mental health. You need to accept the fact that unexpected situations will happen constantly and you need to keep calm and focus on your work.
Patients Will Almost Always Look To You For Everything
In most hospitals, while doctors take the lead in treating patients and making diagnoses, it is mostly the nurses who are left to take care of the aftermath (aftercare). They need to cater to the patient’s needs. Changing bandages, helping them with cleanup, and more.
And if someone needs something, they will always look to the nurses for help. So, you need to be prepared to do all that too. After all, patient care is all-encompassing.
Education is Important
As far as career opportunities go, like any other medicine-related career, nursing is also a constant learning experience. New techniques and gadgets are constantly being introduced in the field.
Be prepared to learn new tools and techniques as well as keep up with work to keep giving your patients the best treatment possible.
Reasons to Choose a Career in Nursing
Nursing is a good career to have and if you’ve steeled your resolve and still want to become one, you need to know that it’s not all about stress and working constantly. There are good things about becoming a nurse, too.
- You’ll Be Making a Difference
Did you know that nurses do so much more than just perform medical tasks? As a nurse, you can make a real difference in someone’s life. Nurses provide hope to patients during the worst times of their lives. You can counsel patients and families after a horrible diagnosis or celebrate good news.
- You’ll Get Some Awesome Benefits
Since nursing is a very stressful job, many hospitals and medical clinics offer some pretty great benefits to keep their staff from leaving. For example, an average benefits package for round nurses includes: paid sick time, vacation holidays, family leave, bonuses for working extra shifts, health and life insurance coverage, and tuition for learning new skills. There are even retirement, childcare, and student loan cover added in some cases.
- Nursing Degree Programs Can Be Found Everywhere
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nursing is one of the second-highest-ranked professions in terms of the number of associate and graduate degree holders. You can find a good nursing institute in almost all cities around the world that will offer you an associate degree or a bachelor of science in nursing.
Conclusion
Picking a career in the medical field can be a pretty challenging decision, especially if you’re thinking of becoming a nurse. You need to think and analyze all your options before committing to this decision.
While nursing is a respected and high-paying job with many benefits, there are some things you need to know before you even entertain the thought of becoming one.
Nurses need to deal with a lot, from working long hours in a stressful environment to being on their feet most of the day to even handling patient care and medication without making mistakes. All that can have even Olympic athletes running for the hills.
But if all that has still not discouraged you, becoming a nurse is one of the most fulfilling jobs out there.
