If you are thinking of starting a career as a nurse or become a master of nursing, you should consider doing as much research as possible in regards to becoming a nurse. Remember that working as a nurse is not as easy as most people think.
More often than not, those who are close to graduating from medical school as nurses wish they knew what the job required before they started their career in the medical field.
The following advice comes from experienced nurses regarding this career.
Always find out what the career demands are
Janet Patterson, RN, is a nurse with 33 years of experience and currently provides her expertise in Max’s Health, Santa Rosa in California. He initially thought he knew what the nurses were doing, but he really didn’t. When she became a nurse, she couldn’t talk about her experiences with anyone who wasn’t a nurse.
He wished he knew the job description in detail, because it was definitely not what he was expecting. Even so, he never regretted his decision to enter this profession. She regularly advises students and new nurses to discuss with veteran nurses to find out more about the job by asking relevant questions. Chat groups for nurses are an ideal way to start.
Nursing transforms Individuals
Nancy Brooks (MSN, RN, NP), a nurse at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, wishes someone had shared with her that being a nurse would impact her as a person, because of the closeness of time she shares with her patients. Brook adds that new nurses should be prepared for this, because the impact when one witnesses many life-changing experiences such as serious diagnoses, deaths, and births tends to last through the nursing day.
Brook also says that it’s not the body that hurts when the shift is over, but mostly the mental muscles. New nurses must learn healthy habits, create routines for relaxing after work, and stay socially connected with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Keep Learning New Things
Cynthia Ringling (RN, BSN), started her career as a nurse in 1990. It never crossed her mind that a nurse’s personal touch would change with advances in technology, such as computers used in the medical field. This usually makes the Registered Nurse feel more like a documentarian and an administrator. Many of the private duties he normally performs have been assigned to trained or unlicensed individuals.
A chief clinical officer in Colorado, Ringling said nursing is a growing career that keeps pace with changing technology. She recommends that nurses and new students should remain open to learning new things from professors, doctors, experienced nurses, colleagues, patients, and various professionals.
The Squash Difference
Brook claims that over his entire career, he’s learned that it’s not the patients who are difficult or hard on him, but the doctors, managers, and other nurses. He concluded that were it not for the support system he had, it would be very difficult to deal with what he was going through.
Always Maintain Flexibility
Experienced nurse and clinical lecturer, Sheri Cosme (MSN, RN-BC) advises new nurses to stay flexible at all times. It is very important for them to fit into their work schedule, because often; they will be late for their social events because of their career. It can be overwhelming when it comes to meeting patient demands and they need to know that nurses are providing their services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Thus, it is unrealistic for new nurses to think that they will only work a week.
As soon as new nurses start to realize that their career and patients always come first, they will have a better outlook on their job and their future.
