If you are thinking of starting a career as a nurse or become a master of nursing, you should consider conducting as much research as possible in relation to being a nurse. Bear in mind that working as a nurse is not as easy as most people think it is.
More often than not, those who are close to graduating from medical school as nurses wish they had known what the job entails before they began their career in the medical field.
The following advice comes from seasoned nurses regarding this career.
Always find out what the career demands
Janet Patterson, RN, is a nurse with 33 years of experience and currently providing her expertise at Maxim Healthcare, Santa Rosa in California. She initially thought she knew what nurses do, but she really had no idea. When she became a nurse, she could not talk about her experience with anyone who was not a nurse.
She wished she had known the job description in detail, because it certainly was not what she had expected. Nevertheless, she has never regretted her decision of entering this profession. She regularly advises students and new nurses to have a discussion with veteran nurses to find out more about the job by asking various relevant questions. Chat groups for nurses are an ideal way to start.
Nursing changes an Individual
Nancy Brook (MSN, RN, NP), a nurse at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics, wished someone shared with her that becoming a nurse would influence her as a human being, due to the closeness of the times that she shared with her patients. Brook added that new nurses should be prepared for this, because the impact when one witnesses numerous life-changing experiences such as serious diagnoses, death, and birth tends to linger past a nurse’s workday.
Brook also said that it would not be the body that is sore when the shift is over, but mostly the mental muscles. It is imperative that new nurses learn healthy habits, create routines to unwind after work, and stay socially connected with family, friends, and acquaintances.
Keep Learning New Things
Cynthia Ringling (RN, BSN), began her career as a nurse in 1990. It never crossed her mind that the personal touch of nurses would be altered with the advances of technology, such as computers used in the medical field. It typically made the Registered Nurses feel much more of a documenter and an administrator. The numerous personal tasks that she used to do have been assigned to trained or unlicensed individuals.
A chief clinical officer in Colorado, Ringling said nursing is a growing career that aligns with the changes of technology. She recommends that new nurses and students should stay open to learning new things from professors, doctors, experienced nurses, peers, patients, and various professionals.
Squash Differences
Brook claimed that during her entire career, she learned that it was not the patients who are difficult or hard on her, but that it was the other physicians, managers, and nurses. She concluded that if it were not for the support system that she had, it would have been very difficult to deal with what she was going through.
Always Maintain Flexibility
A seasoned nurse and a clinical lecturer, Sheri Cosme (MSN, RN-BC) advised new nurses to stay flexible at all times. It is imperative that they adjust to their work schedules, as most of the time; they would be late for their social outings due to their career. It can be extremely exhausting when it comes to meeting the demands of patients and they need to know that nurses provide their services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Thus, it would be unrealistic for new nurses to think that they will only work during the week.
As soon as new nurses begin to realize that their career and patients always come first, they will have a better outlook in their job and future.
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