Is Nursing Worth it for Me?
Nurses are the heart of the healthcare profession, providing care, kindness, and comfort to patients on a daily basis. The job is considered one of the most in-demand, secure, and satisfying jobs in healthcare. In fact, it is the biggest healthcare occupation in the United States.
Nurses provide and coordinate patient care, provide advice, and emotional support to patients and their family, and educate patients and the public about various health conditions. Nurses work as part of a team of professional medical staff that includes therapists, social workers, and doctors.
There's a lot more to nursing than meets the eye, but generally, nurses perform many professional tasks, which may differ depending on what area they specialize in and where they work. Typical duties of a nurse include:
- obtaining medical/health histories
- taking patient samples, blood pressure, temperatures, and pulses and analyzing the results
- monitoring and administering intravenous infusion, medication, and wound care
- supervising staff such as nursing assistants and LPN’s
- coordinating patient care collectively with other healthcare professionals
- organizing workloads and writing records
- setting up plans for patients care or contributing to an existing plan
- taking part in critical decision making
- research responsibilities
- teaching patients and their families how to manage a condition at home
Just like any other profession, a nursing career has pros and cons that you ought to evaluate before you commit yourself to one path. Nursing can be a very rewarding career for those who have enough education in their heads and their hearts in the right place. Let’s delve into some of the joys and difficulties you might encounter.
Benefits of Being a Nurse
Many Employment Opportunities: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 15% employment growth for registered nurses from 2016 to 2026, which is faster than average for all other careers. This is owing to the fact that the aging baby boomers are starting to have more medical problems. They will need care and health education as well as technological innovations that allow more procedures to be done in ambulatory care settings and physicians’ offices.
High Flexibility: There are tons of career paths and nursing specializations to choose from. Whether its critical care, cardiac, neonatal, or nephrology, there are plenty of options for nurses to explore. Also, you can take your work to different geographic locations based on your own preference. You can work in a rural area, town, city, or even overseas. There are also non-hospital settings like physician’s offices, outpatient care center, or residential care facilities. This makes nursing a highly flexible career with plenty of new challenges.
Personal Satisfaction: You could make a difference and touch many lives during your nursing career. Nurses are highly respected in the society for the role they play. It can be a great career choice if you want to be in the helping profession. You spend your time taking care of patients and see them through a full recovery. There may be days when you literally save an individual’s life and this can bring much personal satisfaction.
Challenges of Pursuing a Nursing Career
Physical Toll: Nursing can be a high-stress career. There are many aspects of the job that may overwhelm you. The job calls for constant attention to detail and serving others for hours without much downtime. There are times when you’ll work around the clock and irregular schedules are quite common. You’ll spend a lot of time standing, bending, walking, or lifting and moving patients.
Stress: Nursing is also a mentally exacting profession. You never know what to expect and may even lose a patient you’ve grown fond of. Not forgetting that some patients never really appreciate your help no matter how dedicated you are. The stress can be debilitating and can affect other areas of your life.
Exposure to Germs and Viruses: You’ll be dealing with hazardous drugs, germs, viruses, and patients battling infectious diseases. You might catch some viruses in the process of serving your patients. There will also be the frequent contact with blood and body fluids. If you have a weak stomach, this is not for you.
What Makes Up a Successful Nurse?
It takes a person with special skills and qualities to make a wonderful nurse. A great nurse must have excellent adaptability skills, observational skills, resilience, stamina, verbal and written communication skills, and a caring and compassionate nature. Also, you must be able to use initiative, be humble, efficient, and a team player. You must be a person who can deal with emotionally charged and pressured situations.
Are you thinking about a career in nursing? If you want to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing (ADN), consider ECPI University for your education. With accelerated classes and a year-round learning schedule, you could graduate sooner and start looking for work that much faster. For more information, connect with a friendly admissions counselor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Nursing - Associate’s
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