Do You Have What It Takes For a Career in Nursing?
Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system. They play a vital role, and the career is both demanding and rewarding in equal measures. If you’re looking to become a nurse, either through changing your current job or because you’re just starting out in your career, here are a few things to bear in mind. Do you have what it takes?
Nursing is Physically Demanding
Working as a nurse will require you to be on your feet for a large part of the working day. Depending on the role, you could be helping to lift patients or even physically restrain them. You have to miss meals, hold your bladder and generally put yourself second while you’re dealing with patients.
Nursing is Mentally Challenging
As well as being tough physically, working as a nurse can also be mentally challenging too. You deal with illness and death. Difficult patients, terrible circumstances. You’re there at all stages of life and death, helping people through grief, medical issues, and tragedy. You have to be the right kind of person to deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis.
Nursing Means Working Long Hours and Irregular Working Times
Care work isn’t for those who want a nine to five role. Shift work is common in nursing, and you’ll do your fair share of evening and weekend work too. Unlike offices, factories, shops or anything else- care work doesn’t stop during special occasions. Christmas, bank holidays your own special events during the year. People will always need care regardless of the occasion or whatever else is going on in life. You have to be prepared to sacrifice this for a career in nursing. Twelve-hour shifts, which often ends up being longer, will drain you of every bit of energy you have.
Nurses Deal With Paperwork….So Much Paperwork
Everything you do as a nurse requires relevant paperwork writing up afterward. There’s always a ton to get through, and it’s a side of the job that has to be done efficiently despite how tired or exhausted you are. It’s annoying, but this paperwork helps to keep track of everything so nurses can continue to provide care to such a high standard.
Along with paperwork you also have to make sure your own documents are kept up to date too. One example is the NMC revalidation which has to be done every three years. Without this, you’re not able to continue practicing as a nurse.
Still interested? Then chances are you have what it takes for a career in nursing. Despite its challenges, nursing is one of the most rewarding job roles you can do, and nurses play a crucial role in society and healthcare. As well as deal with illness and sadness, you also get to experience making people well again. Giving hope and positivity. With a career in nursing, you can go home each night knowing that you made a genuine difference in the world. Taking nursing up for a career is a great idea, especially if you are already a very giving person. Looking into getting an enhanced DBS is definitely worth a thought.
And if you are interested in a career in nursing, you can even get an online BSN with a program like RN to BSN San Antonio. That’s just one of many options.
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