You might be oozing with the passion for helping humanity by becoming a nurse, but do you know everything about the nursing career? There might be some facts about this career that you are not aware of.
First of all, nursing is not only a profession that offers peace of mind because of helping people and curing their illnesses; it is also a booming career. It is a monetarily rewarding and psychologically fulfilling career. It should not be shocking to know that nursing is not an easy career to practice.
As a nurse, you might be looking after multiple patients in one day. So, you often have to juggle between your schedules and take some time out to eat your lunch or have a break of a few minutes. As an aspiring nurse, you must be ready to see people suffering from inconceivable physical agony, witness death, and people taking their last breaths in your arms.
These details might be depressing but, there is no denying that this is one of the sides of the nurse’s job. But on the brighter side, you meet new people every day, listen to their stories, relieve them of their pain, and help you be empathetic and altruistic towards others. So, at the end of the day, you might be undergoing self-improvement as well. Now that you have an idea of what a nursing career is about, let’s know more about it below.
- Academic Excellence Results In Higher Job Opportunities
In this career, the higher your academic learning, the more your chances of development are. Those who want to develop their expertise and attract more chances of getting a higher pay should enroll in an online masters in nursing program. It is because a higher level of skills and expertise are rewarded with better compensation plans, higher-level managerial roles, and responsibilities. So, if you are already working in this field with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree is a must for you. Besides, with an online degree program, there is no need to take a full-time break from your job as well.
- There Is A Variety of Nursing Careers And Specializations
One of the most exciting aspects of this field is that you get the chance to choose from hundreds of nursing specializations. According to your choice and interest, you can go into geriatrics, radiology, telemetry, trauma and the list goes on to include many other specializations. There are also different ways you can work, for example, locum tenens CRNA.
- What You See In The Movies Is Not Necessarily True
Most of you seeking to enter the field might have seen your favorite hero or heroine play the role of a nurse in the super popular Netflix series. But let me break this to you, not everything you see about the nurses on these hit TV shows is correct. From the scrubs they wear to handling their patients, they can be poles apart from reality. In real life, nurses have much more autonomy have critical thinking and problem-solving ability than what you find in these characters tailing their doctors.
- The Schedule Only Looks Good On Paper
If you think you will work in a nine-five setting like in other sectors, revisit your assumptions because nurses only have a schedule on paper. Late-night shifts and working more than required are regular practices in this career. At the time of induction, you might be told about working three days a week, but the truth is that you might be called at 5:00 am even after a busy night.
For instance, when there is a wave of seasonal cold, etc., you can expect to work without a schedule. Other times, you might be filling for others too. So, the work is endless once you start working.
- You Might Not Be Working As A Caregiver All The Time
The profession of nursing is much more than working as caregivers in a hospital. As you grow up the ladder, you might also assume leadership and management positions. Most nursing degrees nowadays are also preparing their candidates to take up advanced nursing roles and have the ability to wear various hats according to the situation on the ground. Apart from that, your daily functions may include acting as a caregiver at one time.
But at other times, you might be expected to act as an electrician, a waitress, a technology expert, or a mediator, for that matter. You will be surprised to know what people can ask you when you are on duty, but that’s why nursing requires patience. You might be called multiple times to reheat their food, enter the Wi-Fi password, or just change the TV channel.
- More Than Half Of The Rns Are Employed In The Hospitals
When it comes to the workplace for a nurse, approximately 62.2% of the nursing staff (RNs) are employed by the hospital to manage their workload. Nurses also make the highest count in the aggregate number of hospital staff, with more than 3.1 million nurses working nationwide in the US.
So, most healthcare-related tasks in a hospital are carried out by nurses. As nurses make the largest single group of medical experts, they also provide most of the long-term care in the country. Moreover, when it comes to nursing students, they make more than half of the medical students in the USA.
Conslusion
A nursing career was considered lower than a doctor’s job in the past. However, times have changed, and so has healthcare. Today, nurses are revered for their selfless service to humanity and their efforts to keep the healthcare system afloat. All nurses may look similar when caring for patients, but their specialization can create a big difference when it comes to their job description.
Finally, if you have decided to enter this field, get ready to work without any schedule, be called early in the morning, or even work without breaks. But at the same time, you can look forward to getting fulfillment and peace of mind by helping others and being mindful of their pains.
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