Advice on becoming a Nurse

PeakRN · Dec 19, 2017

Why did you choose nursing?

I get to provide care for patients in the environments that I want to (I still enjoy working in the field)

What high school or college course did you find most beneficial or helpful for nursing?

Pathophysiology, abnormal psychology

How long did it take you to become a nurse?

School itself was two and a half years, but I already had a bachelors and was working as a firefighter

In what type of environment do you work in?

Emergency

What is your favorite part of nursing?

Being able to help people

What does a regular day look like for a nurse?

This will vary greatly in different care areas, it cannot be easily summarized

Is your schedule flexible as a nurse?

Yes

What is your biggest challenge of being a nurse?

Management, dealing with other nurses who don't want to put in the work but still want the same recognition

Does nursing provide the time to balance work and a personal life?

Absolutely, there are jobs that you can work from home, work 3 12 hour shifts a week, or have bankers hours

Any words of advice?

If you have a passion for caring for others nursing is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. Nursing also has an incredibly high attrition rate for a reason so if your not passionate about it I would look at something else

MissHaleyDawn · Dec 19, 2017

Why did you choose nursing?

My mother passed when I was 15, I watched my father struggle with pancreatic cancer from the time I was 17 until he passed away when I was 19. I was inspired by the wonderful care provided to my parents.

What school did you attend for nursing and did you find it challenging?

I went to a private nursing school, won't put the name here due to privacy. It was challenging and I would honestly never do it again. LOL. I feel like a missed out on the college experience by choosing nursing. I have fond memories when I actually had time to hang out with friends, but those times were few and far between. My psychology and drama major friends probably had x100 more fun college times than I did because I lived at the library, skills lab, and clinical for a majority of my time.

What high school or college course did you find most beneficial or helpful for nursing?

I took a healthcare career path/track while in HS. You're school may be different or similar. Basically I was able to obtain my CNA while in HS, on HS time. It enabled me to start work as a tech and get my feet wet.

How long did it take you to become a nurse?

My university is an oddball. They still have an ADN course for nursing, as well as BSN all the way up to PhD now. I chose the ADN program because it got me to my degree and license faster and was cheaper. While working as an ADN nurse, I enrolled in my school's online RN-BSN program and got that with a 1-year bridge course. Overall I saved close to $30,000 taking this route to BSN.

In what type of environment do you work in?

I'm a floor nurse for a hospital in my city. I work primarily oncology and end-of-life care, but also do med-surg.

What is your favorite part of nursing?

I enjoy my patients, I love oncology and oddly enough I find great satisfaction in providing the dying patients with good deaths. I've seen some bad ones, they aren't pretty and they are heartbreaking. But something about coming in to shift with a very restless dying patient and grinding out a few hours to get them settled and peaceful and them being able to pass quietly is just satisfying to me.

What does a regular day look like for a nurse?

Chaotic. Morning medication pass is the worse part of my day usually. It's very hectic. Between doctors and other disciplines calling you (PT, OT, Speech, different departments sending for tests, etc), family members either coming to desk to ask questions for for things, family calling the unit to ask questions and trying to pass meds to 5-6 patients (my record is 30 pills to one patient!)...I sometimes just want to pull my hair out.

Is your schedule flexible as a nurse?

Yes and no. We pick our own shifts, but most times it feels like a rat race. So many weekends and holidays must be picked up depending on your work status (full vs part time). I'm not joking when I say I see my co-workers more than I see my own family.

What is your biggest challenge of being a nurse?

Being at odds with managements expectations and the reality of what can feasibly be accomplished within a 12 hour time period with patient load we are expected to manage. I am actually considering going back to school and exploring other career options because in my area it doesn't seem like anywhere has reasonable expectations and I am getting burned out on it, my mental health is more important and I cannot see myself working like this for another 30 years.

Does nursing provide the time to balance work and a personal life?

Yes and no. I love working 3 days a week, but at the same time I am home a lone a lot. My husband works 5 nights a week and is also a night shift worker, so I'm left to my own devices a lot. We're expecting our first child, so I will be exploring other options for our growing family.

Any words of advice?

Think long and hard about what you are committing yourself to. Nursing can be wonderful, but there are a lot of downsides to it as well. Find a specialty you enjoy, you will be dead inside working an area you do not like. If you are in an area where there are multiple job opportunities don't be afraid to explore them. Find an employer who will listen to your concerns and not brush you off, a place you feel appreciated. Where I am there are not many different places/employers to switch to without having to commute a ridiculous amount of miles or compromise pay severely, so I have burned out pretty quickly.

Rodo4141 · Dec 19, 2017

Thank you so much!