Nursing and Access to Care?

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I thought I would ask this to see what those of you currently in nursing think of this. I am ready to apply to nursing school as a second career but I have been interested in the healthcare field since I was in college --I just regret that no one really mentioned nursing as a career back then (15 years ago) or I would have gone right into it. Anyway, I like the fact that you are taking care of people when they are sick and make them better as well as helping to make their stay in your unit as good as it can be when they are in need of treatment and are scared. Having said that, my second reason for wanting to go into nursing is that I also think about the changes in healthcare over the next several years and wondered if any of you feel that being a nurse, or having someone in your family in the medical field, is an advantage when it comes to care. I thought that having a nursing background allows you to know the procedures that are being done/need to be done for a family member or yourself, knowing the doctors and staff that may be taking care of you if you are sick or diagnosed with an illness, if family members are hurt/sick, you know the treatment to take care of them quickly and get them to a hospital if necessary instead of being helpless to help them. Is this true for the future in your opinion or am I wrong?

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

It is definitely an advantage. I have good friends at the hospital that includes medical docs, surgeons, and other nurses.

I am treated like THEIR family....

My child will have surgery soon and I am going to pick his anesthesia provider, and his nurse on the floor. Special request....

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

For myself it has had it's drawbacks: I tend to think "worst case scenario", have been accused of drug-seeking when I c/o severe pain r/t an ear infection, and tend to irritate staff by doing the stuff I know instead of waiting for them. It's hard to let a loved one wait an hour for the toilet or fix an alarming SCD pump.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm an advanced practice nurse and yes, my knowledge has been very nice to have when I have had hospitalized family members. I never ever ask for special care nor do I usually state my profession. Its just nice to know that the care they receive is either good or bad and what to do about it.

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