What is it like being a nurse?

[ifeomae]

Hello! I'm a high school senior trying to decide what to do with my life since I am applying to colleges very very soon. In the end I want to become a nurse practitioner but I understand I need to get a couple years of nursing experience before I can do that. What exactly do nurses do and what is it like? I know someone is going to tell me to try doing some research myself, and trust me I have and am still confused. From what I've gathered in a nutshell: nurses set up IVs, clean up poop and throw up, and monitor patients. I know I'm probably missing something or got something wrong, so could you guys please give me input? Thanks.

[GuEsT78]

Reading books by nurses about nursing is a good place to start.

1. Visit your local public library and search their catalog for "nurse" as the book's subject.

2. Go to Amazon or another online retailer and again search for "nurse" as the subject.

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I checked Amazon and the first page of search results had six books on what it's like to be a nurse. If your budget is tight, look for used copies or buy several at once to get free shipping.

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Perhaps best of all, look for volunteer opportunities or see if your local hospital has a "shadow a nurse" program:

What is Shadow a Nurse Program?

The longer you can shadow the better. That'll give you exposure to the real thing, which is almost always different from what you imagine.