Nurses everywhere will attest to how rewarding their career is. But there is no denying
that working as a nurse involves a lot of factors that can make the profession
as a whole seem less than desirable to go into.
For one, hospitals seem to be perpetually understaffed, meaning nurses will at times
need to work long hours and take on extra shifts. Also, nurses are of course in
constant, direct contact with sick patients, some of who are both physically and
emotionally drained from the onslaught of their illnesses, and not to mention
with the patients’ families, who are also under great emotional strain. Even if
nurses are not experiencing illness first-hand, they are in an environment that
is flooded with high levels of emotional duress.
However, despite these factors, hundreds of thousands of people continue to devote
themselves to being a nurse. This leads us to believe that there are indeed
positive factors about being a nurse. But what could they be?
Here are just a few reasons why hundreds of thousands of people across the country
have decided to devote themselves to being a nurse.
Compassion
The decision to become a nurse will necessarily involve a keen sense of compassion.
Administering medication and ensuring protocol is adhered to are part of a
nurse’s duties. But along with that, and perhaps less emphasized, is the actual
interactions nurses have with patients and their families. Despite the stressful
environment, nurses manage to maintain a strong sense of compassion, leading
them to become a factor of comfort in the patient’s healing process. Nurses are
not therapists, nor are they a hospital’s Mother Goose, but they do provide
levels of emotional support that really do affect the coping levels of those involved.
Constant Evolution
Depending on the type of work environment a nurse decides to work in (hospital, clinic,
school, travelling location), he or she might work in various departments or
wards throughout their career. In hospitals, for example, it is not uncommon for
nurse to work in several different units (Cardiovascular, ER, Intensive Care,
etc.) This level of professional mobility allows nurses the opportunity to
constantly be learning new aspects of the job. Ultimately, each unit transfer
provides another challenge, and another opportunity for a nurse to learn more
and grow as a professional, which is, I think, something we all hope for in a
career.
Camaraderie
Nurses work best when they function as a team, which relies heavily on high levels of
communication, trust, and synergy. A typical day for a nurse can be quite
stressful, and having a reliable team to depend on makes a world of a
difference. This is not to say that other professions do not operate on
teamwork, but nursing is most definitely one that functions on several levels of
collaboration. There is teamwork with fellow nurses, doctors, patients and even
family members. Nurses become a vital element in everyone’s hospital experience.
Becoming such a crucial part of everyone’s daily experience really reaffirms how
important nurses are.
Any nursing school will certainly make it clear to all the students enrolled in a nursing program
that what they can expect is a work environment is both stressful and demanding.
Part of what makes students stand by their choice is knowing that without nurses
the healthcare system would crumble, and that there are factors of the job that
make it all worth it. With this in mind, they go from a school of nursing
to a career that is as fulfilling as it is challenging.
that working as a nurse involves a lot of factors that can make the profession
as a whole seem less than desirable to go into.
For one, hospitals seem to be perpetually understaffed, meaning nurses will at times
need to work long hours and take on extra shifts. Also, nurses are of course in
constant, direct contact with sick patients, some of who are both physically and
emotionally drained from the onslaught of their illnesses, and not to mention
with the patients’ families, who are also under great emotional strain. Even if
nurses are not experiencing illness first-hand, they are in an environment that
is flooded with high levels of emotional duress.
However, despite these factors, hundreds of thousands of people continue to devote
themselves to being a nurse. This leads us to believe that there are indeed
positive factors about being a nurse. But what could they be?
Here are just a few reasons why hundreds of thousands of people across the country
have decided to devote themselves to being a nurse.
Compassion
The decision to become a nurse will necessarily involve a keen sense of compassion.
Administering medication and ensuring protocol is adhered to are part of a
nurse’s duties. But along with that, and perhaps less emphasized, is the actual
interactions nurses have with patients and their families. Despite the stressful
environment, nurses manage to maintain a strong sense of compassion, leading
them to become a factor of comfort in the patient’s healing process. Nurses are
not therapists, nor are they a hospital’s Mother Goose, but they do provide
levels of emotional support that really do affect the coping levels of those involved.
Constant Evolution
Depending on the type of work environment a nurse decides to work in (hospital, clinic,
school, travelling location), he or she might work in various departments or
wards throughout their career. In hospitals, for example, it is not uncommon for
nurse to work in several different units (Cardiovascular, ER, Intensive Care,
etc.) This level of professional mobility allows nurses the opportunity to
constantly be learning new aspects of the job. Ultimately, each unit transfer
provides another challenge, and another opportunity for a nurse to learn more
and grow as a professional, which is, I think, something we all hope for in a
career.
Camaraderie
Nurses work best when they function as a team, which relies heavily on high levels of
communication, trust, and synergy. A typical day for a nurse can be quite
stressful, and having a reliable team to depend on makes a world of a
difference. This is not to say that other professions do not operate on
teamwork, but nursing is most definitely one that functions on several levels of
collaboration. There is teamwork with fellow nurses, doctors, patients and even
family members. Nurses become a vital element in everyone’s hospital experience.
Becoming such a crucial part of everyone’s daily experience really reaffirms how
important nurses are.
Any nursing school will certainly make it clear to all the students enrolled in a nursing program
that what they can expect is a work environment is both stressful and demanding.
Part of what makes students stand by their choice is knowing that without nurses
the healthcare system would crumble, and that there are factors of the job that
make it all worth it. With this in mind, they go from a school of nursing
to a career that is as fulfilling as it is challenging.
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