If you enjoy caring for people in need and making a difference every day in people’s lives, then being a nurse just might the perfect career choice for you, but being a nurse isn’t as clean and fun as the media paints it out to be, and sometimes it can even be disgusting and dangerous. Here are six things to consider before going to nursing school or becoming a nurse in general.
1. What kind of nursing career do you want?
There are a lot of different nursing careers you can choose from. There’s EMT nurse, school nurse, nurse anesthetist, nurses for babies and mothers, elderly care nurses, case management nurses, and many many more. There are so many different types to choose from that it can hard to choose just one career, so make sure that you choose wisely and look at all of your options.
2. Are you okay with being more than just a nurse?
Sometimes you’ll have to be the waiter, the housekeeper, the counselor, the therapist, the teacher, and sometimes you might even have to play the role of someone’s parent. It can be hard to juggle all of these roles at once, and if you aren’t careful, they can cause stress in your personal life.
3. Do you have a strong memory?
If you struggle with remembering things, then you’ll need to come up with ways to improve your thought process since nursing is all about helping people. You’ll need to remember the doctors you work with, lab results, urine output, lab schedule, how long it took to administer medication, and every single new order. So, make sure you always keep your notebook in hand. You don’t want to forget anything important.
4. Are you okay with the possibility of seeing people die or dying?
Death is a part of life. Some people get to live until they are 80, while others die young or before they are even born. You will especially see death if you work in the emergency room, so make sure you mentally prepare yourself to possibly see some of the most heart-wrenching things in the world.
5. Are you okay with nursing taking a toll on your body?
Nursing involves a lot of physical activity. You will often work long shifts, go hours without using the toilet, and you’ll even have to lift and carry patients who might weigh more than you every single day. A lot of nurses suffer from back problems and sore arms, so it’ll be great to learn some yoga and coping mechanisms to deal with body soreness.
6. Do you truly want to be a nurse?
Nurses are often overworked, underpaid, and not appreciated …
