Choosing to pursue a career in nursing is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling decisions that you can make. The sort of work that you get the chance to do as a nurse in regard to patient care is vital to the success of the medical field as a whole. In fact, there are many who consider nurses to be the backbone of the healthcare system.
With such an important role in the medical community, you might think that you know all there is to about being a nurse. However, there are actually a number of aspects pertaining to a career in nursing that the general public isn’t necessarily aware of.
If you are hoping to start a nursing career of your own, it is important to educate yourself about what the job entails. There might very well be things about a job as a nurse that you were notaware of initially that could influence the direction in which you decide to take your career.
With that in mind, here are eight things that you should know about a career in nursing before you start your own career in nursing.
1. You Can Earn Advanced Nursing Degrees
Once you have completed nursing school and passed your state licensing exams, you might think that you have seen your last of the classroom. While you can certainly pursue a fulfilling career in nursing based on the merits of either a two-year associate’sdegree or a four-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree, there are also a number of options that can allow you to take your career in other directions.
Advanced degrees in nursing are incredibly valuable for those nurses who are looking to specialize in a particular area of medicine. Certain degrees can also allow you to work in other aspects of medicine. You might wish to take your talents outside of patient care entirely and find your place in the world of healthcare administration.
The right advanced degree or degrees can help you to qualify to work in a variety of different roles in nursing. Those who are concerned about being able to manage earning a degree while continuing to work in their current jobs can consider enrolling in an online degree program. Programs such as Texas WomansUniversity’s online Post-Master’s Certificate program can be the perfect solution for working nurses who aspire to earn an advanced degree. Click here to learn more about the Texas Womans University program.
2. There is More Than One Way to Qualify as a Nurse
Nursing is one of those careers that does not have just one route to success. There is more than one way in which you can become a qualified nurse. The option that you choose will depend on your personal circumstances, but each is worth considering when you are looking to start your own career in nursing.
The first thing to consider when you decide that you want to become a nurse is what sort of nurse you want to be. There are several types of nurses including a registered nurse (RN), a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN). Each type of nurse is able to practice medicine to different degrees, with the APRN being among those nurses who have the most freedom in regard to limitations of practice.
An LPN is a member of a healthcare team that assists nurses and physicians with the more routine aspects of treatment. They handle things like changing a patient’s bandages and collecting samples for tests. Moreover, you can become an LPN without having to earn a nursing degree of any kind. You simply have toundergo the right level of training and then pass the required certification examinations.
Becoming an RN is a longer process and will require you to attend nursing school. However, this can be done via a two-year associate’s degree program or a four-year BSN program. That being said, if you hope to earn advanced degrees down the line, you should consider going for your BSN right off the bat.
APRNs are advanced practice nurses that are given a greater amount of responsibility. Nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists are APRNs. Assuming such roles in nursing will require you to earn a master’s of science in nursing (MSN) degree or higher. Furthermore, you will need to obtain the right certifications for the specific type of nurse you wish to become.
3. Nurses Do Not Always Work in Direct Patient Care
As you might have gathered, not all nurses work in the direct patient care setting. In fact, many nurses choose to take their training, experience and education into other facets of the healthcare system.
Some nurses opt to join the administrative side of healthcare, working as hospital administrators or in similar positions. Others might wish to influence healthcare policy at the highest levels by working with governmental authorities and policy makers to affect change from the very top. Still others choose to take their experience back to the classroom by becoming nurse educators.
Depending on what you want out of your own nursing career, you might need to earn an advanced degree of some sort. This is true for nurses who wish to go into clinical research, education or administration. While an MSN might be enough for the specific job you wish to pursue, others will require a higher form of education such as a doctorate degree in the form of a DNP (doctor of nursing practice).
4. Not All Nurses Work Shifts
One aspect of being a nurse that tends to turn people away from the profession is the concept of having to work shifts. Although many hospital systems look to structure schedules in a way that does not result in burnout in nurses, the demands of working in shifts are still something to keep in mind.
That being said, not all nurses work shifts. If you work in a different sort of clinical setting for instance you might simply work standard business hours. Some nurses choose to work in schools meaning that they are only required to work during school hours.
Essentially, if you aspire to be a nurse but are worried about the toll that shift work will take on you mentally and physically, there are still other options to consider that will allow you to practice as a nurse without having to work shifts.
5. Continuing Education Is Required
Having a long successful career as a nurse is an endeavor that will require you to become a perpetual learner. This is true for two key reasons.
Firstly, every medical professional knows that in order to maintain a license to practice requires earning a certain number of continuing education credits as dictated by the state. Such credits are designed to keep medical professionals informed about the latest developments and changes in the field of healthcare. In order to find out what the continuing education requirements are for your state, you should look to the same licensing board that you took your initial licensing examination with.
In another way, though, nurses are perpetual learners due to the very nature of the job. For starters any job that involves working with people will involve a certain degree of self-education. Your patients are unique individuals and thus you will need to have an open mind and be ready to learn each time you approach a new patient.
Furthermore, because the field of medicine is one that is in constant development, you might very well find that your continuing education credits are simply the bare minimum that you need to accomplish in order to stay apprised of all of the changes that are relevant to your job. Seeking out opportunities to obtain additional certifications and training is a great way to stay current with new developments in your field.
6. Good Nurses Have Certain Qualities That Cannot Be Taught
While one of the major components to becoming a successful nurse is education, there is so much more to being a nurse than earning a degree or undergoing certain training. There are also a number of other qualities that good nurses have that cannot be taught in the classroom.
For starters, nurses are excellent communicators. Not only do they need to be able to communicate with other members of the healthcare team in a fast–paced and often stressful environment, but they also need to be able to communicate clearly with patients. Many of your future patients might not have had any previous exposure to healthcare. This means that you will have to play the role of educator when it comes to their health and treatment.
Other qualities that good nurses possess include empathy, patience and adaptability. Such qualities will help you avoid becoming jaded throughout your career due to the constant exposure to medical problems and emergencies. It is important that you are always able to put yourself in the shoes of your patients as many of them will be intimidated by the general healthcare setting.
If these are qualities that you do not feel you have mastered just yet, that doesn’t mean that you have to despair of ever becoming a nurse. Rather, put in the time and effort from the very start of your career to develop these attributes so that you too can be a successful nurse.
7. You Will Not Be Able to Help Everyone
Careers in medicine can be tricky things in that it is impossible for you as a healthcare professional to help everyone who comes to you for treatment and guidance. There are going to be times throughout your career when you are faced with this fact and have to find a way to move on to the next patient.
Whether a treatment plan doesn’t go well or a patient simply refuses to accept the help that they need, you are going to find that there are limitations to what you can accomplish. This is simply a fact of the job and should be borne in mind when you make your decision to become a nurse.
This does not mean that you will be unable to make a positive difference in the lives of countless patients throughout your career. You will certainly find a way to do a great deal of good as a nurse. Understanding the realities of the job is an important aspect of becoming a nurse, though, and will allow you to become a resilient nurse in practice.
8. Good Self-Care Is Important for Nurses
When it comes to a career in nursing, the demands of the job are nothing to take lightly. Regardless of the type of nurse you eventually become, you will be involved in some aspect of medical care or another. Such irresponsibility can weigh heavily on those who choose to become nurses. This is why it is so important for nurses to practice good self-care.
The fact of the matter is that you won’t be able to help anyone successfully unless you first are able to look after yourself. Incorporating positive self-care practices into your regular routine is an important part of accomplishing this goal.
All nurses, for example, should look to eat a healthy diet and get enough quality sleep each night. Making time for routine exercise is also an important aspect of practicing good self-care. Taking care of these basic aspects of self-care will help to reduce stress levels and help you feel refreshed and ready to take on your next shift.
Lastly, it is incredibly important for you to stay aware of your mental health status. If at any point you feel too much stress or anxiety surrounding your job, it is important to seek out the appropriate help.
Because a career in nursing can be such a multi-faceted one, it is important to do your research and understand the nature of the job before you start your own career in nursing. With the right information in hand, you can make more informed decisions concerning the trajectory of your career and everything that you hope to accomplish.
