Nursing is a respected vocation. We train, sometimes for years, to learn how to appropriately assist doctors and patients. We are quizzed in all manners of medical information and we have to quickly develop bedside manners. But there are a lot of things that schooling and even on the job training don’t really prepare us for.
10) Nurses notoriously get very little sleep. Even though there are literally thousands of students in training to become nurses, most medical facilities are short staffed which means somebody has to pick up the slack.
9) It is just as important to take care of ourselves as it is to take care of our patients. A sick nurse helps no one. Vitamins, eating right and getting as much sleep as we are able to should be at the top of our to-do lists.
8) Helping a patient’s family is sometimes every bit as important as helping the patient themselves.
7) Changing an area of focus is okay. Just because we begin in one department doesn’t mean we have to stay there.
6)Losing a patient is one of the most awful things a person in the medical field can experience. A nurse also has to know that beating themselves up when a patient does pass away is never a good thing.
5) Though every new nurse knows that earning respect from co-workers can sometimes be an uphill battle, all nurses should know and experience the camaraderie that can be had from a wonderful workplace. If you find yourself in a bad situation, always remember that your skills are in demand.
4) Twelve plus hours are a lot to be on your feet all the time. A degree from nursing school should come with the perfect pair of shoes!
3) “Poor me” is never a good attitude for a nurse to have. Patients as well as staff more positively favor a person who takes charge and always keeps a pleasant attitude.
2) Just because you started out as a CNA doesn’t mean you can’t aspire to further your education and your career. It will be tough, but taking classes while you work has awesome rewards.
1) There is no class in any nursing school that can prepare us for what it really feels like to help someone, to reassure a loved one, or to make a sick kid smile. Those things make it all worth it.
Tags: Healthcare, Nurses, Nursing
