As requested, I am doing a blog post on why I chose to be a nurse! This was honestly an easy and fun blog post for me to write about, as I always have said that when I grow up, I want to be a "Doctor". Yes, Nursing came first, but the long term goal is Nurse Practitioner.
Why I chose nursing over other health care occupations Is a question I get asked frequently. Here is a fun fact: most that ask are my patients at work! That's how you know nursing is a rewarding job when patient's aren't sure how one human being can be capable of such a thing.. LOL. Most patients share with me that they think health care professionals are insane & yet amazing to be able to do what they can. Not everyone can change the dressing in a stage III pressure ulcer with a straight face, administer enema’s and tell loved ones that their family member isn’t going to make it. As I am sure you've already imagined.. nursing isn’t glamorous. I’ve been hit, hit on, pee’d on, poop’d on, vomited on, bled on.. you get the point. It can be rough. BUT there isn’t a career more rewarding in my opinion than healthcare.
We get licenses to care for people, to save lives, to be an advocate for our patients and we vow to always do good as a nurse. This is kind of badass if you ask me?!
I have been a CNA going on 4+ years now. Having worked under nurses at several different facilities, I've seen it all. But despite everything, I‘ve always looked up to nurses like they were superhero’s. I admired how organized they were, how accurately they managed their time, performed under pressure and even communicated with patients and families. They were so confident. I would tell them all “ how do you manage side conversations from patient's family, your cna’s, doctors, etc all while pulling your medications and administering them?" It just seemed unreal to me. Nursing comes with SO much responsibility and I never truly knew what was going on inside their heads until I started clinicals as a nurse. Boy do I give nurses some credit! It is hard to manage time, and to have a good poker face when patients are not patient with you... but they sure do make it look easy. It seems like they always know just what to say.
I get asked this question a lot as well after successfully graduating nursing school, “ Is nursing school hard, & do you think I‘ll be able to do it? “ & my answer is nursing school is tough, but what is really difficult is after you graduate school, when you realize that you finally have a license that can be taken away from you just as quickly as it was issued.
Nursing isn’t for the faint of the heart. It is difficult & there are days when you want to quit, or you wonder why you do what you do. But, then there are those days/shifts where you feel like you made a difference, and you saved that patients life, or that the family of your patient really trusted you when caring for their family member....those are the moments that matter & make it worth it. On top of being inspired by the nurses and getting that warm feeling inside when you make a patient’s day better, I also chose nursing due to my mother being a nurse. I grew up watching her in scrubs and I admired her for how well she always cared for her patients. She‘d come home some days from work and truly be worried about her patient's, and if they'd end up making it through the night. That’s how I knew she cared.
When it comes to nursing wearing scrubs is a major plus, as you never have to dress up to work... and they feel like pajama‘s... & come on.. who doesn’t wanna go to work in their PJ’s?? The 12 hour shifts are a major advantage as you can have 4 days off a week to do whatever you want. (I was never your typical 9-5 kinda gal) I like the longer shifts, work 3 and then you're done. The time & a half pay is a plus, as most facilities will offer you time & a half pay for anything over your full time/part time hours. And who doesn’t enjoy extra $$$?!
BUT despite all the extra hours, money & flexibility... to be a nurse you have to put others before yourself. The reality of the job is that sometimes your lunches get cut early, you don’t hydrate/eat enough throughout your shift, you don’t pee enough & you barely chart what needs to be charted before 7 o’clock rolls around. This is the life of a nurse... especially a new graduate. But overtime I believe it does get easier, you’ll get more comfortable, you’ll be allowed more time to sit, but the patients always come first.
I think the biggest reason that nursing hit so hard to me was the fact that I always try to image that the patient in the hospital bed is my loved one. How would I feel if the staff treated my family this way? Would I be happy with the care? Would they actually do everything they can do help them get better? These are the questions you ask when your loved ones are in the hospital. Of course you’re going to make sure they get everything they need, as you want them to recover! Often nurses do deal with patients that are difficult, as well as families. But we must try and remember how they must feel. They aren’t usually coming in expectedly, and this can be frightening for all of them.
We as nurses must try and make their experience the best, even when it wasn’t expected for them. Anyone can be a nurse, but being a caring and compassionate nurse is what really matters. These patients didn’t ask to be put in the hospital beds, so we must try and be patient with them, even when they aren’t patient themselves.
Nurses, CNA’s and health care professionals are truly amazing & sometimes we just need to thank them for all that they do!
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