What do nurses do?
Nurses ultimately care for people of all ages. Care includes applying knowledge and skill in clinical practice. Care also takes the form of promoting the prevention of illness and tending to the health of ill, disabled and dying people, which nurses do through: advocacy for health care policy change; promotion of safe and healthy environments; research in care practices; and the creation of standards of best practices in patient and health system management and nursing education. Many misconceptions exist about what nurses do, in part because of how certain roles are glamorized in television shows. No nursing setting is as consistently fast-paced or dramatic as it is portray in any movie or TV show, even emergency room nursing. Nursing in any setting can be far more fulfilling and rewarding than anything you might imagine. Nurses actually practice in a diverse and stimulating array of settings including: community health clinics, family health teams, physician offices, private homes, schools, pharmaceutical companies, industry (occupational health settings), retirement homes, hospice facilities, long-term care homes, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, colleges/universities, in the military and even cruise ships. Many people interested in a career nursing may underestimate the knowledge and skill that is the foundation of the profession. Nursing is a knowledge-based profession. Nursing is physical and emotion work, but it is also cognitive work. Without an extensive breadth of knowledge and clinical expertise to guide care, nurses would be limited in their ability to advance and improve upon current health outcomes. This is why nursing care is founded on a commitment of continuous learning and quality improvement, and the application of knowledge and experience into clinical excellence. Clinical practice guidelines represent a milestone in the advancement of the nursing profession as it continues to evolve and play important roles in patient treatment and cures. http://careersinnursing.ca/why-nursing/nursing-matters/what-do-nurses-really-do |
Things you might not know
about Nursing:
1. Think your doctor is king of all your medical treatment? Think again! Nurses work behind the scenes to keep many doctors from making mistakes that could be extremely unfavorable for you. We check every single medication order for accuracy before we administer it to you, and we often find mistakes that either pharmacy or your physician has made. If we feel a treatment plan that your doctor ordered for you is not ideal, we will discuss it with your physician and ask for a different treatment plan.
2. Nurses don't care if you're naked, bleeding, vomiting or pooping. That doesn't mean we don't care that you're sick because we do. But there's no reason to be embarrassed. When we tell you we've seen it all, we have. Nothing surprises us...nothing.
3. Nurses are not just nurses at work. They take their jobs home, and they worry about you while they're spending time with their family. It's very common for nurses to stress about things they could have done differently during the day, during their commute home. Nurses really do care about you and your health and truly want you to get well.
4. You will work times that no one else is working. You will work holidays, you will work nights, you will work weekends. When you are new, you won’t get time off during the summer. We don’t have a slow season that lots of people can take off. When you are new, you will have to suck it up and just work. New nurses that think they get the pick of the schedule get their heads bit off. The end. Seniority rules the roost as far as scheduling goes. It is just no fun to be the new guy.
5. You will be exposed to all types of germs and viruses. If you are squeamish, nursing is probably not your best career choice. Nurses deal with blood and other bodily fluids. They are also exposed to all types of viruses and other pathogens.
6. Some days will be overwhelming. The job can be stressful for a variety of reasons. For example, there may be times you are short staffed or get a sudden increase in new patients to treat.
7. Nursing is a physical job. You spend a great deal of your shift on your feet, and even the best shoes can’t compensate for long hours on concrete floors. You will also spend time moving patients from beds to gurneys or chairs and back again. Patients who are very sick may need to be moved in their beds, with equipment such as intravenous poles or ventilators in addition to the bed. Back injuries are one of the unpleasant side effects of all that lifting, pushing and pulling.
8. If you can’t stand work being boring, then consider being a nurse. Providing a highly challenging and rewarding experience, being a nurse will mean solving problems that are unique every day. Ranging from simple paperwork to life and death situations, being a nurse means hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and being there at all points in between. From this challenge comes the satisfaction again of knowing that you made a difference.
9. Lifelong Learning. The science of nursing is always advancing, and a successful nursing career requires a commitment to learning and openness to change. Attending conferences, joining specialty organizations, reading journals, attending graduate school keeps me interested in and inspired by nursing.
10. Nurses must pay a fee to their licensing body every year to maintain their practicing license. Can be anywhere from 300.00-600.00. This is out of pocket, not covered by employer.
http://nursingdegreeguide.com/2011/10/the-top-ten-advantages-of-being-a-nurse/
http://nlcatp.org/8-crucial-pros-and-cons-of-nursing/
http://www.gapmedics.com/blog/2014/12/19/10-must-know-pros-and-cons-of-becoming-a-nurse/
http://www.onlyanurse.com/nursingtopics/2015/8/17/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-nurses
about Nursing:
1. Think your doctor is king of all your medical treatment? Think again! Nurses work behind the scenes to keep many doctors from making mistakes that could be extremely unfavorable for you. We check every single medication order for accuracy before we administer it to you, and we often find mistakes that either pharmacy or your physician has made. If we feel a treatment plan that your doctor ordered for you is not ideal, we will discuss it with your physician and ask for a different treatment plan.
2. Nurses don't care if you're naked, bleeding, vomiting or pooping. That doesn't mean we don't care that you're sick because we do. But there's no reason to be embarrassed. When we tell you we've seen it all, we have. Nothing surprises us...nothing.
3. Nurses are not just nurses at work. They take their jobs home, and they worry about you while they're spending time with their family. It's very common for nurses to stress about things they could have done differently during the day, during their commute home. Nurses really do care about you and your health and truly want you to get well.
4. You will work times that no one else is working. You will work holidays, you will work nights, you will work weekends. When you are new, you won’t get time off during the summer. We don’t have a slow season that lots of people can take off. When you are new, you will have to suck it up and just work. New nurses that think they get the pick of the schedule get their heads bit off. The end. Seniority rules the roost as far as scheduling goes. It is just no fun to be the new guy.
5. You will be exposed to all types of germs and viruses. If you are squeamish, nursing is probably not your best career choice. Nurses deal with blood and other bodily fluids. They are also exposed to all types of viruses and other pathogens.
6. Some days will be overwhelming. The job can be stressful for a variety of reasons. For example, there may be times you are short staffed or get a sudden increase in new patients to treat.
7. Nursing is a physical job. You spend a great deal of your shift on your feet, and even the best shoes can’t compensate for long hours on concrete floors. You will also spend time moving patients from beds to gurneys or chairs and back again. Patients who are very sick may need to be moved in their beds, with equipment such as intravenous poles or ventilators in addition to the bed. Back injuries are one of the unpleasant side effects of all that lifting, pushing and pulling.
8. If you can’t stand work being boring, then consider being a nurse. Providing a highly challenging and rewarding experience, being a nurse will mean solving problems that are unique every day. Ranging from simple paperwork to life and death situations, being a nurse means hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and being there at all points in between. From this challenge comes the satisfaction again of knowing that you made a difference.
9. Lifelong Learning. The science of nursing is always advancing, and a successful nursing career requires a commitment to learning and openness to change. Attending conferences, joining specialty organizations, reading journals, attending graduate school keeps me interested in and inspired by nursing.
10. Nurses must pay a fee to their licensing body every year to maintain their practicing license. Can be anywhere from 300.00-600.00. This is out of pocket, not covered by employer.
http://nursingdegreeguide.com/2011/10/the-top-ten-advantages-of-being-a-nurse/
http://nlcatp.org/8-crucial-pros-and-cons-of-nursing/
http://www.gapmedics.com/blog/2014/12/19/10-must-know-pros-and-cons-of-becoming-a-nurse/
http://www.onlyanurse.com/nursingtopics/2015/8/17/ten-things-you-never-knew-about-nurses
I am a Nurse.......