Thinking about becoming a nurse? Here’s everything you need to know

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about becoming a nurse

The Coronavirus outbreak has got much thinking about how they can give back to those extraordinary healthcare providers that have saved so many lives throughout the pandemic. As a result, many students are considering a career in nursing after their studies finish. Nursing is an extremely rewarding profession; however, you shouldn’t go into it lightly. You have to consider the pros and cons of becoming a trained nurse before you sign up to do your nurse training and acquire certifications in PALS. Here are some of the most important things you should consider if you are thinking about becoming a nurse. 

It’s not like it is in Hollywood

What you see on the big screen isn’t accurate – just ask any nurse. Doctors and nurses are largely portrayed inaccurately in movies and on television, from everything from the scrubs they wear to their role in the hospital. In reality, nurses are independent, high-functioning, and critical healthcare providers who do more than just waiting around for the doctors’ orders!

Not everyone can be a nurse

Coronavirus has caused many students and workers to consider a change of career. However, not everybody can be a nurse. Training as a healthcare professional will not just challenge you physically (and mentally), but you will also have to keep a firm grasp on your emotions. As a nurse, you will be exposed to many situations, some of them which will be a little harder to swallow. However, although, as a nurse, you will see the human condition at its worst and most vulnerable, you will also see it at its best. 

Nurses don’t have a strict schedule

On paper, your nursing schedule might look manageable – how hard can 3 shifts of 12 hours a week really be? But when you add in things like changeover duties, exchanging important patient information between colleagues, and also the commute to the hospital itself, your working days will easily be longer than just your 12-hour shift. This is the same for days off. While your schedule might say that you have 4 days off a week, there’s a chance that you might be called in to help when the hospital is understaffed, as well as work on weekends and holidays. 

It’s the most trusted profession 

The nursing profession has been ranked as the #1 most trusted profession for the last 15 years in a row. The pandemic has reminded the world of the importance of healthcare providers, especially all the work that nurses do. Nurses are the linchpins of all countries’ healthcare systems and treat patients from all walks of life at any stage of their medical journey. Nurses are vital for bridging the gap of patient understanding, particularly of their diagnosis, and are honest enough to tell them the truth even when it’s hard to hear.  

Nursing brings endless opportunities

There are not many professions that have as many opportunities as nursing. As soon as you pass your nursing exams, attain your nursing license, and can officially hold the title of a nurse, you can choose exactly where you want to work within the healthcare ecosystem. In fact, there are so many areas where you can practice, including many non-traditional nursing careers. After you become a licensed nurse, you can transfer to many different nursing jobs without having to attain another degree. However, A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP online) is the optimal pathway for registered nurses with a BSN or MSN that are seeking preparation at the highest level of nursing practice. With an online DNP, you can train further as a nurse by exploring a variety of program tracks: 

  • The Executive Nurse Leadership program will help you stand out at your organization as a proven nurse leader and scholar and gain advanced knowledge while connecting with mentors at the same time.
  • The Family Nurse Practitioner Track will enable you to develop as a holistic primary care provider and help you to demonstrate advanced leadership and clinical skills. If you’re already an RN, consider enrolling in UTA’s bridge program to become an FNP.
  • The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Track is great for registered nurses who want to take a lead role in nursing care for infants. This track focuses on high-risk neonates and their families. 
  • The Nurse-Midwifery Track will help you become a nursing leader who can provide holistic patient-centered care for women. This track will enable you to develop advanced competence as you learn to practice in clinical settings as a nurse-midwife.
  • The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Track addresses the primary healthcare needs of adolescents and children, as well as utilizes patient-and-family centered care within the context of the family unit. This track also trains you in being able to provide care for pediatric patients with complex acute, critical, or chronic illnesses in hospitals, intensive care units, and emergency departments.

It’s not just medical care

You won’t just be responsible for administrating medical care as a nurse; chances are you’ll also be a patient advocate, a waitress, a technology expert, an electrician, and a mediator between families and doctors, and families and families. Nursing really is an all rounding profession, and you will find yourself doing everything and anything for your patients – including bringing families together who haven’t spoken in years!

You will never stop being a nurse

Nursing is one of those professions that stays with you forever. Even after you stop practicing, you will always be a nurse at heart. Training as a nurse breaks the boundaries of retirement or even the shift of career. It’s a profession that stays with you for the rest of your life, and you’ll never meet a nurse that regrets becoming one. 

Nursing is one of the most rewarding professions out there; however, it’s not for the faint of heart. As well as long hours with no strict schedule, nurses really do see the raw side of human nature. However, nursing can take you to places and opportunities you would not even imagine and is a great career path for those who are either looking to continue their nurse training after registering as a nurse, or those who are just beginning on their path to becoming part of an infinite nursing family.