aishwarya
What is the most difficult part of being a nurse?
I am very interested in nursing job i don't know the difficult part of being a nurse. #doctor #nurse
4 answers
Wendy Butterfield
Wendy’s Answer
I work in the hospital setting in the Med/Surg unit, I've also worked in Labor & Delivery (as a nursing assistant). Being a nurse is hard, frustrating, and rewarding all at once. You have to be like a duck, where everything rolls off of you and you don't let it get to you. This includes when a confused patient attacks; when a patient passes; when a patient gets their first diagnosis of cancer and it's already spread; when you have to do CPR on your already frail 90yo patient because the family isn't ready to say goodbye, and you can hear the ribs cracking under the weight of your compressions; when your patient comes in to get checked and there's no longer a baby heart beat.... There are so many hard things that as a nurse you encounter and have to deal with on a regular basis. Normally you would have at least 4 patients (up to 6 on our unit), so going from one of those hard situations and being able to leave the room, put on a happy face and enter the next patient room and going about your day is the hardest thing you learn to do. When your shift is over, you also learn to leave work behind and go home to your family, where you can't share your experiences or talk about what happened because of patient confidentiality. This is where you find a passion outside of work, a way to destress, anything that is self care. You have to take care of yourself if you're going to make it in the nursing field.
Jared Buescher
Jared’s Answer
The previous poster gave great information. I work in an Emergency Room and because of the reasons why people have to come to the Emergency Room, my most difficult part of my job is dealing with people who are in pain, impatient, or worried about their health and take ALL of their frustration, anger, and fear out on you. Also, the mentally ill are extremely difficult to deal with, especially those who are withdrawing from drugs, drunk, overdose on drugs, homeless, or seeking pain medication because of their addiction. There are many rewarding parts of the job and there are many times I really feel like I help people. Those are the parts that keep me involved in my work and keep me from being burnt out. Again, you will really face different things in different places that you work so I can only speak to my experience. Good luck with everything!
Amy Alemany
Amy’s Answer
Aishwarya,
The most difficult parts of being a nurse are being able to work under pressure, handling stress, coping with death, long hours, working weekends/ holidays, difficult patients, hazardous materials (such as a contaminated needles, emesis, etc.), and foul smells/fluids/visuals/etc.
Now keep in mind the degree to which you will work with any of of the above will vary in amount and intensity depending on what you do and where you work.
I am not trying to disillusion you about nursing as a career there are a great many wonderful rewards about nursing and it can be a very fulfilling. If you feel the need to help people and derive great satisfaction from making a difference then all the difficulties don't seem so bad. Once you find your niche in nursing you will enjoy it just remember there are a lot of different fields/spaces in nursing so if you don't like one move on to the next.
-Amy
IT IS REALLY AN A BEAUTIFUL INFORMATION
Abinesh
Rachel Resnick
Rachel’s Answer
You will need to focus on stress and time management. In order to manage stress you have to manage your time wisely. <span style="background-color: transparent;">You have to set a routine for yourself and stick to it for the most part. Once you get into the groove of a routine it will be much easier for you to manage your time and have enough time for everything you need to do (including relaxing). Make yourself to-do lists on a weekly basis, use Google calendar or a planner to keep track of events, deadlines, and due dates. In addition to setting a routine and sticking to it, plan out relaxing activities into your day. Or set aside a time, after everything is done for the day, that you can have "me" time. I have also personally found it essential to not only find time for myself but also make use of that time in a way that is best for me and my holistic wellness. I have found the HeadSpace app to be an essential tool in helping me relax and generally feel more relaxed throughout the day, Guided meditation, even if you have a busy schedule, will make you feel more at ease and relaxed throughout the day as a whole (not just when you have the time to relax and focus on that "me" time).</span>
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Set a routine.Use Google Calendar.Set aside Me TimeWrite weekly to-do lists and use a planner.Find a peaceful and restful activity that will help you feel relaxed.</span>