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How do I know nursing is right for me?
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Doc’s Answer
Thinking about going to nursing school Jessica? You’re headed for a great career, one that’s rewarding, challenging, and always exciting. But nursing school is notoriously difficult. Most nursing programs require high GPAs and impressive scores in math, chemistry, biology, psychology, and other demanding subjects. It’s also extremely fulfilling. These are things most people already know about nursing school, but what about the things no one ever tells you? Here are a few of those things.
SLEEP IS SO OVER RATED
Nursing school isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it can be extremely challenging. Bachelor’s candidates take longer to graduate than ever before, with most nurses spending more than four years earning their undergraduate degree. Because nursing programs tend to be more demanding in terms of credits, many students are forced to fast-track their degrees by taking multiple hard classes at once. If you’re in nursing school, that means several of the most stressful mid-terms and finals at the same time. Because of these factors, all-nighters are inevitable. But nursing students know better than everyone else that staying up all night to cram isn’t good for your health. Getting a good night’s sleep before a big exam will help you retain memory and stay focused. Make sure that when you go into nursing school, you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Try to alternate those tough classes so you don’t have competing exams.
BURNOUT IS A REAL THING
Numerous studies indicate that nurses-in-training feel burnout at a higher level than students seeking other career paths. One study found that nursing students felt increasing levels of stress and used negative coping methods as their programs progressed. The same study found that as nursing programs got harder, students experienced physiological morbidity, meaning they developed health issues as a result of their stress. But don’t let the prospect of burnout deter you from pursuing a nursing degree. Researchers are working to develop new programs that deter fatigue and burnout. With the risk of burnout and fatigue higher for nurses, how do they stay positive? It all comes down to focusing on the end goal. Nurses enjoy myriad benefits compared with other career paths, including greater job stability, stronger personal satisfaction, the ability for career mobility, and the potential for higher salaries.
TIME IS MONEY
With the average cost of a bachelor of nursing science (BSN) degree quickly creeping up well into six figures (the average cost of a BSN is somewhere between $40,000 and $200,000), it’s important to remember that nursing students also have to spend more out of pocket than many other students seeking a bachelor’s degree. In addition to the cost of tuition and housing, nursing students incur additional costs associated with licensure exams, text books, and medical supplies. When you prepare for your clinical's, internship, or lab courses, you may also be required to invest in nursing scrubs or uniforms. This isn’t such a bad thing, though. Think of your scrubs, stethoscopes, and everyday equipment as an investment in your future. And when you look the part, you’re more likely to succeed. Make sure that you invest in high-quality medical uniforms and durable shoes so that your wardrobe will stay with you until you’ve graduated and passed your licensure exam.
IT CAN BE A BLOODY MESS
Here’s the thing: nursing and nursing school are stressful, and part of that feels out of your control. When you’re doing your internship or certification hours, you’ll be faced with a wide range of scenarios that feel utterly impossible: a patient with an illness that has no clear treatment track, the notoriously difficult bureaucracy of hospital administration, the inequalities of health care. All these things can contribute to cynicism over time. Another phenomenon among nursing students and professionals is the experience of becoming desensitized to people’s trauma and suffering. Ask any child of a nurse and they’ll tell you that their parent rarely panicked over a bloody injury or a particularly gross illness. That’s because the more you’re exposed to medical conditions, the more normalized they become. Over time, it may feel like nothing shocks you anymore. Studies show that this phenomenon occurs because nursing students are forced to “compartmentalize” their emotions. In other words, they separate the natural human reaction to a person bleeding from their immediate need to provide life-saving care. Newer nursing pedagogies put a serious focus on empathy to help deter nursing students and professionals from becoming desensitized on the job.
IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Nursing school is a unique environment. There will be few times in your life when you’ll engage so closely with people of the same career path, especially in scenarios where you’re forced to work together and lean on each other so often. Making friends in nursing school isn’t inevitable for everyone, but it can certainly benefit those who prioritize friendships. Close friends will help you succeed when you study together, network together, and confide in each other. But there’s a flip side to this, too. In any social situation, there’s likelihood for drama and disagreements. Small, insular nursing programs may require you to live, work, and study with your classmates, which can lead to an environment that encourages cliques and bullying. Going into nursing school with a friendly, positive, and focused attitude can help ensure that you stay on the outside of any distracting confrontations. It’ll also help you make friends that you’ll keep for a lifetime.
Hope this was also Helpful Jessica
SLEEP IS SO OVER RATED
Nursing school isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, it can be extremely challenging. Bachelor’s candidates take longer to graduate than ever before, with most nurses spending more than four years earning their undergraduate degree. Because nursing programs tend to be more demanding in terms of credits, many students are forced to fast-track their degrees by taking multiple hard classes at once. If you’re in nursing school, that means several of the most stressful mid-terms and finals at the same time. Because of these factors, all-nighters are inevitable. But nursing students know better than everyone else that staying up all night to cram isn’t good for your health. Getting a good night’s sleep before a big exam will help you retain memory and stay focused. Make sure that when you go into nursing school, you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Try to alternate those tough classes so you don’t have competing exams.
BURNOUT IS A REAL THING
Numerous studies indicate that nurses-in-training feel burnout at a higher level than students seeking other career paths. One study found that nursing students felt increasing levels of stress and used negative coping methods as their programs progressed. The same study found that as nursing programs got harder, students experienced physiological morbidity, meaning they developed health issues as a result of their stress. But don’t let the prospect of burnout deter you from pursuing a nursing degree. Researchers are working to develop new programs that deter fatigue and burnout. With the risk of burnout and fatigue higher for nurses, how do they stay positive? It all comes down to focusing on the end goal. Nurses enjoy myriad benefits compared with other career paths, including greater job stability, stronger personal satisfaction, the ability for career mobility, and the potential for higher salaries.
TIME IS MONEY
With the average cost of a bachelor of nursing science (BSN) degree quickly creeping up well into six figures (the average cost of a BSN is somewhere between $40,000 and $200,000), it’s important to remember that nursing students also have to spend more out of pocket than many other students seeking a bachelor’s degree. In addition to the cost of tuition and housing, nursing students incur additional costs associated with licensure exams, text books, and medical supplies. When you prepare for your clinical's, internship, or lab courses, you may also be required to invest in nursing scrubs or uniforms. This isn’t such a bad thing, though. Think of your scrubs, stethoscopes, and everyday equipment as an investment in your future. And when you look the part, you’re more likely to succeed. Make sure that you invest in high-quality medical uniforms and durable shoes so that your wardrobe will stay with you until you’ve graduated and passed your licensure exam.
IT CAN BE A BLOODY MESS
Here’s the thing: nursing and nursing school are stressful, and part of that feels out of your control. When you’re doing your internship or certification hours, you’ll be faced with a wide range of scenarios that feel utterly impossible: a patient with an illness that has no clear treatment track, the notoriously difficult bureaucracy of hospital administration, the inequalities of health care. All these things can contribute to cynicism over time. Another phenomenon among nursing students and professionals is the experience of becoming desensitized to people’s trauma and suffering. Ask any child of a nurse and they’ll tell you that their parent rarely panicked over a bloody injury or a particularly gross illness. That’s because the more you’re exposed to medical conditions, the more normalized they become. Over time, it may feel like nothing shocks you anymore. Studies show that this phenomenon occurs because nursing students are forced to “compartmentalize” their emotions. In other words, they separate the natural human reaction to a person bleeding from their immediate need to provide life-saving care. Newer nursing pedagogies put a serious focus on empathy to help deter nursing students and professionals from becoming desensitized on the job.
IT'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Nursing school is a unique environment. There will be few times in your life when you’ll engage so closely with people of the same career path, especially in scenarios where you’re forced to work together and lean on each other so often. Making friends in nursing school isn’t inevitable for everyone, but it can certainly benefit those who prioritize friendships. Close friends will help you succeed when you study together, network together, and confide in each other. But there’s a flip side to this, too. In any social situation, there’s likelihood for drama and disagreements. Small, insular nursing programs may require you to live, work, and study with your classmates, which can lead to an environment that encourages cliques and bullying. Going into nursing school with a friendly, positive, and focused attitude can help ensure that you stay on the outside of any distracting confrontations. It’ll also help you make friends that you’ll keep for a lifetime.
Hope this was also Helpful Jessica
Updated
Daysi’s Answer
Hi Jessica,
This questions is asked by most going into any career. Is this career the right choice for me at this time and my future?.
First, I would look at what brings you Joy and makes you happy. Every profession can bring that Joy and Satisfaction, along with Burnout and many other Challenges. It is about Balance, but that Balance does not come easy. It takes great effort and leanings on your part to bring that Balance to your Work and Life.
Having a Professional Registered Nurse Degree can open many doors for you. In this Pandemic, my recommendations may not be realistic. However, being creative to navigate effectively to reach your goal and help you figure out the answers, is the key.
My advice is to possibly shadow a nurse, continue seeking information from other nurses, and learn as much as you can about the profession. This will need to be done virtually a this time. You may connect (shadow) with a nurse after her workday or the next day and ask her to tell you about her day, via Webex or a phone call. Also, you may reach out to your National Nursing Organization, such as the American Nurses Organization and look at the resources available for you. This is the link to the ANO https://www.nursingworld.org/
The Accredited Nursing Schools usually have a waiting list and also certain academic requirements. Universities or Community Colleges may both offer the Registered Nurse programs. Look at both, apply at both and inquire about the academic pre-requisites and also the curriculum. Also, look at the cost of your education. They do consider your GPA and committed students, along with the entrance exams scores.
You will definitely have sleepless nights, long hours on your feet, bloody mess (indeed), Very rewarding and you will always have a job!!!Even in Pandemic times.
I hope this helps. I am available if you have any other questions and also tell you about my many years in this rewarding career.
This questions is asked by most going into any career. Is this career the right choice for me at this time and my future?.
First, I would look at what brings you Joy and makes you happy. Every profession can bring that Joy and Satisfaction, along with Burnout and many other Challenges. It is about Balance, but that Balance does not come easy. It takes great effort and leanings on your part to bring that Balance to your Work and Life.
Having a Professional Registered Nurse Degree can open many doors for you. In this Pandemic, my recommendations may not be realistic. However, being creative to navigate effectively to reach your goal and help you figure out the answers, is the key.
My advice is to possibly shadow a nurse, continue seeking information from other nurses, and learn as much as you can about the profession. This will need to be done virtually a this time. You may connect (shadow) with a nurse after her workday or the next day and ask her to tell you about her day, via Webex or a phone call. Also, you may reach out to your National Nursing Organization, such as the American Nurses Organization and look at the resources available for you. This is the link to the ANO https://www.nursingworld.org/
The Accredited Nursing Schools usually have a waiting list and also certain academic requirements. Universities or Community Colleges may both offer the Registered Nurse programs. Look at both, apply at both and inquire about the academic pre-requisites and also the curriculum. Also, look at the cost of your education. They do consider your GPA and committed students, along with the entrance exams scores.
You will definitely have sleepless nights, long hours on your feet, bloody mess (indeed), Very rewarding and you will always have a job!!!Even in Pandemic times.
I hope this helps. I am available if you have any other questions and also tell you about my many years in this rewarding career.
Updated
Belinda’s Answer
Hi Jessica- You have lots of good answers before you and becoming a nurse is a great profession and can be very rewarding. You must have many qualities and some of them are compassion, willingness to learn, patience, dedication to the profession, good listening and time management skills, advocate for the patient when they are unable to do this themselves, and critical thinking and leadership skills. These are just a few examples of what is needed to become a good nurse. You might consider job shadowing with a nurse, although this can be tricky or not at all with privacy laws in place. Perhaps volunteer in the hospital to observe what goes on in a hospital setting. I hope this helps and best of luck!