After years of working hard to earn a nursing degree, you might be ready to step your foot in the prestigious and noble nursing profession. Treating ill patients, monitoring their health, giving them medications, seeing them getting better, and serving them without any selfish motive are some of the things you will have to do as a nurse.
You may be prepared to fulfill these duties. But a nursing agency in Lincoln notes that there are a lot of responsibilities you will have to bear, which are discussed below.
#1 Take Ownership And Understand Your Role
Whether you are experienced in the nursing field or are beginning with your career, you must know that there are some sacrifices you will have to make with the title, including not taking frequent toilet breaks, wearing the same uniform every day, and interacting with all kinds of people. There are many such things you may have to give up to be a nurse, and you might not be introduced to them until your capping and pinning ceremonies.
#2 Splurge On Comfortable Shoes
You may love wearing designer heels and high-end shoes, but when you become a nurse, a comfortable pair of shoes or crocs would be the only thing you will be wearing. You will not have the chance to rock that cute dress or top even. When you are working as a nurse, you will have to move a lot in the hospital while attending patients. So, you will be required to wear a suitable pair of shoes along with a full-sleeve uniform. This will make sure your body and feet feel relaxed while you are running errands in the hospital.
#3 Stay Healthy Physically And Emotionally
You will be taking care of multiple patients regularly. So, you will be exposed to a variety of medical conditions and your tasks may include plenty of running and heavy lifting. So, you must take vitamins, get sufficient exercise and sleep, and take preventive steps to combat viruses and germs you may pick up while working.
You will also be seeing a lot of deaths throughout your career. Seeing a child losing its life or a single mother with 3 children dying can take a toll on your emotional health. Moreover, treating patients with severe illnesses may also affect your emotional health. This is why you must prevent burnout by practicing meditation, yoga, and relaxing activities. This will ensure you can take care of all the patients optimally.
#4 Embrace Change
The medical profession is highly dynamic and constantly changes as a better system is implemented, newer knowledge is learned, and more effective technology is founded. There are numerous new learning opportunities for the nurses whether that be attending conferences, being up to date with the latest nursing practices and computer software, as well as travel nursing. You must take the initiative to learn new patient care systems established in your workplace so that you can do your job with more confidence and ease all the time.
#5 Time Management
When you are working as a nurse, you will hardly have time to focus on your health. Some days in the hospital will be smooth and relaxing, while on the other days you may not even get time to eat properly. But, you must manage your time efficiently to make sure none of the healthy meals are compromised and you take bathroom breaks timely. If you fall sick, you would not be able to take care of the patients effectively.
#6 Be Caring And Kind
Unlike other professions, the shifts can be 12 hours long in the world of nursing. So, you must have sufficient energy to work efficiently throughout the day. You will be working as a caregiver and this is why you must work with undivided attention and genuine compassion towards your patients. You will have to maintain a smile throughout the day and talk kindly to everyone in the hospital. Even if you have personal issues, you cannot come to work with a grumpy face. You must not take out your frustration and anger on the patients, and always offer tender care to them.
#7 Multitasking
Unlike other jobs, you might have to perform 5 duties at once just after 30 minutes of your shift. You will be multitasking and doing several different things at one moment throughout your time in the hospital. You will also have to adjust to changes quickly as well as maintain concentration while performing multiple duties.
The Bottom Line
Apart from the above-mentioned things, you will have to consider your colleagues and medical director as your family to make nursing bearable. Working a 12-hour shift for 4 days a week means you will be spending more time in the hospital than in your home. This means you will be needing their assistance, guidance, and help.
