patient care

Let’s be honest, nursing is not for everyone. If you don’t drink coffee, you probably will start guzzling those beverages around 3rd year. It can be a demanding career physically, cognitively, and emotionally. Different nursing specialties will have different demands. For anyone considering a rewarding, but challenging, career in nursing consider the following questions to see if this is a good career match for you.

Can you work well in a team?

Nursing often involves working within a multi-disciplinary team compiled of various members. This may include physicians, administrative support, occupational therapists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and, of course, the patient and their family, to name a few. Being a good listener, providing your own input, and respecting each other’s roles can help optimize patient care.

Can you adapt to changing environments?

Ask yourself if you can be adaptable to changing needs and degrees of workload in a short period of time. It only takes one emergency or an abrupt change in a patient’s condition to have a steady day turn into chaos. Even in a community setting, if an outbreak occurs or flu season strikes the necessity to work harder, faster, and longer can be a reality.

Nurses are also expected to attend conventions and conferences where they learn about new technologies and treatments that affect all areas of the nursing profession. Sometimes these conferences are paid for by a nurse’s employer. And sometimes they aren’t, and they are expected to afford the cost of the trip with an offer code website like CouponLynx.org. Do you enjoy the sciences?

Certainly nursing knowledge includes learning biology to understand how the body works. However, also be prepared to embrace chemistry and math. For example, consider pharmaceuticals and what knowledge is required to understand how medications work within the body, or how calcium ions affect the heart rate. Or, consider how the doctor may be prescribing the medication but it is important for nurses to double check dosages based on age and weight. This is not to discourage people who do not excel in the hard sciences from a career in nursing, but is a consideration to be prepared to work and study hard.

Do you enjoy psychology and sociology?

How people think, interact, portray emotions, and behave in society and with others can have a huge impact on their health. Having an interest in human behavior rather than preferring, for example, computer programming can distinguish personalities that may be appropriate for nursing.

Can you advocate for others?

Identifying the needs of people when they are in the vulnerable position of being a patient and having the confidence to speak up to advocate for those patients is a valuable trait in a nurse. It may be too easy at times to just perform the basic job requirements and go home. However, to make a difference in people’s lives and to achieve greater job satisfaction, advocacy can be a powerful tool.

Are you a strong communicator?

Strong written and verbal skills are required in nursing …