Top 5 Things You Never Knew About Nurses Nursing is a frequently misunderstood profession. A lot of people think that they do less than they actually do, and vice versa. Patients will expect too much of you, and doctors may consider you unable. Patients can think that way, too. There is not much to do about how others are going to treat you, but you can definitely show them that your job is not for the faint hearted. 1. Nursing takes dirty jobs to a whole new level.. If a nurse were to tell you about all the nasty things they see every day, you might just faint. All kinds of bodily fluids and unimaginable horrors are hiding around every corner. Some nurses don’t even bring their shoes into the house. The faint of heart are probably not able to handle such disgusting things. Related: Why it’s Okay to Take Vacation 2. Nurses are just as important as the doctor Grey's Anatomy does a great job of showing doctors and nurses’ jobs. Doctors are not the only ones having to make tough decisions every day. When dealing with healthcare and people, it is important to have the ability to problem solve and take care of things on your own. Without nurses, there would be no one to spend as much time with patients and take care of them individually and effectively. 3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 'Ripping off the band aid' is a common thing as a nurse. There are things that need to be done, and you need to do them. The situation can get worse if the task is going to slow. Life as a nurse is situational analysis at its finest. You are needed to be tough and resilient one moment, and tender the next. For example, becoming unable to work after a death is a sign you may not be suited for the job. 4. Catching Errors If it was not for nurses, there would be a lot more mistakes made regarding people's health. In a fast paced environment, it can be easy to overlook a typo or write in the wrong number. This being the case, one task of the nurse is to catch these errors. The doctor ordered too much pain medication? The nurse will catch it. Their
constant attention to detail is a characteristic that make them heroic, without the cape. Related: A Look into 2-year Nursing Degrees – Is it a Scam? 5. Nursing Shortage There is a nursing shortage even though it may not seem like it, with droves of students in nursing school right now. What people are looking for is experience and reliability. It is often thought that new graduates are too inexperienced to get even the most basic nursing job. Competition is great for new nurses, but there is very little for those with more experience under their plate. These awesome people go through so much every day just to take care of the people around them. That takes a lot of enthusiasm and dedication, and couldn't be more impressive. Helping patients consists of tasks that some would never imagine doing, and could never do. Related: Leading Nurse Educator Gene A. Lincoln, BSN, MSN is to be published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Latest Edition Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter