14 May 2010
FD4
Being A Nurse
Now a days, most girls (especially Filipinos) want to continue their education so that they can become a registered nurse. Almost every Filipino family has at least one member who is a nurse. Maybe it’s because of the majority of home health care operators being Filipino. Since this semester has come to an end, I already have one year of nursing school under my belt. The clinical experiences that I had opened up my eyes, and I now see for myself what nursing is really about. Most people think that it’s all about the pay, but I have learned that those who go into nursing just because of the amount of money that they make, are miserable with their jobs. [THESIS] There are many reasons why nursing is one of the best professions to get into. [THESIS]
Besides firefighters, teachers, postal workers, and armed forces being the top most trusted professions, the public also relies on doctors and nurses. The public put their trust in nurses because they believe that nurses are very caring, empathetic, detail-oriented, emotionally stable, adaptable, have physical endurance, are quick thinkers, make great judgments, very hard-working, and have great communication skills. People know that nurses have the knowledge about their specific condition, so they believe and follow what the nurses tell them, because they want to get better.
To be a registered nurse, a person must go through intense schooling and training. After the completion of their degree, they must then pass the National Council Licensure Examination for nurses (NCLEX). Going through this extreme route would make a person think that this nurse “knows his or her stuff.” The public entrust their health and sickness into the hands of a nurse believing that the course of treatment and care will be very valuable to them.
Nurses who have strong traits make them the best at what they do. Some possess empathy, and a lot of people admire that because they will know that they’re not alone. If a nurse is able to put their self in another person’s shoe, and try to feel what the patient is going through, that nurse will be a lot more caring than some other nurses who just do it for the money. Aside from being empathetic, a nurse must also be emotionally stable to be functional so that he or she can perform their duties. The nursing profession will encounter everything from births, traumas, and deaths. With all the stress and pressure around them, nurses have to be able to think on their toes, but still make good decisions.
Another reason why the nursing profession is one of the most trusted occupations today is because they are very detail-oriented. If they weren’t precise in their work, patients wouldn’t get well or some might even die. No matter the circumstance, nurses learn to adapt to everything - situation, environment, patients, and patient’s needs, and to fellow health care workers. Nurses are very hard-working and have a lot of physical endurance.
From watching some nurses during my clinical experience, many don’t even have time to use the restroom. They are at high risk for getting urinary tract infections because some put their job before their own needs. They also complain about their feet being sore at the end of the day because they hardly sit and are always walking around. People trust nurses because they have good communication skills. A nurse is an advocate for the patient. The nurse listens and fights for the patient’s needs; even if it involves disagreeing with the doctor. If a patient doesn’t feel comfortable with something, part of the nurse’s duty is to discern this and address it.
The nursing profession is very rewarding. Nurses who love helping others and are good at it will get this feeling of satisfaction. The patients who are very grateful for the nurse’s care and concern will express this sincere appreciation for what has been done to/for them. I’ve heard of some stories where elderly patients being cared for at long term care facilities and don’t have families end up signing off certain valuables to their nurse. Because of the trust that was gained in that patient-nurse relationship, both parties benefit from each other.
This feeling of satisfaction is very hard to describe. The nurse gets this sense of contentment and gratification that he or she did a good deed for someone else that was in need. This experience of making a difference in a person’s life is very heartwarming. Although a nurse can’t change a person, their behavior and attitude towards the patient will greatly influence their perspective in life, and will probably be a factor in the future decisions that they make regarding their health.
Another thing that is rewarding about the nursing profession is knowing that you have helped save a life. The nurse who made the right judgments about a patient who might have come into the emergency room hanging onto the last string of their life, will be greatly appreciated by that patient and his or her family. There is no better reward than having an effect on patients’ lives that leaves a lasting impact.
One of the major reasons why most people go into the nursing profession is because of its job security. As of today, our country’s economy is at a state of depression. Because of this, a lot of the older population are putting their retirement plans on hold, and many of those who are being laid off can’t afford medical coverage, which affects the health care industry. With the nursing profession, it is recession proof. Although some branches of health care are being affected by the downturn in the economy, nurses are still needed. In fact, the outlook for nurses after this recession is good. They say that we will have one of the biggest shortages in nursing when our economy recovers.
The nursing profession provides people with many opportunities. Nursing is very broad and continues to expand. With our technology expanding everyday, more and more jobs for the nursing occupation will be available. There is so much more to nursing than just caring for patients. Some types of jobs in the nursing field include forensic nurse, genetics nurse, legal nurse consultant, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, radiology nurse, emergency/trauma nurse, nursing informatics specialist, and many others.
Some nurses work well with others, but there are also those who work better alone. People who prefer not to have patient care can do forensic or genetic nursing, be a legal nurse consultant, or work with computers and be a nursing informatics specialist. There are so many patient care nursing jobs available out there. From emergency/trauma, telemetry, medical surgery, ambulatory, oncology, geriatric, pediatric, or long term care nursing; it is very broad and gives people many options to discover what/who they love working with.
Being a nurse is a very good job because of the salary. I know of some nurses who make well over $100,000 with overtime. The average starting pay is around $60,000 for a general/regular patient care registered nurse. If I become a specialty nurse, a home health care operator, and teach at a local nursing school part time, I would be able to support my family. My husband can play Mr. Mom, my children will get a good education, and we can take a vacation every year.
I chose to enter the nursing profession because I think it fits me well. I like helping others and I love working with people. From my clinical experience that I had over this past year, I enjoyed myself while other classmates realized that nursing wasn’t for them. I want a job where I can make a difference and be respected for what I do. I also want a job that my entire family will benefit from. With all the things that I have been through in life, I know that I will definitely succeed. I am the type of person who works very hard at what I want, and I don’t let anything that gets in my way put me down.
I know that my path towards being a nurse will be difficult because the schooling is so intense, I often feel that my family is being deprived of my quality time with them. I am so thankful for a very supportive family because they understand what I am going through and what I put them through. I always remind them that in the end, it will pay off because they can get whatever they want.
I strongly believe that the nursing profession is my calling because I see the weakness in some of the nurses that I have worked with, and I learn from it. I try to apply these corrections toward my patient care because I don’t want to make those same mistakes. Although the money is good, I am not only looking forward to that, but I am excited to influence others and let them realize that there are still people in the world who care.
Log of Completed Activities
_X__Apr 6t- Intro to Paper #4: Read Guidelines for Paper #4: Literary Journalism (Confirmation reply required.)
_X__Apr 12M- Complete readings for paper #4: chap. 15 (Confirmation reply required.)
_X__Apr 16F- Laulima Discussion #1.
_X__Apr 21W- Laulima Discussion #2.
_L__Apr 26M- RD4 due [50 pts] Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
_X__Apr 30F- RD4 Evaluations due [50 pts] Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
_X__May 5W-14F- FD4 due [150 pts] Review the guidelines. (Confirmation reply required.)
