Dianne Pajo https://cpr123.com 2m 557 #nursing
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Nursing is a career that many people don’t have a clear idea of, likely due to all the TV shows, movies, and dramatized documentaries about the profession. For many of those looking to help others and go into the medical field, the reality of the career can feel like a shock. If you’re thinking of becoming a nurse of any kind, take a look at some of the most common myths and misconceptions about nursing.
Nurses Just Follow Doctor’s Orders
Unfortunately, there’s a common notion that people only become nurses because they’re not smart enough to become doctors. This is incredibly untrue, as people choose nursing degrees purposefully, and they all must pass the highly rigorous NCLEX.
Additionally, while it is up to the doctor to oversee the plan of care and the patient’s progress, the nurse is with the patient all day. They can’t always wait for the doctor’s permission to make some choices. Nurses have the ability and the knowledge to assess and address the patient’s concerns with the rest of the medical team. Nurses must be able to make intelligent, timely, and strategic decisions.
Nursing Means Going to School Full-Time
Nursing school isn’t easy and requires a lot of time and dedication if you want to succeed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go to school full-time. With medical science advancing, people are only living longer and longer, which means the demand for quality medical care is at an all-time high. However, there aren’t enough nurses to meet the needs, which is why online medical school is becoming increasingly popular.
However, therein lies another myth–a common misconception about getting medical certification online is that it’s easy and you can just breeze through online programs. In truth, it’s quite the opposite. While you can learn at your own pace and even finish faster than in traditional brick-and-mortar classes, that doesn’t make the courses easy. In fact, many nurses who took in-person classes and went on to take online classes say that online courses are more rigorous.
Nurses Clean Patients All-Day
It is true that some nurses do have to bathe patients as well as clean their waste, but this task doesn’t take all day, nor does every nursing position require you to do so. Depending on where you work and what kind of nursing degree you receive, you may perform everything from lifesaving tasks to crucial paperwork. While there may come a time when you’ll have to handle blood or empty a bedpan, it’s only a fraction of your day when compared to everything else you’ll handle.
Nurses Work Easy Hours
One of the most common myths about nursing is that you’ll be able to work three days a week with fewer hours than a nine-to-five job. This is a huge misconception—while shifts are technically 12 hours, a nurse’s schedule is more complicated than that. While your shift may be 12 hours, charting and briefing can bring you up to about 14 hours. It’s also not uncommon for nurses to take an extra shift during the week, which is about 40 hours in 7 days on average.
Overall, if you want to be a nurse, you need to be passionate, hard-working, detail-oriented, and empathetic.
(
