Answering The Question: Is Nursing School Right For Me

By Melissa Powell


If you will be graduating from high school soon and are trying to decide what to do next, there are a lot of options open to you. You can apply to a college or university, community college, or technical school. If you are interested in the medical field, but don't have the time or money to spend a dozen or more years becoming a doctor, you could enter the nursing profession. Is nursing school right for me is a common question. The answer involves the qualities that all nurses must possess.

Nurses must be professional at all times. It takes more than skill to be a good nurse. It takes adhering to a high code of ethics. As a nurse in a public hospital, you will encounter people from every walk of life. You will be working with male and female patients of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. You have to treat everyone of them in a compassionate and respectful manner. There is no place in the profession for passing judgment on their appearance, illness, or manner of speech.

You must be a skilled communicator to become a great nurse. You need to be able to listen as well as communicate effectively. The lives of your patients may depend on it. Nurses have to understand their patients needs almost before the patients do. It's important to listen to the concerns of those who are ill. They are often frightened and unsure of what is going on around them.

Nurses must have good interpersonal skills. They interact with many different people throughout the day. Nurses are often called upon to act as critical links between patients and physicians. They are members of an exclusive team made up of other nurses, doctors, administrative staff and emergency workers.

Nurses must be detail oriented. They face life and death situations almost every day. It's important for anyone in this position to appreciate the gravity. A mistake can have disastrous consequences. Good nurses spot potential problems and head them off. They have to be intuitive and know the best way to discuss difficult subjects with patients and their families.

Nursing is hard work. Nurses must have plenty of stamina to get through busy shifts. They may be required to move heavy equipment, support patients and help them get in and out of bed. Nurses are on their feet most of the time they are working. Sitting down to rest is often not an option for them.

A good sense of humor is essential if you are going to make it as a nurse. Sometimes the only way to relieve stress is to laugh. Sharing a good natured laugh with staff, fellow nurses, and patients is important because the job can have its grim moments.

You can make straight As in the medical and technical aspects that teach you how to be a nurse. You won't ever be a great one though without certain inherent qualities. It takes empathy, professionalism, stamina, problem solving skills, and the ability to find humor in almost anything.




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