Everyone knows that nursing is a rewarding career path to choose. We are told this, it’s expected, and it’s something anyone who is not a nurse can see in the abstract – nursing must be rewarding because you’re helping people. However, if you are a nurse, you’ll know there is a lot more to it than that, and if you are thinking of becoming a nurse, then it’s crucial to understand the real intricacies that make this such a rewarding profession to go into. With all that in mind, read on to find out some of the most rewarding aspects of being a nurse.
Listening To Patients
Nurses need to have a number of crucial ‘soft skills’ and personality traits if they are going to do well and help their patients as much as possible. One of these skills is the ability to listen. This doesn’t just mean listening to what a patient has wrong with them and understanding a list of symptoms and how to help with the pain and discomfort they bring, and this is perhaps a surprising thing to learn, although it does make a lot of sense when you think about it.
Nurses need to really listen to what their patients have to say. Of course, this might – and probably will – include symptoms, as we’ve mentioned above, but it will also include a lot more. Sometimes patients need to talk to help themselves. They need to unburden themselves or talk to relieve stress, or they simply want to talk because they are lonely and scared. Maybe they just like chatting with new people. No matter what, it’s a nurse’s job to listen to the patient, even if the story they are telling doesn’t seem to be important. It’s important to the patient, and that’s what matters.
Why is this rewarding? When you listen to what a patient tells you, you can treat them more accurately – this is the practical aspect. However, listening to their stories will learn a lot about them and maybe also about you – you’ll certainly learn something new. This is all incredibly rewarding.
Working As Part Of A Team
Another rewarding aspect of being a nurse is the fact that there is a lot of teamwork involved. Even when nurses are technically working alone, there is always a large team of colleagues to help out when needed.
When you work in a close team as you do when you are a nurse, you need never be afraid of not knowing what to do. No one knows everything, and when you have others around you, you can all bounce ideas off one another and come up with excellent solutions to help your patients in the best possible way.
Teamwork is clearly an important part of being a nurse, and it means you’ll form strong bonds with others; after all, how could it be otherwise when you are in life or death situations, as will be the case when you are nursing? The point is teamwork is something that makes everything much better, more enjoyable, and ultimately more rewarding. It’s like having a safety net behind you, allowing you to do so much more for yourself and your patients.
Potential Progression
There is just as much potential progression in the field of nursing as there is in other sectors, it’s just that not many people know about this, or they assume it’s not the case. However, it is true; you can start your career as an RN (registered nurse) and move on to work in more specific areas, at higher levels, or both of these things. As long as you are willing to work hard, study (often back at school for additional qualifications), and research exactly what it is you want to do with your life, then the potential for progression is there, ready for you to take it when you want it. The more you can do in your nursing career, the more rewarding it’s going to be.
Some people don’t start their nursing careers until later in life. They will realize that what they are currently doing is not rewarding enough for them, and they’ll start to look into other avenues; nursing may well appeal. Once they decide this is what they want to do, it’s possible to start at a higher level if they take the correct courses, such as a non nursing degree to BSN online, which will help them greatly. They can also then move forward from here should they want to. So, nursing can offer progression to everyone, no matter when they start or what level they start at – this is highly rewarding for all.
Teaching Others
The world of nursing and healthcare is constantly changing. This is because new ideas and technology are always being thought of and implemented, and that’s a good thing – the further forward we can push medicine, the healthier we can all be for much longer.
When you are a nurse, one of the rewarding aspects of the job is to keep learning these new things and use them in the right way. However, if you can then also teach this new technique or piece of information to others, then it becomes even more rewarding. It’s crucial to be able to pass on information when you’re a nurse, as this means that everyone has the same chance of doing well, and every patient has the same chance of having their condition dealt with quickly and accurately.
As we’ve said, teamwork is a big part of nursing, and when it comes to learning new things, it’s just as important. When you work in a team, and everyone is educating everyone else about new things they have seen, read, or been taught themselves, it makes the work much easier and the outcomes much more positive.
Making A Difference
Finally, it’s important to know that nurses make a difference in so many people’s lives. They can go to work every day knowing that they will make something good happen and that they can feel good about themselves too.
In some jobs, people will go to work, do what is asked of them, and go home again and not make an impact. This is not something that worries everyone; as long as they are paid and can pay the bills, they are happy.
For some, however, this is not enough. They want to know they have made a difference, and they want to see the results of this first hand. Nursing will offer you this, and therefore it is clearly one of the most rewarding careers possible.