What is a Nursing Career like?

Jumping into something new is scary when you don’t have all of the facts. That’s exactly why choosing a career is so challenging. It’s not like you can just spend a few years in school, try out a job for a bit and jump to another if you don’t like it – well, not without more education and training, anyway!

Becoming a registered nurse (RN) is no different. We all think we know what an RN does, based on TV shows or our real-life interactions at hospitals or doctor’s offices. But what goes on behind the scenes?

It’s hard to say, of course, but we have some help. We rounded up some experts to tell you what they wish they’d known BEFORE becoming an RN.

Read their advice and find out a few lessons they learned the hard way:

1. You’ll get attached to patients

You’re going to work with many people of all age groups day in and day out. Sooner or later you’ll meet a special patient who will tug on your heartstrings. But they’re in your care because they’ll ill or possibly even dying. Although you want to do everything you can to help him or her, you also have to know when it’s time for their family – and you – to say good-bye. You can’t save everyone, but that’s part of what being a nurse is all about.

“Letting go doesn't mean that you're forgetting, it means that you're being true to your oath and your commitment to being a compassionate nurse, ” says Coral Bauer, RN at Elderplan.

2. You have to be a good listener

Sure, nurses are often the one issuing the orders and making sure patients understand medications or treatment plans. But if you want to be an excellent nurse you’ll need to be a good listener, too.

Our experts say that by listening you can learn a lot – and there’s always more for nurses to learn! Listening to patients is crucial for determining the best way to care for them. Paying close attention can also help shed light on important medical conclusions. And of course, the patients will appreciate feeling heard.

3. Your skills can take you many places

You learn many new skills while earning your nursing credentials. Some of which are transferable skills that can help if you decide to move on from the healthcare world someday. Nurses aren’t limited to working in hospitals and they’re not even limited to just caring for patients! Teaching, tutoring and recruiting are all viable job options former nurses can pursue.

Transferrable skills you’ll gain as a nurse include clinical knowledge, academic writing, time management and leaderships, according Sarah Dawkins, director at Dawkins Health Consultancy.

4. It’s not all about the money

Most nurses don’t go into the profession with the idea that they’ll be rich. Of course, most people don’t work for free, either. But it’s safe to say your main motivation for becoming a nurse shouldn’t be your salary.

Our experts agree that, above all else, you must have a passion for helping others. If you have that desire, the career will be a rewarding one. In addition to passion, Fern Baudo, RN and MSN, says students should feel a “calling” toward the profession.

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Henry Fukuhara (April 25, 1913 – January 31, 2010) was an American watercolorist teacher.
Fukuhara was interned with his parents, who were Japanese immigrants, at the Manzanar internment camp in California's Owens Valley during World War II. He would later reveal that he looked at spots for potential graves at Manzanar in a 1992 interview with...

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