So i'm studying nursing and feel very confident about the job, I'm happy with everything it will include.. ETC. So can someone tell me what it is actually like being a nurse, in all honesty? What do you enjoy, what do you not enjoy? and why?, and so on and so forth. Thanks for your help!
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I love my job as a high-risk obstetrical /L&D/maternal newborn nurse. It's probably one of the "happiest" areas of nursing, but I use that term lightly because when things go wrong it is truly devastating. But the good definitely outweighs the bad.
What I like: feeling like my job matters in the grand scheme of my life, feeling spiritually connected to the work I'm doing while I help others, the interactions with my patients and getting to know them, working in a profession where (for the most part) you are valued and respected, working in a profession where there is unlimited educational and professional growth opportunities, working in a profession that offers so much diversity in terms of the specialty areas or patient populations to work with or facilities to work for, the long-term job security, the flexibility, being able to work part-time and get full benefits packages, having plenty of time to spend with my family.
What I don't like: the stress it can sometimes bring, the student loan debt it took to get me to where I am (although I can afford it, it does significantly dent my income), the day-to-day BS that any job would have - a few negative coworkers or clients / patients / doctors / misc. staff who give out attitude for whatever reason and are unpleasant to be around, etc.
Obviously for me personally the good far outweighs the bad or I wouldn't be in this profession. Many who have been nurses for years get burnt out and only have bad things to say about the "nasty" culture of nursing and how older nurses "eat their young" meaning they treat newer nurses with no respect, things like that. I hold the strong opinion that nurses who end up feeling this way simply worked in a negative environment / facility in general and if you choose to continue working in that kind of environment you are partly, if not equally to blame in your own misery. There are too many choices in nursing, you don't have to get stuck in a rut. If you're that miserable, you owe it to yourself and the patients you care for to get into something where you will find joy again. Miserable nurses are easily detected by their patients even if they think they are hiding it and still giving good care.
Stay positive, learn to manage your stress effectively, be self-aware about your preferences, strengths, and limitations, and don't be afraid of change. Good luck to you.
Nurses: What is it really like being a nurse?
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