After years of training, you may feel prepared for your first day at work, but even the most experienced nurse encounters challenges from time to time. It’s a high-pressure role, but the reality of nursing is something that you’ll only see when you put your learning into practice.
Excellent communication skills are essential
If you tend to be a quiet person, you may feel challenged by the endless interactions that take place in a medical setting. Nurses are usually the first port of call for patients with a question, and conversations may need to be relayed to a doctor. You’ll need the ability to remember details and give an accurate account of what was said. Nurses are also responsible for written notes and updating a patient’s records. Adjusting to these tasks may be hard, but over time it will become instinctive.
Managing the expectations of your patients
Patients may have a range of expectations when they spend time in a hospital or visit their doctor. However, sometimes nurses can’t meet these expectations. You may be pressed for time or have other commitments that mean you are unable to stop for a chat or discuss a person’s care at length. In these instances, some patients may feel that they have been neglected and have a sense of disappointment. Remember that nurses are rarely to blame for the problem. Medical facilities are busy places and therefore staff can only spend a limited amount of time with each patient.
Career progression is tough
To move up the career ladder, many nurses choose to develop their area of expertise by going back to college. It’s an effective method of getting a higher-paid position, but moving from BSN to MSN programs is grueling. You can take some of the stress out of this move by selecting are liable provider such as Wilkes. The classes here are delivered entirely online, so you can learn when it is convenient, and it also provides excellent student support through mentoring schemes.
Nursing can leave you physically drained
Nurses spend much of their time walking between wards to give medication, provide patient care, or liaise with colleagues. As a result, you can quickly become tired, and you may suffer from aching feet. You can deal with the physical demands of nursing by investing in supportive shoes and keeping yourself hydrated. At home, self-care is equally important, so look for ways to unwind and boost your energy levels by following a healthy lifestyle.
Your social life can become centered on work
In many workplaces, people find it easy to bond with their colleagues because they spend a lot of time together and have similar experiences. Although this is also true for nurses, having great relationships in the workplace can be a positive thing. When you are regularly dealing with stressful events together, it makes sense for a team to bond closely. Medical professionals can and do have social circles that are separate from their job, but you may have to put more effort into keeping in touch.
