Like every occupation, nursing also has its pros and cons. It is not the kind of field you want to take lightly. It requires compassion and enthusiasm to step into the nursing world and be a helping hand to society. If you lack empathy, nursing isn’t the right field.
Nursing is more than only taking care of a patient’s needs; as a nurse, you can make a difference in someone’s life by showing a little kindness to them. During the worst of patients’ time, nurses work like hope. Being a nurse, you counsel patients, share a bond with them, be happy, and celebrate with the patients. Nursing studies are as competitive as any other study. Nurses have to work on their final exam paper and research paper topic during their coursework to be prepared for their final exams.
Nurses can also improve their communities through volunteering. According to a survey, when asked what they had done to improve their community’s health, around 74% of nurses listed non-job-related activities. These included health fairs, health-related volunteering, raising or donating money, and traveling for volunteer work.
Nonetheless, being a nurse is not that simple, and you must assess the pros and cons before stepping into the field of nursing.
Pros of Pursuing Career In Nursing
1. A Rewarding Career
Nurses get to make a difference in their patients’ lives. They comfort patients’ families, work with the administration for better recovery, and help patients walk, eat, change and communicate. Only a few people get a chance to change and save countrymen’s lives, and nursing is a profession offering people that opportunity. It is surely rewarding when someone acknowledges your work and when a patient’s family praises you and thank you for helping their loved ones. Every day is different with its numerous challenges, but you experience a new story every day as a nurse.
2. Chance to Experience Diversity
Nursing helps explore different cultures. If you are highly qualified, competent, and have the urge to experience cultural diversity, you can easily get jobs anywhere in the world based on your merit. So, if you want to visit a particular country, all you have to do is apply for a job there or perhaps enroll in nursing certification. If you wish to explore challenging avenues in the field of nursing, you can work with global organisations or armies serving in war zones and other delicate demographics.
3. Learning Opportunities
Every day is a different journey when studying and pursuing a career in nursing. Know as a nurse, you will face a new challenge every day, and it will be a new learning experience. Nursing provides you many chances to live a patient’s story, and there will never be a day when you feel stagnated.
You might learn new things all the time by working in the emergency department, labor and delivery units, psychiatric units, hospice care centers, special patient units, medical-surgical units, and many other places. It is crucial to constantly be willing to learn and take advantage of your opportunities to step forward. Each day is guaranteed to bring something new your way, and you will be exposed to a variety of exciting possibilities and experiences that will influence your career.
4. You will Save Lives
Have you heard about the term unsung heroes? Well, nurses are the heroes of the medical sector. One of the benefits of becoming a licensed nurse is the opportunity to save lives. You will provide folks with a second opportunity in life. Knowing you played a role in saving someone’s life will fill you with pride and contentment. In short, being a certified nurse is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have
5. Possibility of Travel
If you wish to travel and learn about various cultures, a nursing career is an excellent choice. As previously said, highly skilled and competent nurses can find work everywhere globally. So, if you’ve always wanted to visit a specific nation, all you have to do is apply for a job there and then relocate. Suppose you want to explore more hard areas in the profession of nursing. In that case, you can volunteer with worldwide organisations like the Red Cross, which operate in war zones and other difficult populations.
6. A Good Reputation
Nurses are held in high regard in society for the function they serve and the information they hold. Furthermore, they serve as a link between patients and their doctors, making them a vital mediator. Nurses usually spend extra time with the patient and help them heal completely. It can provide a lot of personal fulfilment along with a good reputation.
Many individuals appreciate the work nurses do for the general population. People understand our healthcare system would be unable to function without nurses, and as a result, most people value nurses’ jobs. Thus, if you require the adoration of others, being a nurse or a doctor are both viable job options.
Cons of Pursuing Careers In Nursing
1. Work on weekends or holidays.
One downside of becoming a registered nurse is you may be required to work on weekends and holidays. It is a necessary aspect of being a nurse, but it may be stressful at times, especially when you want to spend time with family and friends. Your folks cannot always organize a weekend get-together only when you are available. And also, due to the heavy workload, you won’t be able to study nursing essays online to finish up the homework the professor gave you. Unfortunately, nursing requires all of your time, and it is a necessary aspect of the work.
2. All Day Long-Standing Duty
As a certified nurse, you may spend more time on your feet than in any other career. You will be required to stand on your feet for extended periods throughout the day. Being on your feet for long periods of time can put a strain on your feet, ankles, lower back, and leg muscles. On your days off, you may feel extremely tired and painful.
3. Physically Draining
As a licensed nurse, you will place a great deal of physical strain on your body. Regularly, you will be pushing, tugging, and lifting patients. Such activities can place a lot of strain on your shoulders, arms, and lower back. It can also cause musculoskeletal problems. Lifting patients might have comparable consequences, including stresses on your neck, back, and legs. Injuries sustained while performing these duties might cause you to slow down or stop functioning entirely.
You don’t want to be a nurse who ends up needing a nurse for themselves instead, right?
4. Emotionally Draining
Working as a licensed nurse may be emotionally draining and even frightening. Dealing with death and dying is one of the most difficult aspects of working as a registered nurse. In the course of a nurse career, they may meet the following situations:
- A patient’s end-of-life
- A terminal diagnosis
- The death or dying of a family member
- An attempted suicide
- An attempted murder
Such events frequently have a tremendous emotional impact on people. It’s tough not to become emotionally engaged while dealing with these circumstances. Being emotionally drained can also affect work productivity; you would not concentrate for days on your homework. Despite having everything on google, finding one research paper topic would become a time-consuming task for you.
5. Nursing Makes you Deal with Difficult Patients
You will come into the often-dreaded, stereotypical difficult patient as a registered nurse at some point in your career. Having a difficult patient may spoil your day and even your shift. This sort of patient may also make you feel as though you’re not doing a good enough job. You may end up feeling discouraged and unmotivated.
6. Nursing Might Expose You to Infections.
Nurses have a responsibility to provide patient care. Even so, as a qualified nurse, you will be exposed to infectious diseases. Sometimes a patient may have an infectious sickness, and at the time, these infections may not be visible to the naked eye, and so you’ll be exposed without knowing.
Assume you are caring for a patient who has been in contact with someone who has an infectious condition. In that situation, you may become afflicted as well. You also incur the danger of spreading the sickness to another member of your family, friends, patients, and other hospital staff.
So, now you know the dark side of nursing along with its nobility and perks. This knowledge will equip you to make the right decision. Therefore,
