Nursing- to be or not to be? That is the question!

So you think you want to be a nurse? Thinking is always the first step. Hopefully you have started doing your research on what the word "nursing" entails and have a career path in mind. If not, you had better start working on it.

I have been a registered nurses for 13 years and when I made the decision to go to nursing school there were not many resources out there to help me make decisions. I was on a wing and a prayer and thankfully I attended a nursing school that helped me acheive my goals and enter into the wide open world of nursing. It is a constantly changing career path that has the opportunity to take you many places if you so desire.

With the invention of blogging and the internet we have the ability to research many sites and review the experiences of nursing students, new nurses, old nurses, and get a look into nursing careers all over the world. I encourage each and every person who is considering becoming a nurse to DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Visit websites, research schools, research career paths, research companies, research student loan facilities and grant availability, research the good, the bad and the ugly. In other words RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!!!!!

One recommendation is to start out with a career path survey to see if your interests and talents reflect that of what is required in the nursing field. Some examples of these surveys can be found on sites like www.careerpath.com and www.myersbriggs.org. These sites have career path surveys that will help you distinguish your strengths and weaknessess and help you determine if nursing may be the correct path for you

A second recommendation is to sit down and write a brief summary of why at this moment you think you want to be a nurse. Just simply do a rough draft starting out with "I want to be a nurse because......" and see where this leads you. You will also eventually be able to use this in an essay that may be required by the nursing school you plan to attend to get accepted into a program. An example of nursing essays can be found at www.allfreeessays.com/topics/why-i-want-to-become-a-nurse so you can see how just writing a rough draft of why you think you want to be a nurse may be beneficial to you in the future.

There are many, many resources on the internet that can help you decide whether or not to make this career choice and help you decide what path to take. Our advice is simple: DO YOUR RESEARCH! You may find that your original plan can take you in 1,000 different directions!

New Grad Nurse Panic

While in nursing school I just couldn't wait to graduate, then graduation was finally nearing and I distinctly remember feeling panic setting in. What! Graduating? I can't graduate! I don't know anything!

I am here to tell you, everyone feels this way. The truth is you learn the basics in nursing school, however, you don't really learn until you start your first job and you are actually taking care of patients. You cannot possibly put together what COPD looks like from a book, you have to see it. Once you see many of the things you will encounter as a nurse, you will not forget it. You will recognize it immediately the next time you see it. Do not feel overwhelmed (easy for me to say, right?). Take each day in stride and put those fears and anxiety's aside. This will assure that you can learn as much as possible each day during your job orientation.

Check out this site http://www.nursetogether.com/Lifestyle/Lifestyle-Article/itemId/2663/6-Tips-on-Stress-and-Anxiety-Management-in-Nursing.aspx for 6 Tips on Stress and Anxiety Management in Nursing.

Another great article is at http://www.healthyplace.com/anxiety-panic/articles/anxiety-and-work/ . Article excerpt, "Her initial observation was that the work of nursing is itself exceptionally anxiety-producing. Nurses work with people who are ill or dying. Wrong decisions can have devastating consequences. Nurses must respond to the distressed family of the patient. Many tasks are distasteful or repulsive."

****To be a nurse you must be prepared and open to a career long learning experience.****