Nursing students. Some people call us crazy, some people call us brave. A lot of people look at us, shake their heads, and say, "Bless your heart, I don't know how you do this." You've probably heard a bunch of horror stories about our clinicals and tests. However, nursing school is not always a nightmare. If we're being honest, if I had to go back to senior year of high school an re-pick a major, I would pick nursing all over again. For me, nursing is more than just a career I hope to go into. It's a calling...my calling. From my first pathophysiology test to my first clinical as a sophomore, I knew this was where I needed to be. I love people, I love helping people and I love being able to make them smile during their toughest times. I'm not writing this to persuade you switch your major to nursing. I'm writing this to inform you about all the great things about being a nursing student.
1. You're guaranteed to make friends with your fellow nursing students.
Who else will understand what you're going through and will cry with you? Most other students will just shake their heads and say, "You subjected yourself to this, it can't be that bad." Other nursing friends are taking the same tests, learning the same skills and experiencing the same anguish. They understand, and they'll be there for you, because they've been in your shoes. Plus, rooming with another nursing student is awesome. They'll have your same schedule, and you have a built in study buddy.
2. There is a nursing shortage, so you're practically guaranteed a job.
This is a definite perk of being in nursing, but it shouldn't be the reason why someone picks to be a nurse. If you choose to be a nurse because you know you'll have a job, and you know that you'll get paid $20/hour right out of college, you picked a career, not a calling. Make no mistake, nursing is a calling. Ask anyone who's cleaned up multiple Code Browns and still manages to go eat full meals. If you can look at a patient with love, kindness and compassion, even after they've thrown up all over you, you're in the right place.
3. Nursing is the most trusted profession.
People look up to nurses because we are trusted with so much. The Gallop poll consistently places nursing at the top, and it is our goal to make sure that we remain at the top. We are entrusted with confidential information, and our patients trust us to give them the proper care. They trust us to keep our promises. If we say that we'll be back in 10 minutes with water and pain medicine, then we better be back in nine.
4. All the great parenting skills.
Seriously, nothing grosses nurses out. Some of us may have one bodily fluid that makes us cringe, but we won't shy away from cleaning up the nastiest messes. If you ask us about our best poop explosion or projectile vomiting stories, we will deliver. In addition, we can be talking about shifting brain matter at the dinner table while eating pasta, and we won't miss a beat.
5. There are so many opportunities.
The best thing about nursing is that there's something for everyone. And don't worry if you don't know what floor/area you want to work in. Even if you do think you know, it's likely that once you get into clinicals, you might change your mind. I thought I wanted to work in pediatric oncology. Now I couldn't imagine being anywhere but the emergency department. And even if you don't like the typical hospital setting, there's always private practice, theme park nursing, travel nursing, missions nursing, school nursing, jail nursing, flight nursing...the list goes on and on. If everyone wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse, there would be no one to take care of psychiatric patients, and the operating room would be missing a vital part of their team. I could not be more thankful that everyone has their own niche within the nursing profession.
6. Nurses always work as a team.
Make no mistake, nursing is a team sport. If you don't work as a team, you will drown. We have to depend on other nurses to help us with tasks, and we have to depend on our nurse aides, techs and other assistive personnel. People can only multi-task so much. If you don't ask for help, then you will be stuck trying to juggle way too many tasks.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with the career I have chosen. You can call me crazy, but if you end up in my ER, you better believe that my team of nurses and I will take care of you to the best of our abilities.
