Do I Have What it Takes to Be a Nurse?
On an online discussion group, someone (not a nurse yet) asked how to know if one has what's needed to be a nurse. I offered these ideas.
"A couple of suggestions, if you want to decide if you're cut out to be a nurse.
1. Are you good with science? While nursing isn't pure science, it's an applied area, and if you're not good with dealing with scientific areas, nursing probably isn't for you.
2. Are you good with organization? Can you deal with simultaneous multiple demands? In other words, nursing requires shuffling demands on one's time from colleagues (other nurses, physicians, other caregivers), patients, as well as supervising others, and often dealing with family members.
3. Do you genuinely like working in close contact with people? If you are someone who prefers to work alone, you might want to reconsider.
4. Are you "quick"? By this, I don't mean intelligence, though that's needed. I mean, are you a quick learner, someone who's able to assess a situation and deal with it easily.
5. Some have recommended being a CNA to see if you like nursing. That's not a bad idea (I did it) but being a CNA is not being a nurse, and as a nurse, one deals with a whole different set of priorities and problems. I would especially encourage finding a nurse (local hospitals might help with this) who would let you shadow for a day, seeing how a nurse organizes a time schedule, deals with problems, and works through day-to-day practice issues.
6. If you don't have some of these skills, it's not the end of the world. All of them can be learned. But it's important to know that they are things nurses deal with on an everyday basis.
7. Notice that I said nothing about caring. That's because -- in the end -- nursing is not about caring. It's about doing your job. Caring comes and goes, and most days you will find that you genuinely care about your patients' well-being, and that's good. But there will be days when you honestly don't give a rip. That's OK, too. When those days come, you simply go on, doing your job, and being good at your career. "Caring" is sometimes overrated, as though a nurse who is professionally or technically incompetent can get by on "caring." Not at all. Caring is not having heart-felt emotion for your patient. Caring is being a top-notch professional who is skilled, competent, and able. That's what counts."
"A couple of suggestions, if you want to decide if you're cut out to be a nurse.
1. Are you good with science? While nursing isn't pure science, it's an applied area, and if you're not good with dealing with scientific areas, nursing probably isn't for you.
2. Are you good with organization? Can you deal with simultaneous multiple demands? In other words, nursing requires shuffling demands on one's time from colleagues (other nurses, physicians, other caregivers), patients, as well as supervising others, and often dealing with family members.
3. Do you genuinely like working in close contact with people? If you are someone who prefers to work alone, you might want to reconsider.
4. Are you "quick"? By this, I don't mean intelligence, though that's needed. I mean, are you a quick learner, someone who's able to assess a situation and deal with it easily.
5. Some have recommended being a CNA to see if you like nursing. That's not a bad idea (I did it) but being a CNA is not being a nurse, and as a nurse, one deals with a whole different set of priorities and problems. I would especially encourage finding a nurse (local hospitals might help with this) who would let you shadow for a day, seeing how a nurse organizes a time schedule, deals with problems, and works through day-to-day practice issues.
6. If you don't have some of these skills, it's not the end of the world. All of them can be learned. But it's important to know that they are things nurses deal with on an everyday basis.
7. Notice that I said nothing about caring. That's because -- in the end -- nursing is not about caring. It's about doing your job. Caring comes and goes, and most days you will find that you genuinely care about your patients' well-being, and that's good. But there will be days when you honestly don't give a rip. That's OK, too. When those days come, you simply go on, doing your job, and being good at your career. "Caring" is sometimes overrated, as though a nurse who is professionally or technically incompetent can get by on "caring." Not at all. Caring is not having heart-felt emotion for your patient. Caring is being a top-notch professional who is skilled, competent, and able. That's what counts."
