Do I Have What it Takes to be a Nurse: Is Earning a BSN Right for You?

If you are considering becoming a nurse, it is important to understand what will be expected of you. Becoming a nurse takes a ton of work and dedication. It also entails an immeasurable amount of compassion for the patients and their families. As a nurse, you will have the most interaction with both patients and their families. You have to be at your very best in order to provide quality care for your patients.

It takes a special person to become a nurse. They must have a variety of traits that very few people possess. Above everything else, a nurse must be kind and have a thick skin.

Traits of a Successful Nurse

• Maintaining their calm during stressful times: As a nurse, you may find yourself caring for a patient who has sustained a life-threatening injury or illness. That environment will be quite hectic. Your job is to be calm and confident. Your patient, and their family, will be looking at you to be able to provide answers. If they see that you are calm and confident, they will feel reassured.
• A successful nurse must also possess superior patience: As a nurse, you will be dealing with upset and frustrated patients. Patients and families want answers right away. They want answers as to why more tests are being done, and why the patient is not improving. It is important for you to remain calm and to be patient.
• A successful nurse must also be a leader: Nurses are at the forefront of a medical facility. Not only do they assist patients in their recovery, they are also responsible for a substantial amount of paper work. In order for a nurse to be a successful leader, you must be organized, prepared, and you must be able to complete tasks in a timely manner. If you are a nurse who possesses superior leadership skills, you may also volunteer your time and services to serve in groups and on medical boards. Your skills could help develop new policies for medical facilities.
• A successful nurse has immeasurable compassion: If you ask any nurse what the most important trait in nursing is, they will all tell you, compassion. As a nurse, you will run into a variety of situations. A successful nurse must be able to empathize with your patients. This gives your patients confidence that you will help them return to good health. Even with the hectic work schedule and long hours, you must be able to show superior levels of compassion.

A Day in the Life of a Nurse

What does a typical day in the life of a nurse look like? The simple and not-so-simple answer to that is" there is no such thing as "typical." Here is a general idea of what you might encounter in your work as a nurse. Keep in mind, all experiences will be different.

If you are looking to be a daytime nurse, you can expect to have an early wake up. Once you get yourself ready for your day, you make your way into the medical facility. After arriving, you will be checking in with the nighttime staff, going over events that took place overnight. You will be going over notes from doctors, looking over patient charts, reviewing assignments, checking email, and assisting doctors in scheduling tests and setting up medical equipment.

After checking inventory and restocking, nurses start their morning rounds. Nurses will check in with patients, do bloodwork, take vitals, and administer medications. If you have a patient that will be undergoing surgery, you will be prepping that patient.

After helping patients with their activities of daily living, nurses will often take a lunch break. As a nurse, you will not have a set time for your lunch. You have to keep in mind that you may be called in for an emergency during your lunch break. Many nurses usually get a quick meal to eat.

After lunch, nurses will begin their afternoon rounds. Afternoon rounds are much like the morning rounds. Part of afternoon rounds may be spent answering questions for a patient's family members.

At the end of the day, you will be responsible for going over the day's events with the overnight nurses. This lets them know any important information they might need during their shift and keeps them updated as to their patients' conditions while they were away.

Why is Education so Important to Nursing?

It is important to have an education background as a nurse because nurses are required to be quick thinkers. Nurses are at the forefront of any medical facility and all eyes are on them. You have to have an answer to questions that a patient and their family ask. Without the educational background, you will be unable to fully assist your patients and their family members.

Are You Ready to Start Your Nursing Journey?

If you want to become a nurse and are interested in earning an Accelerated Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (ABSN), ECPI University offers this program in a year-round format. Helping you to get out of the classroom and into a new career. For more information about this exciting opportunity, connect with a friendly admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Traditional Track

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.