A skill to be proud of (Adult Nurse)

Member Name: kirlykird

Product:	Adult Nurse
Date:	08/01/09 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: helping people

Disadvantages: stress, heavy workload and poor pay

What can I say about adult nursing?
It is a career that I have chosen and a profession of which I am proud.
To the rest of the world out there, nurses are people who make beds, clean patients and make doctors cups of tea. In by gone years, this was well the case, however, in these modern days of the NHS, nurses are getting involved in a lot more procedures than ever. We are a highly skilled profession and are somewhat under rated by the general public although most of us work very hard because we do genuinely care.
Sadly, yes, there are nurses out there who let the side down but in my personal belief I believe this is because they have lost the passion for the role. To nurse, you have to have good if not excellent people skills, you have to be ablke to hold back judgement, be a genuinely caring individual and be prepared to run around like crazy with a heavy work load and be severely under paid.

* What do nurses do?*

This depends a lot on which setting you are based in. A ward setting like myself will see you work between shift patterns.
The day is based dealing with patients and their relatives on a professional, physical and emotional level. There is a great need of skill in a nursing role whether it be anatomically or emotionally. Aswell as for physical healing, support and gyuidance, it is also our role to reassure our patients and be there to help them deal with situations or point them towards someone who can if we do not have the firm answers.

*emotions*

There is no doubt that within this role, a need for inner strength is required. As mentioned by the Nursing and midwifery council, the adult nurse is a role in which it is important to attend to the needs of the patient, assist in health promotion, aid patients towards a good recovery and ensure help towards a dignified death.
Sadly, it is part of the role in the respect that we do lose patients. It is always a sad event and one where we have to show the upmost of strength and compassion for the family. The skill of reflection is heavily required for this career otherwise a heavy load can be carried around on your shoulders.
As one of my mentors once said ' A good nurse is allowed to cry and fel for their patients, if they didn't care, they shouldn't be in nursing'.

*Nurse training*

Still intereted in the career? I love the career and would recommend it to anyone that is thinking about giving it a go.
Here in England, the government currently provide funding for tuition fees and pay out a monthly bursary for those on the course.
The duration of a nuring diploma or degree spans over three years and is a combination of university led theory and skills lessons whilst learning about anatomy and physiology in great depth and completing competency based practice in nursing settings whether it be a ward, GP surgery, in the community or many other areas. Nursing is a worthwhile career and a skill that you will have for life whether you decide to stay as a basic band general nurse or decided to specialise in a particular branch of medicine or look for promotion.

To summarise, if you're signing up simply for the money, don't bother as firstly there isn't much of it and secondly, it will make you a terrible nurse!

Summary: A worthwhile career if you can deal with stress and lack of money