So you are thinking about becoming a nurse? It certainly is a very worthy profession and one that will leave you feeling very rewarded. Plus, it is a great way to give something back to the community!

There are many reasons why people decide to become nurses. But there are also some things that they wish they had been told before they had qualified. Most of these tips and points would have helped them to better equip themselves for life as a nurse. To make sure that nursing is the right career choice for you here is everything that current nurses wish they had been told.

Your Schedule Will Look A Lot Better On Paper

Sure, your shifts look perfectly fine when you see them written down on paper. However, you will probably find that they are far from alright when you start working them! It is important that you fully understand that becoming a nurse is a lot of hard work. Even after you have qualified, you will find that you are required to work long hours and a lot of overtime. Just because you are scheduled to do a ten-hour shift, you might end up working longer. That’s probably because you will be required to spend some time prepping all the nurses and doctors who are just starting their shifts and will replace you. You should also be ready to get a call on your day off at 6 am asking to cover someone who has called in ill. However, don’t let this put you off. You will find that all the rewards of being a nurse greatly outweigh the long working hours!

You Won’t Only Be Expected To Deal With Medical Care

Do you think that being a nurse is all about medical care? If so, you will be in for a big surprise when you finally get to work in a doctor’s practice or hospital. As a matter of fact, there is a lot more that goes into this profession. You will also be expected to be friendly and chatty with all the patients you are in contact with. Many nurses also offer their patients a shoulder to cry on when things get tough. You will also have to help patients and their families with other little things as well. For instance, you might always get asked what the hospital WiFi password is!

There Is No Way You Can Prepare For Dealing With Death

No matter how long you work as a nurse, there is nothing that will ever prepare you for all the deaths that you will need to deal with. Even if you stick at the career and get promoted to nursing manager, you will still find each individual death hard to deal with. It’s just one of those things. But this shouldn’t put you off becoming a nurse. Helping patients and families deal with illness, and some of the most harrowing effects will be part of the reward. You will be able to go home and feel like you really made a difference to someone that day.

Mistakes Will Happen

You will feel terrible when you make your first mistake. However, it is important to understand that mistakes will always happen. So you should expect to make some every now and then. The very first mistake you make may be hard to take, and you could end up embarrassed, but it is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes. Even the doctors sometimes! At least you can learn from all of these mistakes to make sure that they never happen again. So be aware that you will make them, and be prepared to tell yourself everything is still okay so that you put your chin up and carry on with your work in a professional manner.

You Will Develop A Sick Sense Of Humor

Don’t already have a sick sense of humor? Don’t worry; you will certainly develop one quickly once you become a nurse! You and all your coworkers will joke about everything that you see on the job. And that includes all the body functions that you will encounter on a day to day basis! If your conversations with your coworkers are ever overheard, some people may think that you are terrible people. In actual fact, that’s just the kind of sense of humor you need to get through the job!

You Will Need To Be Fit

Being a nurse entails quite a bit of physical activity. You will be on your feet for a long time. Not only that, though, but you will need to walk around the ward a lot as you go from patient to patient. You will also need to learn how to hold your bladder, as you may not always have the time to dash off to the bathroom! Most nurses find that they will get strong quickly as they are regularly lifting patients while they change bedsheets or help them get in and out of bed. You should learn how to correctly lift properly before you qualify as a nurse. Many nurses suffer from back problems; make sure you aren’t one of them!

Your Coworkers Will Start To Feel Like Family

In every job, people quickly become firm friends with all their coworkers. However, nurses have an even stronger bond between them. That’s because you will be working long hours together and will go through a lot with them. Because of this, many nurses say that all of their coworkers quickly start to feel like family. As a nurse, you will be required to work some special days including many public holidays, Christmas, and New Year. Because of this, you will end up celebrating some special days with your coworkers. And that’s another reason why so many nurses end up as thick as thieves!

There is a lot to think about before you become a nurse. But one thing is for sure, you will certainly be happy once you do qualify and start your life as a nurse!