Fewer professions have a critical impact in the world than the medical industry. Workers in the medical field deal with human lives, which demand great care and professional qualifications to minimize adverse outcomes. Aside from doctors, nurses undergo a rigorous training program focused on quality service delivery and patient satisfaction. The time each nurse spends with a patient vitally contributes to good health and subsequently invites positive feedback for the hospital. Registered nurses require nursing school credentials, lab, and clinical experience before sitting a thorough licensing examination. These steps ensure the field upholds professionalism by employing qualified workers. Although admired for its impact on patient satisfaction through in-person contact, nursing is a demanding profession that disrupts one’s work-life balance, and it requires total academic commitment and an undivided focus on academics to become a specialist in the field.
I conducted an in-depth interview with a registered nurse to identify the hurdles and requirements of her career. According to her, she picked nursing as a profession because she always wanted to make a difference. Indeed, she began developing an early interest in healthcare due to her family and its extensive composition of medical professionals. Furthermore, she grew up hearing about inequalities faced by many people and felt the need to assist those experiencing hardships by providing them with comfort and support. Despite the numerous challenges her career path forebode, she was acutely aware of her strengths and felt up to the challenge. In a medical facility, nurses are the ones who interact the most with both patients and other specialists. Nurses expertly help people from various backgrounds as nurses aid patients, instruct families, and reinforce doctors. My interviewee attributes her choice of profession to the difference she makes in those who have lost hope due to health crises by offering specialized care.
The specialist I have interviewed is a female nurse who has been working as a registered nurse (RN) for a few years. When answering her nursing school (NS) question, she said NS was more difficult than anticipated. Coming from a family with several medical professionals, she was aware of the difficulties of healthcare and believed she had the power to overcome challenges. Nonetheless, experiencing NS on her own proved more demanding than she had heard from her relatives with medical degrees. For example, she stated that the diverse information introduced in NS was overwhelming in its entirety. However, despite having some trouble initially, she learned how to manage her time and be more productive with her assignments.
The RN said it was challenging to balance work, family, and personal life at the beginning of her career path. The primary difficulties were finding time for each activity and staying focused on essential tasks. For instance, during her first exam period in NS, the RN was in a situation where she had to study for several classes and help her relatives prepare for an important family event. To manage her academic, professional, and private lives, she prioritized some activities over others instead of attempting to accomplish everything at once. She shared that the most complicated part of balancing her duties was learning to ask for help in some cases. For example, she proposed her family members take over some chores, and she became less involved with group projects in NS by finishing her parts of assignments but not trying to control her peers’ work. Notably, the RN declared that such basic acts as exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep were very helpful in handling complications in balancing all aspects of her life as a student nurse.
The RN I spoke with stated that to be successful, one must fully commit to NS. She said that although the hours required for studying vary depending on each person and a specific program, the learning process typically takes the most significant part of the day. For instance, she stated she had enough time to maintain her social life. Still, the overall workload was immense considering theoretical and practical aspects, so she had to be productive most of the time. The RN remarked that she paid more attention to academics than other activities, but some of her peers differed. For example, some of her fellow students managed to have good grades, attend social events, and have jobs outside NS. However, she noted that such individuals were relatively rare, and most people in her NS were busy acquiring the knowledge necessary for the occupation. She declared that education is easier for certain persons due to better memory or higher stress resistance. However, she claimed that NS requires substantial commitment because the specialty goes hand-in-hand with developing diverse skills.
When discussing her lab experience (LE), the RN I interviewed stated that the first few days in the lab would likely be overwhelming. She said that her relatives with medical degrees had consulted her on what to expect from LE, which helped her stay relatively calm when she entered the room. In comparison, many of her peers were seemingly nervous and unsure of what to say or do. She stated that LE establishes and enhances practical skills applicable in a clinical setting, such as assessing patients’ blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. For instance, the lab she attended did not have a dummy, so she and her fellow students practiced on each other by imitating different symptoms. During her LE, the RN realized that the most helpful approach was trying to imagine the process was genuinely authentic rather than thinking of lab activities as simulations. The RN declared that nobody should be knowledgeable at the beginning of LE, but it is crucial to remain calm and pay attention to the instructor.
Furthermore, when describing her clinical experience (CE), the RN conveyed that it was more challenging than LE because CE required participating in real-world situations. Throughout all CE, the profession rotated her to several practicing nurses in different settings, and each professional and environment were unique. The RN said her CE involved such activities as learning about a clinical setting, examining procedures, and assisting practitioners. Notably, she remarked that while most specialists were enthusiastic about teaching, some were hesitant to share their knowledge for various reasons, including limited time to explain specific aspects and high work overload. The RN suggested that student nurses saving lives during their CEs is not an expectation, but they should be polite and attentive to patients and medical staff. Overall, the RN stated that her clinical and lab experiences were demanding but influential for her future as a professional.
The RN said she used to have a studying system in preparation for examinations. Because many of her relatives had worked in healthcare before enrolling in NS, they taught her to concentrate on academics, thus increasing her chances of successful graduation. As a result, she always took notes during lessons at NS and after each lab and clinical practice. She said she read the notes for the past week every Sunday to memorize the material better. Depending on her assurance of understanding a specific class, she handwrote flashcards a few days before the exam and reviewed them alongside her notes.
Moreover, the RN declared that one of the most valuable methods was participating in study groups with her peers to determine whether she had forgotten anything and to learn a subject by explaining it to others. For instance, she shared how she realized she had misunderstood some questions from her pharmacology class during a group session with fellow students. She stated that such a system helped her organize and comprehend information.
The RN said her preparation for NCLEX (National Council Licensing Examination) was relatively similar to the methods employed in her regular learning process. She studied for NCLEX two months before taking the exam, made flashcards, and used her notes. In addition, she answered practice questions and engaged in-group sessions with her peers. She remarked that she started preparing moderately early but preferred carefully reviewing specific topics on some days and resting on others instead of scanning all subjects two weeks before NCLEX. Notably, she advised visiting the NCLEX webpage to explore such details as candidate bulletin and tutorials (“Prepare for success,” n.d.). The RN stated that creating a structured plan helped her memorize information without stressing her well-being.
The RN declared that her top three patient memories were quite pessimistic. One of those recollections was about the first patient who passed away under the RN’s care. She said a man excessively treated for a few weeks died due to a severe health condition. She noted that although her colleagues warned her of the patient’s likely demise, it was difficult to accept. The second memory the RN shared was of a woman who did not have a life-threatening disease but spent a long period in the hospital. During her stay, a distant relative a couple of times visited the woman, but she did not have a support system of friends or family. The woman was constantly sad, so the employees did their best to help the patient feel less lonely. The RN’s third recollection was of another woman who had experienced two readmissions but was always cheerful and put substantial emotional effort into fighting for her life. The RN expressed that the memories were unforgettable because one was her first distressing incident and the other two were simultaneously heartbreaking and joyful.
When asked what the phrase “NurseLife” means to her, the RN stated that the saying is associated with nursing being more than a profession. She said being a nurse is dedicated, compassionate, and open-minded. For instance, she shared that she often thinks about patients outside of work due to being worried about whether anybody’s condition is changing and what she can do the following day to assist him or her. She expressed that nursing also implies remembering to take care of herself because her well-being affects her productivity and relations with patients and other employees. The RN declared that “NurseLife” addresses challenges such as un-appreciation in the workplace; however, one should always be ready to help based on patient outcomes.
The RN said that the hardest thing about being a nurse is seeing patients pass away despite putting much effort into opposing their diseases. She stated that she often has to work overtime, experiences stress, and feels judged and unappreciated. However, such challenges seem manageable if she witnesses a person’s health improvement. For example, she noted that, like other healthcare providers, she worked long hours at the beginning of the pandemic but seeing even minor improvements in patients’ conditions made her less frightened. Nonetheless, the RN declared that it is not easy to overcome the profession’s challenges when losing someone under her care. She shared that being a nurse is especially hard when, after seeing a patient’s demise, she typically has to pull herself together quickly and go to the next room to assist another person. Moreover, she rarely grieves because thinking about the loss and the deceased’s family makes her feel powerless. The RN proposed that the most challenging thing about nursing is likely to be different for all specialists but is usually due to a combination of occurrences rather than one circumstance.
Upon finishing the interview, I thought it was very informative in confirming some of my expectations about nursing and providing several insights. For instance, I was aware of everyday activities for lab and clinical practices but was relatively surprised when considering that balancing academics and personal life is so demanding. The discussion with the RN changed my perspective, although not extensively. I now comprehend better that nursing is not simply about me making a difference but rather about caring for other people despite facing hardships, suffering from fatigue, or stress. Moreover, I believe that nurse life is also about correctly treating myself and focusing on constantly enhancing my knowledge and skills to make sure that I would be able to support my patients and colleagues. After reflecting on the difficulty of becoming a registered nurse based on the interview, I feel more enthusiastic about nursing school. I regard challenges as opportunities for improvement, and I am eager to learn how to help people. Despite having limited time, the registered nurse I questioned helped me see nursing from a professional’s perspective.
In conclusion, one requires resilience, focus, and commitment to become a registered nurse. According to an interview with a specialist in the medical field, her family primarily influenced her to join nursing despite its challenging nature. A combination of lab and clinical experience followed by an assessment from the National Council Licensing Examination are some of the hurdles she experienced. Despite the challenges, her self-confidence pushed her to become a registered nurse with the requisite skills to impact people’s lives significantly. Nonetheless, her work memories are mostly pessimistic due to a patient’s demise, and her career negatively influences her work-life balance. However, disregarding the stress or long working hours, nursing effectively improves people using time-tested skills and knowledge. The interview’s data serves as motivation to face each stage in the nursing profession confidently and constantly work on viewing it from the proper perspective. An expert nurse has a combination of skills and knowledge coupled with an innate desire to help people.
Reference
Prepare for success. (n.d.). NCLEX. Web.