by Chelsea Padget

Created on: October 09, 2008   Last Updated: November 28, 2009

Going to nursing school was the best thing I have ever done. I'm told you have to have a big heart and a special gift, to make it in nursing. I just know that I love taking care of people. I started my career working in a nursing home because I love the elderly. They are a special generation with a lot of useful information and stories, and they just need someone to listen. They also need good nursing care: treatments, tube feedings, injections, IV care, insertion or removal, etc.

Nursing is not a job for the faint stomached no matter where you work; there are always bodily fluids to deal with. It's not an easy job, by far, and the pay isn't what it should be. There's also a high "burn out" rate, because you're always taking care of someone else in this fast paced profession. The hours are long, with loads of overtime. But if I had to do it again, I would choose the same profession.

Nurses are special people. I have been hospitalized myself a couple times, and I had some of the most caring, intelligent nurses taking care of me. That's something that people notice, no matter what setting you're in: was the nurse nice, professional, did she know what she was doing, was she able to answer your questions, and was she knowledgeable about telling you about your procedure or what is going to happen next?

Nursing School is very tough, but if you really want to be a nurse, you will make it. I made it, and actually graduated with honors. I then had to take my state test to get my license. It took a couple weeks to get that done and get my license. After receiving my license, I applied at a nursing home close to my home.

It really does take a special person to be a nurse and even a caregiver (CAN). I was one that fell in love with every patient I had and some I didn't. Sometimes, when you have a rough night, when IV machines are going off all over, some have pulled theirs out, trying to get the treatments done on 30 patients and do a good job on them, because a good nurse does the best job she can no matter what she is doing. While you are running around trying to get patients taken care of, you also need to pay special attention to them. Stop and talk to them, give them some of your time. All this while keeping an eye on your nursing assistants to make sure they are doing their job also in a compassionate way. If you find one that needs "watching", as a nurse you have the power to discipline and fire workers, who aren't taking care of their patients or worse, are abusing a patient.

When you are a nurse, the patient is number 1. Everything you do, every treatment, every medication you give, everything is for the patient, so you really do have to care. I ran into nurses that skipped treatments, put off patients needs, not calling the physicians to report changes. I don't understand why they even became nurses, and sometimes when there are only 2 nurses running a unit that usually has 4 nurses on it, I can understand. Half the staff can't do the work that takes double the staff to complete. When that happens, you just do the best you can and keep on going. And you pray that there are enough people out there that care about the ill, and are going through nursing school. We need more nurses to stop the shortage. Shortages hurt the patients the most, so if you think you still want to a be nurse, good for you and good luck.

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