What is it like being a nurse? im doing a senior project on all types of nursing and i need some info.help ple

nursing

Being a nurse is a rewarding career if you are going into it for all the right reasons. It is alot of responsibility and sometimes you will have to make quick judgements that can affect people's lives . You have to have good documentation skills along with having compassion for your patients and have the ability to follow physician's orders and family requests. And it can be tough as well emotionally especially when a patient dies.

As was stated before working as a nurse (RN) requires fast and precise decision making, and a significant ability to remember (as opposed to memorize) large amounts of information. Documentation is vital for the protection of the patient, the nurse and other health care staff, and to ensure reimbursement for the care provided. The responsibility for the patient always falls on the RN as the physicians are usually only with the patients about 3-5 minutes a day when they are hospitalized. RNs become the advocates for the patient's best interests. The previous responder referred to following physician's orders and family wishes...and to some extent this is a part of the job of the RN. A more important role for an RN is to evaluate all orders for appropriateness, refusing or obtaining corrected orders for those inappropriate for the patient's concerns and communications of patient issues both with the physician and the patient. As far as family wishes, it is always nice if they can be accomodated, but it is part of the RNs role to educate the family why their wishes may not be in the best interest of the patient. Often it becomes a matter of controlling conflicting issues and resolving issues to ensure the best outcome for the patient.

As the previous responder said it is difficult when a patient passes, though after the first week you have when 7 or more patients die, the emotions become less of an issue than the need to take care of the family and make sure the patient is treated respectfully.

I have worked as an RN on tuberculosis isolation units, ICUs, ERs, Trauma units and the Operating Room. I have also managed an Ambulatory Surgery Center, a Trauma Emergency Suite with OR and taught technical, nursing and medical students. I have worked at a nurse practitioner in Family Practice and specialized in Pain and Headache Medicine and Research. There are very few limits as to the possiblities for a nurse, if they want to learn and do the work.