Nursing is a high-demand profession, requires multiple skills and education, and functions off of committed workers. Although it may seem intimidating, it is easy to be successful in the nursing field, especially in today’s times. Although some people might think that every nurse is successful because of the pay and benefits, people don’t realize that they also may be drowning in student loan debt, mental issues, or personal issues as a result of their profession. Successful nurses have to be able to adapt to working conditions, understand that the job is harder than what is depicted on TV, and requires a lot of training and experience. 

In order to be a successful nurse, you have to be able to adapt to working environments and be able to administer care to patients while making sure they are safe. Nurses were a huge part of the war effort throughout history. They administered care to wounded soldiers to make sure that they would survive and be able to continue fighting possibly. They were a huge part of the front line and often would work directly on the battlefield to care for the wounded. Even today, nurses are considered frontline workers. Nursing jobs are in high demand, and pay higher wages as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. During the beginning of the pandemic, many hospitals were crowded with infected patients, and they often didn’t have enough nurses to care for everyone. Even today, nurses are walking out of the job due to new requirements and regulations for safety. Many hospitals require nurses to have certain vaccines and shots to work with patients, but they started to require that they have the vaccine that protects them against COVID-19. As a result, many nurses have walked out of the job because they felt that their rights were being violated. My mom, for example, is a Registered Nurse (RN) at Lebonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Since the outbreak and the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccine, she has been forced to take on many shifts from other coworkers quitting because of new safety requirements. This puts a lot of stress on nurses, like her, that have decided to stay and treat patients. Nurses have to be able to work in expected conditions, understand that the safety of an ill patient is their number one concern, and follow new regulations/safety requirements that their workplace may put in place in order to be successful. 

You also have to be passionate about the occupation and understand that you’ll have to go through a lot of difficult schooling and routines. Many TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy show the work life of a nurse, but it is very dramatized. You won’t get nice patients all the time, and you will have to deal with some very heartbreaking cases that can take a huge toll on you. You won’t always know immediately as they do in the show.  It can be proven that nurses administer more care to patients than doctors do and have more responsibilities to take on. As a nurse, you’re expected to bathe patients, dress them, monitor them constantly, assist with personal care, and document everything. There is a lot that comes with being a nurse, and you have a ton of responsibilities. Methodist hospitals released an article that offered a program where they will pay for your school as long as you work for one of their hospitals for at least 2 years after graduation. Being a nurse doesn’t have to be expensive and you don’t have to worry about paying off your student loans for the rest of your life. You can be successful in the field by researching your cheapest option for adequate schooling, understanding that the job will be nothing like it is portrayed on TV, and understanding that you will have a huge workload with responsibilities.

In order to be a successful nurse you have to understand that the job will constantly throw curveballs at you and your education/work will not always be easy. You have to do everything you can to keep your patients safe and understand that their lives are literally in your hands. Nursing has always been an important part of our society and will continue to be as long as our healthcare system and workers stay devoted to the health and safety of the ill.