Contemplating a Career in Nursing?
In Australia, there is one profession that is immensely difficult to overlook when considering career options. The nursing profession is, by far, the largest health professional vocation in Australia, with more than 270,000 registered nurses, and more than 60,000 enrolled nurses in the country. For an individual who is looking for job security, nursing is always a viable option. However, when it comes to choosing careers, there are multitudinous factors to consider outside of the strength of the industry.
So if you are asking yourself, should I study to become a nurse? Consider that becoming a nurse will be an ideal choice for some, but don’t expect the glamorisation depicted on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and ER. The truth is, that while nursing has always been considered an honourable profession, not everyone is built for what the job demands of them.
Following are some considerations that must be contemplated when deciding whether to study a nursing course.
Flexibile and Adaptable
If working was all there was to life, then making a career decision would be much simpler: however, you will likely have other aspirations — such as raising a family — which can require a substantial amount of your time and energy. Fortunately, there are a number of health care providers that offer highly flexible programs that allow their nurses to determine when they want to work — choosing part-time, night shifts, full-time and more. Whether you are attempting to build a family or pursue a second passion, you can still be a nurse and find plenty of time for the rest of your dreams.
Patience and Empathy
There is a lot of people who can easily master the skill set of nursing, simply because they have the aptitude to do so, but nursing is about more than understanding medications and treatment modalities. A significant part of a nurse’s responsibility is to exemplify a patient attitude, while coping with patients who can be frustrated, scared and angry. Being ill can be a frightening experience, but with a caretaker who listens and responds, the experience can be more manageable.
It also requires a person who can listen well, because not everyone can verbally communicate as well as others. Plus there are some who just need someone to hear them out.
Resilient
No matter how well-equipped you become as a caretaker, it is likely that you will encounter a point in which you will lose a patient. It simply comes with the territory. There will be times in which the patient you lose will be someone you became fond of, and you were really pulling for them to make it. The hurt that comes with dealing with this kind of loss is not a bad thing; it proves that you care. You have to be able to compartmentalise it and continue to work. That can be tough for some people.
Nursing Salaries
While nursing salaries can be very respectful, most experts agree that getting into the field simply for the money will not lead to success. Nursing is a passion that is manifested through a vocation, and without that passion to help others, you will burn out. The job is very demanding and money is simply not enough of a motivator, over the long-term, to push you through those periodic walls.
According to government statistics, long-term projections for the nursing industry will be remarkable for those choosing nursing as a career. In fact, the statistics reveal that even up to 2030, the demand for nurses in Australia will far exceed the supply. So, when it comes to making the choice of whether a career in nursing is for you, it will boil down to whether you are passionate about helping others, and whether you are built for the intense challenges associated with the job.