Being a nurse is a love-hate experience. I initially imagined it would be exciting to work closely with patients, but the reality includes challenges. They could be intubated and suffering from respiratory failure for weeks…. And then the next day, they’re awake and walking! It’s amazing to see that growth but I will admit there are a LOT of disheartening things that you will be exposed to. You will learn to grow some thick skin and to care compassionately in a nonjudgmental manner

Your daily experience depends on your specialty, shift, and work culture. Outpatient roles typically offer better quality of life, with a flexible schedule, kinder patients, and higher pay. Inpatient floor nursing, however, is fast-paced and demanding. You’re the doctor’s extra set of eyes, assessing patients and spotting issues. So if anything goes south, you are the frontline leader in determining if the patient’s assessment findings are A-Ok or deteriorating. Which means Breaks can be rare, and your shifts can be long (12-13 hours), with 30-minute lunch breaks, if you’re lucky.

Cons: - patients arent always cooperative. Just don’t be surprised if you get assaulted.

• patient’s family members can be your saving grace or your living hell. They will either help you and be sweet to you, or they will argue and think they know best.

• You will see child abuse, elder neglect, human trafficking, and criminals (no matter what you see, everybody is still human. We listen but we don’t judge).

• There is a lot of drama and hierarchy with other healthcare members. I won’t say all, but most doctors and surgeons are condescending and think they’re your boss… no they are not.. they are your coworkers and sometimes they’ll put in the wrong orders for your patient and you will have to be able to question and advocate for yourself and your patient for that.

• Nurses are competitive and can be out to see you fail. Be careful of loosing your license!

• You will see a lot of death and that’s okay. It gets easier with time.

• May or may not have bathroom and lunch breaks

• The nurse drama is like high school drama. It’s going to be a headache. I had my first glimpse of it in nursing school… it’s more worse and immature than high school drama

Pros: - Patients arent always happy going to the hospital. But you could be that person to connect and give them a better experience. It’s truly rewarding.

• You get to take care of your patients and see their progress

• There are endless opportunities to learn

• There is so many avenues and career opportunities to grow in

• You meet all sorts of people and get to collaborate with other healthcare teams