Every job has its challenges, but the stressors that nurses face are unique. As an essential healthcare worker, you’re responsible for the health—and in some cases, the lives—of your patients. That’s a lot of responsibility! But according to Medscape’s Nurse Career Satisfaction Report, the vast majority of nurses are satisfied with their careers. Would you enjoy this rewarding career?

Challenge of Being a Nurse: The Job Can Be Demanding

Every job can be demanding and even stressful at times. Nursing is no different. It’ll be your job to aid a patient’s recovery from illness, injury, or surgery. You’ll see patients who recover quickly and patients who struggle to regain their health. You’ll also encounter emotional family members and team members who might feel overwhelmed at times. You might feel that stress, too. That’s why it’s important to add self-care to your routine. You can’t take care of your patients if you don’t take care of yourself.

Benefit of Being a Nurse: You Help Others

What nurses love about the job is that they get to help others every day. You may actually help save a life! You also nurse patients back to health and educate them and their family members on steps they can take to improve their overall health. Staying in a hospital or healthcare facility can be scary for patients, but you can make the experience a better one with your bedside manner. At the end of the day, you provide an incredibly valuable service, and patients and their families are grateful for all you do.

Challenge of Being a Nurse: You May Work Long Hours

Your job may not be a typical nine to five. Especially if you work in facilities that offer 24-hour care, you may work when others are sleeping. Some nursing shifts are also 12 hours long. That’s a long day, but it can make for a short week; three 12-hour shifts, and you’ve already worked 36 hours in just three days. Depending on the kind of facility you work in, you may also be required to work holidays and weekends. And you may be called in for high-demand times or emergencies.

Benefit of Being a Nurse: Your Skills Are in Demand

As long as there are people who are sick, nurses will be needed to care for them. The demand for nurses is expected to increase over the next decade. Employment of Licensed Practical Nurses is expected to grow faster than the average through 2029.

Challenge of Being a Nurse: The Job is Physical

You won’t be sitting behind a desk all day. As a nurse, you’ll be on your feet, moving from room to room to check on your patients. You might also have to help lift and transfer patients to a bed, carry heavy medical equipment, push oxygen tanks, or bend down to perform certain procedures such as CPR. You get a workout while you work.

Benefit: You Can Work in a Variety of Settings

Nurses work in different facilities such as hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes. You could work in a physician’s office, an outpatient clinic, or even care for patients in their homes. If you do work in a hospital, you could specialize in a specific unit such as the ER, the pediatric unit, or the surgical ward.

Additional Benefits of a Nursing Career

Yes, there are challenges to a nursing career, but ask any nurse you know and they’ll likely say it’s a rewarding path and one they’re happy they took. Some additional benefits include:

• You Meet New People—In addition to patients who come from all walks of life, you also engage with a healthcare staff that includes other nurses, doctors, and specialists.
• You Learn New Things—The field of healthcare constantly evolves. If you consider yourself a life-long learner, you’ll appreciate learning new methods, techniques, and technology.
• You Can Find Work Anywhere—Need to move across the state to be closer to family? You’ll be able to find work anywhere there’s a healthcare facility. If you need to move out of state, your skills can transfer to wherever you go; you’ll just need to become licensed in the state.
• Opportunities for Advancement—Once you have experience, you may have the opportunity to specialize or advance in your career. As a nurse, you have a great foundation for future education and new career options.

If you think the rewards of nursing outweigh its challenges, take the next step toward your career. At Porter and Chester Institute in Connecticut we offer a Practical Nursing training program that will prepare you to become a licensed practical nurse in as few as 15 months. Fill out the form to learn more.