Was becoming a registered nurse what you expected it to be?

Becoming a registered nurse is so much more than I expected it to be in a very good way. Being a registered nurse is flexible, valuable, provides a good quality of life, and has the potential for so many opportunities. The idea of a registered nurse is often one that includes caring for people at the bedside within a hospital setting. I truly had no idea when I started in the profession the options that would be available. As a registered nurse you can work in research studying diseases and human behaviors, work as a nurse educator in a college or university, work for a private company providing occupational health or an architectural firm to help design medical building that improve the efficiency of the nursing staff, work for the government in the military medical setting, or work globally in areas that have medical need. These are just a few of the opportunities that I have experienced personally or have had colleagues do in their registered nursing careers.

Becoming a Registered Nurse was challenging for me, it is somewhat what I expected. Being a nurse is sometimes unpredictable depending on your work area and patients. I have found it rewarding to educate patients for preventative issues. Nursing can be difficult at times, but I'm very happy about the decision I made to become a nurse and the positive effect I have on my patients health outcome.