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What expectations should I aspect as a RN?

I am a Senior high school, going to college to be a nurse.

#nurse #medicine

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Janice’s Answer

Hi Mariah-
Glad to hear you will be studying nursing soon.
Nursing is a profession in which hard work and dedication are expectations.
There may be shift work, holiday and weekend hours.
There also may be good and bad patient outcomes depending on the condition.
Nursing is a science that is always growing due to the latest research findings. This means there is constant learning and continued education (even after graduation) to continue evidence based practice.
Nurses are required to have continued education credits to renew their license.
Nursing is a career where there are many opportunities. A nurse can choose to work in a hospital, clinic, office setting. Additionally, the patient populations of medicine, surgery, pediatrics, mental health, obstetrics and more are available. Furthermore, a nurse can choose clinical, education or administration as a subspecialty.
The rewards in nursing include assisting patients to wellness and the wonderful people you meet and work with!
Good luck.
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Tonya’s Answer

Registered Nurses work in various settings which means some expectations can vary. You would expect, as a RN to, assess (collecting information about the patient), analyze what do you think the body is doing, and provide interventions with a physicians/providers orders (treatments such as medications and non-medications). You would expect to teach (educate the patient/family/care giver/loved one on the health condition, how to prevent the condition, improve/maintain health, when to return for follow-up), identify outcomes (what worked well, what did not, and what should be done next time), and collaborate (speak with other members of the healthcare team such as physicians/providers, social worker, physical therapist). Then, expect to educate yourself (always learning more to provide the best care for patients/community) which we refer to in nursing as life-long learning.

The settings where RNs work can include (but not limited to) ambulatory settings/clinics, hospitals, school, clinics, companies-employee health, nursing homes/long care facilities and work in telemedicine (work remote seeing patients online). Therefore the days you work and hours can vary. Depending on the setting, the routine can be the same each day or could be different. For example when I worked in the hospital versus homecare setting versus a birthing center, the expectations were different depending on the needs of the patient and so were the hours and days.

All the best in nursing school.
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Gena’s Answer

When you complete a program, either ADN or BSN, you will have to take a test that is about 75-265 questions long. It covers very general aspects of nursing care ( does not go into a lot of specialty stuff). During that time, you should look for a position as a nurse resident. That is like a prolonged training program in which you learn about how to care for your specific patient population in the facility where you work. Usually these are 3-6 months of classes, skills labs and working with a preceptor. When you are working as a nurse in a hospital unit, you will arrive about 645, get report on your patients (varies with how sick they are, but 1 or 2 in ICU, more on med/surg). Then you will assess your patients, sickest first then anyone going for procedures / discharges. You will give medications, IV drips , piggybacks, injections, oral. You will put all kinds of tubes in patients; urinary catheters, IV's, feeding tubes. You will change dressings, depending on where you work this might be rare or very frequent. You will monitor your patient's record for test results; you will probably see abnormal results before the provider. You will make a plan of care with your patient; this is important. You work with them to help them become whole; they don't want to just live they want to get back to their best life, if that makes sense. And sometimes you will be the last and only person with them when they die. You are their comfort and their safe place so you need a big brain and a big heart. It won't be easy but it will be worth it.
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