4 answers
Vanessa
Student
Placentia, California
1
Question
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what is most difficult part as a nurse?
I am very passionate about helping people
#nurse #nursing #nurse-practitioner #medicine #healthcare
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4 answers
Tonya Lawrence, PhD, MSN, RN, CNM
Nurse,Mentor,Educator,Leader
75
Answers
Updated
Tonya’s Answer
Your passion for helping people is a wonderful quality when working in a field such as healthcare to help others. The item I find most interesting that one may not think of in helping others is, those who help others need to remember to take time to care for themselves. The reason is taking care of oneself can build energy to take care of others. If this is not done, the person may experience burn-out.
To answer your question, of the most difficult part as a nurse.
As a nurse, when I was working in the hospital, homecare, clinic, or teaching in the community, the most difficult I experienced is seeing patients who do not receive the highest quality healthcare they deserve. This can be due to patient’s lack of health insurance or minimal healthcare insurance coverage, patients live in settings that are difficult to travel to or access a healthcare setting (for example lack of transportation, the health center is so far away from their home where using public transportation may take 1-hour or more), or patient’s struggle to follow recommended healthcare practices to achieve their healthcare goal(s).
In the hospital setting the challenge for a new nurse caring for patients is in applying the knowledge from school and knowledge, skills, and attitudes/behaviors in the role and responsibilities of a registered nurse. For example, critical thinking, demonstration of genuine caring behaviors for the patients, family, and community; focus on more than just tasks, and communication skills to advocate for safe and high-quality care for the patient. This is a challenge part of managing patients because if done incorrectly, there is a risk of harm to the patients.
The third, part is, patients may be depressed, hurting, and/or in pain because of their health condition or have serious challenges in their life. As a result, the patient may not always express kindness in all situations. In those situations, the nurse will need to seek understanding in the way the patient is feeling and help the patient work through those emotions. The situation does not mean the nurse should be treated in a disrespectful manner by patients. In these situations, the nurse can see beyond the immediate situation to question what else could be going on for the patient to act in a hurtful manner.
There are other difficult situations such a patient learning about a diagnosis of cancer or other life altering disease for the first time, residents/patients living in a nursing home with no family or visitors to visit them or planning for death with the patient and family. The best part of being a nurse is the opportunity to be with patients and families during difficult times, happy times, or in-between times and identifying what can be done to support the patient, family, and community by being a source of scientific knowledge, caring, advocacy, and strength.
If you are interested in becoming a nurse (or other role in healthcare) or know someone who is, I have included nationally recognized links for searching for nursing schools with national accreditations.
All The Best!
References:
# 1 - American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). Find Accredited Programs. https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/Overview-of-Accreditation/Find-Accredited-Programs
# 2 - Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (2021). Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs.
http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm
# 3 - US News and World Report – Find the Best Nursing Schools (2021)
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-nursing-schools
To answer your question, of the most difficult part as a nurse.
As a nurse, when I was working in the hospital, homecare, clinic, or teaching in the community, the most difficult I experienced is seeing patients who do not receive the highest quality healthcare they deserve. This can be due to patient’s lack of health insurance or minimal healthcare insurance coverage, patients live in settings that are difficult to travel to or access a healthcare setting (for example lack of transportation, the health center is so far away from their home where using public transportation may take 1-hour or more), or patient’s struggle to follow recommended healthcare practices to achieve their healthcare goal(s).
In the hospital setting the challenge for a new nurse caring for patients is in applying the knowledge from school and knowledge, skills, and attitudes/behaviors in the role and responsibilities of a registered nurse. For example, critical thinking, demonstration of genuine caring behaviors for the patients, family, and community; focus on more than just tasks, and communication skills to advocate for safe and high-quality care for the patient. This is a challenge part of managing patients because if done incorrectly, there is a risk of harm to the patients.
The third, part is, patients may be depressed, hurting, and/or in pain because of their health condition or have serious challenges in their life. As a result, the patient may not always express kindness in all situations. In those situations, the nurse will need to seek understanding in the way the patient is feeling and help the patient work through those emotions. The situation does not mean the nurse should be treated in a disrespectful manner by patients. In these situations, the nurse can see beyond the immediate situation to question what else could be going on for the patient to act in a hurtful manner.
There are other difficult situations such a patient learning about a diagnosis of cancer or other life altering disease for the first time, residents/patients living in a nursing home with no family or visitors to visit them or planning for death with the patient and family. The best part of being a nurse is the opportunity to be with patients and families during difficult times, happy times, or in-between times and identifying what can be done to support the patient, family, and community by being a source of scientific knowledge, caring, advocacy, and strength.
If you are interested in becoming a nurse (or other role in healthcare) or know someone who is, I have included nationally recognized links for searching for nursing schools with national accreditations.
All The Best!
References:
# 1 - American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021). Find Accredited Programs. https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE-Accreditation/Overview-of-Accreditation/Find-Accredited-Programs
# 2 - Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (2021). Search ACEN Accredited Nursing Programs.
http://www.acenursing.com/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm
# 3 - US News and World Report – Find the Best Nursing Schools (2021)
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-nursing-schools
Leah Connell
Registered Nurse
1
Answer
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Updated
Leah’s Answer
The things you might have done differently. If a patient has a bad result it's hard to not go back over the situation over and over, even years later. Sometimes there's something you could have done differently, if so you learn from it. Other times you did everything you could and the patient still lost function or died
Madison Gilder
Medical assistant
3
Answers
Prairieville, Louisiana
Updated
Madison’s Answer
Hello, I work as a “pull-back nurse” with the MA title in a clinic setting. Although my clinic doesn’t explicitly treat emergencies, every patient deserves to feel valued and seen. With that being said, patients will have bad days just like we do and can take out their frustrations on us. It can be hard not to take it personally, it can be difficult to have to be stern with them, and it can be especially hard to remember that they do not necessarily know the work that gets put in to make sure they’re taken care of.
I hope that helped!
Remember patients are people and can have bad days just like us
Patients cannot be expected to understand every aspect of their visit and/or treatment. Confusion can be scary for some people
You have the opportunity to brighten the patients’ day despite them starting their visit on a bad note
Learn to love the people you treat and accept them for their faults and your job will be much easier to endure
Learn to compartmentalize so you don’t take those hard days home with you or bring them into other patient visits
I hope that helped!
Madison recommends the following next steps:
Dr. Stella Lisk DNP, FNP - BC
Healthcare Provider
2
Answers
Keller, Texas
Updated
Dr. Stella Lisk’s Answer
Most difficult part of being a nurse is not being able t help patients, watching your patient suffer and die regardless of your best effort.
Sometimes you can't help but take work home as you have patients on your mind.
The hours and schedule can also be tedious.
Sometimes you can't help but take work home as you have patients on your mind.
The hours and schedule can also be tedious.