Nursing is a career that is concerned with people's overall health. It has advantages, opportunities, and challenges.
Workplace violence is a serious issue that nurses experience while at work, and it is frequently the result of patients or other staff. Such incidents may result in both parties suffering serious injury. When there is a shortage of nurses, such violence may occur when one nurse is allocated more patients than they can handle, especially if the patients have mental problems.
Another issue that nurses encounter is pay, which varies based on the cost of living. For instance, nurses in some parts of the U.S earn more than nurses in other regions (Hoeve et al, 2014). Some nurses are also paid less or more based on their gender. Long working hours are ordinary with nursing, and the challenge comes when nurses are not compensated. Nurses also face the challenge of workplace hazards whereby they are exposed to injuries, bloodborne pathogens which can make them ill.
Interventions to Improve These Challenges
The challenge of short staffing can be improved by increasing the number of nurses allocated to some patients. The workload is thus reduced per individual. Hence the nurses get to perform their duties well. This way, even workplace violence can reduce since there is more staff to handle them. On compensation and allowances, nurses should be paid for extra working hours and pay should not be varied by gender or region.
Opportunities in Nursing
Nursing as a career presents several opportunities and benefits to individuals including job security and better job opportunities, flexible work schedules, fringe benefits, traveling assistance as well as high salary packages.
How Prepared You Need to Be a New Nurse
Commencing on a new job as a nurse is usually packed with expectations as well as uncertainty. To help in the assurance of success, it is crucial to heed the advice of experienced nurses who can offer strategies to prepare you adequately as a new nurse entering the profession. The following are measures that can make prepare you to ensure a smooth transition.
As a new nurse, it is essential to work on leveraging your orientation by taking advantage of every learning opportunity (Fallatah & Laschinger, 2016). Work very closely with your assigned mentors to share in their wisdom and learn more about new ideas concerning the profession thus get maximum information from them. In cases where mismatches occur, talk to the unit manager to get assigned to a new mentor. One should also keep their eyes open and observe how experts on your unit handle difficult patients, make individual decisions and interact with other physicians.
Always make efforts to bond with your team (Boamas & Laschinger, 2015). Create goodwill by offering help to colleagues in challenging situations whereby they will ever return the favor and build better relations. This brings forth the spirit of team playing which can prevent being dumped on as a new nurse. While considering being a team player, it is vital to stay out of unhealthy dynamics while trying to fit in. Always assess the situation at hand and develop professional responses. Adopt the teachable spirit. As a new nurse, never be afraid to ask questions since it helps to prevent potential mistakes and seek clarity on matters that are not well understood. It can significantly benefit both you and the person you are asking.
Conclusion
Nursing as a profession requires team spirit thus as a new nurse; it is essential to make many friends from both the support staff and management and do not feel superior to anyone because you may need their help at certain times.
References
Boamah, S., & Laschinger, H. (2015). Engaging new nurses: the role of psychological capital and workplace empowerment. Journal of Research in Nursing, 20(4), 265-277.
Fallatah, F., & Laschinger, H. K. (2016). The influence of authentic leadership and supportive professional practice environments on new graduate nurses’ job satisfaction. Journal of Research in Nursing, 21(2), 125-136.
Hoeve, Y. T., Jansen, G., & Roodbol, P. (2014). The nursing profession: public image, self‐concept and professional identity. A discussion paper. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(2), 295-309.
Mager, D., Beauvais, A., & Kazer, M. W. (2017). Surviving the NCLEX Dip. Nursing Education Perspectives, 38(5), 283-285.
Rogers, N. (2015). 2013 Eleanor Krohn Herrmann lecture. The most admired woman in the world: forgetting and remembering in the history of nursing. Nursing history review: official journal of the American Association for the History of Nursing, 23, 28.
