nursing career

nursing School
After obtaining her bachelor of science in nursing from the Chamberlain School of Nursing (St. Louis, MO), Washington sought her first job. School had been a demanding front, but she was thrilled and triumphant at the completion of her studies and hard work.

"I was really stressed [throughout school]," she explains. "When you're done, you feel better." Freshman year at the Chamberlain School of Nursing entailed many general education classes, including art, sociology, and algebra, she says. Then there were the nursing and science core classes, including bedside manner, anatomy, and biology.

Sophomore year is when Washington was exposed to valuable hands-on training. She started her clinicals, in which she had class on the hospital floor with about six to 10 other students. She got to hand out medication to patients among other smaller tasks, with supervision. Washington explains that most universities don't give you this opportunity until at least your junior year. She felt that the Chamberlain School of Nursing gave her the chance to acquire great experience.

After Graduation
Once out of school, stresses different from schoolwork began to confront the new graduate. "Right after school, the pressure of taking care of six to seven patients [at once hit me]," she says. But she was able to get it all done in the 12-hour shifts she does three days in a row each week.

Night shifts, that is. "My sleep schedule is awful!" Washington jokingly admits. "I get to work at 7 p.m. and then work 12 hours. Nurses work, you sleep, work, sleep... and eat somewhere in between."

Washington doesn't mind this, however. She goes home and sleeps right up until she needs to go back to work and loves that she has four other days to herself. This opens her up to taking on another job if she were to choose to do so and also to return to school. She plans to begin working on her master's in nursing this fall so that she may teach one day. She explains that a master's can also enable her to become a nurse practitioner.

Job Outlook
With an increasing number of aging baby boomers, the demand for health care is expected to rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites that nursing is the largest of all heath care occupations, with 2.4 million jobs. The number of students in nursing has increased dramatically because of demand and stable employment. And it will continue to rise. In May 2004, the average salary of registered nurses was $52,330, according to the BLS.

Washington explains that it can often be difficult working as a nurse. "There are many different personalities -- patients, the staff, and doctors," she says. "And the whole time you're thinking, 'I need to keep this person alive.'" But it's not all negative. The reason most go into the field is because of a desire to help others. And it's most rewarding when the work a registered nurse does is acknowledged. "I love when a patient says they feel much better or when they tell me how nice I am," she says. "It sounds so simple and cliche, but it really makes you feel good."

Advice
"The start of the journey is a huge mountain. You start out at the bottom and it sounds like you'll never get through," says Washington. "Stay positive, even under stress. It can be done and it's worth it." But the general experience of her nursing school days was the greatest part. "The experience you get and the friends you make at school are all so important," she says. "The best time I ever had was undergrad."

Facebook | del.icio.us | Digg

Sound Off! Post Your Comments

You are not currently logged on. Please login to add a comment.