Being a nurse can be a very satisfying
job, providing tender loving care to patients who need it the most as they lie
in bed. Nurses frequently check up on patients, asking them about their current
status and displaying compassion and kindness in a dire situation. It can be
rewarding as a human being to know that you are playing a vital role in
ensuring that a patient is taken care of. Nurses administer medication and
treatment to patients and oftentimes translate complex medical terminology into
a language that a layman can understand. Nurses also conduct research and tests
in a clinical laboratory to analyze samples from the patient. This helps in
determining the root cause of the problem and find a solution for it.
While all of these are rewarding
aspects of nursing, a nursing career also comes with daily struggles and
complications. Like with any other job, a nurse has to endure a lot of hardship
in their career. It can be strenuous, testing the limits of endurance and
patience. Nurses have to regularly put in long days and nights at the hospital
because they need to regularly check up on patients. Also, an emergency can
strike at any moment and the medical staff need to be present at all times.
Nursing is undoubtedly a satisfying
and beneficial career choice. However, it is understandable to be frustrated by
annoyances throughout the day. Here are the most 10 common complaints by
nurses:
Related : 2016 INTERNATIONAL NURSES ASSOCIATION (INA) SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
1. Perhaps the most popular and
common complaint that all nurses have is being unfairly criticized by a physician in charge for a minute issue. Nurses are
human just like everybody else and are prone to making mistakes. In a high
tense situation, it can be difficult for anybody, including nurses, to remember
every single minute detail of any topic. Medical terminology is not the easiest
of things to grasp, and to remember every little thing is near impossible at
times. Some doctors may overreact a bit when the accompanying nurse fails to
recall something. Being in healthcare is a stressful job, but that does not
call for rude behavior from anybody, whether that is a nurse, physician, or
even a patient. Being nicer and a bit more understanding in a stressful
situation goes a long way, especially for nurses.
2. Speaking of remembering the
tiniest of details, a nurse needs to remember
a plethora of information. They need to remember the etiology,
classification, dosage, side effects, contraindication, and compatibility of
thousands of various medications. That is certainly a challenge to cram all of this
information into anybody’s brain.
3. Nurses need to frequently make
extremely difficult decisions without the help of a doctor. While nurses are
trained to provide care to patients, they do not always have the necessary
expertise in analyzing lab results. Whether they need to call a doctor at 4 AM
is a decision that needs to be made, and not an easy one if the doctor thinks
that the results are easy enough for a nurse to comprehend.
4. Nurses typically do not stick to
only one patient at a time, but work on several patients simultaneously,
juggling them frantically as they hop from one to the other amidst the chaos
that takes place in a hospital. It can be extremely tough to remember the
therapy administered to different patients suffering from different issues.
Related : Skilled Nurse Mary Dean Turner, RN, to Be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare
5. A complaint more common from the
older nurses, many have to learn new and complex computer systems that are
implemented in a hospital. Many nurses from an older generation are not
computer proficient and might be unable to handle such equipment.
6. Quite a few nurses have the
choice of selecting the physician they want to work under. However, many do
not. This depends on the policy of the hospital. Those who do not have an
option might end up with someone they do not necessarily work well with, on
account of a difference in approach in administering healthcare to patients.
7. Nurses need to perform a variety
of tasks, even though they may have only specialized in a couple of things
during their formal education. Some nurses are put in a division for the first
time and are expected to know everything as someone who has 10 years of
experience in that field.
Related : Top Nurse with the International Nurses Association, Steven Eric Southerland, RN, BSN, AAS, EMT-P to Publish in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare
Related : Top Nurse with the International Nurses Association, Steven Eric Southerland, RN, BSN, AAS, EMT-P to Publish in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare
8. It is highly unlikely for a
nurse to work a 9-5 shift. Many nurses come in late at night/early in the
morning and can leave 24 hours later, only to be called in just a few hours
later the following day.
9. Several hospitals have a policy
where the nurses are not allowed to identify patients by their name, but rather
by their diagnosis and room number. That has the potential to create a
disconnect between patient and nurse.
10. We all know
the stereotype of doctor’s handwriting being terribly difficult to comprehend.
Well there is plenty of truth to that, with several nurses across the country
having difficulty in deciphering what is written on a tiny piece of paper.
These are just some of the more
common issues that nurses have expressed while being on the job. However, if
you are patient, understanding, and proactive on the job, these issues will
simply be a breeze to handle!
Related: 10 Tips for a Successful Nursing Job Interview
Related: 10 Tips for a Successful Nursing Job Interview
Comments
Post a Comment