5 Things that Tell You You're a Nurse

You probably chose this career because you’re a natural nurturer and taking care of others is your passion. After a few years of this nurturing practice, there is a high chance that some of the behaviors you have at work have blended into your own personal life. It’s pretty amazing how doing certain things repetitively can become a part of your daily routine and completely change the way you function as a whole. Here are the top five most typical things you catch yourself doing on a daily basis that give you away as a typical nurse.

• Always have a pack of wet wipes in your purse

Rubbing those tiny squares on patients before a shot is a great way to disinfect icky surfaces. It's no surprise if your bag is has at least one pack of wet wipes or disinfectants for yourself. Using wet wipes for your hands, your cell phone, or even the remote control may have been engrained in your personal life.

• Religiously washing your hands
  

Constantly washing and scrubbing your hands at work is repeated throughout the entirety of every shift you'll ever have. Therefore, doing the same thing repeatedly day in and day out is going to grow on you at some point. Religiously washing your hands after everything on the job and in your personal life is one tell-tale sign that can indicate that you are definitely a nurse. It would be no surprise to see your own family following these habits, especially if you wash your hands after everything you do at home.

Related: Why You Should Attend Nursing Events and Seminars

• Read health magazines secretly

Being a devoted nurse means constantly talking about nursing, researching, studying, and getting to know all the innovative medical procedures that could help you be even better at your job. In other words, this means that your work doesn’t stop even if you walk out of the hospital after a long and exhausting shift. After all, you are a nurse, which means you are an extremely dedicated individual. The thing that gives you away the most as a nurse is a constant need for knowledge, so it’s nothing short from unusual if you secretly read health magazines and papers while you're off duty. Others might think you’re a little obsessive, but expanding your knowledge is never a bad thing.  

• Always carry medications

You know you are a nurse when you have every possible medication on you at all times. Whether it is for you or for someone else, there are always going to be some form of temporary relief medication on your person. This quality is your inner nurse shining through even off the job.

• Having your stethoscope on hand 

It's quite possible for your friends and love ones to give you a call when they're feeling ill. Being a nurse is a 24-hour job, therefore, it's expected to get phone calls about any minor pain or illness. Upon any visit to your friends or family it's no shocker that you bring your trusty stethoscope along for the ride. Your stethoscope is one of your most valued essentials in your career, so it only makes sense for you to have one nearby when you're not at the hospital.

If you do or have all these things listed above, you couldn’t be more of a nurse. Your actions and what you carry with you are what gives you away. Like with any career, many people absorb what they do at work and implement it in their personal lives, and that's perfectly OK. Being a nurse is one of the most fulfilling career paths out there, so it's only natural for you to implement your work habits into your own personal life.

Related: Skilled Nurse Helen Elizabeth Cater, RN, BScN, to Be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare

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