Running head: THE INS AND OUTS OF NURSING

The Ins and Outs of Nursing

Eliza Hackworth

Harrison High School

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: Career Choice .......................................................................................................3

Introduction .................................................................................................................................3

Job Description ............................................................................................................................4

A Day in the Life .........................................................................................................................5

Pros and Cons ..............................................................................................................................7

CHAPTER 2: From Here to There ..............................................................................................8

Profession Profile ........................................................................................................................8

Education .....................................................................................................................................9

Budgeting ...................................................................................................................................10

CHAPTER 3: Personal Assessment ..........................................................................................11

My Skills .....................................................................................................................................11

My Personality ............................................................................................................................12

My Motivation ...........................................................................................................................13

CHAPTER 4: Productivity ........................................................................................................14

My Project ...................................................................................................................................14

Career Connection ......................................................................................................................15

CHAPTER 5: References ...........................................................................................................16

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CHAPTER 1: Career Choice

Introduction

All my life I have grown up around the medical field. My mother is a physician assistant

and my father used to run a medical billing company and used to manage surgery centers and

nursing homes. I have always been interested in how illness affects people and how patients can

get better and how being sick changes someone. I love the idea of being able to help people and

make a difference in someone’s everyday life. Nursing has great job security and there are many

different careers you can do with a nursing degree which allows you to find your niche and go

from there. You also can always further your education and get new certifications and advanced

degrees and specializations.

I am a very tactile learner, and nursing allows you to be very hands on with the patients

and learn that way. I can be very caring, and I typically work very well with others and am very

flexible and do not take things too personally, but also can be serious when needed. I am very

even keeled and do not get rattled by many things. Another very important trait I possess is being

able to keep work and home life separate. When things at work do not go well, I am able to go

home and do not dwell on it, which will help me to have higher satisfaction in my career choice.

Being able to have a good balance between life and work is so important because you do not

want work to swallow you up to where you cannot enjoy life or vice versa.

The schedule of a nurse is also highly appealing to me because you can work PRN (as

needed), you can work a few days a week for long shifts or you could even work Monday-Friday

like regular office hours. Having a flexible schedule allows you to be able to establish your life

as a young adult and still have time for things you want or need to get done while working a full-
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time job. I know this is the field I want to go into because I work as a Certified Nurses Assistant

(CNA) now and get to see and do a lot of interesting things.

In a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) Analysis that I conducted at the

beginning of the semester my results showed I should be a P.E. teacher. I do not believe these

results were accurate, but I was able to compare some of the qualities it revealed of me to how a

nurse needs to exemplify them, such as being social and communicative, enterprising because

someone needs to take charge and distribute tasks, and investigative because you need to think

fast and be able to use clues to identify the issue. I am confident nursing can be a very rewarding

job even through the very stressful and physically demanding shifts because at the end of the day

you can go home satisfied knowing you made a difference.

Job Description

As a nurse you will have many tasks and responsibilities. There are so many options as to

where you can work as a nurse. You can work in a hospital, outpatient facilities, clinics, nursing

homes, schools, patients’ homes, and many more. Obviously as a nurse you will tend to basic

needs of a patient, you will do things such as record and report vital signs, medical history, and

symptoms. You will administer medication and provide patients with care as needed. As a nurse

you get to manage the physical aspects of patient care and their health, but you also must

consider their emotions and their families, etc. You will get to use many skills like

communication, critical thinking, flexibility, time management, and many more. To obtain a

nursing degree, you can major in nursing in college and obtain your R.N. (Registered Nurse) or

B.S.N. (Bachelor of Science in Nursing). R.N. is a two-year associates degree and a B.S.N. is a

four-year bachelor’s degree and your B.S.N. allows you more opportunities. You could also go

on and get a M.S.N. which is a Master of Science in Nursing. Some schools are starting to have
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direct admission programs to nursing where you can get accepted as a freshman and begin

nursing classes sophomore year, where others you must apply for your junior year and wait to be

accepted into a program after you have completed all your prerequisite classes. To officially

become a nurse, you must pass your NCLEX exam which is a standardized test for nursing

students. The NCLEX exam has an 87% pass rate on the first try in 2017 according to the

National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The test is 6 hours, and you must answer as many

questions as you can with a “satisfactory competency level” (Rinehart, 2019). The expected

salary of a new nurse is around $43,000-$60,000. The unemployment rate for nurses is only

2.6% according to U.S. News and World Report’s and the job outlook growth rate is about 20%.

Nurses will always be needed since people will always need care. A nursing career affords you

the opportunity for job security whereby you can make a good living and good wages. A nurse is

the patient first contact and can provide that special connection with patients to make them as

comfortable as possible even when they are sick or injured. You get to be with the patient

through every step of their journey and really get to know them and their needs.

A Day in the Life

A typical day as a nurse will vary drastically depending on where you work. According to

Mrs. Parker, a night shift (7a-7p) charge nurse at Cobb Hospital, she begins her shift by

observing the flow of things on her floor. She then goes into a huddle with the nurses on her shift

and from the previous shift and they give and receive a report on each patient. As the charge

nurse she also must review the assignment and make sure it looks fair and that the work will be

distributed evenly. The nurses on her shift then begin checking labs, x rays and doctors notes to

see what is going on with the patient. Next the nurses will go into the patient’s rooms and meet

them and soon after will begin their first med pass which is at 9 p.m. They pass their meds and
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assess the patients and answer any calls from patients during the shift. After this is done Mrs.

Parker has a bed meeting at 3 a.m. to discuss staffing for the next morning shift. The nurses will

give pain meds and tend to the needs of patients all night. Eventually Mrs. Parker will start

working on her schedule and assign certain nurses to certain patients. And then the next shift of

nurses comes and the cycle repeats.

Another day in a nurse’s life could look something like Mrs. Huckeba, a nurse at an

outpatient surgery center. At the center nurse arrive at about 6-7 a.m. depending on the schedule

that day. They prep for the first patient to come in which is usually around 7 a.m. or (about one

hour before their surgery is supposed to begin). Then the pre-op nurses will call the patient back

once they are checked in. In pre-op they will take the patients vital signs review any medical

history and allergies and correctly identify the patient and their procedure. They also give the

patient a gown, socks, and hairnet to be prepped for the operating room (OR). Once they assure

the patent is safe and ready to go back for surgery the OR nurse takes them back to the OR. Once

in the OR patients sometimes will go under anesthesia. Anesthesia can be local anesthesia or

sometimes it can be sedation The type of anesthesia depends on the type of surgery the patient is

having. Once the doctor finishes the procedure the OR nurse will bring the patient out to the

PACU (post anesthesia care unit). In the PACU the nurses take the patients vital signs and if the

patient wants something to drink the nurse will provide it. Once the nurse has taken a few sets of

vital signs a couple minutes apart and confirms the patient is stable then the patient gets their IV

taken out. These are typically in a patient’s arm or hand and are inserted in pre-op just in case of

an emergency. The patient will get dressed and then be discharged. If a patient has complications

the PACU nurses will have to keep them longer and do the necessary things to care for the

patient. Sometimes this includes things such as giving them fluids through their IV, propping up
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their legs to allow proper blood flow, etc. Typically, the recovery time in the PACU is between

15 minutes and an hour for larger surgeries. Mrs. Huckeba explained in an interview that “[ in an

outpatient surgery center you work until you are done and get to go home after that, so

sometimes it might be 3or 4 and other times it might be 6 o’clock]” (Huckeba, 2021).

As a nurse you typically are not expected to travel, but if you wanted to you could be a

travel nurse, or a nurse who works on a plane. Through many conversations with nurses at my

internship they told me you normally will receive paid overtime and in today’s world, due to

understaffing and coronavirus, nurses are getting paid more to pick up extra shifts. All types of

nurses experience different days just based on where they work and their specific work

environment.

Pros and Cons

As a nurse today there are many very good and rewarding opportunities, but there also

are some responsibilities people do not always look forward to. Many nurses say one of the

biggest cons in this profession is staffing. Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Huckeba both stated in their

interviews that staffing was a problem whether it was them being understaffed, and/or them

having staffing disputes and problems amongst each other. Another job attribute as a nurse that

some people may consider a con is handling and dealing with other people’s bodily fluids. To

some nurses this might not be a big deal, but everyone is different. Another potential con could

be working a 12-hour shift, but the pro to that is you will not work every single day, but only a

few times a week. Many nurses view themselves as being underappreciated and I believe this is

true because people do not even realize the physical and mental stress of their job until they see it

first-hand. A few other cons about being a nurse is that it is highly physically demanding and

highly stressful at times. Many nurses end up with back problems due to heavy lifting and not
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using proper body mechanics. Additionally, another con could also be that you are at greater risk

and exposure to viruses.

Some things that I view as a pro in nursing are that you get to have a different type of day

every day because you will be seeing different patients constantly. I also think it is a pro that

there is so many opportunities you can choose to take as a nurse. The job security and growth

rate in nursing careers are also pros. In addition, I also think that a pro is that the difficulty of

nursing school truly can help teach you about the stress of being an actual nurse so it is not

overwhelming when you become an actual nurse. Being able to work with a team of people and

using and practicing many interpersonal skills can also be considered a pro to a nursing career.

Being able to help save people’s lives is another pro and is probably the most rewarding part of it

all. Dealing with death and ill people can be very difficult at times but being able to

compartmentalize your thoughts and emotions to be the best nurse you can be for a patient and

their family is so important and I think can help you in real life too. Many pros and cons in

nursing can be viewed either way (good and bad), which is very important because it means

there can always be an optimistic perspective on many situations.

CHAPTER 2: From Here to There

Professional Profile

The type of person that would choose this career is someone who loves a challenge and a

reward. A nurse needs to be someone who can see in the future and realize the challenge of

school and training will be worth it in the end. This person must be optimistic to be able to see

the good qualities in situations and in people. A nurse must have a kind, caring and

compassionate heart. A tactile learner would be best suited for this career because of the many
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hands-on experiences involved in nursing. A good nurse is willing to go out of their way to do

things for others or make other people happy. A nurse must have good time management skills in

between administering medications, caring for patients, and even interacting or caring for family

members. A person who can easily compartmentalize work, life and everything in between is

also a person who could make a good nurse because being able to balance your emotions even

when things get challenging is very important. Being able to put on a smile, even when dejected,

is so important for patients and family members. A nurse should be able to have a sense of

humor to lighten the mood, while also knowing when it is appropriate to use it. They need to be

determined and optimistic to pass nursing school and the NCLEX. A good nurse must be

punctual as well because typically when you arrive for your shift you are relieving someone else

from theirs, so if you run late you are messing up someone else’s schedule. Nurses need to be

able to solve problems and be cooperative with their coworkers. A nurse also needs to have

patience with patients and coworkers. Another quality that will make a great nurse is someone

who wants to learn. Having a nurse who is curious and willing to learn all that they can allow for

them to be well rounded in many subjects and overall, more knowledgeable. There are so many

qualities that can make up a great nurse, but if you are committed, hard-working, willing to

advocate for patients, caring, compassionate, and empathetic then you could be a great nurse.

Education

There are many ways to become a nurse. Nurses can become an R.N. (Registered Nurse)

or B.S.N. (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) or M.S.N. (Masters of Science in Nursing). Some

colleges have a direct admission pathway for B.S.N. nursing which is when you apply as a

freshman for the nursing program and get your spot secured. The traditional way for a nursing

program is to take your prerequisite classes and start applying for nursing school going into your
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junior year. This process can take people numerous tries to get accepted into a program. With the

direct admit route if you maintain your GPA, you will be guaranteed a spot and typically will

start those classes your sophomore year. You will take all types of classes in a nursing program.

These normally will consist of psychology, nutrition and health, anatomy, chemistry, physiology,

life development, health assessment, pathophysiology, professional nursing practice, medication

dosage classes, foundation of nursing courses, statistics, basics to all types of nursing, and most

importantly, clinicals. All these classes will be essential in your career. To learn how to be a

good nurse you must understand all types of information and be very well rounded in all these

fields. To officially be able to practice nursing you must pass the NCLEX exam once you get

through nursing school. One great thing about this profession is that you can always further your

education and go to more school. Many nursing programs are requiring you to become a CNA

first so that you have your toes in the water and are more likely to stay in the program. There are

many small certifications you can get while you are a nurse, or before you become a nurse. You

can get your BLS (Basic Life Support) and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) training and

many more. Many small certifications you must renew everything 2 years. In most states you

must renew your nursing license by having around 30 continuing education hours and 30 hours

of professional practice. There are also sometimes fees to keep up your license. If you get a basic

four-year nursing degree (B.S.N.- Bachelor of Science in Nursing) you then can choose to

further your education to specialize in other fields of nursing or even administration.

Budgeting

Nursing is a career with fantastic job security and allows for many opportunities of

employment. To become a nurse, it can be quite the financial investment. Most students typically

have $32,000 of student debt when coming out of school. Luckily, everyone will at some point in
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their life need or experience a nurse. People are always going to need cared for and so as a nurse

you will have the opportunity to make a good amount of money so that you can pay off your

student loans. Nurses starting out of school will make a salary of around $43,000-$60,000. As

you advance in this career, you will have the opportunity to and if you budget well, you should

be able to pay off your loans. One option for someone who is not willing to take on much debt

would be to become a nurse in the military. You sign a contract saying you will work in the

military for a certain number of years, and they will pay for your schooling. Nursing careers are

projected to grow in the future so taking on debt is not going to be very risky because the odds of

you finding a job are very high. Growing up my dad has always taught me that investing in your

future can pay off. Therefore, if you must take on debt and invest more in your undergrad and

graduate degrees as a nurse, you tend to make more money in the future which will allow you to

pay off loans and live a comfortable life.

CHAPTER 3: Personal Assessment

My Skills

Personally, I believe I possess many skills needed for a nursing career. The soft skills a

nurse must have to be a successful nurse are having a good work ethic, patience, kindness, good

communication, being able to be flexible, a nurse must be decisive and take responsibility, nurses

need to cooperate and work with others and nurses need to manage their time well. I have learned

to possess these skills and the importance of these skills through my job as a CNA. Through this

job I have learned that nurses must be willing to do things they do not always want to do, they also

must be very flexible and help where help is needed. Having good cooperation skills with others

will allow for the jobs to get done faster and more efficiently, which may be more work in the

moment, but is worth it when they can make sure that they get the tasks done with no problems.
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Using many of these soft skills will allow me to be a very good employee, coworker, and nurse in

the future. I have learned through working how important it is to practice using these skills in your

daily life as well as in the work setting. I have obtained many tangible skills through my CNA

course I completed. I practiced things you learn in nursing school through my experiences, and I

believe I am well prepared for my future. I learned many things such as ambulating patients, taking

vital signs, toileting and feeding patients, taking blood sugars, administering medications, giving

subcutaneous injections, and much more. Working as a CNA, I have learned how to strengthen

many of my weaknesses such as being able to ask for help and not feeling guilty or bad about it.

Many strengths I possess are being loyal, dependable, flexible, even keeled, and being able to work

well with others. Some weaknesses that I could improve upon are being introverted and not going

out of my way to talk to people or talk in large groups, sometimes I am a little bit too blunt, and

procrastinating. Practicing tangible and soft skills in your everyday life will be so helpful to create

habits for your future.

My Personality

To be a nurse you must have a caring, empathetic, and compassionate personality.

I think I possess these qualities. Some personality traits I have that will make me a good fit for a

nursing career, based off my SWOT analysis interest assessment, are things such as “social”,

meaning I like working with people, I can be patient, insightful, responsible, cooperative. I also

like problem solving and observing the way humans interact with people and their environment.

My SWOT analysis interest assessment also showed I am “Enterprising” meaning I like to lead,

and achieve goals, can be assertive and much more. I feel like this is not necessarily how I would

describe myself and many of these things are out of my comfort zone. My assessment finally

showed that I am artistic and conventional. I personally would say I can be very artistic and
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creative, and I am a good problem solver when I need to be. Being conventional is not

necessarily what I like, this means you like detailed tasks, working with information, and are

well organized, persistent, and methodical. Another trait I have is that I am very even keeled and

do not stress myself out over things I know I cannot control. I am very calm and do not typically

panic, but I can extend a kind heart towards people and family members. I am blunt and typically

get to the point on things. I also am observant and notice a lot of things about people. To be

nurse you must be hard working and kind.

My Motivation

Through my research I have thoroughly confirmed my future career choice as a nurse.

My current and past experiences have led me to believe that it is a great fit as a career for me. I

have first handedly witnessed how nurses can work in so many different places and fields. I

immensely look forward to being able to have many options in every aspect of nursing. You get

to have so many options in where you work, whether it be outpatient, hospital, in-home,

traveling and even in court when they need a nurse to look at the files and cases and see what the

nurse did right or wrong. I look forward to being able to have an exciting career with many

opportunities. I look forward to being able to further my education if I choose to and never stop

learning things. I am excited for the potential to make a good living and live a comfortable life

with a flexible schedule. The flexibility could allow me to travel, have kids and take care of

them, and more. I will be attending Samford University next year and I was accepted into their

direct admission nursing program which will allow me to start nursing classes sophomore year

instead of applying going into my junior year. I am very excited to meet many people with the

same interests as me. There are so many job opportunities in this career, and you can most likely

find a job wherever you want to live. A major obstacle I will encounter in this career are the
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schooling requirements. Many people I have spoken to have told me that nursing school is very

hard and rigorous. I will be able to overcome these challenges by focusing on what is important

and achieving my goals and dreams. There are many motivating factors in this career that keep

me extremely interested in becoming a nurse.

CHAPTER 4: Productivity

My Project

For my product I made a tool belt for a nurse specialized in removing IVs out of patients.

My toolbelt has a miniature sharps box, a gauze holder, a Coban dispenser, glove dispenser and

an adjustable belt. For this project I ordered all my supplies, then I drew a sketch of how it

should look. Next, I took a tape measure and measured the spacing between each item and where

each item should be placed on the belt. I was able to use my sisters sewing machine too sew the

items onto the belt. This product works by fastening the tool belt on your waist and having all of

the supplies you need to remove an IV at your fingers. It will make a nurse’s day more efficient

by not having to go to and from a wall of supplies to get what they need. While building my

project I did not find many physical challenges, and my final product turned out well.
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Figure 4.1

Above in Figure 4.1 shows my product. You can see the adjustable belt that makes it easy for all

sizes and I also noticed it did not make your scrubs feel like they were going to fall off. I was

able to try using my tool belt when taking out patients IVs and I was able to determine that it is

much easier and quicker to use the belt rather than getting your supplies as you go.

Career Connection

One day, I was taking out patients IV after their surgery. All the supplies are on the wall

or on a shelf which made it very difficult to hold everything you need while also removing the

IV. So, for my product I made a tool belt for nurses, more specifically a toolbelt for post op

nurses, IV teams, phlebotomist, and any other nurse who more specifically needs a way to be

faster and more efficient in removing IVs. When I demonstrated this product to the nurses at my

internship, they thought it would be a very helpful thing, they also thought it was creative and

something simple that would make their day a lot easier and more efficient. The way it could

make the process more efficient is by not having to stretch your arm to the wall of shelf while

holding the gauze on the patient’s arm. The belt also allows you to have gauze and Coban

dispensing at your fingertips, instead of reaching for supplies while stopping the blood flow after

removal of the IV. In any outpatient surgery center, the flow of patients is constant and more

rapid than in other settings. Having equipment which helps the nurses be more efficient will, in

turn, increase the quality of care that the nurses are providing for their patients.
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Hackworth, E. Q. (2021, January 21). SWOT

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