Nursing

5 Ways Nursing School Will Change Your Life

NursingMarch 03, 2014

You may be wondering if nursing school is for you — is it worth all the hard work that is required to be admitted and, ultimately, to graduate? Here are five ways that nursing school will change your life for the better and will justify the time and effort required to make it through.

You Will Gain a Medical Knowledge Base

First aid, how medications work, disease processes, infection control, etc. you will have this knowledge and more. Other people continually wonder if what they have is serious, if they should go to the doctor, if this medication is alright to take with another medication. After school, you will have an essential knowledge of medicine and what you don't know, you will have the ability to find out from reputable sources.

You Will Get a Degree

A degree is the key to some higher paying jobs. Even if you don't choose to work as a nurse, a degree can make a difference because it shows that you can work hard and achieve something difficult. Make sure the school that you attend will award you either an Associate degree or a Bachelor's degree in nursing.

You Will Learn How to Care for People

At some point, it's likely you will have to take care of someone. From your own kids, to your spouse, to aging parents, someone will get sick and you will be responsible for helping them get better. Nursing school will give you the tools you need to know how to give a bed bath, help them walk without falling and how they can avoid bedsores. You will know to take a croupy baby into a hot shower, or outside at night to relieve the hoarse cough. Taking care of people becomes a part of who you are.

You Will Become Perceptive

People watching will never be the same. You will notice an overweight person's sweaty forehead, pained expression and bulging varicose veins and watch for other signs of cardiac arrest. You may recognize that someone's wedding ring has been cut off and then soldered back together, possibly from a visit to the emergency room. You will begin to naturally see things from a nurse's viewpoint and use this information to build a clinical picture.

You Will Become a Health Advocate

You probably became a nurse because of your innate passion for helping others. But armed with the knowledge you received from nursing school, you are now a greater force to be reckoned with. When your loved one is sick, you have the knowledge to ask about specific treatment. You will be able to question the treatment plan and advocate on his behalf. You may not know everything yet — that comes with years of experience — but you will know enough to ask important questions and get results.

Nursing school is valuable no matter where you decide to go afterwards. It's a period of hard work, learning and caring unlike any other. This transformative experience will turn you from a caring individual into a full-fledged nurse!

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

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