What is nursing like?

What is it like being a nurse and what can I do with a nursing degree?

• What is it like? Daily life? Where can I work? My employers, what will they be like? Do you have to wear scrubs? Could I open, say, a wellness clinic or something with a nursing ...show more

• Answer:

  I have been a Rn for 14 years now. I work 3 12 hour night shifts in a small hospital's intensive care unit. It can be very stressfull and thankless at times. If you are a good independant learner, and can make good and quick decisions on your feet, you will do ok. It helps to have good people skills to, since you will get up close and personal with many. I wear scrubs that I buy. Some areas provide you with scrubs. Some managers wear dressy casual clothes. I have worked in a long term care facility, and management turned over many times in 9 months--no one wants to do the job--but the hospital where I work now is pretty stable. Better also that we are unionized and make up the majority of the staff employed. We have to practice under guidelines, and that varies by what state you live in. Some RN's can work in rural areas and manage clinics and stuff, but have to work under a Doctor's license. Advanced practice rn's or nurse practioners have more options, again depends on your state. Google your board of nursing for your state to find the "rules." NP's usually have to have a master's degree, and you won't see any increase in salary right away, since most places have a starting salary and you work from there. My salary is really good now, after 12 years on the same job. I have a bachelor's degree, and it was hard waiting 4 years to see some $$ coming in. But I am very glad I did it. Hope this helps and I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.