Nurses are a vital part of any healthcare team, working with physicians and healthcare personnel to provide premium care and instruction to patients. While the specifics of this career path vary widely, most nurses will fulfill the same basic duties. They often record patients’ symptoms, set up or monitor care plans, instruct patients and their families in how to manage their conditions, and observe how treatment is progressing. Nurses’ more technical duties include administering medicines, operating medical equipment, performing    diagnostics,    and    analyzing     test

results. Many nurses choose to specialize in certain areas, such as specific age groups or specific conditions or diseases.



The majority of nurses work in hospitals, though there are also possibilities in physicians’ offices, nursing homes, military posts, schools, and home health. In addition, many nurses choose to work or volunteer around the world, providing healthcare to underserved populations. If you are working in a 24-hour location such as a hospital or nursing home, you should be prepared to work night, weekend, holiday, or on-call shifts.

In order to work as an effective nurse, you must be compassionate, detail-oriented, patient, levelheaded, and able to work well in a stressful environment. One of the most important parts of this career is the ability to enjoy working with people in any situation. You will be interacting with a wide variety of patients, many of whom may be in pain, anxious, or seriously ill. These patients will be of all ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic and educational levels. All the technical training in the world will not help you if you can’t relate to these patients on a human level, in a polite, professional manner.

You also need to be prepared to face some critical situations. Many nurses work in emergency or trauma situations, intensive care, and labor and delivery, where you will often be working with patients and families who are anxious, scared, and angry. There may be potential exposure to blood or other bodily fluids. It is crucial that you be able to think on your feet in a stressful environment. Critical thinking and decision-making skills are paramount. Situations can change in the blink of an eye, leaving you to make a split-second judgment call. The results of your decisions may have a life-or-death impact.

More basically, you must be prepared for the physical requirements of this job. Nurses spend much of their workday on their feet, often walking, bending, or lifting. Due to the health dangers of working in close contact with infectious patients, radiation, sterilizing chemicals, and other hazards, you must observe strict safety guidelines.



​As you are considering this field, it’s important to remember that nursing requires a broad array of skills. You need to be friendly and professional even as you are making instrumental decisions in a high-stakes environment. You need to follow orders and work well in a team, but be able to be self-directed and make your own decisions when necessary. You must be able to multi-task and thrive in an environment without a lot of structure. If all of these apply to you, you may have the makings of a good nurse.

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If you think a career in nursing might be for you, check out the links on the sidebar to continue the orientation.