So You Want a Career? Nursing Has it All
Carole Kenner, Dean of The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing, talks to an NSHSS family at the recent member career fair in Oklahoma City
By Carole Kenner, DNS; RNC; FAAN; Dean/Professor University of Oklahoma; President, Council of International Neonatal Nurses and Anita Finkelman, MSN; RN; Adjunct Faculty, University of Oklahoma
You are almost finished with high school and deciding on college--a major step. So what should you do? For me the decision was easy. I knew from elementary school, I wanted to be a nurse. Of course I didn’t know what that meant but I saw a family friend light up when she talked about nursing.
You don’t like blood? Well that is only one part of the great profession of nursing. Think nurses only follow doctor’s orders or are only women? Think again. Let me tell you of my own personal journey. I earned a bachelor’s of science in nursing and started working in the neonatal intensive care unit even before graduation. I fell in love with taking care of the tiniest of infants and their families. I have been privileged to be there at the moment of birth and the time of death--two of the most stressful times a family can experience. I now have earned a master’s and doctorate in nursing. I teach in a university, write textbooks, edit journals, run interdisciplinary research teams, lecture around the world, and have set up two companies--all because I am a nurse. I have worked in health policy along heads of state. These are things I never dreamed of when I considered nursing.
Today with the global nursing shortage, a job is assured. What that job is really depends on the individual. Here are some examples: hospital nurse; community or school clinics; home health/hospice nursing; military nursing; an advanced practice nurse-practitioner or clinical nurse specialist that can have independent practices; nurse anesthetists--a lot of men go into this; nurse midwives; teacher; writer; health coach; diabetes educator; medical-legal consultant; research and development specialist for healthcare companies; researcher; policy analysis or maker; business owner; administrator; nurse educator; telehealth, nurse informatics specialist, and wellness expert. There are over 100 different options in nursing. Dream it and you can connect it to nursing.
Nursing is rewarding as you can see that you make a difference when you calm a crying child or hold a scared patient in the middle of the night and assure them you will be there. Nursing is about caring, but it is much more than this. Nurses have to know about health and illness and provide care based on science or evidence. Nurses work with the newest technology and drugs to meet the needs of the patient. Nurses work with families and teach patients and families. You are tested every day as something new and different comes along to teach you more about scientific breakthroughs and genetic linkages to diseases. You are never bored. For several years nursing has been viewed by the national public opinion polls as being the most ethical profession. That is something to be proud of in healthcare.
So are you still thinking that nursing is all about blood and injured patients? Well that can be a part of it. You think it is as exciting as TV portrays, with people’s lives hanging in the balance as nurses and doctors work to save them? Well, some times this is a part of nursing. But there is so much more. Truly, you can make this career a lifetime of dreams. As your life changes, so can your career. Change your mind about nursing? This career has something for everyone!
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