Nursing long days how hard is it?s

So I am thinking of doing nursing but my mum and dad keep on bring up the subject of long days I know that Nurses genially work 12 hour shifts and I was wondering on a normal day just how hard is that? All I know is that I want to help people if I can help one person in my life I can die happy knowing that I made a diffrence.

Reply 1

moonkatt

Original post by New- Emperor

You get used to them. In the end long days mean that the vast majority of the time you're only working three days a week.

Reply 2

Kim_maria

Hey,

Its really not that bad as usually you will only be working a 3 or 4 day week. However nursing itself is tough mentally, emotionally and physically and its not to be ventured into half heartedly.

Its important to remember that there are many different areas of nursing and alot do not require you to work the 12 and a half hour shifts- such as clinics and school nursing.

Research nursing a little more before you decide whether or not its for you.

Reply 3

New- Emperor

I have been watching the student nurse thing on TV i am planning to get work experience in the Royal barks next month added ti tat i wen't through five years of treatment at Guilfrod for a jaw opratiin is there anything else I can do to research this?

i expect it to be tough mentally, emotionally and physically but I am pretty stable and when i need to i can hide my emotions quite well i am a amateur rower so I am also quite fit and strong so the physical side is also not a huge problem and i am also i like to think pretty fondly and articulate I am also really hard working do you think I have what it takes?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

New- Emperor

thanks for your replays so far

Reply 5

WeirdLittleO

I've found them okay on placement. My ward are very good with breaks, which helps. My shifts were 7am to 7:30pm. We got a half hour break around 10/11am and 3/4pm which I found broke up the day. The morning tends to be quite busy with washing, bed making, breakfasts etc then it slows down a bit during visiting hours and through the late afternoon. Then it speeds up again and before you know it, it's 7pm and you're rushing around trying to get everything done. :smile:

Like others have said, the upside is only working 3/4 days a week which means you have more time for other aspects of your life than if you were working 5 days a week.

Reply 6

New- Emperor

My mum and dad are also a bit worried about how I am going to deal with stuff like cleaning up sick and stuff like that I am a littel worried about that myself but I am willing to give it a shot at work expeiance and stuff

Reply 7

WeirdLittleO

Original post by New- Emperor

Tbh I was a little worried about body fluids and that. But it's fine. When you've got gloves and an apron on you feel invincible lol. With vomit I just try not to look at it too much or smell it, but wee and poo don't phase me (I thought they would). You'll be fine :smile:

where are you applying to?

Reply 8

New- Emperor

Well I am doing an access course at TVU in Reading and ten I am looking at Sothampton or Surrry . I had my jaw operation in Surry one of the nurses fell in love with me but we couldent do anything about it I wonder what she is up to now.

Reply 9

moonkatt

Original post by New- Emperor

You don't need to hide your emotions, in fact, it helps when you show emotion with patients and relatives as they see you as human then rather than an unfeeling robot.

Original post by New- Emperor

Wait till you encounter faecal vomit :colone:

Reply 10

New- Emperor

Original post by moonkatt

Wait till you encounter faecal vomit :colone:

What you think a littel thing like that will put me off?

Reply 11

jonathanemptage

chris you have my full support what ever you do
Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 12

New- Emperor

Original post by moonkatt

You don't need to hide your emotions, in fact, it helps when you show emotion with patients and relatives as they see you as human then rather than an unfeeling robot.

Wait till you encounter faecal vomit :colone:

is that like dihoriea

Reply 13

moonkatt

Original post by New- Emperor

is that like dihoriea

Faecal vomit is something people can get if they have a bowel obstruction, stuff backs up and they end up vomiting poo. It's quite unpleasant for them and strange to see.

Reply 14

roachesandratsx

Original post by moonkatt

Faecal vomit is something people can get if they have a bowel obstruction, stuff backs up and they end up vomiting poo. It's quite unpleasant for them and strange to see.

I honestly didn't even know that happened. Sounds very unpleasant.

Reply 15

New- Emperor

Original post by moonkatt

Faecal vomit is something people can get if they have a bowel obstruction, stuff backs up and they end up vomiting poo. It's quite unpleasant for them and strange to see.

Ewwww I assume that is one of the moor unplent aspects

Reply 16

Kim_maria

As a child nursing student I have found that I'm really not fussed by the body and the many different types of fluid it produces, however this may be due to working with children. It is important to remember though that as a nurse you WILL find yourself in situations that involve nudity, poo, wee, vomit, pus, sweat etc and while controlling the (perfectly natural) urge to recoil from this you will also have to remember that how you feel is irrelevant and that the patients needs come first. If a patient senses how you feel in such a situation how do you think they would feel? How would it effect the trust and bond that a patient is meant to feel with a nurse? You won't know how you will deal with the more intimate parts of nursing until you have experienced it and I think it would be very hard to try and prepare somebody for it as everyone is very different. I think the best advice is get experience and go from there. Smell's and the jobs involved with such do get easier and you really don't think much of it after a while. If it makes it easier google'bristol stool chart cake' and develop a sense of humour in regards to body functions :wink: