The registered nursing career is facing similar old problems as it was in the past. New technology is required to improve the quality of health care services for all patients and there are so many things that need to be developed and changed to make the health care services run smoothly. There are a lot of challenges covering an RN job. This includes the tiring work shifts, impossible work-life balance, continued education and advanced treatment methods.
At the nursing work station, there are many untoward incidences that may lead to injuries and other chronic hazards. An RN is prone to back injuries because of long working shift caring for the patients. It is probably one of the reasons why there is a nursing shortage since most of the nurses with back injuries leave the profession and take other careers.
Technologies are moving at neck-breaking speed, altering the job atmosphere and imposing new skills-training and continuing-learning within the clinical setting. Nurses feel they cannot continue to the profession because of the pressure to upgrade their skills and to keep up with the technology. Continual learning belongs to today’s world; it doesn’t mean nurses have to know everything. It entails nurses to have accessibility to update their understanding and their skills. Keeping up with trends, technology, and research might be outside of nurses’ continuing education (CE) needed to keep qualifications and satisfy state laws and regulations.
The working schedule for most nurses is unhealthy and emotionally draining. They may work 12 hours straight during their shift not including the on-calls and emergency shifts. With this schedule, nurses find it challenging to balance family and work as well as their personal life. The RN shortage added to the problem and put more pressure to nurses to work overtime. Anyone who plans to be an RN must be physically fit and emotionally ready to face the challenges along the way. However, the profession is a decent, respectable and admirable job. If you want to help others through your profession, this job is for you.