5 Reasons Why Mothers Make Great Nurses
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The healthcare industry depends on nurses to help people heal from injuries and illnesses. While doctors make diagnoses and oversee treatments, nurses are there day and night, monitoring patients, helping their families cope with the stress of having a sick relative. Nurses bring care and comfort to the healthcare environment.
In Michigan, we are facing a major nurse shortage. There are more people over the age of 65 than ever before in the United States, and older people require more medical care to manage chronic conditions and other health problems. In the next few decades, we will need even more nurses to care for the influx of patients.
It takes a special kind of person to succeed as a nurse. Nurses need patience, empathy, and the ability to think on their feet. Mothers often make fantastic nurses and could help ease the healthcare staffing shortages in Michigan and throughout the country.
Here are 5 reasons mothers make great nurses:
Ability to Show Empathy and Provide Comfort
Mothers have endless love for their children, and they get lots of practice in providing empathy and comfort. People who are ill or injured are often scared, in pain, and frustrated. Once they have their diagnosis and treatment on track, what they often need most is someone to listen, empathize, and provide comfort.
This comes in handy with family members as well. When people are upset or scared, they often lash out. Mothers can use their communication and empathy skills to help worried family members calm down and reduce conflict.
Flexibility and Creativity
Being a nurse involves lots of unexpected situations, which is also true of being a parent. In nursing school, instructors will try to prepare their students for anything that might come up once they become nurses. However, it’s not possible to prepare for every single situation and nurses have to be able to think on their feet.
Sometimes, working with overscheduled doctors and cranky patients requires flexibility and even creativity. Moms are skilled at changing plans on the fly, making them excellent nurses.
Excellent Time Management Skills
When multiple kids have extracurricular activities and the youngest still needs an afternoon nap, mothers have to learn excellent time management skills to juggle all their responsibilities. This comes in handy in the nursing field, where each day involves balancing all kinds of tasks at once.
Mothers understand the importance of using small pockets of time to get things done. They also learn to prioritize — a load of laundry can wait when other more important tasks need to be completed. This ability to prioritize and manage time proactively is an important skill in the field of nursing that’s difficult to build from scratch in nursing school.
Dedication & Patience
Everyone knows that most moms are extremely dedicated and patient. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep their children safe and happy. As nurses, mothers use those qualities to advocate for patients and help them achieve excellent outcomes.
Some patients need some extra patience as well, which every mother has lots of experience providing. Patients frequently experience a range of negative emotions when they’re in the hospital or struggling with a chronic condition and sometimes take their feelings out on their nurses. Having patience is necessary in these situations to ensure that everyone stays safe.
Great Problem-Solving Skills
Every mother has experienced problem situations with their children. Whether it’s reoccurring tantrums in the grocery store or a child who doesn’t want to take a bath, moms have to become expert problem-solvers just to get through the daily challenges of raising kids.
Nurses also have to be great problem-solvers, since they often work independently and need to make quick decisions throughout the day. They need to be able to assess a situation and understand all their options so they can make a decision that’s safe and appropriate, which requires critical thinking skills.
Mothers know what’s best for their kids and nurses know what’s best for their patients. Sometimes, it takes some problem-solving to make sure what needs to happen, happens.
How Mothers Can Become Nurses
Now is a great time for Michigan moms who want to get back into the workforce to consider nursing. With the demand for nurses high, there will be plenty of job opportunities for those who are willing to go back to school and launch a new, fulfilling career.
Getting into nursing requires an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in the field, plus passing a licensing exam to become an RN (Registered Nurse).
Like parenting, nursing is challenging yet fulfilling. Mothers who have spent years caring for their families can find a new calling by helping people heal while earning a competitive salary. Becoming an RN takes work, dedication, and compassion — which makes it a perfect choice for moms who want to make a difference in the world.
*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.
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