A career in nursing can be financially, spiritually, and personally rewarding, but many people with high potential choose to overlook this career path because of certain misconceptions. Despite several measures taken to inform the public about nursing worldwide, there are plenty of stereotypes attached to nursing.
Though the pandemic may not have done much good for society, it certainly helped debunk a few misconceptions about nurses. Nurses played an imaginably essential role in the healthcare sector at the frontline, saving lives every single day.
If you have an innate passion for helping others but are conflicted about taking admission in BSc nursing due to preconceived notions, this article is just for you. After careful consideration, we plan on busting five nursing myths that have long prevailed in our society but were proven wrong during the pandemic.
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Anybody Can Become a Nurse Because It Is So Easy
If you thought that nursing was an easy career, you have got it wrong. You will need an astonishing amount of commitment, knowledge, and skills to become a successful nurse – and let’s not forget their unique role as a caregiver in healthcare facilities.
Nurses have to deal with many challenging situations at work, and the pandemic proved this as a fact to the world. From staying on your toes during long hours of shifts to keeping yourself safe from the virus, nurses had to do a lot to survive the outbreak – and it’s not something everyone can do.
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Only Women Become Nurses
It is true that a significant amount of the nursing workforce comprises of women. But that doesn’t mean that the profession is only meant for women. In fact, more and more men are choosing to take nursing as a profession.
The female-male ratio is skewed, but such narrow thinking is what makes it difficult for men to choose nursing as their career path. The fight against the COVID-19 contributed significantly to changing this negative perception about nursing. In the front line, both men and women contributed substantially to helping patients through the tough time. The pandemic showed that nursing is less about gender disparity and more about caring for patients.
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Nurses are Doctors’ Assistants
Unfortunately, it is a belief that nurses play the role of assisting doctors. Movies, television, and media have reinforced this thought to a large extent. In reality, nurses are much more than that.
Nurses do play the role of helping doctors and other professionals, but there’s a lot of work nurses do independently that contribute to the welfare of patients. From educating patients about the coronavirus to caring for them until they’re discharged, nurses do a lot that doesn’t get reported to doctors.
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Nurses Dream of Becoming Doctors
A big misconception about nursing is that most students settle to become nurses because they couldn’t make the cut necessary for securing admission to a medical school. This myth couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Though doctors and nurses work together in the healthcare sector, their roles are quite different. While doctors diagnose and treat diseases and medical conditions, nurses provide expert care and compassion to patients. It was evident during the pandemic that nurses played an insurmountable role in empathizing with patients, which was completely different from the approach taken by doctors.
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All Nurses Have the Same Roles and Responsibilities
It is common for people to assume that nurses tend to do the same kind of work. We hear of doctors gaining specializations in different fields, but not many know that it’s quite the same for nurses as well. If you want to work in a specific field, you can apply for a Master’s degree after completing your Bachelor’s course.
Getting specialized education allow nurses to work in distinct roles in the nursing sector. From training to work in the oncology department to learning how to manage nurses, nurses do plenty of different things.
Closing Thoughts
Choosing to pursue nursing as your career can be highly rewarding, especially if you have a knack for it. During the COVID-19 outbreak, nurses have proven how essential their role is to saving lives. However, that doesn’t discount the fact that every profession has stereotypes perpetuated by generations before us.
If you’re fighting the idea of doing a B.Sc. in nursing colleges in India, you must first start with clearing your head of ideas that might not be true. Only when you’re aware of the actual reality, you can make an informed decision whether becoming a nurse is right for you.
