Nursing Myths: Fact or Fiction

Nursing myths exist. Here are some myths and the truth behind them.

Male nurses aren’t welcome in the nursing profession: It is completely false. Though admittedly there is that perceived notion that nurses should be female, there is a growing number of male nurses joining the nursing field. Right now male nurses account for 6 percent of the nursing population. Discriminative policies like prohibition of male nurses from assisting in oncology cases are slowly being corrected. Male nurses have every opportunity for career advancement like their female counterparts.

Nursing needs years of study: Not completely accurate. Depending on which nursing course one enrolls, some only take one to two years to finish. Due to the shortage of nurses, courses were shorten and fast tracked. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) need only a 1 year course while Diploma in Nursing courses need two years. Bachelors Degree in Nursing needs 4 years but graduates of these course get higher salaries compared to the other two mentioned nursing courses.

Nursing is boring and has not much career advancement opportunities: completely inaccurate. The fact is nursing is one field where career advancement is most available and plentiful. If one is a registered nurse, they can choose to continue in advance studies for specialization in different nursing fields. Nurse Midwifery, Geriatric Nursing, Critical Care Nursing are some of the specialized nursing field.

Doctors will always be more prestigious than nurses: False. Advance Registered Nurses who specialize in different nursing fields can now do some things only doctors used to be able to do. A Nurse Practitioners can now diagnose patients and open clinics. There are nurses who are licensed to do anesthesiology. Surgical Nurses are given equal footing during surgical operations as with doctors.

Nursing is profession for everyone. As long as you have the heart to care for your patients no matter who they are and what sickness they have, nurses have their own unique contributions to the field of medicine.