A Complete Guide to the Nursing Profession and Its Challenges

The nursing profession is a first-class humanitarian profession. Those who practice it are often called "Angels of Mercy" due to the vital role the nurse plays in preserving human health, assisting in recovery, and helping patients regain their strength and well-being. Nursing has been known since ancient times when it was needed to bandage the wounds of those injured in wars and battles. It has evolved significantly since then to encompass all healthcare specialties. This expansion has led to the academic study of nursing, branching out into various fields alongside different areas of healthcare. Consequently, nursing transformed from a supplementary and non-essential job into a fundamental and core profession.

Advantages of the Nursing Profession

Working in the nursing profession has numerous advantages and positives. The most important of these advantages include:

• The nursing profession contributes to creating a vast number of job opportunities.
• It helps build numerous relationships across all social classes and fields.
• A nursing professional can help themselves if exposed to danger or health complications.
• A nurse can assist anyone by providing first aid until they reach a hospital to receive treatment.
• This job often encourages the worker to learn and master the English language.
• Nursing workers acquire life skills due to their interaction with all segments of society.
• This profession gives the worker the opportunity to travel and work abroad in any country.
• Nursing provides medical care and attention to society, offering it to all individuals without discrimination.
• Nursing staff members provide social support alongside physical and moral support.
• Nurses help all patients implement the guidelines and instructions required for their specific condition.
• Nursing contributes to educating the patient's family about the instructions and orders set by the doctor to ensure the patient's safety.
• Nursing works to alleviate the pain and fatigue every patient feels during their illness.
• The nursing staff maintains and prioritizes the health, safety, and lives of patients, providing all necessary care and health services when needed.
• Nursing members are committed to protecting and keeping patients' secrets; they cannot report or disclose them.
• The nurse monitors the patient's health status according to the requests and directives of the treating physician.
• Implementing doctors' directives regarding the instructions issued by the treating physician.

Top 5 Risks in the Nursing Profession

1. Nursing professionals endure the harshest conditions to provide healthcare services to patients, expending immense effort and staying up late for the patient's comfort and to alleviate their pain.
2. Nurses face a lot of psychological pressure and crises due to the heavy workload and the difficulty of the performance required.
3. Nursing workers face many problems related to interacting with patients and are at risk of infection. Among the most significant are viral infections resulting from dealing with blood, the most dangerous of which are Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B. According to recent statistics, tens of thousands of nursing staff are exposed annually, prompting many countries to provide preventive vaccines for those in the medical field (e.g., Hepatitis C, Rubella, Influenza, Tuberculosis), alongside psychological and social rehabilitation.
4. Nursing workers are also exposed to a high risk of chemical injury in the workplace due to handling hazardous drugs and commercial cleaning products like disinfectants, sterilizers, and pesticides. Therefore, workers in this field must learn the best ways to protect themselves, patients, colleagues, the community, and the environment from the danger of exposure to these hazards.
5. Nurses are vulnerable to many painful situations and accidents at all times. Dealing with these traumatic events causes stress and can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resulting in psychological trauma.

To protect nursing workers from the risk of chemical exposure, hospitals create protocols for employees to adhere to in order to minimize these risks and prevent accidents or problems. Hospitals do not rush the nurse or overburden them when dealing with these hazardous chemicals, giving them sufficient time to be safe from chemical injuries.