By Katherine Barclay/ reporter
More than anything else, education is important when it comes to nursing, a registered nurse told students Nov. 5.
Carol Morgan said she has worked in several areas throughout her 49 years in nursing, including jobs she was not fully qualified for. She spoke at the Health Occupations Only presentation on SE Campus.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be in positions that I should not have been in,” she said.
Morgan is a diploma nurse, meaning she is a registered nurse, but she does not have a degree. Most positions now require nurses to have a Bachelor of Science degree as well as some requiring a master’s degree, she said.
She told students to go further with their education and become registered nurses. Hospitals do not hire licensed vocational nurses as they used to, she said.
Morgan said all students interested in any health care field should plan ahead by knowing what they are interested in and the education they will need.
Michelle Philips, a SE nursing student, has worked as an LVN for 17 years. Philips agreed with Morgan’s advice to elevate one’s education.
“Right now, it is getting harder and harder for LVNs to find jobs in health care, so that’s why after 17 years, I’m back in school to finish my RN,” she said.
Philips described being a nurse as a rewarding career, but it also can be stressful. Nursing has many elements that spill over into one’s personal life, she said.
Morgan told students to make sure they separate work from home. Though students will need to find their own coping mechanisms, Morgan suggested having a strong support system as well as laughing things off at certain times. At the end of the workday, nurses have to know they have accomplished something, she said.
Philips also talked about the not-so-glamorous side of nursing. Nurses deal with blood, vomit and other bodily fluids on a daily basis, Philips said. If students know they can’t handle that, they should look into other areas of the nursing field, she added.
No one should go into nursing for the money, Philips said. Nursing is a career where the motive has to come from a passion for helping others and not from money.
“You have to probably put up with a whole lot more as a nurse [compared to other careers],” Philips said.
Morgan told students that nursing has always been about what comes from the heart. Nurses have to care about what they are doing and have compassion when it comes to dealing with patients and their families.
“As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves,” she quoted author Maya Angelou. “They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
