If you are thinking about becoming a nurse, or have just started nursing school, there are some difficult truths about nursing that you need to accept now. The sooner you find out about the downsides of nursing, the sooner you can work on overcoming them and becoming an excellent nurse.Here are some of the hardest things about being a nurse, along with ways you can learn to make the best of them.

Physical Exhaustion

As a nurse, you will most likely be working long hours with small or no breaks. It can be physically exhausting, so make an action-plan now of how you can combat the fatigue and soreness that comes from working long shifts. Standing for that long leaves your feet to bear the weight of your whole body, resulting in pain in your heels.

Try stretching exercises that aid your feet, legs, hips, and lower back. Here's a simple exercise: stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, and lift your calves while standing on your toes. Lift and slowly lower your calves ten times. Doing certain yoga positions will also help stretch and relax your legs and back, while building strength. 

When you are going to work a long shift, or possibly up to three long shifts for three days in a row, make sure you have comfortable footwear. Get shoes that fit well, leaving about half of an inch of space between where your toes meet the tops of the shoes. You can buy comfortable arch supports at drug stores.

Get plenty of rest and limit your caffeine intake. Being too tired can cause you to feel sick and may impact your level of competence on the job. Get massages, take long strolls, or soak your feet. You need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others as a nurse.

Emotional Exhaustion

Besides being physically taxing, nurses also deal with emotional or mental exhaustion. Dealing with administration and politics in health care facilities can grow to be exhausting or annoying. You will need to learn to cope with the frustration of constantly taking orders and being told you should do or not do something that you might disagree with.

Be aware that much of your time will be spent documenting, which means a lot of typing at a computer. These aspects of the job are usually not the best parts of being a nurse. But remember that they are necessary and part of your job description.

Remember, too, that dealing with some patients and some patient's families can also be difficult. They are usually undergoing a great deal of pain or stress, so try not to take it personally if you get blamed or treated harshly.

Make time for yourself and develop strategies that work for you. You need to do what you enjoy doing the most in order to decompress and refresh yourself every day. Do you like to travel? Plan vacations, or even just a day trip, to help you unwind and forget about work-related problems. Spend quality time with your friends and family, and always carve out some time to dedicate to yourself. Learn to relax so that you can do your job well. Talk to a professional like SOS Healthcare Staffing to learn more about what nursing entails.