10 Interesting Facts You Did not Know About Nursing

You see nurses every time you go to the doctors' office, but did you know not all nurses are the same? Do you know how many miles a nurse walking in a single shift? Are the nursing practices the same all over the world?

These are not necessarily questions someone not active in the nursing profession may ponder, but that doesn't mean they aren't interesting!

At Concorde Career College, we are proud of our fellow students and alumni that have completed an accelerated nursing program to become a registered nurse, vocational nurse, or practical nurse. We even offer an online BSN program if you're interested.

So let's take a look at 10 interesting facts about nursing you probably didn't know.

10 Interesting Facts You May Not Have Known About Nursing

1. First Nursing school was established in India in 250 B.C.: Only men were allowed to attend school because they were viewed as more pure than women. Oddly enough women make up 89% of the nursing workforce while men make up 11%, over the last five years.
2. In 1862 the New England Hospital for Women and Children was the first nursing school in the US: During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale and 38 volunteer nurses were sent to a British camp in Turkey where they began to practice what we know as modern nursing today. Before 1862, women were prevented from joining hospital staff and medical school. When the New England Hospital For Women and Children opened in Boston in 1862, women could finally receive clinical training. In 1873, America's first women-trained nurse graduated from the school. The hospital is now known as Dimock Community Health Center.
3. Nurses are consistently named one of the most trusted professions: The 2017 annual Gallup Survey has named nursing as the highest-trusted profession for the 16th year in a row. Nurses are viewed as having high ethical and honesty standards by 8 out of every 10 Americans who took the survey.
4. There are over 100 nursing professions to choose from: there are 104 specialties and a number of advanced nursing degrees. Because of this Nursing can be highly customizable and many nurses move laterally, to another specialty, or build on your education and move up. Allowing for lots of flexibility.
5. Nurses walk on average 4 miles a day: A 2006 study published in MEDSURG Nursing, "How Far Do Nurses Walk?", found that the 146 nurses studied walked an average of 4-5 miles during a 12-hour shift. For comparison's sake, most Americans walk just 2.5-3 miles during the course of an 18-hour day.
6. There are currently over 2.9 million nurses in the U.S.: Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an increased emphasis on preventive care; growing rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity; and demand for healthcare services from the baby-boom population, as they live longer and more active lives.
7. General nursing practices are universal all over the world: A licensed nurse can essentially practice anywhere in the U.S and world! One way many nurses do this is by choosing to become a travel nurse. Like the name implies, travel nurses are assigned a city, anywhere where nurses are needed for an allotted amount of time until they are relocated to a new area. Nurses are in-demand and needed worldwide, so working as a nurse in a country of your choice is a huge perk of the job.
8. Nursing students make up more than half of all health profession students: Nursing students make up more a huge portion of students in health care majors. This makes sense considering the RNs make up a large part of health care industry, yet it's still an interesting fact.
9. Nurses don't just assist physicians and other health care providers: Doctors used to be the ones to prescribe medicines, write orders and be the only ones authorized to examine and diagnose patients. Now, advanced-practice nurses and nurse practitioners can too. The real difference between nurses and doctors depends on the individual's responsibility for patient care and satisfaction.
10. Only 3 of 5 nurses actually work in hospitals: Most nurses do work in hospitals, but like mentioned above, there are nearly 3 million RN's practicing in the United States. Want to work in a school? What about hospice care? Thought about in-home nursing? There is a long list of possible locations and job titles that determine where a nurse will work. Some non-hospital nursing careers include nurse midwife, forensic nurse, nurse educator, school nurse, academic nurse writer, and legal nurse consultant.

If you're interested in becoming a nurse or want to learn more about all that is involved in becoming a nurse, Concorde is here to help. Contact us today to find out more about all of our health care programs.