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The realities of being a live-in nurse

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A career in as a live-in nurse can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life and a great boost for your resume. However, it is a step you shouldn’t take lightly. Here’s an in depth look at what it means to become a live-in nurse and take on a twenty-four hour job.

Time commitment

Live-in nurses take on jobs that are 24 hours a day with maybe only one or two days off a week depending on a patient’s needs and situation. This means you will likely have little time to take on other aspects of your life. You will be entrenched in caring for another individual for twenty four hours a day, several days a week. The benefit to this work is that live-in nurses generally make good pay and are highly rewarded with the knowledge that their career makes a huge difference in someone’s life. Live-in nurses often form a kind of familial bond with their patients and receive the satisfaction of knowing that their sacrifice does not go in vain.

Needs of patient

A patient’s needs must always come first. This often means that there will be long nights, long days, and demanding work. Depending on a patient’s needs, a live-in nurse may be required to dispense medication, shower a patient, change bandages, rotate patients, and a myriad of other vital needs. The responsibility is high, the stress is high, but the reward of helping someone else is even higher.

Skill levels required

Beyond gaining a Florida bachelor of nursing degree and all the required certifications for your locale, a live-in nurse must be professional, compassionate, quick on their feet, and willing to serve no matter the cost. Live-in nurses must also be good at maintaining a healthy, professional friendship with their patients.

Respecting the rules of the household

As a live-in nurse, you will find yourself living in someone else’s house. While this household may become your home, you do not own the house. Therefore, you must be at peace with following the rules, guidelines, schedules, and culture of that house strictly and exactly.

Life as a live-in nurse is challenging and not for the faint of heart. However, the choice to enter into this rewarding career can offer you so much more than money. You will get the chance to be a bright, saving grace in someone else’s life. You will provide daily comfort, help, and quality of life. There is no better feeling in the world.

What advice do you have for people who fancy being a live-in nurse? Tell us in the comments below.

Photo: jasleen_kaur / Flickr

Dixie SomersThe realities of being a live-in nurse

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