Clearing up misconceptions about nurses

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University of Cincinnati faculty, students and staff have been providing their expertise and insights that will help viewers choose a career that is the right fit for them.

Lindsay Davis, DNP, associate professor of clinical nursing and interim chair of the advanced practice department at the UC College of Nursing, recently provided her insights on misconceptions associated with the nursing field.

“I think one of the misconceptions is that nurses just take doctors orders and that’s not true,” Davis explains. "Oftentimes we are the first person to notice that something just isn’t right with the patient. And so it’s our responsibility as the nurse to make the next decision that’s going to affect their care plan.”

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing projects a shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) will intensify as Baby Boomers age and the need for health care grows. The University of Cincinnati prepares nursing professionals offering associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Nationally, the Registered Nursing (RN) workforce is expected to expand by 6% over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections. The RN workforce is anticipated to grow from 3.1 million in 2022 to 3.3 million in 2032, an increase of 177,440 nurses. The bureau also projects 193,100 openings for RNs each year through 2032 when nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the number of nurses needed in the United States.

Davis says nurses work at the bedside, but they also do research, work in community-based settings to take care of the public and work in school-based settings. Nurses, like Davis, also teach and train the next generation of professionals in their field.

Listen to the interview with Davis online.

Featured top image shows Dr. Lindsay Davis with UC students Sumedha Wundavalli, Jordyn Bailey and Michael Smith along with Josie Masset in the College of Nursing Simulation Lab. Photo provided.