Nursing is not for you if you don't have a burning passion for it?

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So during one of my clinical evaluations, my instructor was telling me that she doesn't think nursing is for me because I don't seem enthusiastic enough and that it was as if I was always "playing catch up". She said that if I can't see myself doing nursing "for free" then I don't have enough of a passion for it. I'll admit, I am not in love with nursing school, but I'm not sure if that's enough to determine whether I'd be a good fit for the profession. Nursing is so versatile too, maybe I'd find my niche within it eventually? But I can't honestly say I'm in love with nursing. I think it's an okay fit for my personality, I don't mind taking care of people and nursing pays decently which is why I'm attracted to it. I guess it's more of a practical choice than a passion. But according to my instructor that's not enough. She's convinced that I wouldn't be a good fit. Do y'all agree with her? Has an instructor ever insinuated something similar to you? If so, how did you respond, did you keep going anyway? I feel so conflicted.

Nursing is my calling. I never once thought about the money. I absolutely love surgical nursing and couldn't see my self doing anything else but that. But there are lots of nursing jobs I would not do, mental health aged care primary health ect. You don't have to like every nursing role. But be passionate about at least one of them.

To be a good nurse and to be happy you have to be passionate about it. Otherwise you will turn out to be one of the nurses on here that do nothing but complain and put down the profession. But hey you get paid! And you will remind anyone who listens that you do. Because that's all nursing will be to you, a job and money.

With all due respect I have a hard time imagining that you never once thought about the money as you entered this career field. Unless you are independently wealthy or have a spouse with unquestionably solid financial standing I bet you thought about the money at some point. Were you willing to work for free? ARE you willing to work for free? Do you believe your skills and knowledge are worth, then, NOTHING? I doubt it, but I guess to each his own if that is true in your case.

I disagree that to be a good nurse you must have a passion for nursing. I have seen too many students who have "passion" but no ability to manage the tasks that are given to them on the floor. Students who have "passion" but are either not bright enough or committed enough for academics, who fail to pass their classes. Passion plays little, maybe NO importance when it comes to searching out a competent nurse, in my opinion.

I have a passion for getting my job done well and that has been the case no matter what job I've had in my life. For example, I didn't have a "passion" as a bookkeeper, but I did the job well and left nothing half-done. It was about pride in my WORK, not what the work itself was about!

If I didn't get paid what I get paid now I wouldn't do what I do and that's plain and simple. I'm not unhappy, I work to get money to GO DO what makes me happy lol, it isn't my job that is my source of happiness, I have a life outside of work for that. I'm not Unhappy in my job but I hardly think it's fair to categorize everyone who works for the paycheck as Bad and those who work for some kind of altruistic notion of selflessness as Good. I never put down the profession, I think well of it, but I think of it as a profession first and foremost, not a "calling".

Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

No I've never thought about the money. No I'm not a saint. No I don't think I'm selfless do Gooder.

But you have just prove my point. You so obsessed about nursing being a job and money that you can't see pass that comment of working for free. (Where actually you do that in my countries clinical placements, that last 6 weeks at a time every Semester, and you work as a nurse. No instructor with you, full pt load, with just a nurse on the ward observing you. So really I have worked for free)

But as a rn ofcourse I will get paid, but never thought about how much and how to get the most money. I know the mecca scale of pay we use here due to being shown it in class. But nursing is my career, it excites me, interests me, I enjoy it. That why I do it. I look forward to it.

You saying it's your job and money is exactly my point. You go there and do you job. What about going the extra mile? What about the extra hour you stay to do something for a pt or help a someone out that you don't get paid for? What about your future and goals? What motivates you?

Any one doing nursing for the money shouldn't. There's much easier ways to make money, in my country nurses pay rate isn't that much more than minimin wage. And you will grow to resent it. You will hate you job. You want get any source of happiness from it. Nearly any post from an American in this site is complaining or wishing they never did nursing. Don't be one of those people. If you don't want to be a nurse then don't. Your just wasting your time and money. Find what it is that your passionate about.

I've been a nurse for 26 years and I am passionate about nursing but trust me, I wasn't in the beginning. School is hard and starting out as a new nurse can be very challenging.

Only you can decide whether nursing is for you. I would not let this teacher's comment affect you so much. Perhaps your instructor wanted you to do a little soul searching, to dig down deep and find the motivation you need to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and pass those classes!

Good Luck to you whatever you decide.

No I've never thought about the money. No I'm not a saint. No I don't think I'm selfless do Gooder.

But you have just prove my point. You so obsessed about nursing being a job and money that you can't see pass that comment of working for free.

Soon To Be Nurse, my post did anything BUT "prove your point". I said nothing to indicate that I am "obsessed" about nursing being a job and money"; I said that making a declaration that a person cannot be a good nurse without having a passion for nursing is an incorrect one. Many are good nurses who approach their jobs with dedication and a strong work ethic, but not "passion".

(Where actually you do that in my countries clinical placements, that last 6 weeks at a time every Semester, and you work as a nurse. No instructor with you, full pt load, with just a nurse on the ward observing you. So really I have worked for free)

Except you did not work for free, you were still a student, as our students are, and are watched over by someone else, as our students are. If your workload and responsibility as a student is too great, I'm sorry that is an issue that you must contend with in your country, and thankfully is not an issue in the USA.

But as a rn ofcourse I will get paid, but never thought about how much and how to get the most money. I know the mecca scale of pay we use here due to being shown it in class. But nursing is my career, it excites me, interests me, I enjoy it. That why I do it. I look forward to it.

As you should. But the question at hand from the OP was her instructor feeling that she wasn't enthusiastic ENOUGH. And I balk at anyone judging anyone's future ability to be a nurse by how "enthusiastic" they appear as a student. I've seen plenty of enthusiastic students who don't have what it takes to become a nurse, or a good nurse, over the years.

You saying it's your job and money is exactly my point. You go there and do you job. What about going the extra mile? What about the extra hour you stay to do something for a pt or help a someone out that you don't get paid for? What about your future and goals? What motivates you?

MY you have a lot of assumptions, and a lot of wrong conclusions drawn from those assumptions! Yes, I go and do my job. Who said anything about NOT "going the extra mile"? In the USA I am reasonable to expect to be paid for work that I do, and do extra hours for; if you do not get paid for that in your country, then again I am sorry that you have this happening. Asking to be paid for my hours does not make me a bad nurse for goodness' sake! As for my future goals and motivation, aren't you quite presumptuous to infer that I don't have any. In this country we might call such an assertion "ballsy". I have goals, I have REACHED goals, and my motivation remains as it always has been. To do a good job, to take care of my patients to the best of my ability, to make a difference in people's lives, to help them through crises. NONE of that is in opposition to me wanting to earn a good paycheck. If my employer wanted to slash my salary in half, I'd leave my employer. I can do all that I have mentioned as a motivation while STILL being paid respectful wages.

Any one doing nursing for the money shouldn't. There's much easier ways to make money, in my country nurses pay rate isn't that much more than minimin wage.

I see this is where your viewpoint is coming from. Nurses in your country aren't considered to be worth much money, so you can't expect to be paid much money. In the USA, thankfully, our worth is more highly regarded. I'm sorry you have to work in such conditions.

And you will grow to resent it. You will hate you job. You want get any source of happiness from it.

Are you this brash with patients, or patient's families? You know absolutely nothing of me except that I expect (even demand) to be paid decent wages or I will work elsewhere. Yet you have decided I will grow to resent nursing (after many years, I have not). You say I won't get any source of happiness from it (you are again making unfounded assumptions). Students frequently do this before they know what they are talking about as far as a career in nursing is concerned. One day perhaps you will look back at this thread and wonder what it was you were thinking, making such declarations without any facts to support them.

Nearly any post from an American in this site is complaining or wishing they never did nursing. Don't be one of those people. If you don't want to be a nurse then don't. Your just wasting your time and money. Find what it is that your passionate about.

Thank you for your concern about my time and money being wasted, but I AM NOT a student, I am a working nurse who already KNOWS what it takes to be successful in this career. I don't hate my job. I don't wish I never went into nursing. Again with the false assumptions on your part! I have worked full-time, part-time and I'm now thinking of going PRN. That's not because I hate my job but because in order to do my job well (which is what I DO) it takes a lot more out of my physically than it used to. I only want to do the best work I can do, despite your belief that I am motivated only by a paycheck (even though you don't know a thing about me).

May I suggest that before you condemn people who do not view their career aspirations exactly as you do that pause to think what it is you do NOT KNOW about them, their situations? Before you declare anyone who won't work for free to be a bad nurse you think about what the REAL attributes of a good nurse are? One day you might look back on this and surprise yourself at what you wrote.

No I've never thought about the money. No I'm not a saint. No I don't think I'm selfless do Gooder.

But you have just prove my point. You so obsessed about nursing being a job and money that you can't see pass that comment of working for free. (Where actually you do that in my countries clinical placements, that last 6 weeks at a time every Semester, and you work as a nurse. No instructor with you, full pt load, with just a nurse on the ward observing you. So really I have worked for free)

But as a rn ofcourse I will get paid, but never thought about how much and how to get the most money. I know the mecca scale of pay we use here due to being shown it in class. But nursing is my career, it excites me, interests me, I enjoy it. That why I do it. I look forward to it.

You saying it's your job and money is exactly my point. You go there and do you job. What about going the extra mile? What about the extra hour you stay to do something for a pt or help a someone out that you don't get paid for? What about your future and goals? What motivates you?

Any one doing nursing for the money shouldn't. There's much easier ways to make money, in my country nurses pay rate isn't that much more than minimin wage. And you will grow to resent it. You will hate you job. You want get any source of happiness from it. Nearly any post from an American in this site is complaining or wishing they never did nursing. Don't be one of those people. If you don't want to be a nurse then don't. Your just wasting your time and money. Find what it is that your passionate about.

Right now my job has a "Stop and Watch" for all employees. It's for employees to report patient changes to receive a $1 lottery ticket. It interest me to see that companies truly believe that money will always be the biggest motivator to employees instead of training staff to approach each patient as you would like your family member to be treated.

Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

I think you are the one the has it all wrong extra pickles. You have no idea about my country yet saying we get paid little, aren't respected and students do to much.

Actually we get paid very well. Maybe you check out the NZ Mecca scale to see what are pay is like. Particularly after working only 8 years (80k-115k depending on your role) And that not with the extra penal rates and Pdrp bonus on top. Yes we go the extra mile, and do extra without being paid. That because this is our career and the reward of that is worth much more than money. The difference here is the people get paid a reasonable minimum wage too and are able to afford to live without having to work lots of hours or begging for tips.

Students here spend 50% of bachelors degree (only way to become a RN too ) in the hospital working as a nurse, with only a nurse preceptor and no instructors. First year is with guidance. Second year is with little supervision. Third year your on you own. Means we actually learn how to be a nurse and the reality of nursing while still in school.

Actually nurses are very respected here. With countless opportunities to advance, thanks to the dr shortage we have. Nurses are progressing to fill the gap. That's why nurses can get prescribing rights just as a RN and not have to be nurse practitioner or anything like that to prescribe.

My comment wasn't directly focus at you. I know you aren't in school. But to op, if she really wanted to be a nurse and wasn't worried about her lack of passion this comment from her preceptor would of not been a big deal. Instead she needed to ask others for advise, because she really doesn't know.

I stand by my comments. And totally see were that nurse was coming from. Working for free, doesn't mean she should expect to work for free but if money or good hours and anything like that is the reason your going into it, then it is the wrong career choice. Like I said. Easier ways to get paid. And as I said to op not you, she is only wasting her own time and money going through school if this is something is doesn't want. Because clearly she isn't sure. And she should seriously think about that. Because it's OK if it isn't what she wants. And if she decides it is what she wants, then she should know why that is. And it should be more than money. Job statisfaction, rewarding career, oppurtunities to advance are more important than money. Finding a career that your passionate about is something everyone should do. And not just settling for something. She has the chance to go to school, get a degree and pick a profession, that no everybody gets that oppurtunity, and it shouldn't be wasted on something that she doesn't enjoy.

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

I will freely admit that I entered nursing for purely practical reasons: hourly pay at a decent rate at a location close to home working under a collective bargaining agreement in a relatively stable field.

I continue to do it for the money... quite a lot of it given how much OT I work...

That said, I do my very best because (a) the patients deserve it and (b) that's what my employer is paying me for and © you never know when you might need to ask for a reference.

Soon To Be Nurse, YOU were the one who said nurses in your country get paid little more than minimum wage, not me. That doesn't indicate to me that nurses are considered valuable at all, but hey, not for me to judge. You live there, not me.

Regarding national origin, since it is relevant, I was assuming by your user ID that you are in New Zealand, but since you are writing like someone who uses English as a second language, maybe I am incorrect? If English is not your native language, then you write rather well, if English is your first language, maybe not so much.

Regardless, it is clear to me that you and I will need to agree to disagree. I stand by my comments that one does not need to be "passionate" about or "called to" a job to do it well, even exceptionally well. One needs to be competent. I stand by my comment that other people's judgment as to how anyone else should FEEL about a job using their own meter stick is wrong. Nursing 101 tells us to not judge somebody else's reasons for motivation as good or bad, only to accept that they are motivated.

You do you, I'll do me, and to each his own!

Your teacher gets paid to be a nurse AND teacher, she doesn't do it for free. .. just saying.

If several people that knew you well were telling you that you aren't cut out for it, you might listen... but in this case, do not listen to her. Buckle down and pass that class.

When I was 19, I wanted to become a veterinarian. Everyone that KNEW me thought that I should go for it... but one old college advisor, that I met with twice for about 30 minutes, told me that I wouldn't be able to do it because girls aren't good at math. I BELIEVED HIM. I didn't even try... I didn't even finish college. I entered an off campus CNA program, and fell in love with healthcare. Several years later, I went back to school and... GOT ALL A'S IN MATH. I'm now working on my prerequisites with the intention of becoming a nurse, and I'm glad now that I didn't become a veterinarian for many reasons, but I am disappointed in myself that I let ONE PERSON affect my entire life like that.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I don't believe that having a "passion for nursing" or a "calling" is necessary for a successful career in nursing. Many of us never had one, and many who did have successfully gotten over it. Having a passion for supporting your family in an interesting, challenging and flexible career has led many of us to successful nursing careers.

What concerns me more is your professor's statement that you "always seem behind and have to place catch-up." If you're not right on top of your education, it is easy to fall too far behind to catch up. And if you're not right on top of your assignment once you become a nurse, there can be bad outcomes for vulnerable patients.

Your instructor gave you a gift by pointing that out; one that you can easily correct.

Passionate? Not really - pigheadedly stubborn worked pretty well for me. :-)

What you do have to do is to be willing to take your nursing education seriously, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. In my case, I had to fail out once (had a heck of a time with maintaining sterile fields) and what sustained me through all of it was, frankly, anger. I needed that to get me to commit myself 100% to the process of becoming a nurse. End result - Dean's List for all 3 semesters, passed NCLEX-PN in 85 questions, and had to do battle with the State of California to get my blasted license.

Compare & contrast that to one of my classmates who was really passionate about being a nurse, right up to the point where she discovered she'd have to put some serious effort into her education. That, she didn't want to do. Tried to get me to allow her to plagiarize some of my work...didn't make it through 1st semester, never came back after failing out.

All of that said, I do tend to see my entry into nursing as a personal calling, and more than a way to make a buck. Plenty of ways to make a living that are a lot less demanding of one's time and effort.

-----Dave

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Please don't work for free folks. The rest of us want to get paid! Most of us need to get paid.

But, yeah, in the zombie apocalypse you would see me doing nursey stuff. It matches well with who I am.

It doesn't have to match perfectly with who you are, because its a very flexible career. It will also, to some extent, shape who you become. But if it's contrary to who you are then you're going to be miserable.

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