by glamgalRN

Guys-
Just wondering why you decided to become a nurse? I just read a posting on the homepage by a male that said something along the lines of our hospital usually starts new grads off at $20/hour but since I am a male I was hoping on making $25.00/hour. And to be honest with you, it really made me angry. The nursing school I am in is very diverse, as a matter of fact I believe it's the most diverse associates nursing program in all of PA. I think they told us at orientation that 20% of our class are males (although that may be a little high!) A few of my classmates and I were having a dicussion about a few males in our class that act like "they're too good for the program" and "feel like this stuff if too easy for them" (they don't even do that well on the exams so I dont know where they get off acting the way they do!!) I'm not saying that all male nurses are like this, because there are some guys in my program that are going to be absolutely fantastic nurses and I realize that someone acting like "they're too good for a nursing program" isn't limited to males only, because some females are like that as well. I'm just finding it to occur more often in men (maybe it's just me, that's why I am curious to hear your opinion!) So after this long tangent I'm wondering.. What made you want to be a nurse??

And I didn't mean to offend anyone, I'm sorry if you take it the wrong way! Can't wait to hear your responses!

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

The pay, which is very good in my area, and the flexibility. I work 3 days a week and make more than I did working 5 days a week. I work 12 days a month and have 18-19 days off. Cant beat it!

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

While I'm not a nurse yet, I have always found satisfaction in helping others. I have enjoyed providing BLS for several years, through the fire/ems service, but I wanted to take my practice to a more advanced level. Paramedicine just wasn't what I was looking for so I explored nursing as an option. It was a great fit for what I wanted to do, so I went that route. Now, here I am, knee deep in flowsheets and NCLEX review books.

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

Gerry- Thank you for your honesty. I hate it when people won't admit that they decided to go into a certain field because of the pay or job flexibility. I was talking to one girl in my class about what hospitals in the area were good to work for and I mentioned one hospital and said something like "I heard they pay really well" and her response to that was "to be honest, I dont care how much I make, I just want to be a good nurse." If she's telling the truth, I do admire her. But I dont know if I believe her 100%. I realize my main goal is to be the best nurse possible, so I'm not discounting that but I'm not going to lie- salary is a major issue for me.

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

Here's a twist on the flexibility angle: my wife's job will take our family all over the world for the next 18 years, maybe more. Part of why I chose nursing (I'm completing prereqs for an accelerated BSN right now) is that I don't just want to have part-time jobs teaching English as a second language for the for the bulk of that time.

Of course, another part of my choice is that I don't want to ever go back to the cubicle farm after 10 years in the corporate world; still another is that my parents just retired after careers dedicated to helping others (my mum as a teacher, my father as a clergyman) and I realized that part of my frustration with my corporate job was that I didn't care two beans about my organization's mission - not to beat up on corporate jobs, I'm sure there are corporations out there I would feel much happier in, but that's another thread.

Going back to flexibility: I have the impression that if I had chosen nursing only for the flexibility and pay, I'd have trouble sticking it out for very long. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

Going back to flexibility: I have the impression that if I had chosen nursing only for the flexibility and pay, I'd have trouble sticking it out for very long. Does anyone have thoughts on this?[/quote]


I did not necessarily have the "calling" to be a nurse like others may have. But I must say that I give the patient my all for the 12 hours that I am on, and I take my job as a nurse seriously. After my shift I leave everything behind. I must also say that I enjoy being a nurse.

It seems some people believe nurses should not be compensated for services rendered, or should only work for the gratification of others. Why is that? Nurses have mortgages, children to care for, and bills to pay like everyone else. Would I do it for free? No, and I doubt others would also. Nursing affords me a good salary and the means to support my family. If it didn't I would choose another profession, that I enjoyed, which would preserve and maintain the lifestyle that I am accustomed to living. This does not make me a bad nurse in my opinion.

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

Going back to flexibility: I have the impression that if I had chosen nursing only for the flexibility and pay, I'd have trouble sticking it out for very long. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

I did not necessarily have the "calling" to be a nurse like others may have. But I must say that I give the patient my all for the 12 hours that I am on, and I take my job as a nurse seriously. After my shift I leave everything behind. I must also say that I enjoy being a nurse.

It seems some people believe nurses should not be compensated for services rendered, or should only work for the gratification of others. Why is that? Nurses have mortgages, children to care for, and bills to pay like everyone else. Would I do it for free? No, and I doubt others would also. Nursing affords me a good salary and the means to support my family. If it didn't I would choose another profession, that I enjoyed, which would preserve and maintain the lifestyle that I am accustomed to living. This does not make me a bad nurse in my opinion.

Rereading my original post, I think I have given offence without intending it. I didn’t intend to convey that I think nursing is a calling or that good pay and flexibility aren’t important. My point was, pay and flexibility are great, but I suspect they aren’t enough to keep a person in a job as demanding as nursing – satisfaction has to have a role. (For example, good pay, coworkers I liked a lot, and fantastic health benefits plus subsidized child care on site didn’t make me want to keep my office job.)

From time to time, I see posts along the lines of, "Is it true nurses can make $80k a year working three days a week? How many butts would I have to wipe?" It seems to me that such a question is putting the cart before the horse. Of courses nurses deserve their good pay (when they get it). But nursing’s a tough job. I suspect you’d also have to find it was worthwhile and fun to stick with it, even with good compensation and flexibility. Or put another way: nursing can be well paid, but not so well paid that you can stick with it if you don’t also like the work. That’s the perspective I wanted to share and to hear people’s thoughts about. I want to get to the point where I'm well paid for doing work I like - that's why I've chosen nursing.

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

working with chicks, man... there's a lotta love in healthcare!

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

>>Gerry- Thank you for your honesty. I hate it when people won't admit that they decided to go into a certain field because of the pay or job flexibility.

How do you know a person's reason why? If they say they're doing it because they just want to care for people, they might just be telling the truth.

I'm not doing it for the money, but I do like the flexibility concept.

I'm doing it because I want to make a difference before my time on this Earth is over. I'm doing it because when I watched a hospice nurse take care of my dying father I realized I wanted to be as amazing as she is. I'm doing it because I'm looking for a little self-actualization.

The guy who wrote that post about wanting $25 an hour was probably suffering from "New Graduate Ignorance r/t exuberance at finally graduating AEB offensive posts on message boards." I can relate to his post. Before I got accepted into nursing school I thought they would just love me because I was once a straight A student. I thought they would love me because I had all those years of disciplined military and computer experience. And, yeah, I thought they would just love me because I'm a male with a good strong back.

I've learned a few things since then. I've learned that if I don't meet the milestones and survive this program they'll give me the same boot they give cheaters and addicts.

This was kind of a negative post from me. Sorry. They're just cutting people left and right right now, and I'm as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of C.H.U.D.

Re: Guys- what made you want to become a nurse?

Originally Posted by Treat et Street

working with chicks, man... there's a lotta love in healthcare!

Really gives us guys a nice positive professional image. Thanks.