'I love my patients!'.

[Florence NightinFAIL]

I've read a couple of threads where people have said they love their patients and I'm wondering what they mean by it, because I don't feel that, not even close. It's not that I'm a cold hearted pearson, but isn't 'love' too strong a word? I work in a general surg floor and patients generally stay from 1 week to a 2 months depending on their dx & sx. At the end of the day, I hardly remember their names or how they look like. I certainly do not love them or even like them (that does not mean that I dislike them - it just means that I don't have feelings towards them other than caring for them...does it make sense?). I hardly know them beyond their medical hx.

When I was doing my clinical in maternity and peds - I certainly felt at points that I loved the experience and the babies but not specific babies - just generally loved having someone that small to cuddle and take care of.

I'm wondering whether it's a personal feeling of some nurses or if people expect nurses to love their jobs or their patients. At the end of the day, it's a job not a calling. It took me a long time to love my friends yet I'm expected to love strangers that come in and out of my life in the blink of an eye?

And here is the shocker - I DON'T love nursing. I've always wanted to be a nurse but I don't love it. It's a job to me. I certainly have compassion and can emphasize with patient's stories. However, what's to love about 12 hr shifts, being on your feet all day, etc. etc. What other job expects the worker to love the job, love the client, not care about the money, etc? Yea, take your time while I brew myself some coffee....

Anyway...just wondering what your thoughts are.

Do you really love nursing and love your patients? And what do you mean exactly when you utter (write) that phrase?

Is it like writing 'LOL' even though you're not even smiling?

[shoegalRN, RN]

I like my job. Some days I don't look forward to coming to work, other days I do, just depends on my mood for that day and how much sleep I got during the day.

There are some pts I remember more than others. Sometimes I can't help to wonder the outcome of a pt that was transferred to the ICU that had to be coded in the ER. But that don't last too long once I leave the hospital.

In the beginning I was taking my job home and getting sick physically. Now, once I leave the hospital, I press the "delete" button.

[VivaRN]

I think nursing is more about being able to maintain a professional, respectful attitude towards your patients vs. "loving" them. I don't care who you are, patients are people too and if you haven't met that special patient who will push your buttons until you want to scream you haven't been a nurse for very long.

I entered nursing with the attitude that I would be this all-compassionate individual. That is until I met Mr. X who swore at me or Ms. Y who wanted me to be her personal slave. Nursing is dysfunctional without loving yourself, which means respecting your boundaries and letting others know how you want to be treated. I might be very frustrated with a patient (perhaps she lied to me at the last visit) but she will get the same respectful attention and professionalism as anyone else. IMHO, that is more important than this expectation of universal love. Sorry but I'm human and I know it!

When I say "I love my patients" I mean that I love what I do most days and the way I work with people.