Is nursing a depressing job?

[AddisonLawrence03]

how do you deal with seeing people get sick and die all the time? or especially nurses who work in hospice? are there times when you go home and cry or do you just stay strong and learn how to cope with it?

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

I think that nursing can be more of an emotional drain than really depressing. We have to care about so many people and the be the strength and often times verbal punching bag to so many people that we give to much and have little to nothing left for ourselves.

As a nurse, self care is incredibly important and frankly ought to be taught in nursing school, I know too many nurses that have literally broken their bodies from taking care of others.

[SweetseRN]

I tend to deal with depression to begin with but nursing does not in anyway exacerbate this, in fact...I feel healthier than I ever have in my life. I have cried a few times, but you pull it together and move on for your other patients. I think that the good I do for people every day far out weighs the sadness. Even if a patient dies, I feel good about being a support for the family. Yes, nursing can make me feel sad, but no, not depressed.