Nurses that “only do it for the money”

AFJ32780, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 2, 2019

On 4/2/2019 at 6:04 PM, Horseshoe said:
I wasn't available 4 days ago to read a long thread. My daughter got married so your little thread on nurses in it for the money wasn't a priority. I had time to read it today, so here I am. Does that answer your question?
Lots of threads are active for days, weeks, months.
Even though you started the thread, you don't have the authority to kill it or members' reactions to it, as long as they stay within TOS. Whether or not to kill a thread is not up to individual members, but to the mods here. They may close it in five minutes, five months, or never. I'm okay with any of those options, but of course it's not up to me either.

Congratulations on your daughter getting married. That’s always exciting.

Dodongo, APRN, NP · Apr 3, 2019

IDGAF why someone chose to become a nurse - or a physician, NP, RT, barber, grocery clerk, or car mechanic. As long as they are competent and hard working. It's super if you feel like you had a "calling" to do whatever it is you do, but at the end of the day, a job is just a hustle to make $$$.

AFJ32780, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 3, 2019

5 minutes ago, Dodongo said:
IDGAF why someone chose to become a nurse - or a physician, NP, RT, barber, grocery clerk, or car mechanic. As long as they are competent and hard working. It's super if you feel like you had a "calling" to do whatever it is you do, but at the end of the day, a job is just a hustle to make $$$.

Ok

Daisy Joyce · Apr 3, 2019

As long as they do their job, who cares?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Apr 3, 2019

Totally in it for the money, I couldn't make enough as a paramedic.

Toaster · Apr 3, 2019

I think as long as nurses do their job it is ok for me. I remember a nurse in my clinical placement on her phone the whole time and had the "whatever" attitude but she did her job.

Wizard 1 · Apr 3, 2019

Considering the price that must be paid in different ways, the money is not commensurate with it. Better ways than nursing exist to make better money without the weekends, holidays, nights, messed up policies and hard physical work.

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2019

This thread is popping like popcorn. ?

humerusRN, BSN · Apr 3, 2019

I was told by a TBI kid recently that he knew I didn't care about him, I was only in it for the money.

Does anyone get into nursing for the money? Maybe I live in the wrong part of the country, but I do not make bank. If I was picking a career based on potential income, this would not be it. My benefits suck, my schedule sucks, the work is HARD, and the pay is below average. So no, I don't do it for the money. That would just be stupid. I think I could get better benefits and less stress working for Starbucks. They even get free spotify!

Those of you who are in it for the money, send me your details so I know where I need to move to find some of this "money". LOL!

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 3, 2019

Money was a strong motivation for me, though there's "calling" too.

When people are talking about money, it's not getting rich or anything, but it is paying better than retail, is incredibly dependable and unlike a lot of jobs, it is one that is unlikely to be phased out with automation. Reliability of money is a huge boon.

I think many of the people who say they wouldn't work, they either are in a hospital/specialty/situation that isn't good. People in general like to contribute to society. If you've ever seen the documentary "Born Rich", one of the parents was advising their child how to get hobbies and volunteer positions because you'll go crazy if you have nothing to do. If you, for the most part, enjoy your coworkers, are treated fairly by the hospital and are helping people, most wouldn't want to give that up entirely (cutting back hours, sure. but not just sit at home)

OldDude · Apr 3, 2019

"...that only do it for the money"

I'm starting to see the similarities between nursing and prostitution.

WestCoastSunRN, MSN, CNS · Apr 3, 2019

I guess I find it weird that some nurses think of it as an either/or proposition. I think there's a lot of qualities/characteristics that good nurses have in common. Altruism, at least some modicum of it, is one of them. As a patient advocate, we need to be actively pursuing/supporting/demanding institutional and legislative policies that protect both nurses and patients -- because the well-being of one is tied to the other. As human beings, we should be similarly endeavoring for fair and healthy workplaces with safe working conditions and fair pay.

Nursing is a sociologically evolving profession. I've seen this just in the 20+ years I've been in it, but think about how far nursing has really come! There are also vast geographical differences in pay, working conditions, and culture.

As for the "calling" aspect -- I really caution anyone to not look at their job (no matter what it is) as a calling. I understand people feeling "led" onto various paths in life, and we all have processes by which we make decisions, and I don't judge that, and have even experienced it myself. There are a number of reasons (theological/spiritual being at the top of the list) why I think people should be very hesitant to use the word "calling" in a way different from "I am calling my Aunt Frieda" -- but that is a conversation not meant for an online forum.

You can have all the characteristics of a good nurse -- this will include altruism and it will also include leadership, professionalism and tenacity. And we need nurses who embody the gamut of these things if we want to see improvements in healthcare and in the profession of nursing. I suspect those who possess such characteristics could be labeled "passionate", and I, for one, am thankful to know some -- quite a few, actually. They are worth every penny they make and then some.