Nurses, how do you view your job?

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 30, 2015

Was I proud to be a nurse? You bet. I got to meet a lot of interesting people, and had some experiences I never would have had, had I gone the other direction in my education. (I wanted to be a Spanish/English teacher.)

However, I wasn't "called" to nursing, and nursing wasn't my identity. There's a lot I miss about not being a nurse, but there's a lot I don't miss, too. Like being accused of "NETY" or that I'm not a good enough nurse because I thought of it as a job.

SubSippi · Jun 30, 2015

I do have to say, I am nursey. I like nursey types, and can usually pick them out and cling to them. So, it is part of my fabric, but I have a lot of fabric.
This does not mean I'm fat.

Ha, me too. I keep trying to convince my friends to go to nursing school so I have more people to talk about nurse stuff with.

And I will say, healthy or not, being a nurse takes up a huge part of my identity. I'd probably feel more lost if I lost my nursing license than if I got divorced.

I love my job, but not because of anything noble. It's challenging and interesting and I'm not stuck behind a desk.

Farawyn · Jun 30, 2015

Ha, me too. I keep trying to convince my friends to go to nursing school so I have more people to talk about nurse stuff with.
And I will say, healthy or not, being a nurse takes up a huge part of my identity. I'd probably feel more lost if I lost my nursing license than if I got divorced.
I love my job, but not because of anything noble. It's challenging and interesting and I'm not stuck behind a desk.

But, if you had a gazillion dollars...?

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 30, 2015

@cnmbfa: I have been a nurse for 30+ years (you know, the group you just denigrated in your post). I don't belong to the ANA because I don't share their values. I do belong to the CNA/NNU/NNOC, as well as ONS...and I am no longer practicing. I did "right" to my legislators on matters that were important to me.

Perhaps if you would dig a little deeper, you'd understand why some of your colleagues with decades of experience have gotten frustrated and appear to have given up.

I Observe · Jun 30, 2015

OP, I don't remember anyone telling you that you will eventually see it as "just a job", or that you have to. Some nurses may see their job as a "calling" and some won't. It's not your job to regulate how nurses feel about their jobs, and it's disingenuous, to say the least, for you to play the picked-on victim when you are the one who attacked their point of view to begin with.

And for the record, I am not a nurse so feel free to ignore me.

CountryMomma, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2015

It's a job. My job. A thankless, overwhelming, sometimes rewarding job.

I was not necessarily called to be a nurse, but I chose it for sentimental and financial reasons. Having gone a year in the industrial washing machine that is Corporate-run Healthcare, I no longer view myself as privileged to be a nurse, or special and memorable as a nurse. After all, I am often reminded that I can be easily replaced by the hundreds of new grads that flood our floor for clinicals as soon as they graduate. I'm still proud to know that I spend more time with my patients than my doctors do, I know the names of their kids and whether or not they like grape vs apple juice, but I try very hard not to judge people by their occupation, and hand in hand with that, I don't let my occupation elevate me above others.

This is a job where I get paid to do what I wanted to do (provide direct pt care in an acute setting). It is not my life. I am more than just a nurse, I have many hats to wear.

That said, I sure as heck ain't gonna turn down the weekly paycheck!

Sometimes I wonder why all the "Nursing is a sacred, esoteric calling, you should be honored to be there, you should be more like Florence!" accept money for their services.

Also, I wonder if they realize just how much of a gentle dove Florence was NOT.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 30, 2015

No, we got you. You were very clear in your first thread in this post, which I liked for a reason.
If I had a **** ton of money, I would not work as a nurse. I would not work at all. It is not my "calling" to be a nurse.
I do think, however, I would keep my license active and still do something volunteer-y in healthcare, 'cause I like it. Doesn't make me a saint. This may or may not include popping zits.

Or peeling sunburned skin. That is so cool.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 30, 2015

THIS!!!
And believed me, all I ever wanted to be was a nurse; I studied hard and researched and found out that I had the flexibility to work three days a week, not be a 9-5 job and could work at night were pluses for me, even as an adolescent.
It's my 15th year in healthcare next week; I learned early on how healthcare has become a corporate machine for it's survival-for the worse, good or indifferent 15 years ago. Having that knowledge and looking at it practically has kept me in this business without burnout...as long as I am able to do my job competently, everything else is secondary, even altruistic reasons; that doesn't mean I don't dry tears give hugs, hi-five, pounds, stickers, and give people a laugh ; having that perspective ALLOWS me to be able to do those things AND MORE.
I also have been paid well due to my knowledge of the business and have been an independent contractor and commanded to be paid handsomely for what I do; I do this every time unapologetically because I have no qualms being paid for the work that I do; pts keep me in business and living comfortably.

How exactly does that work? I can't work anymore, but that definitely sounds interesting to hear about. Maybe a thread would be good, or an article. If you've already written about this, I'm sorry for missing it.

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2015

I like my job, but I don't see it as particularly noble. Antibiotics and surgery would be of no use if the streets were flooded with trash and no one harvested wheat from the fields to make bread. Everyone who contributes to society does something very meaningful and life-saving, even if it's not as dramatic as running a code.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jun 30, 2015

Its just a job. It does not define me as a person. When I am not at work or have my badge on, I am not a nurse.

BiotoBSNtoFNP · Jun 30, 2015

When I clock in, I do my best to give proper nursing care to my patients, and when I clock out I have learned to stop worrying and obsessing over my patients or my job. I think a lot of new grads have the usual new grad anxiety bc they bring work home with them and they are not in the "it's just a job" mindset. Just because I have this mindset, doesnt mean that I dont provide good care at work, it just means that I dont get upset over the dumb bureaucratic issues and all the work drama.

cnmbfa · Jun 30, 2015

Aspiring NMW

Nurse and midwife bleed into one another. I know this as someone who has been both an L&D nurse, a Mom-baby nurse, and a CNM in practice for 10 years. Nursing skills are foundational to midwifery, which builds on the knowledge, skills, values, ethics, ability to communicate, assess, problem-solve, evaluate, and more learned through nursing education and practice at the bedside. Please do not undervalue or discount this, or view nursing education as just something you have to endure to get to the good stuff, being a midwife.

Maybe you did not mean to come across as you did, but I sure hope you do not and will not look down on the RNs you will need to work with and rely on. Maybe the persons who stay RNs don't want to responsibility or crazy hours, are sick of going to school, etc. Maybe they like relating to patients one-to-one in L&D or helping to launch new families on Mom-Baby. It is that often RN who is at the bedside helping that woman through her labor for hours before you come in. Many of them know as much or more than some CNMs, and may some day pull YOUR feet out of a fire. They have a deep understanding of labor, of FHts, and more, so show listen to the, value them, and show them some respect.