Nurses, how do you view your job?

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I recently had a discussion with someone who views nursing as "just a job". But I feel it's more than that. They are using the fact that I am a new nurse against me and saying that basically I will eventually say it's " just a job". I never want to have that mentality though. I know that you get caregiver strain here and there and its hard work. But never could I picture saving lives as "just a job". Thoughts?

But if I don't do it for free and if I won the powerball tomorrow I'd quit, travel the world, then come home to my ecofriendly cabin out in the middle of nowhere with a big library, a big backyard, and raise honeybees or something...

You forgot to add "...with Far!"

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Specializes in ER, ICU plus many other.

Nursing was a calling for me when I started many years ago. I loved what I did. In today's nirsing world, however,tings are different--much different! I ended feeling it was just a job. I still gave my all but, there are limitations on the outcomes we can control. Dont beat yourself up if you can't change things.

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Specializes in Hospice.
I think you could ask, "what does just a job" mean and we would get varied answers as well.

Anywhere from working just for the check to leaving nothing on the field while not emotionally bringing it home.

Even though I would have no reaction to say an auditor saying they're there just for the paycheck I would cringe a bit to hear a hospice nurse say the same thing.

But on the other hand a hospice nurse could be there only to maintain their personal lifestyle and take zero home with them while still providing personalized compassionate service, it just sounds offputting.

Personally I'd like to think someone like a hospice nurse, or as another poster who works with adolescent mental health patients, wouldn't drop their job like a hot potato given the chance, but I don't really know if it makes a difference in the nuances of their work.

Part of being a Hospice nurse is learning to set limits and boundaries, so you don't get burned out and overwhelmed. I don't take my work home with me, but that doesn't mean that I don't have empathy when I'm at work.

I don't usually encourage families to call my work phone; as I tell them all, "Unless I'm on call, my work phone is shut off at 5pm and isn't turned on until the next work day. Please call the Hospice office, there is always someone available to talk to. I would hate for you to have a question or concern and I don't get your message right away." I've never had anyone object to this.

I refuse to do paperwork at home. All my patients are in one facility, so my notes are done in real time. Same with recerts.

I do think about some of my patients when I'm not at work, usually the ones who are transitioning or imminent.

Hospice is what I am going to do until I retire. It's not a calling in the true sense of the word, but it's what I love now and the perfect place for me to be at this point in my career.

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Speaking of crosses to bear, some nurses truly need to get off the cross. After all, we desperately need the wood.

Squashing my inner Beavis and Butthead right now.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
You forgot to add "...with Far!"

Oh, I forgot! We can fangirl all over the globe, we may have to start a geek commune and there may be multiple ecofriendly cabins.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
You forgot to add "...with Far!"

Nuh uh, you aren't going anywhere without me! I need someone who can make me laugh!

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Part of being a Hospice nurse is learning to set limits and boundaries, so you don't get burned out and overwhelmed. I don't take my work home with me, but that doesn't mean that I don't have empathy when I'm at work.

I don't usually encourage families to call my work phone; as I tell them all, "Unless I'm on call, my work phone is shut off at 5pm and isn't turned on until the next work day. Please call the Hospice office, there is always someone available to talk to. I would hate for you to have a question or concern and I don't get your message right away." I've never had anyone object to this.

I refuse to do paperwork at home. All my patients are in one facility, so my notes are done in real time. Same with recerts.

I do think about some of my patients when I'm not at work, usually the ones who are transitioning or imminent.

Hospice is what I am going to do until I retire. It's not a calling in the true sense of the word, but it's what I love now and the perfect place for me to be at this point in my career.

I had a patient and family that I was close to, but the wife really crossed the line with me.

She looked for me in the phonebook. My number is unlisted, but she wound up calling my Dad's number, which is listed (only person in my hometown with that last name). She called him, and dear old Dad, being Mr. Helpful, gave her my number. To say I wasn't happy would be an understatement.

I had a couple other patients in hospice who glommed on to me. It's a lot harder to set limits with someone who has a short time to live, compared with your average clingy patient in the hospital who is just there for surgery/acute illness and is going to recover and have years to live. At least, it was hard for me. Probably why I burned out of hospice both times I tried it.

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Your right, nursing is not just a job, it's a sucky job. Poor staffing with more work added everyday. The only thing nursing offers is a steady paycheck.

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Your right, nursing is not just a job, it's a sucky job. Poor staffing with more work added everyday. The only thing nursing offers is a steady paycheck.

Yeah, it is a job...but I really don't think I would call it a sucky job. You don't have to absolutely love your job, but I don't understand the point of doing it if you think it's sucky. There are plenty of other career choices with a steady paycheck that you could check out. Wish you all the best, studentnurse. May you either find the small light that is within nursing, or find something you do like to do.

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Yes! I agree wholeheartedly

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Yes! I agree wholeheartedly

(With whom? With what?)

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Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

It seems most newer nurses are confusing empathy with sympathy. It is very well possible for me as an experienced nurse to anticipate the needs of my patients, understand their feelings, and respond in a professional therapeutic manner all without feeling pity or sorrow for them (sympathy). After doing my job, I go home, shower and wash the shift away. And what does compassion look like for real? To me, it's letting the patient whose had a rough night sleep in a little, or advocating a way to minimize IV sticks in someone, you get the point. Compassion in nursing is being able to look at the big picture of what's going on, and making it a little better. Newer nurses may not fully appreciate just how compassionate experienced nurses can be...more often then not, we just show it differently. And no, I do not consider nursing a calling, but something I got pretty decent at.

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