"Nursing" a calling, a career, or a combination of both

[wildtime88]

Did you enter nursing as a calling, a career, or a combination or both, or something else?

[micro, RN]

just don't know, but should I understand as well as everyone understand before we continue on this thread11111

JUST OLD MICRO, popping in,

micro :p

[wildtime88]

Hey guys, do what you want. It sounded like there was a good debate in the works. Another tread would have just brought more people in on it.

[Michelle_nurse]

I thought of entering the nursing program as a "calling", but to actually finish the nursing program was to advance my career, and to benefit my well being........(I know it sounds funny now), My parents didn't push me to go to college, but I knew they wanted me to finish, because it was for my "future", they didn't go to college, so they wanted me to have what they didn't have , I guess.

I wanted to be a nurse since I was a kid, so I think it was a "calling", I don't think of the word "calling" as being like a priest or a nun, like others said. I think of calling as being a job you were meant to do, because it suits you as a person. I have patience, compassion for others and I want to help people, plus I can handle the gorey stuff. There are the obvious things that I don't like about the job, but overall I am proud to say I am a nurse.

I think it is a combination of calling and career.......of course no one would go through nursing school and work our jobs if money weren't involved!!!

[melly]

I entered nursing school when I was divorcing my ex. and had 3 kids to support. I was browsing the want ads and noticed there were many more ads for nurses than for librarians, which is what I really wanted to do. Turns out that once I started nursing I was really good at it and I ended up enjoying the work. So for me it was mostly a career move to begin with but now I consider it it to be a calling in a small manner.

[CelticNurse]

I came into the job for three reasons:

1: The money.

2: The glamour.

3: The uniform.

I'd also like to say that it was an indoor job with no heavy lifting involved but that ain't necessarily so....

[bungies]

Glamour??? I missed that in the recruitment brochures!!

I think nursing is definitely at least partly a calling for me - I ran away from it for ten years, did a palaeontology degree and worked several different jobs - all in health care - before coming back to what I always knew I "should" do, and am good at.

It's also a little bit of a career move, as when I have a family I can work agency when I want to, I can travel, and I'll probably never be out of a job if I want to work.

I love it, too!

[CelticNurse]

Please note the application of tongue being firmly ensconced within the cheek thoughout the previous offering!

[nicola]

I became a nurse for a mix of reasons... I used to call it " my ministry that happened to pay the bills." Lately I think of it as the way to pay the bills in a way that I like while I have my real calling elsewhere... Does that make sense?

I really do care about the people I serve (and yes, I do see it as service) and could NOT do this job if I didn't really give a rat's a$$ about people... But as I get tired, it's harder to focus on the fuzzies of the job and easier to just go in, get the job done as pleasantly as possible and go home to the people I love...

[crystalhawk]

Originally posted by micro

I do not feel about nursing now, as I first did when I choose to go back to school and first entered the profession. Just don't know what else I would do and have equivalent pay, etc.

Still love nursing and caring for people, don't get me wrong, but my personal, family life and sanity come first.

Anyone relate?????

just micro:p :p

Yep, I can relate....When reality kicked in, shortly after graduation, I found that nursing is not what I expected... somedays it is actually more, but usually it isn't. I too have thought about doing something else, but have no idea what it would be. It's the "somedays" that remind me why I became a nurse in the first place. It is more than a calling and never for the money... those who enter nursing just for the money don't survive and find themselves sorely dissappointed in the lack of easy money. Aint nothin easy about it:rolleyes:

[flowerchild]

Interesting thread.

Both.

Nursing was a calling for me, but I also knew I wanted a career. When I decided to become a nurse, that was probably more important to me than having a career.

[jenac]

When I became an STNA at 19 yrs. old, it was a job. One that I needed for the money (as a single mother), but one I quickly found I had a passion for. Taking care of people is so much more fullfilling than your average hamburger and fries daily grind! Once in the field- I learned what it really meant to care. Becoming a nurse was a natural step forward. I wanted to be able to do something more for the people I spent most of my adult life taking care of!

Now married with two kids to take care of- I can say honestly, if it didn't pay the bills I couldn't do it- but a big part of me wouldn't be right if I didn't do this every day. The healthcare field was originally a job, but became a calling-which lead me to nursing.

[cactus wren]

Originally posted by micro

I do not feel about nursing now, as I first did when I choose to go back to school and first entered the profession. Just don't know what else I would do and have equivalent pay, etc.

Still love nursing and caring for people, don't get me wrong, but my personal, family life and sanity come first.

Anyone relate?????

just micro:p :p

Oh Yeah !!!!

I am now taking a few months off to rethink my part in this scheme of things, and if I could find another job that would pay as well, at my age, I`d be gone..And I`m A great nurse...Am just SO burned out by mainly the daily admin hassles I just don`t know if it`s worth it...