Nursing is a passion?

Published

I am aware of this being a touchy topic on AN, but my school has a nursing information session and within the session they state that nursing is more than just a steady income, it is a passion. You need to be passionate and able to set aside your problems to help somebody in "what could be the worst day of their life." Thoughts?

I tend to think the topic is destined to be a fruitless discussion in all cases, because someone's passion and even their compassion (we haven't had a real good compassion throw-down in a while!) generally exists in a realm that is not observable to others, and for the most part none of their business anyway. Performance is the only thing we may observe, and I'm 100% sure that self-identified "just a job" nurses can be regarded as possessing every outstanding attribute the "get out if you don't have the passion/compassion" nurses, and sometimes more so.

So... Let's talk about compassion.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Before I started working as a rn I would have said the same thing - nursing is a passion, a calling. However, the exhausting, thankless, fraustrating, draining nature of the job has made into just a paycheck.

I personally don't mind dealing with practical aspects of nursing, but the human elements and the physical toll gets me every time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.
When you're passionate about something you will bend over backwards to get things done. When you're not passionate about something, you're more likely to admit defeat when things get sticky.

To me, that's the difference between someone who does it for the paycheck and someone who has a passion for it.

My passion is travel. I haven't yet found a way to get paid well for travel (and this does not include travel nursing, as the pay is not that great for understaffed units).

If I "bent over backwards" on a daily basis, I'd have burned out long ago. I do have a strong work ethic, but there are limits.

I'm not in nursing solely for the paycheck, but I don't work for free. Nursing funds my passion. Furthermore, my free time has always been more important than any career. That's what I live for, and I have no guilt about saying so.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm a midwife, and it is central to my identity. I could never do anything else.

The problem with calling it a "passion" or a "calling," is that it makes it easier to justify lower wages or crappy work environments, because we somehow get a deeper satisfaction from our jobs that cannot be measured in compensation. Or something. Most female dominated fields have the same talking points, and we internalize it far more than we realize. Teachers, child care professionals, social workers, nurses- all are supposedly professions that are driven by a calling to serve. All are underpaid grossly (nurses less so than the others I listed).

When I was in CPM school way back in the day, we actually had a lecture on midwifery as a calling, and like, bartering our services for homemade quilts and the like, and the deep spiritual fulfillment of doing so. I am all for pro bono work, but I am not about to pretend my skills can be fairly compensated by a basket of your backyard eggs and your undying gratitude. Please. I can extend my services to those in need without the patronizing idea that I should be *grateful* that I have the opportunity to work for free because of my passion. Nope.

I do feel blessed and profoundly grateful every day, because I love my job to a ridiculous degree. But if I wasn't fairly compensated and afforded a supportive and pleasant work environment, no amount of passion would make it worthwhile.

Fair enough. Very reasonable.

But if you win the lotto or something and the job market falls apart are you done with midwifery?

You don't need the money, there are no paying jobs to be had, all the OB's took them, and you would not seek out a way to practice in some volunteer fashion, for maybe the uninsured?

I'm not going to believe you if you say yes, because you love it and it's more than the monetary compensation for you. Maybe not for most on this board but I don't believe you could stay away from it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
So... Let's talk about compassion.

Yeah! To really get the essence of that I would recommend a perusal of a long-gone thread . . . (my mind, for better or worse is like a steel trap for epic threads), although this only made it to 75 replies before the dreaded Topic Closed was imposed. By way of warning, a little snippet:

I may not have worked as a nurse yet so I don't know how stressful it can be. However . . .

Compassion.... why is it so hard to give some?
Up Vote Up Vote ×

compassion instead of passion? I think they are two different things, I am a compassionate person but like I said before I don't have passion for nursing. I am glad I am good at it so I can keep doing what I do but that's not because I'm passionate about my job I just like having one LOL!

I have worked with pretty nurses and not so pretty ones, skinny ones and hefty ones and probably a lot in between. I have seen people get fired but I honestly can't say any of it was ever because anyone thought they were too pretty or funny or smart! It was because they were always late or called out too much or didn't get meds done on time or made too many mistakes. Pretty and funny and smart nurses don't get fired because they're pretty and funny and smart LOL if that were the case I think half the people I work with would have to be fired! I never worked anywhere where nurses got fired easily either since we were usually short staffed you just about had to kill someone to get fired! So being pretty wasn't going to do it LOL!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My passion is what lead me to nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Home health is a passion of mine and a large part of who I am. Like another trade say a veterinarian who might be passionate about their work, I enjoy much of it and it supports me and my kids.

I consider myself fortunate to love what I do as well as having great work relationships.

That is a great analogy using a veterinarian. So true! I agree with you. It is such a blessing to have a career where you not only love what you do but are also making an impact in the world.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your points on "woman's work" are spot on! Yes enjoy what you do and get compensated justly for it....I believe it is a human right regardless of profession. I think stock clerks could enjoy their jobs, and find them more fulfilling if paid a living wage. Another thing I love about nursing is that it is one of the few professions that has most successfully "monetized woman's work"..by this I mean exactly what you described --- caring, nurturing, giving, listening, receptivity...traits that are often considered feminine, and done so "naturally", without a paycheck...what the nursing profession has been able to do is bring these qualities to the workforce. I believe we have Florence Nightingale to thank, as many of you may or may not know..one of her greatest occomplishments was founding schools, where "no men were allowed" --- this was revolutionary, as historically woman were not allowed higher education, or even high school education. And not just Aunt Flo...but there are many many female and male leaders who have worked to build nursing into the esteemed profession it is today. I am a second career nurse, and I choose nursing because at the end of my days, when I reflect back on my life I want to be happy, that I made a difference, showed love to those that were forgotten, showed kindness, and yes hopefully not only helped saved lives, but added quality not just years to my fellow humans. I guess you can say I am following a passion, as my goals are big..I want to help improve access to healthcare..I believe it is a human right, I also believe earning wages that allow us to live and prosper benefits all in a society.

Yet to more directly answer your question, I think the myraid responses you've received illustrate my following point: Nursing for some can be simply a means to an end, and there is no shame in that, but there are nurses who feel passionately about bedside nursing or like me about healthcare delivery systems and access to care. That is another reason why I am passionate about my new choosen profession....it offers a wide range of experiences, and opportunities to all who are called.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Before I started working as a rn I would have said the same thing - nursing is a passion, a calling. However, the exhausting, thankless, fraustrating, draining nature of the job has made into just a paycheck.

I personally don't mind dealing with practical aspects of nursing, but the human elements and the physical toll gets me every time.

Does your hospital have any resources to help prevent nurse burnout?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Oncology Hopeful.

duplicate post

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Oncology Hopeful.
I am a little doubtful that you know what internally motivates people. I can tell you that patients and coworkers probably think I'm passionate about nursing, and for me it's a job. I like being a nurse, but it's not a passion for me. I am enthusiastic at work but I LOVE my time off.
.

I first wanted to apologize for the spelling/grammar errors in my post, I posted from my phone originally and was not able to edit my errors for some reason.

You're right, I definitely can't know what internally motivates people, except in the cases where they verbalize it, which for some reason the nurses I have worked with so far like to do. I think because I am a student they like to talk to me about their motivations for becoming a nurse in the first place, or what has changed for them so far, and whether or not they still enjoy doing it. I like hearing the different perspectives on everything, because it opens me up to varying viewpoints, and also prepares me for the hurdles I may encounter. For me, when I work with a nurse and observe their interactions with the patients and other staff I believe I can tell who truly enjoys what they do, but maybe "passion" is too strong of a word to use since I technically don't know. Even those who love being a nurse and would not change it aren't necessarily going to love every aspect of it every single day, and I think that is totally fine. I believe student nurses are in a unique position because we are all over the floor and interact with many different patients and staff throughout the day, but in a way we are invisible and can really observe and absorb everything. You can learn a lot about people by observing, and that is what I meant by my original post - but yes, at the end of the day the only one who truly knows why they are there and whether or not they are passionate about their job is the person doing it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion