Nursing is a passion?

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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?

Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

Nursing is what I do for a living. It provides a paycheck. I love the idea of my work being my passion, but I have discovered that, at this stage, making nursing my fiery passion will simple burn me up into nothing but charred ashes.

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See this is why I get annoyed with people who push the O you have to love nursing and it is just wrong if you don't absolutely love it...we all must exist and provide for ourselves in this world...nursing helps me do it. I can't say it is a passion. It was a passion when I was in nursing school and had no clue what I was signing myself up for...now it is away to survive in this world. I have made peace with my choice and would never not treat my patients well due to it not being a passion. If nursing is what it should be, then maybe it could become my passion. For now it is all the swarovski crystal bracelets I recently purchased and the Ugg winter boots I just bought, thank you nursing.

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I absolutely love my job. As far as jobs go. I am only one powerball win away from quitting and finding my passion!

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Specializes in geriatrics.
I am actually very very surprised at how many people are saying nursing is not a passion to them. Nursing is one of my biggest passions. I'm really shocked by the number of nurses who say it is not a passion of theirs...

Please keep in mind that everyone has different values and motivations. Nursing is not a passion for all of us, and there's nothing wrong with that.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Another nurse believing or not believing that nursing is a passion holds no bearing over my own personal beliefs. As long as each nurse does what is expected of them competently, what is the problem?

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Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

Nursing is a job. You get paid well to do it. Like any other jobs, some people will enjoy it more than others but it's up to that individual to choose whatever they want to do. Nobody should judge others' motives on jobs they choose. Telling people to "get out" because there's no "passion" shows lack of empathy and understanding of reality, which ironically are things that any decent nurse should have.

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Specializes in ORTHO, PCU, ED.
See this is why I get annoyed with people who push the O you have to love nursing and it is just wrong if you don't absolutely love it...we all must exist and provide for ourselves in this world...nursing helps me do it. I can't say it is a passion. It was a passion when I was in nursing school and had no clue what I was signing myself up for...now it is away to survive in this world. I have made peace with my choice and would never not treat my patients well due to it not being a passion. If nursing is what it should be, then maybe it could become my passion. For now it is all the swarovski crystal bracelets I recently purchased and the Ugg winter boots I just bought, thank you nursing.

Exactly. VERY well said.

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I don't know, I feel like it is a passion of mine. I'm only in my second year of nursing school so I suppose everything is still new and exciting to me, but the whole point of me wanting to be a nurse is that I want to help people (and I love the human body). Of the nurses I've met in my clinicals and classes, I've seen that those who are truly passionate about caring for their patients are the ones who excel as nurses. I admit, I don't feel particularly passionate about wiping butts and cleaning vomit as a job; but I think looking at nursing as only the skills can really limit your mindset.

I also plan to continue my nursing education for the next several years because I'm passionate about the learning aspect, and I really want to become an NP and have my own practice. It would be difficult to stay passionate about doing the same thing for 20 years, even if it is nursing.

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU, ER, PICU, Corrections.

I like being a nurse but I would not say it's my passion.

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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?

Well I am just a pre-nursing student, but I have been a patient.

When I decided to pursue nursing I realized how competitive it was, at the time I had worked really hard while working 30 hours a week to achieve a 4.0. At midterm I had a 4.0.

I came down with an 11cm lung abscess, and could have died. I was told I was risking my life to take my finals, I didn't care, I wanted to take my finals. So I threatened to sign AMA unless I was released in time to take my finals.

The hospital obliged I took my finals, I dropped my 4.0 that semester when I earned two Bs, but it wasn't so bad considering I missed two weeks.

Basically what I am saying is you should be passionate about providing quality medical care, compassion, and understanding while still respecting the rights of the patient. It was my right, and my decision to leave, even though at one point I could barely stand, and almost fell it was my right to wash myself each day.

At the same time you are responsible for the well being of another life, and all my doctors, and nurses made it clear what I was doing, and kept me in the hospital until the very last minute on the agreement I would be very diligent about my antibiotic treatments at home.

I was, I passed all my classes even got a few As, and I got better. So overall I would say that experience of mine was professionalism in the face of a difficult patient in me. I don't know if any of this helps, but I think professionalism is just as important as passion.

To me a good passion for nursing is the ability to empathize without it compromising your judgement as a nurse.

I hope some of this helps. Keep in mind I am at this point just a pre-nursing student.

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For me, Nursing was and still is a calling. And I'm still kinda passionate about it. But that is not, and never will be, true for all nurses. Passion is not a prerequisite and it's not required in order to be a good, even great nurse. I understand that nursing is simply a job for many people, a decent way to make what is for most of us, unfortunately, a not too decent living. (But that's another post.) Anyway, it's fine if it's just a job. And if you feel the passion, great. If you don't, great. What you need is caring, intelligence, drive, integrity, and perseverance... if you have these and become a nurse you will have the opportunity to help a lot of people. In the end, like the man said, nursing is what you make of it.

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Specializes in Sub acute transitional care.

I love being a nurse. I worked so hard to get my Lpn and I'm working on my RN. It is who I am and I'm so passionate about it.

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