Reasons for a profession in nursing

[green_tea]

Hey everyone~ I'm thinking of a career in nursing. What I like about nursing is that I like looking after people, being there for them at tough times, and working in a hopital or clinic. But I'm not sure if these are good enough reasons. I was just hoping to know what are/were some of your reasons for choosing a profession in nursing.

Also, what did you get out of this profession? (positive and negative comments are welcome~) Was this profession anything like what you had in mind?

Question on the side: Do hospitals in Canada have color codes for scrubs?

Thanks a bunch!!!

[Fiona59]

Everybody has a reason for becoming a nurse and yours are among the most common. So don't sweat it.

What have I got out of it? A bad shoulder and sore knee from being injured when patients have refused to follow instructions when being transferred. I get a sense of satisfaction when I send an ICU discharge home. I can sleep at night knowing that my compassionate care patient got a dignified and pain free death. Money, yup, blunt, I make enough to support myself if my partner is unable to support the family or something happens to him.

Nobody goes into nursing for purely altruistic reasons.

I've never worked in a hospital that colour codes the staff, probably against the Charter of Rights. It's a big country so who knows?

[5cats]

We have colour codes for staff, that's in SK. Why are you asking that?

And I agree your reasons are very common:)

5cats

[rn-jane]

I went into nursing because I really wanted to help people and have 3 siblings in nursing and it was sorta pushed to go that direction. The money is fairly good compared to other jobs out there and job security I 'm sure is one of the reasons why I continue to stay.

Negative - Please don't take this the wrong way. "It truely is the most thankless job you could ever choose." More times than not will you be insulted, made to feel stupid and crtitisized for things that are out of your control and not something you are at fault with. Families will constantly insult you, in times terrorize you. Patients will blame you for how they feel, why they are not being discharged and because they have the diagnosis they do. Most docs respect you in time, but when they have a bad day get out of the way because you could be their punching bag because they are upset over a patient or personal problem.

Positive- I guess you are wondering though money is good "Why do I do this" Because I truely believe god created me to be a nurse. I love being a nurse. I love when a patient comes back and tells me how well they are doing. There are times a patient or family member is having the worst day of their life and you are there to get them through it. You might not be able to fix things but you stick around and find a way to reassure them that they will get through it no matter what happens.

[green_tea]

Thank you all so much for your wonderful inputs!

I was really worried because my reasons are so common. I mean if a program director were to choose prospective nursing students, wouldn't he/she want someone who stands out? Someone with a reason that stands out from for common answers like I want to help people...

On the side note, another reason that I want to go into nursing is that I want to use all those skills I learned to look after my parents and grandparents later on. We don't have anyone in the family who works in health-related field. So i thought that, aside from the fact that I really do want to go into nursing, it would be nice to have someone like that at home.