What I love about nursing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Ok, the thread about how nurses hate nursing and that we're depressing made me want to start one about why we like what we do. Please, if you don't have anything positive to contribute - don't add negatives.

What I love about my job:

1 - I love the flexibility of nursing. When I was pregnant with my oldest (now 19), I had a full time school nurse position, a dream job for most nurses. I quit that job to go back to work three evenings a week, including every other weeekend, because I wanted to be home with my kids as much as possible. It helped my husband become a very involved dad, helped me earn an income and be home as much as possible.

2 - I love the flexibility of moving about within the profession. I've worked in medicine, ICU, private, school, rehab, and many others. I'm now in palliative care. I love that I can move to another areas if I get tired of or don't like anymore the area in which I work.

3 - I love that I will always be needed. When I went into nursing in 1978, I didn't go in because I wanted to save people, or anything like that. I chose nursing because I knew that no matter how involved our lives get, how technological the world gets, we will always need nurses.

4 - I love palliative care nursing. In all the years of nursing, I have found the one I really, really like. I love being able to help patients in their final days. I love being able to help families cope with their impending loss. I love the satisfaction of knowing that I finally helped get a patient's pain under control. I love talking to a frightened patient in the middle of the night, to see him or her relax enough to finally go to sleep.

5 - I love the wonderful people I've met throughout my career. Sure, I've met some I'd rather not ever spend time with again, but for every person like that I meet, there are many more who I was so lucky to spend time with.

Sure, there are things about nursing that I really don't like. But there are things about many things in my life that I don't like. Nursing is not a dream job. There are problems and issues that need to be dealt with. But, it is the profession that has allowed me to touch many lives. It has allowed me to use that knowledge and convert it and use it to further my medical writing *and* remain an active nurse at the same time.

If I could live my life over again, I would not change my choice of nursing. I may change approaches I've taken to it, but I would not change my choice. My choice of nursing has brought me to my oldest and dearest friend (we met in college), my husband (we met through a nursing friend of mine), and many of the things I enjoy in life right now.

I am sorry that many nurses are not happy, that they work in less than desirable circumstances or that they just made the wrong choice. But I hardly believe that I am the only one who is not sorry that he or she chose nursing as a career and a profession.

What I love about nursing is the sweet smiles and hugs I get from my residents. I just love them!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I love nursing for these reasons. I love showing people that I care and that I understand. It's not all about the paperwork and the tasks. The element of human comfort goes such a long way in someone's journey either to recovery or down the final road.

There aren't too many jobs out there that require big intellect AND deep human skills. Nursing requires a lot of the same skills that motherhood does, and you even get paid for it! Sure, there is lots of weather, but really, what job doesn't?

Diahni

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As a new nursing student, I want to become a nurse because I like helping people. So far, I am enjoying every second of clinicals.

Thanks for posting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Clemm... hi.. what type of medical writing do you do??

Hi back. :-)

I write and edit documents for both MDs and the general public. I've worked on many CME projects and I've worked on patient education. My favourite work is patient education.

For four years in a row, I've had pieces in the AAFP Annual Health Guide. I just love getting that royalty cheque!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your life and job is "what you make of it". If you always see everything as a glass half empty, then that's all you'll ever have. If you always look at things as a glass half full, then that's what makes life worth living. I look at each day as a new opportunity to do better, learn more and make a difference. If you take the time to stop and think about all the good things in your life/job, it makes the bad things not so bad. Remember, things could always be worse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.
Hi back. :-)

I write and edit documents for both MDs and the general public. I've worked on many CME projects and I've worked on patient education. My favourite work is patient education.

For four years in a row, I've had pieces in the AAFP Annual Health Guide. I just love getting that royalty cheque!

That sounds interesting. Is an advanced degree required to get into med. writing? How do you go about getting into that? Thanks in advance.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

What I love about nursing? The plethora of opportunities available to us within just one profession. No matter which aspect of nursing you're into, you're still helping people no matter what.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, PACU.
That sounds interesting. Is an advanced degree required to get into med. writing? How do you go about getting into that? Thanks in advance.

I am interested in this too further down the road...

I was involved with the newspaper in highschool and now in college and writing is definately something I wouldnt mind doing on the side even if it were technical.

By the way, this post is great. I love hearing about happy nurses :loveya:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community, Renal, OR.

I love being a nurse, it is who I am, and what I do.

My mother and grandmother were both nurses, and my daughter is at nursing school now. (She says she was brain washed from birth!)

My best friends are nurses, I met my husband through a nursing friend.

I love making a difference to patients, to their family.

Some shifts are not great, some patients/relatives are not great, but it is a great career, a great profession.

I wouldn't do anything else.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
what i love about nursing

i love nursing because its not just my profession, but its also what makes me who i am. i love making a difference at other people's lives.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Tele, ICU, ER.

When I walk out after a long shift and I'm thinking "wow we did good work tonite", then I remember why I am a nurse.

When I can make a difference, help a mom handle her 19 year old's heretofor unknown pregnancy, when that instinct kicks in and I help to find something that we didn't see before, when someone says "thank you".

Yeah I love my job. Even on the worst shifts, I love my job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What I love about my job, (granted, I'm just a caregiver, no license or title yet, lowest of the low), is the residents. They are fantastic! Everyone has their bad days, so sometimes they can be a handful, but overall, they are great people. Even though management doesn't seem to care at all for the people who work for them, the residents do. They are almost always happy to see me. I get my joy from them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment