Why does Nursing have to be a passion?

Why does Nursing have to be a passion?

Is it necessary for nursing to be a passion? Why? 

40 Answers

Specializes in Critical Care.

Like others have mentioned... it doesn't have to be a "passion." That's too "black and white" sort of thinking in my opinion... To expect yourself to be passionate about nursing is expecting too much of yourself. People go into nursing for many different reasons. 

For me it's a job that matches my values and personality: I like helping people. I like learning, teaching, and being challenged. I like having unique skills and knowing what to do in an emergency. When at work, I work hard and am proud of my work ethic. I am creative, detail oriented, focused, a busy body, and enjoy understanding how things work (especially with the human body) - so being a critical care nurse suits me well. 

There's a lot of options / variety (with both specialties and environment), and job security. Nursing isn't a career path I see going obsolete anytime soon. The pay may appear unfair at times considering the number of hats we have to wear every day we show up to work, however, its worth it to me. 

You learn how the body works, which is helpful in taking care of your own - you only get one body in a lifetime.

Nursing allows opportunity to learn unique, technical, and life saving skills both in hospital / clinic / etc for the patients, and also when there's an outside hospital emergency. It's an amazing feeling when you know what to do to help someone outside of work. (Personal example - during holiday party I was at one year, an overworked, stressed, smoking, drinking young male working on Capitol Hill suddenly lost consciousness. He was outside near steps, and went head first down each metal step. Head bleeding happened quick and fast. Everyone froze. I took charge. I told people what to do & what NOT to do. 911 dialed immediately. I did neuro assessments, controlled bleeding, kept him awake, flat, in place/no moving, kept warm, safe, and EMS arrived to scene within minutes. The guy was okay, and was so thankful. I was thankful that being a nurse gave me the skills to help this person so that he ended up okay). 

Although it is frustrating at times being a nurse sometimes... being a nurse forces you to learn hard life lessons that some people never learn how to grasp let alone master, such as: good communication skills, discipline, self awareness, understanding human behavior, critical thinking, comfortable with discomfort, etc.

End of day, pros outweigh the cons for me. I enjoy being a nurse more than I dislike it, it pays the bills, and I appreciate what nursing has taught me. 

Specializes in PICU.

Doesn't have to be a passion. 

Any job you need to be able to tolerate enough.  Some people like their jobs, some love their jobs.  Some just are at a job because they are good at it.

Think about other proferssions.  You would never ask an IT person if they are passionate about their jobs, and administrative assistant, program planner, etc.  Nursing should be no differemt.

Personally, I like my job, I don't enjoy every single day, but overall I am happy and enjoy what I do, passion seems to belittle the work I do. 

"Passion" is asking too much. I aim more for "satisfaction". Some nursing jobs will give satisfaction and a sense of purpose. 

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

It need not be. One can succeed as a nurse without feeling "passionate" about the work. It's a means to an end for many. And that's OK.

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

While I am passionate about my job and the care I deliver I would not say Nursing is my passion. That would be very one dimensional of me and I have several things that I feel are my passions. Training service dogs, Growing plants (Mostly Orchids and vegetables) cooking and travel to name just a few.

I have been a nurse almost 20 years and as a career it has been good to me. I make a buck ten a year with a two year degree while my previous 4 year degree landed me no jobs whatsoever.  Nursing has kept the lights on and the refrigerator and cabinets well stocked while leaving some funds left over for the aforementioned passions.

Hppy

On 11/29/2022 at 2:46 PM, S8317823 said:

Why?

It is simple. If you are not "passionate" about nursing then you are less likely to put up with the working conditions and demands and mistreatment. And universities and businesses do need persons who are willing to put up with all of that; they are essential to the bottom line. If you do not like that type of treatment then you are not passionate enough and not worthy of being a nurse and are also probably just not a properly ethical and moral human being. ?

On 11/29/2022 at 6:47 PM, S8317823 said:

I really don’t need understand why people make such a big deal about motivation within Nursing it’s so stupid and honestly very tiresome.

Motivation to be a competent, compassionate, prudent nurse, who is a strong patient advocate - I'd say that's very important and necessary for a nurse.  

What are the types of motivation within nursing that you find so stupid and tiresome? 

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

It doesn't. There might even be advantages for nurses who see their job as well...a job and not as a life's passion.  Just my opinion but I would think people who go into nursing with a healthy dose of cynicism are less likely to be disappointed when the going gets tough and it always does at some point. 

Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.
On 11/29/2022 at 7:17 PM, RNNPICU said:

Doesn't have to be a passion. 

Any job you need to be able to tolerate enough.  Some people like their jobs, some love their jobs.  Some just are at a job because they are good at it.

Think about other proferssions.  You would never ask an IT person if they are passionate about their jobs, and administrative assistant, program planner, etc.  Nursing should be no differemt.

Personally, I like my job, I don't enjoy every single day, but overall I am happy and enjoy what I do, passion seems to belittle the work I do. 

I don't know about "passion" but I would somewhat think it is liking and loving one's job. Plenty of people become passionate about their jobs, even IT people, program planners, etc. People that like what they do probably are self-motivated to do a better job and find ways to improve it. Personally, I want to enjoy what I do. I spend a lot of my time at work, sometimes more than I spend with my hubby (excluding sleep!). I'd rather be doing something I'm happy with than just punching a clock and waiting to be anywhere else.

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
5 hours ago, Susie2310 said:

Motivation to be a competent, compassionate, prudent nurse, who is a strong patient advocate - I'd say that's very important and necessary for a nurse.  

What are the types of motivation within nursing that you find so stupid and tiresome? 

I interpreted their statement differently. They don't find motivation within nursing to be stupid and tiresome; they find the constant questioning about a person's motivation to be a nurse to be stupid and tiresome. I agree with that.

Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

I went into nursing because I wanted to help people feel better, and most of the time over my 40+ years I think I did a really good job of that. I never thought of it as a 'passion', but I did have very strong feelings that I wanted to provide ease for people, whatever they were going through.

What I don't understand is the thing about a "dream job". How can one know if it is a dream or a nightmare before they have even experienced it? My favorite job was when I made weekend Home Health visits for treatments done in their homes. But that was after I'd been a nurse for many years, and I wouldn't have known how much I'd like it way back when I graduated. Actually I don't think Home Health visits were a "thing" back in the early 1070's.

 I enjoyed most all of my jobs. When I didn't, I changed to another job. For a long time I worked through an agency and that allowed me to either stay long-term at one job, or jump around to fill in at area hospitals, or as the agency got new private duty (adults) cases and if they knew it was a case I would be good at, they'd ask me if I wanted to try it. I would agree to one shift and then if it didn't suit me, I'd let them find other coverage.

Anyway, nursing suited me. 

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

It doesn’t HAVE to be a passion. But if it isn’t, it will be pretty hard to keep it up in most nursing jobs. Because it’s generally difficult with a lot of toxicity and the healthcare system in the US is broken to pieces. 

Thankfully nursing is a broad enough field where you should be able to find a comfortable niche in case it’s not really a passion. But you’ll have to look around a bit and it likely won’t be your first nursing job.

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