Wrong reasons for going into nursing.

[madfowl]

I think I may be picking up a popular theme on this site. For every "whoopee, I got a job", there is a post about somebody being dissapointed about their experiences working. The first year after licensure postings are beginning to get scary.

How has your passion for nursing helped (or harmed) your sink or float fight in the nursing biz?

Whenever I feel insecure, I remind myself that I was born for this, and to cut the fear factor, now. I knew that I wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl, and cant imagine myself complaining of long shifts or dealing with puke.

Is there a difference on quality of care, (and viewpoints), on nurses who are nurses because of a personal passion? When you read some of these posts, do you get the feeling that some of them would not survive two minutes on your floor, because the right reasons for going into nursing is not there?

Frank honesty is welcomed.

[serenity729]

Someone who goes into nursing for the "wrong reasons" or who doesn't have a "passion" for the work may end up being a better nurse than someone who feels she/he was born to do it.

I've always known I wanted to work in the medical profession, either as a doctor or a nurse. I have a passion for helping people and I'm a whiz at science. I volunteered for years in an ER and then on a Labor and Delivery floor. I earn excellent grades in my classes. On my clinical rotation I'm great with my patients. I love working with them, helping them, watching them improve. HOWEVER, I am also absent-minded, a klutz, I forget how to do things I've learned a number of times, and I'm deathly afraid of making a mistake. When I fall short in these ways I lose confidence. Some of my classmates seem to always figure out the right way to do things and aren't so puzzled by IV pumps and don't still sweat through their scrubs when they go to insert a foley catheter.

Someone can have the best of intentions and not be able to cut it. I hope that my intense preceptorship this spring will provide me with more opportunity to improve. Otherwise my "right reasons" may get me nowhere! Hehe. Naw, I think I'll be ok.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I can only think of a few seriously wrong reasons to go into nursing:

• You want to meet, and eventually marry, a rich doctor
  
• You need to feed a drug addiction, and nurses have access to lots of narcotics
  
• You think it's fun to abuse helpless people, of any age
  

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I cannot possibly conceive of WANTING to marry a doctor. They already have a wife: the pager. And a mistress: clinic.

[tiredstudentmom]

I found out that I had a knack for patient care as a medical asst. in a doctor's office. I loved talking to the patients (most of the time!) and hearing their stories (most of the time!). I didn't grow up wanting to be a nurse, but now that I know that's what I want to do! It won't be easy by any stretch of the means; however, I strive to do the best that I can and prepare for the long journey ahead. With that said, if someone is competent at their job, who am I to judge them for their motive(s)? Many take a job because it puts food on the table and a roof over their heads. As long as the nurse taking care of me and my kin is capable, competent, and gives a darn about how they do their job (for whatever reason), I'm not contemplating why they chose nursing, only that they take care of me (or my family).

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I think people, now adays, are more financial and job security driven than passion driven. Its unfortunate, but thats the way it is in my oppinion!

Happy

[RNJill]

I have to say that I don't feel like I was "called" to nursing. That being said, there were a lot of reasons why I chose it(interest in science/patho/etc, desire to help people in difficult situations, diverse work options, lots of potential for advancement-for me, specifically in the form of the nurse practitioner role). I think these are good reasons, too :-)

I believe that if I'd gone into nursing *strictly* for money or only to have a job, I would have a much harder time giving it my all on those rough days and just (generally) continuing to believe that my work is valuable and making a difference. Nursing is taxing emotionally and physically, and (if this makes any sense), I think that if you don't have some sense of it being more to you than a source of income, it might be hard not to get bitter as time passes.

That being said, if you are able to be a good nurse knowing that you're doing it for money and job security, that does not bother me AT ALL. The above is my opinion and not gospel :-)

[TheOldestNurseOnUnit]

I truly think I was called to nursing. It was the only thing--besides being a mom and a rock star--that I EVER really wanted to do.

For me it was NEVER the money. Can't say that now because I do make very good money & being a single mom with a mortgage--I thank God for my job.

Do I always want to go in every shift? Of course not--there are many days I would rather stay home. But in I go and I haven't regretted it yet.

I work at a local hospital that's not quite up there as far as modernization goes (we still hand-chart) but my colleagues, for the most part, are fantastic; I have great bosses and I love the fact that we all really look out for each other.

I don't think anyone should go into any career for the money....that gets old pretty fast. If you don't love what you do, eventually it will show IMO.

Thank you for the opportunity to give my miserable 2 cents!

[nanababe]

My name is Nancy Mitchel, I am a student nurse in San Pedro, I love nursing and will devote my life to it. It is in my character to help sick people and enjoy doing it. Nevertheless I am appealing to anyone that has opportunity to read this to get across to me because I have an urgent issues that I will like to share. My email address is [email protected]

Thank you.

Nancy

[blueheaven]

I'm an "old" nurse, and the training I did was hands-on, in the hospital. If you wanted to qualify as a registered nurse, you had to get into the real "down and dirty" of nursing, even before you put your foot into college. By the end of six months, which consisted (normally) of 3 months hospital, 3 months college, you had a pretty good idea of whether this was something you could see yourself doing for the next thirty or forty years.

I find it sad that people are investing huge sums of money to learn a profession that they're not cut out for. But I get a real kick out of reading the success stories! :)

I'm an old nurse too. We did our college stuff right along with our nursing stuff. (made for NO life for 3 years) Our program was set up a little different than yours but within 3 months of starting school we were in the hospital doing basic patient care and able to observe what went on in the real world as opposed to just our 2 patinets.

The illusion that many programs give regarding the role of nurses is wrong and to me seems almost like fraud.