Nursing a 'caring' profession or are we so much more?

Whew! You said a mouthful!! I remember applying for nursing school and saying "because I care for people". Sounds kind of simplistic now. Imagine now, after 26 years, saying "I want to be a nurse because I want to be stressed 24 hours a day, I want to see how long my bladder can go before I pee, I want to learn to wolf my food down in less than 90 seconds, I want to be slapped, kicked at, hit, bit and cursed at on a regular basis, I want to be looked down on by a pompous physician, I want to have to make life or death decisions that I will lose sleep over and etc, etc, etc." Funny, though, because I still care. It's just harder sometimes because of all those things I didn't know then, but know now. Caring must still be part of the equation, but it certainly isn't all you need.

There is a lot more to "caring" than the limited definitions you posted. From the Webster's website:CarePronunciation: k�r n.1.A burdensome sense of responsibility; trouble caused by onerous duties; anxiety; concern; solicitude. Care keeps his watch in every old man's eye,And where care lodges, sleep will never lie. - Shak.2.Charge, oversight, or management, implying responsibility for safety and prosperity. The care of all the churches. - 2 Cor. xi. 28.Him thy care must be to find. - Milton.Perplexed with a thousand cares. - Shak.3.Attention or heed; caution; regard; heedfulness; watchfulness; as, take care; have a care. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. - Shak.4.The object of watchful attention or anxiety. Right sorrowfully mourning her bereaved cares. - Spenser.v. i.1.To be anxious or solicitous; to be concerned; to have regard or interest; - sometimes followed by an objective of measure. [imp. & p. p. Cared ; p. pr. & vb. n. Caring.]I would not care a pin, if the other three were in. - Shak.Master, carest thou not that we perish? - Mark. iv. 38.To care fora - To have under watchful attention; to take care of.b -To have regard or affection for; to like or love.

I find nursing to be pretty cut throat and poisoned with too many cold hearted people. That is not to say all nurses are like that but I did not know the true meaning of the b word until I started nursing school and had some awful instructors.Caring my arse.

Amen, sista!

I actually saw a job posting on Craigslist for nurses to be a surrogate mother because "the definition of a nurse is caring" so who better to carry a baby for a childless couple. I actually had to read it twice to be sure I understood it. It was in the JOBS section, not personals, but nursing jobs!

Quote from elkparkThere is a lot more to "caring" than the limited definitions you posted. From the Webster's website:CarePronunciation: k�r n.1.A burdensome sense of responsibility; trouble caused by onerous duties; anxiety; concern; solicitude. Care keeps his watch in every old man's eye,And where care lodges, sleep will never lie. - Shak.2.Charge, oversight, or management, implying responsibility for safety and prosperity. The care of all the churches. - 2 Cor. xi. 28.Him thy care must be to find. - Milton.Perplexed with a thousand cares. - Shak.3.Attention or heed; caution; regard; heedfulness; watchfulness; as, take care; have a care. I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. - Shak.4.The object of watchful attention or anxiety. Right sorrowfully mourning her bereaved cares. - Spenser.v. i.1.To be anxious or solicitous; to be concerned; to have regard or interest; - sometimes followed by an objective of measure. [imp. & p. p. Cared ; p. pr. & vb. n. Caring.]I would not care a pin, if the other three were in. - Shak.Master, carest thou not that we perish? - Mark. iv. 38.To care fora - To have under watchful attention; to take care of.b -To have regard or affection for; to like or love.

Quote from madwife2002Got you thinking about it though!

Quote from TracyE78I actually saw a job posting on Craigslist for nurses to be a surrogate mother because "the definition of a nurse is caring" so who better to carry a baby for a childless couple. I actually had to read it twice to be sure I understood it. It was in the JOBS section, not personals, but nursing jobs!

I agree that the word care or caring may be too vague to describe the reason for nurses to take up this profession. I also believed that we have evolved in our roles, I believe that we have more to offer than just "caring" for patients.